Hailing from the Louisiana bayou, Swamp Thing was an unlikely candidate to become an animated series or anything remotely aimed at children from the minute he first appeared in 1972. Originating as a horror story from DC Comics, the tales of Swamp Thing became hugely popular by the 1980’s, especially after Alan Moore sunk his teeth into the project. Yet, somehow along the way, this Avatar of the Green found himself in a new unexpected iteration, becoming a cartoon character in one of DC’s oddest and most forgotten comic book adaptations for kids. Yes, the horror comic aimed at mature audiences was going to get a Saturday morning cartoon.
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Before Batman: The Animated Series took the 1990’s by storm, DC was attempting to find a foothold into the contemporary cartoon market with something different. The previous two decades were centered around the Justice League and its core members of Superman, the aforementioned Batman and Wonder Woman, but the formula — as well as the looks of those shows — had grown stale. It was time for a change, and DC hedged their bets on something completely different. Swamp Thingwas going to be the hero for the 90’s, environmentally-conscious while supported by merchandising deals that would surely reap benefits for all involved. Unfortunately, the grass was greener on the other side and this show never took root. But, one element stands out as a rose among the weeds, and is probably the only thing anybody remembers from this obscure toon.
Swamp Thing’s Animated Series Was DC’s Attempt At Breaking Into The 90’s Animation Scene
Swamp Thing debuted on the Fox Network on Halloween Day 1990, closing out their afternoon block just in time for kids to go Trick or Treating. The episode was fast-paced, filling out Alec Holland’s origin story while introducing Swampy’s rugged friends and hip teen allies along with the villainous Anton Arcane and his Un-Men. If it felt like a toy commercial, that’s because it was, as the action figure line and NES game were already on toy store shelves, with other merch lagging closely behind. Every episode tried to cram an environmental message into its action just like Captain Planet, but far less successful since it seemed more focused on selling products.
While the animated series was trying to make a name for itself, a live-action version of the show was airing at the same time on the USA Network. Running for 72 episodes across three seasons, this version did a better job honoring the comic book’s horror-based source material, having Swamp Thing encounter mutants, voodoo priests, ghosts and other supernatural beings. It became one of the cable channel’s highest rated self-produced shows during its initial run, and ultimately did what this cartoon adaptation failed to. However, there was one thing the animated series had that none of its counterparts did, and that was a have a kick-ass (and unintentionally hilarious) theme song.
There was very little as far as memorable moments or greatest hits when it came to the Swamp Thinganimated series. The animation was fine, the voiceover acting did the job, and it had a much better toy line by Kenner than it deserved (you’re not a true fan if you don’t own the glow in the dark Swamp Thing figure), but you’ll be met with silence if you ask anyone to quote it. However, if you asked somebody to sing it, you might have a little more chance for success.
In an era that had some sweet licks and killer jams for animated series openings, Swamp Thingwent in a slightly different musical direction. In a truly unexpected but inspired choice, Swampy’s theme song was a parody of The Troggs’ 1966 chart-topping hit “Wild Thing.” For anyone who had parents who forced them to listen to the oldies station on car rides, the opening guitar riff of this song is instantly recognizable, and it’s a great song by its own merits. Adding a muscle-bound plant monster as part of it made it a step above everything else, and caught the attention of many channel-hopping kids. The lyrics spelled out the entire show in sixty rocking seconds, reminding audience that Swamp Thing was “amazing,” and fought for the earth to protect it from everything “nasty,” all told with less than 20 unique words. From a minimalist perspective, that’s a pretty astonishing feat, combined with this unusual choice for music that made for a pretty distinct and very catchy opening.
Sadly, the show peaked with its theme song and was downhill after the opening credits finished. For better or worse, Swamp Thing’s animated adventures only lasted a single season — if you can call five episodes a season. At the time of its initial release, no syndicators wanted to pick it up beyond the limited scope of its launch. The series bounced back and forth between lesser-channels until it disappeared into obscurity for years, only to be thought about as if it was a mushroom induced fever dream. 30 years later, the series can be seen on streaming platforms like Pluto and Tubi, free services yearning for content that are happy to have something with the DC label attached to it.
As for Swamp Thing’s TV career, another attempt was made to hit the live-action market in 2019 with a short-lived CW series, which was cancelled after the first episode. The remaining line-up was shown at a later date, but its ultimate notoriety was just adding another notch on the belt for Swamp Thing’s botched adaptations to the screen. The big green guy made appearances in other animated series since then along with his various comic book cameos, but none have been as rocking as this ’90’s edition was. Swamp Thing, you really are amazing — even if your cartoon show wasn’t.
Do you remember watching the 1990’s Swamp Thing series (either the cartoon or the live-action syndicated series) when you grew up? Let us know in the comments what memories stand out to you!
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