855th Post - Swamp Thing Post

This is probably gonna be my most self-indulgent post ever. But, it is my blog. And I'll write what I want to.

First published in 1972 or so was Swamp Thing, written by Len Wein and drawn by Bernie Wrightson. Wein went on to create, among other characters, Wolverine. No. Hugh Jackman didn't create Wolverine.

Swampy by Wein and Wrightson was considered a classic character. I loved the reprints. Eventually, I acquired many of the original comics. After they left the book, other people took it over, and then others, to the point where the book sucked pretty hard. Those other guys just didn't have a firm grasp of the character.

Swamp Thing was revived as a comic in 1982, the year I graduated high school. Written by Marty Pasko and drawn by Tom Yeates, I liked it. Yeates left and Steve Bissette John Totleben began drawing the book with issue 16 or so. Pasko left with issue 19, and an unknown British writer named Alan Moore began writing it with ish 20. That issue ended with Swampy being shot to death. Pretty good cliff hanger.

(Yes. Alan Moore. The same guy whose name became associated with books like "V For Vendetta", "Watchmen", "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen", and "From Hell". The books he wrote were great; the films they became were not.)

Issue 21 is really Moore's way of saying hello to the character. It was an excellent issue. I hadn't read it for years. Until tonight.

Whilst trolling youtube, I found that someone has taken that classic comic book, scanned it in on his computer, broken the pages down into something easier to read on a computer monitor, and added a classical music track! A unique presentation to say the least. But then again, "The Anatomy Lesson" is a pretty unique comic.

I seldom write about comics on my blog. My interest in them is nothing like it used to be. But I continue to love the medium. And this story holds up beautifully, especially when it is presented in this way.

There are four parts to this story, but I can only find three. Please, take some time and read them while I track down the last part. You'll be glad you did.










Bevboy