It’s that time of year again! Holland Files #6 (the international Swamp Thing fanzine) is now available to preorder. This year’s cover is by current Swamp Thing artist, Mike Perkins. His beautiful cover holds 50+ pages of Swamp Thing art & articles by Swamp Thing fans from around the world. Books are $10 and shipping is $2 within the US. Please contact me for international rates. Holland Files ships all over the world.
Email Hollandfileszine@gmail.com to preorder your book today.
First off, I’d like to thank everyone for participating in the Halloween giveaway this year. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to list your favorite halloween/horror films. I’ve compiled an amazing list of movies thanks to your comments and I can’t wait to watch them. Here is a link to the contest comments so you can do the same. Below is the winner!
Congratulations, Shawn Vandiver for being randomly chosen to win the Halloween giveaway. Your Hammer recommendation is a classic!
I wanted to be sure the winner received the Swamp Thing DVD in time to enjoy for Halloween so your DVD will be shipped this weekend.
I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween. I can’t wait to see all the fun costumes on social media.
I’m thrilled to share this recent arrival with you and it’s perfect for the Halloween season. The beautifully gruesome artwork is by, Richard Luong. The familiar looking, limited variant covers are featured on issue #10 of the Department of Truth series. The covers are homages to Bernie Wrightson’s House of Secrets #92, as well as the design of the masthead on the right.
James Tynion IV and Martin Simmonds are the creative team behind Department of Truth and it’s a pretty good series so far. If you like cryptids and conspiracy theories you may really enjoy the title.
I ordered the set of books in June and they finally arrived this week. I’m not sure what caused the delay, but they are well worth the wait. I’ve noticed other Swampy fans sharing their books on various social media platforms and was thrilled to see them in person. Richard Luong’s artwork is an amazing reimagining of Bernie’s cover of Swamp Thing’s first appearance. I’d love to hear what Gail Simmone thinks of her reinterpretation. Maybe Tom Kleve will run into her and ask for me.
Halloween is around the corner and I’m getting excited for all the treats. I’m also excited to giveaway a Swamp Thing DVD to one lucky person. The DVD is a Halloween Walmart release. The really cool monochromatic slipcover contains the recent (tragically cut short) live action series. The DVD does not feature any new material. I believe the Halloween slipcovers replaced the original slipcovers (seen later in post). Walmart basically slapped some really cool lipstick on my favorite pig and called it Halloween. But, its a really cool slipcover. the details are awesome. I’m a mark for this kind of stuff. And now you can have one too!
How to get the Halloween DVD:
Answer this question in the comments section below. What is your favorite Halloween and/or Horror movie? We’re looking for movies to watch while handing out candy and working on Holland Files 6! One person will be chosen at random and the results will be announced next weekend, Saturday, October 16th. I’ll post the results here on rootsoftheswampthing.com as well as on social media.
My local Walmart didn’t carry this great Halloween release (slipcover modification), but I was lucky to receive these two DVDs from fellow Swamp Thing fan, Adam. And thanks to Adam, I can give one of them away. I’ll be sending the one on the left to one lucky person next weekend.
Below are images of the back of the slipcover and the DVD within.
Continue reading “Halloween Giveaway”Hero Illustrated (a popular comics magazine from the ‘90s) released, “Comic Book Who’s Who” in August of 1994. The book was part of the magazine’s, Hero Special Edition releases. It features 50 profiles of the most popular heroes and villains in comics. Naturally, Swamp Thing made his way into the book and that’s why I’m sharing it with you.
The table of contents provides a list of all 50 characters. It’s great that characters outside of DC and Marvel are represented.
Swamp Thing’s profile is on page 74. I’ve enlarged the information so you can read it, below.
The bio indicates that Alec Holland’s first appearance was in House of Secrets #92. Alec Holland didn’t appear on the scene until 1972, within Swamp Thing #1. Alex Olsen appeared in House of Secrets #92 in 1971.
Swampy’s bio lists Len Wein as the creator of Swamp Thing. Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson and Joe Orlando created Swamp Thing in 1971.
Below, it’s mentioned that “Linda died in the blast.” Linda Holland was killed in Swamp Thing #1 (1972) but she did not die in an explosion. Swamp Thing finds her body on the floor of the reconstructed, secret laboratory barn. It’s not clear how Linda died but Ferrett is holding a gun on page 18 as he enters the lab to kill Linda. Continue reading “Comic Book Who’s Who – 1994”
Cinefantastique No 2/3 Vol 12 – April 1982
This “Special Double Issue” contains a giant-sized Swamp Thing (the feature film) article by Michael Kaplan. I recently bought a copy because the book was referenced in a 1982 Wooley’s Auction Gallery catalog. It’s nice to find another Swampy appearance in Cinefantastique. Articles featuring Swamp Thing can be found within issues, No 4 Vol 11, No 4 Vol 12, and I’m always on the lookout for more.
