SWAMP MONSTERS AND MUCKMEN (PART 5)

Created by writer Len Wein and artist Bernie Wrightson, DC's Swamp Thing is one of the most famous of swamp monsters. Legend has it that Wein came up with the idea while riding a subway in Queens. He didn't have a name for it, so he kept referring to it as "that swamp thing I'm working on", and the name stuck. The character first appeared in HOUSE OF SECRETS #92 (July, 1972) and quickly earned his own title in the fall of 1972.

NOTE: This scan is from a reprint issue.

SWAMP MONSTERS AND MUCKMEN (PART 1)

A quirky but oddly alluring sub-genre of horror comics is that of the so-called "swamp monster" or "muckman". Known also as bog monsters, slime creatures and a plethora of other monikers, these fascinating characters have proliferated through the years from a number of publishers, some being wildly successful, such as DC's SWAMP THING and Marvel's MAN-THING.

But where did this crazy concept have its origins? What dank and dismal mind came up with the idea of the swamp monster in the first place? The answer lies in -- of all places -- the pulp magazines of the 1940's. The birth of the muckmen is attributed to science-fiction author, Theodore Sturgeon. His story, "It", published (just before the outbreak of WW II to put it in a historical context) in the pulp mag, UNKNOWN (August, 1940) became the template of what was to follow some years later when the first swamp creatures emerged from the murky waters.

This is the first of a series of posts that will cover the history of swamp monsters and their kith and kin. Break out the towels -- it's about to get muddy!

WRIGHTSON'S SWAMP THING NO. 1 ORIGINAL COVER ART

The DC Comics character, Swamp Thing, has seen many writers and artists come and go, and the title has been resurrected numerous times since its inception. None, however, have equaled the original team of scripter Len Wein and draftsman Bernie Wrightson. First appearing in HOUSE OF SECRETS #92 (July 1971), it was their version that set the bar for this intriguing tale with a cautionary undertone that reflected the political movement of citizen "tree huggers", the militant Greenpeace, and the beginnings of the EPA's environmental stranglehold.

Pictured below is the original art, before coloring, of the first issue of SWAMP THING (Nov. 1972). Wrightson's mastery of line and ink work is in full view here. While Neal Adams was DC's premier artist at the time, I believe that Bernie Wrightson was superior for his exquisite detail and expressiveness.

BONUS: Bernie Wrightson's original cover art for Pacific Comics' TWISTED TALES #2.