All humans and plant-monsters are invited for this reading group of Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, and John Totleben’s influential run of Swamp Thing (1984-1987). Moore’s writing explores sacred conceptions of nature, non-human life, magic, and psychedelic experiences, and a series of secondary readings have been selected to highlight these themes. Brought to life by Totleben and Bissette’s art, Saga of the Swamp Thing is perhaps the definitive tale of ecospirituality in the comics medium.

Please note: if you only have the time to read the primary readings or if you feel you lack specialization on questions related to religion, spirituality, and nature, you are more than welcome to attend. The Bodleian has copies of the relevant Swamp Thing volumes, I have included links to each. The easiest way to access Swamp Thing is via a subscription to DC’s comic book app.

Session 3 Readings (December 3)

Primary:
Moore, Alan, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben. “Book Five (#51-56).” In Saga of the Swamp Thing: Vertigo, 2013. solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/35n82s/alma990159587870107026
Moore, Alan, Stephen Bissette, and John Totleben. “Book Six (#57-64).” In Saga of the Swamp Thing: Vertigo, 2014. solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/35n82s/alma990165745770107026

Secondary:
Krinsky, Hindi. “Mean Green Machine: How the Ecological Politics of Alan Moore’s Reimagination of Swamp Thing Brought Eco-Consciousness to Comics.” In Plants and Literature: Essays in Critical Plant Studies, edited by Randy Laist, 221-41. Leiden: Brill, 2013.
Goodenough, Ursula. “Religious Naturalism and Naturalizing Morality.” Zygon 38, no. 1 (2003): 101-09.
White, Carol Wayne. “Planetary Thinking, Agency, and Relationality: Religious Naturalism’s Plea.” In Earthly Things, 173–85 Fordham University Press, 2023.