22 Sept 2026
Campus Comics Cast 243 - Flash Gordon and Swamp Thing 1989
Campus Comics Cast is reading comics in this episode likes it 1989!!
Timestamps:
00:00:00 Opening Music
00:00:10 Intro
00:01:00 Flash Gordon by Alex Raymond
00:46:52 Swamp Thing 1989
02:10:57 Next Episode
02:11:15 Outros
02:12:04 Stinger
Can a 1930s comic strip still feel fast, imaginative, and essential nearly a century later—and reveal how much of modern sci-fi, including Star Wars, owes a debt to Flash Gordon? For comic readers who want to explore the roots of science-fiction adventure without committing to an endless run, this episode breaks down why Alex Raymond’s original Flash Gordon strips remain worth your time. Scott and Mike explore the thrill of Flash’s serialized adventures on Mongo, the memorable art and character designs, the Ming–Aura–Dale dynamic, and the surprising closeness between the early strips and the 1980 Flash Gordon film. It is a practical guide for deciding whether this foundational classic belongs on your digital reading list—or your bookshelf.
What happens when a long-lost, controversial Swamp Thing storyline finally returns—then sends Alec Holland across time, into the Source, and back to Abigail just as Anton Arcane threatens everything they love? If you have ever wondered whether a comic can successfully revive an unfinished creative vision decades later, this episode gives you a spoiler-rich look at Swamp Thing #89–91: newly created continuations of Rick Veitch’s interrupted 1989 story. Scott and Mike unpack how the series honors DC continuity while delivering cosmic time travel, Constantine scheming, Arthurian adventure, the Source, and the emotional core of Swamp Thing and Abigail’s relationship. They also discuss why the new material feels remarkably faithful to the era rather than like a simple nostalgia project.
Listeners will gain:
A spoiler-friendly overview of the earliest Flash Gordon strips, including Flash, Dale Arden, Professor Zarkov, Ming the Merciless, Princess Aura, Prince Barin, and the varied kingdoms of Mongo.
A clearer understanding of why Alex Raymond’s artwork remains influential, from expressive body language and cinematic panel composition to the evolving layouts of the Sunday strips.
Helpful context for Flash Gordon’s place in comics history, including serialized storytelling, its influence on later science-fiction adventure, and how the 1980 film adapts key elements of the original premise.
A clear, issue-by-issue guide to Swamp Thing #89–91, including Swamp Thing’s journey through time, the Shining Knight’s role, the return of Anton Arcane, and the birth of Abigail and Swamp Thing’s child.
Context for the comic’s dense DC connections, from John Constantine, the Spectre, and Metron to Darkseid, the Source, Anthro, Kronos, and the pre-Crisis multiverse.
Insight into why Rick Veitch’s writing, Tom Mandrake’s artwork, and the new series’ period-specific details make this continuation meaningful for longtime Swamp Thing readers and enticing for newer fans.
Play this episode to discover whether the original Flash Gordon strips deserve a place in your collection—and get a rewarding starting point for exploring one of science fiction’s most influential comic adventures and to get the context, continuity connections, and emotional payoff that will make reading Swamp Thing 1989 #88 to 91 far more rewarding.
