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Short summary

Scientist Alec Holland invents a growth substance that could end world hunger, but a plantation owner obsessed with immortality tries to steal it and causes an accident that turns Alec into a human-plant mutant, protector of the bayou.

It would aired on YTV from 1991 to 1993 in Canada. Produced by DIC Entertainment, the series corresponded with Kenner's Swamp Thing action figure collection released in 1990. Despite the animated series' brief run, various merchandise was also produced in 1991 resulting in the only significant marketing platform ever created for the character.

The series was apparently turned down by CBS, leading to its mid-season debut on FOX. Despite the show's limited number of episodes, NBC featured it during Chip and Pepper's Cartoon Madness in fall 1991, and the Sci Fi Channel would syndicate it years later. The UK's Children's Channel also re-aired Swamp Thing in the 1990s.

The only Swamp Thing episode available on VHS is "The Un-Men Unleashed." It was first released by Kenner in 1992 as a direct tie-in with the action figure line; its sleeve cover even borrows card art from the Snare Arm Swamp Thing figure. The second release, featuring a new cover, was released October 9, 1992.

In 1990, Kenner produced a line of Swamp Thing action figures with vehicles & playsets that served as a direct counterpart to the animated series. Arcane and his Un-Men include translucent, rubbery BioMask accessories that give the effect of their transformation into monstrous creatures. Their eyes also glow-in-the-dark, a popular feature in action figures of the era. Arcane's transducer machine even includes a Mantid figure that referenced an episode where Bayou Jack is mutated. Some accessories would also be reused for Hasbro's The Original Battle Trolls in 1992. According to an online fan source, Kenner invested approximately 6 million dollars into the Swamp Thing figure line. It also states that, according to Kenner, test results using male children between the ages of 6 and 11 showed them to be more popular than both G.I. Joe and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It had been speculated throughout the toy collecting community that Swamp Thing would have been included in the unproduced fourth series of Kenner's Super Powers Collection and that Bio-Glow Swamp Thing may have been based on the prototype. This is due to the figure's swinging arm feature similar to that seen in the Super Powers Collection. However, such rumors have since been refuted by the uncovering of new information regarding the proposed fourth and fifth series of the Super Powers Collection.

The theme song to the series is set to the tune of "Wild Thing" by British rock band The Troggs.

On August 31, 2004, UAVCO released Swamp Thing - Guardian of the Earth to DVD. This set includes all five episodes of the series and was released in time to promote UAVCO's Animation Station line-up. The DVD is currently out of print. In August 2006, Anchor Bay Entertainment released all five episodes of the animated series on DVD in the United Kingdom.

User reviews


  • comment
    • Author: Purebinder
    "You'll be the main course and your friend will be dessert! CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWWWWWWWW" Skin Man's scene where he firsts comes out of the Transducer (Trademarked by DC) is the best thing ever.This pilot episode cures depression. Best use of a guitar solo ever!!!!!!!!! This is my favorite possession ever. If anyone has a swamp thing toy I will buy it. Swamp Thing bananananana you make my heart sing Arcane is bad so come on, fight for right, we need you. Weed Killer has the best death scene in cinema history and jazz hands (click-click-click-click-click) Buy this show and watch it with your friends and you will never frown again, it is that funny. "You can't mutate a mutant".
  • comment
    • Author: Ylonean
    I have just marathoned all 5 episodes today and my question is just: Why this? The characters are so annoying mainly those two boys (JT and some brown haired texan accent speaking kid what ever his name is) they are just randomly there causing trouble and having their asses saved by the Swamp thing himself the villians daughter (Abigail) looks like an old woman. Their villains are just ugly as sin that looking at there designs just makes me want to vomit and there names are absolutely stupid for example Skinman? Weed Killer? I mean seriously what was the guy thinking when he was making this? The intro is so cheesy and each episode you hear the same Rock music in the background.

    However this show isn't the worst thing DC animated has given us because at least this show isn't a Teen Titans Go!, DC Superheros Girls or Justice League Action. But still not in between or best. I am glad it only had five episodes and not having to reach any where with a cure. Every episode is pretty much the same thing however since I never knew how Swamp Thing got his powers and this does explain that which is one of the goods out of this show.

    I know this was made back in the early 90's but the animation looks too much like a 90's Marvel show then a DC.

