swampthing for dummies

 "I didn't have a title for it, so I kept referring to it as 'that swamp thing I'm working on.

' And that's how it got its name!"

Len Wein

The Creature From the Black Lagoon was released in 1954 and was the first ever 3-D film requiring special glassed.  In the film, the cast go aboard a tramp steamer, the Rita, which is captained by a crusty old codger named Lucas.  The Creature  has webbed hands, sweaty palms and frankly is not exactly a people personthing.  

For obvious reasons divas are less than receptive to the Creature FTBL.

Surprisingly, when the mask came off he was not such a slimy ameba turd after all.

Not to be confused with the CFTBL, the Swampthing is quit another creature. 

Still mostly vegetable,  mineral and a bit of human,  Swampthing was way more likable and quite the ladies man. 

The roots of Swampthing can be found in your own backyard and in wikipedia. Our Mr. Swampy is actually one of the first environmentalists.  Unapologetic and bulging with purpose, the very green photosynthesis of earthiness drips from his moist physique.

With clarity and persuasiveness, his message of sustainability is being embraced from coast to coast and his posture of steadfast resistance to stupidity and greedy over-development is overwhelmingly contagious.

He is after all very 'fungi'.

Iconic and cool, a green star for our times.

His legend is rich with metaphor and mitochondrion. He is firmly planted and rooted on the secret bio-restorative formula.

Tragically Swampthing is misunderstood for his ability to do good is hindered only by his inability to articulate as a result of stuttering brought about by cluttering of too many thought at once from all problems of the earth and all those gorgeous creatures that wander his garden.

Of late, his image has been trivialized by trendy renditions of his galant greeness.

And that is OK because we all have to sell Tee Shirts...

.... and whatever else that licensing guy decides is marketable.

But to distort the virtue of his message is not OK. Swampthing is no wide eyed daisy joke.

He is non the less part human. And with that comes the realization of selflessness for the greater good and the inclusiveness in the general population.

Today he has a day job vacuuming the algae off the tank glass walls at the SeaWorld park.

But at night his heart belongs to Mrs. Swampthing.

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