The SWAMP THING

   Created by writer Len Wein and artist Berni Wrightson in DC COMICS's House of Secrets \#92 (July 1971), TST is a monster whose moss-and muck-encrusted body is formed entirely of vegetable matter. In that original short graphic story, as a result of a scientific "accident" arranged by his jealous assistant Damian Ridge, Dr Alex Olsen is killed and subsequently resurrected in mutated form as TST, destined to wreak vengeance. Wein and Wrightson rewrote the character's early biography in the Swamp Thing series of COMIC books for DC, running from \#1 (Nov 1972) until July 1974. According to the revised version, the unfortunate Dr Alec Holland (note name-change) was working on a "Bio-restorative Formula" whenan explosion in his laboratory set off the chain of events described above. These 10 issues (reprinted as Roots of the Swamp Thing Aug-Nov 1986) are regarded in the comics world as classics of GOTHIC horror.In May1982 TST began to reappear in another comic-book series, Saga of the Swamp Thing. In this version he initially developed as a SUPERHERO of no great interest, but \#20, Loose Ends, introduced Alan MOORE as writer. Moore continued until \#64 and, with artists Steve Bissette, John Totleben, Rick Veitch and others, attained what is usually accepted to be his greatestachievement to date (with the possible exception of WATCHMEN). Moore's themes - including menstrual werewolves, serial killers, racial zombies and, in a swipe at the gun-lobby, a house haunted by guns - were wide-ranging, and he radically changed the basic premise: TST was now a MONSTER who had incorporated through RNA some of Alex Holland'spersonality. Moore also introduced significant ECOLOGY and ESCHATOLOGY themes, latterly taking TST into a series of SPACE OPERA adventures. From \#30 DC found it necessary to drop the Comics Code logo from the cover,replacing it with the words "Sophisticated Suspense"; at the same time the title reverted to the original Swamp Thing. Since Moore's departure the scripts have rarely reached the same quality.There have been 2 Swamp Thing films: Swamp Thing (1982) dir Wes Craven, 91 mins, and its chaotic spoof sequel, the occasionally hilarious The Return of Swamp Thing (1989; vt Swamp Thing II) dir Jim Wynorski, 88 mins. Both films, neither verysuccessful, star stuntman Dick Durock as the monster and Louis Jourdan as his conniving foe, Dr Arcane.

RT