    I am just glad the DCAU (Batman the animated series,The new batman adventures,Superman the animated series and Batman Beyond) saved DC from this failure. I can recomand this show if you are not familiar with the swamp thing or if you want something different but other then that I would give this show a pass and not waste your time. You might be disappointed.
  • comment
    • Author: Malojurus
    To sell toys. To sell toys to gullible 5 year olds, seemed to be the only objective of this silly, childish, formulaic and badly animated adaptation of classic comic book character. This cartoon actually manages to be funny in a corny sort of way. It all starts with Alec Holland who is a brilliant scientist on the verge of a breakthrough. One fateful night, the evil Arcane and his henchmen break into his lab to try to steal his secret formula. In the ensuing chaos, Holland is doused with chemicals, and runs screaming into the Swamp. The chemicals react with the swamp matter causing him to mutate into SWAMP THING.

    The origin shares some elements of the comic book and the movie origins but that is where the similarity ends. The comic book was a Gothic horror clever interwoven with philosophical themes, occult references and an ontological study of an individual's existence. Wes craven's movie was a straight forward horror show with a sympathetic monster. This cartoon on the other hand is a bad G I Joe ripoff complete with good team vs evil team, vehicles straight out of an engineer's nightmare and the titular Swamp Thing recast as a Captain Planet wannabe; he's always about saving the planet as much as Arcane is about capturing him and extracting the chemicals that keep Swamp Thing alive. Even the opening theme song is a rips off Chip Taylor's song "wild thing".

    The first episode is possibly the series strongest, which is not saying much. It serves as a decent introduction to the characters and the formula that the series would follow. Arcane sends his "un-men" mutant henchmen to capture swamp thing in order to learn the secret of immortality but they are easily defeated. He then mutates them into stronger more bestial creatures with new powers. They battle again but the un-men get the upper hand when they capture two meddling kids. While Swamp Thing is being held captive, the kids team up with Arcane's step daughter, Abby, to try and rescue the benevolent monster. Of course, the good guys always win in the end.

    Subsequent episodes involve attempts by Arcane to learn the secret of immortality including extracting it from ancient tree sap, desecrating an ancient burial ground to search for the fountain of youth and getting radioactive substances from a downed satellite. It is one big toy commercial with each episode showing off swamp thing's abilities and his powers to mimic trees, slime, roots and a cactus (each form is an action figure sold separately, no doubt). Each new toy from Swamp Thing to his token minority side kicks, Bayou Jack (the African American guy) and Tomahawk (the native American guy) get ample time to kick ass and show off new gadgets such as a water cannon and a crossbow that fires flat wooden arrows.

    In fact, the writers are so obsessed with characters showing off new abilities and gadgets (to sell toys) that they give no time at all to character development. Everyone is a one dimensional bore. There is no depth to the story, zero development for the characters. It is pure kid friendly fare for 5 year olds that only serves to strengthen the stereotype that animation is for children.

    Quality drops to a whole new low by episode 5 and it is not just in the tired, cliché ridden story. The animation also shows signs of lost steam . Episode 1 had mediocre but decent artwork and TV standard animation but as each episode went along, it got worse and worse. By episode 5, the artwork was frequently off model, lip flaps hardly matched dialog and the animation was stiff and choppy. Even the worse episodes of He-Man looked better than this.

    For all its flaws, Swamp Thing: THe Animated series is best treated as a silly parody in the veins of "Scary Movie". It is so hilariously terrible that one has to thank god that it only lasted 5 episodes. On the bright side, the series gets a point for succeeding in its primary objective, which is to sell toys to gullible 5 year olds.
  • Series cast summary:
    Len Carlson Len Carlson - Swamp Thing 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Don Francks Don Francks - Dr. Arcane 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Philip Akin Philip Akin - Bayou Jack 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Errol Slue Errol Slue - Dr. Deemo 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Harvey Atkin Harvey Atkin - Tomahawk 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Gordon Masten Gordon Masten - Skin Man 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Joe Matheson Joe Matheson - Weed Killer 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Richard Yearwood Richard Yearwood - J.T. 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Jonathan Potts Jonathan Potts - Delbert 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Tabitha St. Germain Tabitha St. Germain - Abby 5 episodes, 1990-1991
    Stuart Stone Stuart Stone 4 episodes, 1991
    Eva Almos Eva Almos 4 episodes, 1991
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