The modern day swamp creature began with Theodore Sturgeon’s 1940 short story “It.”
It would be adapted as a Marvel comic book decades later.
A couple years after It The Heap appeared in Hillman comic books.
The Heap would be revived in 1971 by Skywald Publications.
In the years spanning the 1940s and the 1970s other swamp monsters would appear.
1971 was a monsterfest for the Florida Everglades.
That year both a Marvel-ous Man-Thing and a DeComposing Swamp Thing debuted.
Since that time other muck monsters have appeared…
And now comes the latest (freshest?) and greatest of these creatures from the bog:
Andy Marlette, in the humid heat of Summer, introduces Sludgezilla!
Shrimp & Grits © Creators Syndicate/Andy Marlette
The Turd © Scott Shaw, cover art © John Pound;
Man-Thing, The Glob, Swamp Monster © Marvel Comics;
Swamp Thing © DC Comics; Dr. Spektor © Gold Key Publications;
It © Theodore Sturgeon; The Heap is public domain (afaik).