Sez you.

§ April 22nd, 2011 § Filed under letters of comment, swamp thing § 7 Comments

From the letters column in Challengers of the Unknown #86 (April-May 1978):


The editorial reply:


Well, I don’t know about you, but I’d totally be in favor of an “Adventures of Alec Holland” series. In fact, in a way it looks like we might be getting a little bit of that in next week’s final issue of that one series I don’t want to spoil by mentioning that Swamp Thing may or may not have made an appearance in the previous issue.

We’ve had the occasional Alec Holland adventure in the various Swamp Thing titles, usually when he reverts (or imagines he reverts) to human form, like in the last issue of his original series and the couple of Challengers of the Unknown issues which followed up on those plot threads.

And then there was this, Alec Holland’s one and (I think) only appearance in the DC Animated Universe comics, from Batman Adventures Vol. 2 #16 by Ty Templeton, Rick Burchett and Terry Beatty:


Alas, at no time was there an animated universe Swamp Thing to go with our animated universe Alec Holland, aside from some sneaky cameos in the Justice League cartoons.

As an aside…there sure were a lot of typos in that Challengers letters column. In the scans you can see “there” used in place of “their,” and “permanently” spelled “perminately.” Not shown: “November” spelled “Nobember.” By the way, I was going back through some of my older posts as I was writing this and quickly spotted several typos of my own, so I’m not taking the high road, here.

And if I may quibble a bit with the original letter writer’s point…Holland didn’t spend “his whole life looking like that.” Even in real world time, as opposed to however much time allegedly passed in the comics, Holland had only been Swamp Thing for about six years at that point. So let’s not exaggerate, Guy Who Wrote in to Challengers of the Unknown 30-Plus Years Ago!

7 Responses to “Sez you.”

  • Old Bull Lee says:
    April 22, 2011 at 5:32 AM

    Feel sorry for him looking like what? For looking like an ass-kicking plant creature instead of a blond pretty boy with bad 70s hair?

    Granted the letter-writer isn’t aware of the hot girlfriend Swampy scores in the future.

  • White Lantern Alec Holland says:
    April 23, 2011 at 10:07 AM

    I have a wish list for you, Sterling!

    Please show us:
    From House of Mystery #228 (December 1974-January 1975)
    Halloween Monster Cards (Table of Contents)
    filler / 2 pages (report information)
    Credits
    Script:?
    Pencils:?
    Inks:?
    Colors:?
    Letters:?
    Job Number:J-3785 Content Information
    Genre:
    Humor; Horror Characters:
    Cain (host); Swamp Thing Synopsis:
    Images from other DC horror comics with humorous blurbs.

    http://www.comics.org/issue/27986/

  • White Lantern Alec Holland says:
    April 23, 2011 at 10:23 AM

    DC Comics Presents #38 (October 1981)
    Superman and His Co-Stars! (Table of Contents) Superman / illustration / 2 pages (report information) Credits
    Script:?
    Pencils:George Perez
    Inks:George Perez
    Colors:?
    Letters:typeset Content Information
    Genre:superhero Characters:Superman, Dr. Fate, Adam Strange, Superboy, Batgirl, Captain Comet, Sgt. Rock, Supergirl, Hawkgirl, Elongated Man, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Dawnstar, Sun Boy, Hawkman,
    Wonder Woman, Mister Miracle, Deadman, Starman, Green Lantern, Robin, Swamp Thing, Zatanna, Phantom Stranger, Martian Manhunter, Firestorm, Metal Men, Spectre, Captain Marvel, Mary Marvel, Black Lightning, Green Arrow, Flash, Man-Bat, Captain Carrot Indexer Notes
    This sequence added 2005 by Steven Tice. This pinup is the center-fold of the comic, between pages 13 and 14 of the Superman story.

    http://www.comics.org/issue/35694/

  • White Lantern Alec Holland says:
    April 23, 2011 at 1:36 PM

    Planetary / JLA: Terra Occulta #1 (November 2002)
    [untitled] (Table of Contents) Planetary; JLA / story / 48 pages (report information) Credits
    Script:Warren Ellis
    Pencils:Jerry Ordway
    Inks:Jerry Ordway
    Colors:David Baron
    Letters:Mike Heisler Content Information
    Genre:superhero Characters:Superman; Batman; Wonder Woman; Elijah Snow; Jakita Wagner; Drummer; Alfred Pennyworth; Ambrose Chase; Doctor Erdel; Martian Manhunter; Kilowog; Tomar Re; Guy Gardner; Jade; Green Lantern [Hal Jordan]; Green Lantern [Jon Stewart]; Green Lantern [Alan Scott]; G’Nort; Chaselon; Green Lantern [Kyle Rayner]; Cyborg; Metamorpho; Swamp Thing; Robotman; Doomsday

    http://www.comics.org/issue/127402/

  • White Lantern Alec Holland says:
    April 23, 2011 at 1:41 PM

    Vertigo X Anniversary Preview #[nn] (April 2003)
    10 More Beers (Table of Contents) illustration / 2 pages (report information) Credits
    Pencils:Paul Pope; Eduardo Risso; Mark Buckingham; Darick Robertson; Chris Weston; Steve Dillon; [many more] ?
    Inks:Paul Pope; Eduardo Risso; Mark Buckingham; Darick Robertson; Chris Weston; Steve Dillon; [many more] ?
    Colors:?
    Letters:typeset Content Information
    Genre:Horror; Super-hero; Supernatural Characters:Swamp Thing; John Constantine; Shade; Sandman; Spider Jerusalem; many more.
    Indexer Notes
    A jam pinup featuring almost every Vertigo comics character. The guide to artists and characters appeared, at the time, on the Vertigo web site.

    http://www.comics.org/issue/341406/

  • White Lantern Alec Holland says:
    April 23, 2011 at 2:13 PM

    And finally, please give us a bio on the Purple Swamp Thing of Earth-Six from issues 1-4 of Ambush Bug: Year None.

    http://www.comics.org/series/31396/covers/

  • Bully says:
    April 23, 2011 at 6:31 PM

    Dance, Mike! Dance for us!