As you can imagine, this special double issue contains a ton of Conan film material. If you’re interested in the Conan content, I’m sorry. Below I’ve provide all the Swamp Thing goodness this book has to offer. I enlarged the images so you can hopefully read the article it in its entirety.
Special Effects artist (now Bigfoot researcher), Bill (William) Munns is the focus of much of the article and I was excited to dig into it. I interviewed Bill for Holland Files #1 and he expressed that he didn’t enjoy working on the film. But, he did have many memories to share. He dealt with budget cuts, unrealistic alteration requests and deadlines. These and other production troubles came to a crescendo with Munns standing in as lead villain, the Anton Arcane monster. We’ve all heard the rumors about how hard it was to work on the film. With this article, we get some insight!
I was excited to see Michael Uslan’s name in the beginning of the article. I don’t think a DC movie or tv show has been made without him being involved. I knew Uslan was a producer on the first Swamp Thing film but I didn’t know he led the second unit during filming. I’ve been trying to get an interview with him for a number of years. He’s a big Swamp Thing fan.
Continue reading “Cinefantastique No 2/3 & the Swamp Thing Bust”
Wooley’s Auction Gallery Magazine – circa 1982
Wooley’s Auction Gallery used to produce paperback catalogs to accompany their auctions. The books were typically filled with original comic book art, film props, comic books, etc. This issue caught my eye because the back cover features a familiar looking Swamp Thing bust.
Below is the back cover. It features THE Swamp Thing bust by Bill Munns. I acquired the bust from a fellow Swamp Thing fan in 2016. I wrote all about it, here. It’s a thrill to find this auction magazine with even more details about the bust.
Below are some photos from the inside of the auction catalog.
Swamp Thing (Series 2) #36: “The Nuke-Face Papers, Part 2”
Swamp Thing 35 was part 1 of The Nuke-Face Papers storyline. The book introduced the effects the Lombard Coal Mine (in Pennsylvania) had on the environment by dumping toxic waste. A former mine employee named, Bob took to drinking the toxic waste as if it were alcohol. He was given the nickname Nuke-Face. He’s made his way down to Louisiana, destroying everyone he comes in contact with. Unfortunately Swamp Thing was one of the last to see Bob. At the beginning of Swamp Thing 36, we find Swamp Thing in rough shape.
Dreaming of Abby, Swamp Thing rots away the whole night and into the following day. The effects of Bob’s toxic waste has him struggling for his life.
Abby finds Swamp Thing and is terrified by the sight of him rotting away. He tells her that he plans to rebuild another body before dying but isn’t sure how long it will take, or if they’ll ever see each other again.
Wallace Monroe is being haunted by his past. The role he played in the Lombard Coal Mine dumping in Pennsylvania and elsewhere has caught up with him and it’s destroying his life and family. He hears children chanting the familiar name, Nuke Face. The kids back in Pennsylvania did the same thing. Continue reading “The Nuke-Face Papers, Part 2”
DC Through the 80’s – The Experiments: A Storied Survey of the Decade that Changed Comics Forever
This installment of DC Through the 80’s was released last month and I was eager to get my hands on the 504 page hardcover. I love editions that collect various DC stories (see DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest circa 1980), and this book includes fun insight into the stories and what was happening at DC Comics at the time of their release. DC Through the 80’s sheds light on the creative choices, business decisions, and industry environment of the era. DC was allowing artists and writers to make bold choices in their craft/trade and the results provided some of the best comics ever created. From the cover alone, you know you are in for a treat. This book is the follow up to, DC Through the 80s: The End of Eras which was released in 2020. You can find a copy here.
Swamp Thing appears in two stories within this edition. He kicks off the Vertigo section of the book with, Swamp Thing #40 “The Curse” from 1985. The Moore, Bissette, Totleben story was part of the wildly engaging and inspired story arc, An American Gothic.
In his book, Writing for Comics (2003) Alan Moore discussed Swamp Thing issue #40: “This story was about the difficulties endured by women in masculine societies, using the common taboo of menstruation as the central motif. The plot concerned a young married woman moving into a new home built upon the site of an old Indian lodge and finding herself possessed by the dominating spirit that still resided there, turning her into a werewolf.” Even though issue #40 of Swamp Thing is overlooked/underrated by many, it’s an excellent example of the inspired level of thought going into the comics being made. These were not run of the mill stories involving caped crusaders, but rich tales with themes involving cultural history, relationships, and what it means to be human.
