SWAMP THING: The Existential Horror of The Anatomy Lesson

A look at the existentialism of Alan Moore's "Swamp Thing" and how the classic comic book storyline of "The Anatomy Lesson" redefined this DC Comics horror character forever.

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MUSIC:

"Titan," "Panacea" and "The Abyss" by Disasterpeace

"Odyssey" by HOME

"Vampires" by The Midnight

[MattDraper]

This is the first in what will be a sporadic series covering the many stories that compose Alan Moore's classic run on Swamp Thing. Enjoy!

[AldenRDavis]

"The swamp is my world. It is who I am, it is what I am. I was once a man. I know what the evil men do. Do not bring your evil here. I warned you. Beware the wrath of SWAMP THING!"

[GreenArrowHunter]

The succes of the Shape of Water makes this perfect time for a new Swamp Thing movie.

[TimesThree]

The glory days of DC. I can SMELL these comics as they appear on the screen.

[Mack]

I read the anatomy Lesson as a pre-teen, and it simply engulfed me. I had never read a comics book like that, spent hours re-reading and checking each page and panel. In the end, the first story arc was indeed, for me, an inspiration for growing up. Not an easy ride, anyways,

[PungiFungi]

8:05… it found it rather odd that the original printing of this issue had these blue blurred images of Sunderland’s feet to showed that he was kicking and struggling as he was being suffocated, but here, that effect is taking out. Some other reprints would retain it while others, like this one, do not. While Swamp Thing went on a destructive rampage, destroying everything in his path, he didn’t kill Sunderland outright by smashing him to pieces or break his neck or give him an instant death, but by a lingering depth of suffocation, making it rather personal. Sunderland was depicted in the art as constantly smoking and you see him exhaling smoke out of his nose and mouth and I wonder if this wasn’t deliberate irony that he died by having his nose and mouth covered shut.

[thetoma-verse]

Two quotes come to mind when I think of Swamp Thing the first is that "he who has a why to live can bear almost any how" (Nietzsche) and "when we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves [112]" (Viktor Frankl). By forcing Swamp Thing to accept the challenge to suffer bravely by casting off his perceived humanity (Alex Olsen), Alan Moore makes the character responsible for his own existence in so doing gives meaning back to the characters life.

[Eudaimonia]

I remember reading this story when I was a Kid in a store, and my parents didnt let me buy it, because it was too graphic to their taste. I bought it anyway a few weeks later, and hid it, but I was too young to understand what happened. Reading it later in my teenage years, I was blown away, such good seminal story coming from mr Moore. Like everything he touched back in the 80s.

[andrewparsons]

12:20 '...and meet the sun', with those words in the middle of the image of the rising red sun Swamp Thing is standing in front of, but they got removed from the tradepaperback edition of the comic

[PSYCHDAY]

And that's why Swamp Thing is my favorite.

[jarrettreynolds]

They changed his origin again in Brightest Day issue 24, the white lantern brought back Alec Holland only to have Swamp Thing take him over and battle a black lantern avatar of Swamp Thing. Swamp Thing was the chosen avatar of life.

[LucasCosta-ydtt]

I'm from Brasil and I was looking for swamp thing(Alan Moore) videos, that I just love, to improve and practice my english and I find your channel, you're amazing, I'm really liking your videos!

[rottensquid]

It's been kinda tough maintaining my love for comics when these were the books that got me into it back in the day. Nothing quite measures up.

[alepop.possessions]

Love it! YouTube needs more Swamp Thing

[ethan]

The strangest thing that I took from the Swamp Thing saga is mere words can have a huge effect on a person. Swamp Thing is told a theory that he is not Alec which then has this horrible effect on him. His arch nemesis is told the flaw in killing all human life will effect all plant life eventually drives him mad also, both character are inform of something that changes the whole life. Which entails the pen is truly mightier then the sword.

[matthewrascoe]

Wrightson, Wein, and Alan Moore were the men that made Swamp Thing for me...

[DanielRuiz-oqcy]

A perfect introduction to the character....Thank You !
An infinite and endless spectrum surrounds the mythology of Swamp Thing, you never became lost in the war.

[ThePinkMan]

My favorite thing about this story is the battle of wits between Sunderland and the Floronic Man. The businessman vs. the intellectual.

[vincentfranklin]

I read this storyline in a trade paperback... Chilling, and powerful!

[MrMifune]

I've actually got an original page of the Anatomy Lesson! I bought it from John Tottleben and it remains the treasure of my collection.It's remarkable to see the beautiful inking and see white out being used to correct their mistakes.