What better way to celebrate environmental preservation than with plastic? By DWAYNE PINKNEY I’ve always loved two things since I was a child: Monsters and superheroes. So, give me a combination of the two, and I’m a fan for life. Such is the case with Swamp Thing. My first introduction to the character was the eponymous 1982 film by Wes Craven starring Ray Wise as Alec Holland, Dick Durock as Swamp Thing, Louis Jourdan as Arcane, and the lovely Adrienne Barbeau as Alice Cable. I started collecting the second DC Comics series around that time, and even had the paperback novelization of the film. But where were the toys? I was so desperate for a Swamp Thing figure that two years later I bought a Mattel Secret Wars Dr. Octopus just so I could rip the tentacles off and repaint him (sort of) into a muck-encrusted mockery of a toy. But the dream wasn’t dead just yet. Like any weed, no matter how many times Swamp Thing gets uprooted, he always comes back. 1989 saw the release of The Return of Swamp Thing, a dreadfully awful film (which I still love), a live-action series in 1990 on the USA Network, followed by a short-lived animated series with its own accompanying toy line from Kenner! At last, I had not only one, but a whole series of amazing Swamp Thing figures, playsets, vehicles. I was in heaven! As the years have progressed, my love for the character has only grown. Swamp Thing seems to attract the very best talents the comic industry has to offer. The monstrous creation of Len Wein and Bernie Wrightson has soared to heights I doubt his creators ever imagined. The works of Alan Moore, Stephen Bissette, John Totleben, Alfredo Alcala and many more have cemented Swamp Thing’s legendary status as a horror comic icon. So, for Earth Day, here are the TOP 13 figures of our favorite bayou beastie! — 13. Spin Master Swamp Thing 3.75” (2022). Originally part of a Batman vs. Swamp Thing 2-pack, this stumpy (pun intended) little figure finds himself at the bottom of the list. Though well sculpted, he’s just far too short and stocky. This version of Swampy will forever remain in the back row. — 12. Mattel Justice League Action Swamp Thing 4.5” (2017). This impressive little guy...