Collectibles

Pixel Elixer Pledge Pin

Published on August 31, 2018August 31, 2018 by Roots of the Swamp ThingLeave a comment

From Pixel Elixer and Lightyear Entertainment; the Return of Swamp Thing pin is here! This month, the enamel pin has been making its way into mailboxes everywhere. Get one while they last if you haven’t already. shop Pixel Elixer here

“This 2″ soft enamel pin comes with dual yellow rubber clutches, back logo stamp and comes bagged on a glossy, double-sided backer card.” -via Pixel Elixer

With the release of the Return of Swamp Thing soundtrack and dvd earlier this year, this pin adds to the excitement in celebrating the best comics character in all the land.

Backing card, sans pin

Swamp Thing Die-Cast Bootleg

Published on July 20, 2018July 29, 2018 by Roots of the Swamp ThingLeave a comment

My new favorite Swamp Thing collectible is a metal, die-cast, UK bootleg figure. It arrived in the mail yesterday and I can’t stop admiring it. I’ve been looking for bootleg Swamp Thing figures for a while now and this is the closest one (of quality) I’ve come across. The figurine measures just under 2” tall and is hand-painted. The only marks identifying the producer of this awesome figurine is the word “unicorn” etched onto the bottom of the little platform.
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Swamp Thing – Italian TV

Published on May 31, 2018June 3, 2018 by Roots of the Swamp ThingLeave a comment

The New Adventures of Swamp Thing (1991) Italy

Swamp Thing, the live-action television series from the USA network was such a worldwide hit it made it’s way onto VHS in Italy. I’ve not seen a non-US, VHS release of the television series before and was thrilled to track this cassette down. It features four episodes from the series. A title is listed above the episodes, on the back. “The New Adventures of Swamp Thing”.

Cover translation:
Swamp Thing
“The Monster of the Marshes
Re-emerges from the swamps to make justice.”

“Swamp Thing, the monstro of the swamps, taken from the famous series of instruments, is Dr. Alex Holland, the victim of a chemical alteration caused by the evil biologist Anton Arcane.
Swamp Thing, this horrible creature to see, possesses the brilliant mind and propensity to the good of Dr. Holland … with the addition of some magical powers.
Four new stories for a successful combination of adventure, suspense and fantasy.”

The New Adventures of Swamp Thing
1. Birth Marks
2. The Watchers
3. Tremors of the Heart
4. Walk a Mile in My Shoes

DC Heroes Role-Playing Game Starring Swamp Thing

Published on May 21, 2018May 31, 2018 by Roots of the Swamp Thing3 Comments

DC Heroes Role-Playing Game – Second Edition (1989)
by Mayfair Games

Sometimes Swamp Thing can be found in the strangest of places. Sometimes Swamp Thing pops-up in a game, and you have the game not to play but because it features a Swamp Thing character card that you just have to have. Sometimes being a completest can be a pain in the wallet. I kid but it is a substantial sized game set just for a really cool Swamp Thing card and a few mentions within the game manuals.

Swamp Thing character card

I can’t find info on the artist responsible for the character cards. If anyone out there knows who illustrated the cards, please drop me a line.

Backside of character card

All of Swamp Thing’s attributes and powers seem to check out on the back of the card, give or take a few variations in what we are accustomed to. His drawbacks include marriage and looking strange.

The game isn’t terribly difficult to find online but I did notice that the price has risen considerably, coming in at around $100.

The DC HEROES Role-Playing Game includes
* Read This First! booklet, with a Batman solitaire adventure
* The Rules Manual
* The Character Handbook
* The Background/Roster Book, including game statistics for over 250 characters and featuring essays by Robert Greenberger, Jack Kirby, Robert Kanigher, Neil Gaiman, Dan Jurgens, and Roger Stern
* Full-length JLI Adventure: Exposed.
* Action Wheel * Full-color Gamemaster’s Screen
* 75 Illustrated Character Cards, featuring Justice League America, Justice League Europe, the New Titans, the Suicide Squad, Watchmen, and more!