The second story within DC Through the 80’s – The Experiments to feature Swamp Thing is Wolfman & Perez’s, “History of the DC Universe – Book Two.” Swamp Thing is featured on the cover within the word, “the” as well as within the story.
Ancient Astronauts #7 (Vol 4) August 1978
This fantastic swipe/homage to Bernie Wrightson’s House of Secrets 92 was published in 1978 but was brought to my attention last week. It was like a hidden treasure within Swamp Thing’s history. Unlike House of Secrets 92 where Swamp Thing lurked behind Linda Ridge, this illustration features two Swamp Thing space men! I wonder if Louise Simonson knows about this tribute to her likeness.
The Swampy appearance can be found within Ancient Astronauts #7. I was fortunate enough to find a copy on EBay. I did have to purchase a lot of 8 issues of Ancient Astronauts to obtain the Swamp Thing sighting in #7 but it was well worth it.
The Swampy appearance comes by way of an article about aliens and skin complexion. It’s a random yet delightful sight. This magazine is full of bizarre and funny articles. I’m not sure if all of the content is meant to be funny. Below is the spread for, “Beware of Strange Skin Blemishes.” I believe the House of Secrets 92 homage was illustrated by either, Gene Day or Clifford Spencer. Gene Day illustrated a number of pieces of art throughout this magazine but he typically signed his work.
The above Swamp Thing astronauts sighting reminded me of another spacey scenario involving Swampy. If you were reading Batman in 2014, you may have come across this awesome Swamp Thing preview in the back of Batman #33.
Black Orchid #17 (January 1995)
Unfortunately I won’t be writing about this Black Orchid story. Instead, I’m excited to share with you the fun promotional Swamp Thing trading card that was included within the book. It’s certainly not a Swamp Thing appearance but a fun promo collectible. I keep the book listed on my ads page so it’s often overlooked.
John Mueller was the artist in charge of depicting Alec Holland and Swampy for this card. You probably remember Mueller illustrating most of the covers in the 1994 Swamp Thing series. He created 9 Swampy covers in all. All of them were for the Morrison/Millar/Hester era of Swampy.
As part of a promotional campaign for the 1994 Vertigo trading cards by Skybox, this Swamp Thing card was featured as an insert in The Black Orchid #17. It’s a pretty fun addition to an already good comic (Black Orchid). The promo card number/identifier is SP1, which is indicated on the back of the card. John Constantine is featured on promo card SP2, and Sandman is on SP3. Continue reading “Black Orchid #17 Swamp Thing Promo Card”
I’ve been meaning to post this beautiful 15″ x 30″ print for some time now. Rearranging the Swamp Thing room provided the perfect opportunity to do so.
Swamp Thing is looking pungent smelling, surrounded by some flies. Phantom Stranger doesn’t seem phased, but Martian Manhunter appears to be struggling.
The art jam was created in conjunction with a deluxe, hardcover-version of the History of the DC Universe book. It was included in the book as a gatefold. The eclectic crowd of DC characters were illustrated by some of the top artists and creators. The art was used to produce the 15″ x 30″ print that I’m holding in the photo above. DC distributed a postcard providing the opportunity to send away for the rolled poster. I was able to procure this limited, mail-away, 1 of 10,000 poster from my good friend John Nordstrom.
John Totleben and Stephen Bissette provided the Swamp Thing illustration.
Continue reading “The Gang is All Here in ’87 – Limited DC History Print”
Happy World Environment Day everyone! I hope you all are doing well. I’m excited to announce the winners of the rootsoftheswampthing.com 6,000 Followers Giveaway. Over 130 people participated in the Giveaway and I’m so thankful for your fun responses. I encourage you to read fellow Swamp Thing fans discussing their favorite Swampy books/appearances, here.
The entries were selected at random as you can see in the video above.
1st place Winner of a box of Swamp Thing collectibles is: Ryan Spahr
2nd Place Winner of 2 issues of Holland Files Fanzine is: capeversesam
3rd Place Winner of 2 issues of Holland Files Fanzine is: Alan (Doom Wizard)
Below are their entries for the giveaway. You can read all of the entries, here.
Thank you so much for visiting the site and for following my Instagram account. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of Holland Files, the Swamp Thing fanzine, email me at hollandfileszine@gmail.com
rootsoftheswampthing.com 