I shuffled through the 75 cards and pulled some of my favorites. The deck features a number of great Vertigo and DC characters, new and old.

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Below are a couple excerpts relating to Swamp Thing, from the game manuals. Much of the information from the character card is repeated within the profile excerpt, below.

Below is an excerpt focused on The Parliament of Trees. The information helps to give players some context to Swamp Thing and his connection to the Earth.

Swamp Thing Sweatshirt

Published on May 12, 2018May 20, 2018 by Roots of the Swamp ThingLeave a comment

Swamp Thing Sweatshirt – 1991

Just because it’s getting warmer outside doesn’t mean you need to put your cool clothes away!

This kid-sized Swampy sweatshirt features artwork that’s been used on other Swamp Thing apparel before. I found a t-shirt with the same fighting, Swampy and Dr Deemo-looking Un-Man a few years ago.

Unfortunately all of the ST apparel was produced in youth sizes. These would be really popular and fun to wear as an adult/for adults.

Swamp Thing VHS

Published on May 2, 2018May 13, 2018 by Roots of the Swamp ThingLeave a comment

I recently came across this great Swamp Thing VHS from 1983 and I can’t wait to take it for a spin. The original, unedited version of the film can be tough to come by for a reasonable price and I’m thrilled to add this version of the VHS to my collection. I snapped some pictures, below.

Front of case
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Back of case
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Cassette
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Spine of case and cassette
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DC and LCA Entertainment Style Guide

Published on April 22, 2018May 3, 2018 by Roots of the Swamp Thing1 Comment

DC and LCA Entertainment Style Guide (August 1990)

This beautiful, original style guide arrived in the mail yesterday and I’m extremely excited to share this rare gem with you. For those unfamiliar, a style guide exists to assist in maintaining a consist aesthetic within a brand. It usually comes in the form of a multi-page booklet, filled with dos and don’ts relating to logo usage, color palette, how a character should be portrayed, tone, etc. Basically, it’s a rule book to help you stay within the lines while branding and producing merchandise.

This style guide is housed within the Swamp Thing binder that you may have seen me write about or up for auction on ebay. The binder is filled with marketing/promotional/branded material and examples. Many of the illustrations within the style guide have been featured on the various collectibles that spawned from the animated TV series. You’ll probably recognize a lot of the illustrations from the Swamp Thing action figure packaging, board game, slippers, chalk, and various other Swamp Thing collectibles from the early 1990’s. There is so much to see, so I’m going to dive right in. I’ve included every page within the style guide so you won’t miss out on all its glory.

Binder front cover:
1 Cover

Section One – Introduction
Each section divider features a pattern of Swamp Thing icons; below.
2 Page 1
1 Covera

Pattern detail:
the little icon within the divider page pattern can be found on the packaging of a few Swamp Thing collectibles and can be found as a puffy sticker.
2 Page 1b

The Introduction kicks off with a Swamp Thing origin comic. I can’t say I’d ever seen this abridged origin until the binder arrived in the mail yesterday. It’s a departure from the origin we are accustomed to in comics, but very entertaining.
3 Page 2

Dr. Holland has just perfected his bio-restorative formula in his secret, government lab, deep in the Swamps of Louisiana. It seems safe to assume, this strip helps fill-in the origin story gaps of the Swamp Thing animated series. This strip would be fun to see, played-out, prior to the notable animated series intro/theme song. Here, Arcane is the one who plants the bomb in Holland’s lab and he’s come for the formula.
3 Page 2a.jpg

After the explosion, Arcane salvages what little formula remains after the blast and turns his devoted, unruly henchmen into Un-Men. In typical fashion, Dr Holland’s fiery body crashes into the nearby swamp.
4 Page 3

In this strip, Arcane and the Un-Men are hot on Swamp Thing’s trail to obtain every drop of formula they can from Dr. Holland’s remains. They didn’t bargain on finding something much greater! …Swamp Thing
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