1:2 We can tell she's meditating, like the narrator says, because she's sitting in the lotus position.

11:1 Brenda appeared briefly in ST #70 and #72 and is a consultant for John Constantine. She's a Native American who can make some predictions of the future by the mystical study of animal entrails.
David Peattie assures me that "As someone who has faithfully read all Batman titles from 1973 onward" he can safely say that the character Macky has never appeared before.

11:5 The correct spelling is "Hyphomycetes". Webster's dictionary describes it as "One of the great division of fungi, containing those species which have naked spores borne on free or only fasciculate threads."
Entomophthora means "insect destroyer." One breed of this fungus infects flies, filling the body with spores until the body bursts. Before the host dies, it flies to a high location. Click here for a disgusting photo from George Barron's Website on Fungi. Or an even grosser shot from www.doctorfungus.org.

13:3 Dr. Huntoon met Batman at Arkham in SWAMP THING #66.

13:4 This is Dr. Lucas' first and only appearance, as far as I know. Does anyone else know?

13:5 Batman delivered Killer Croc to Arkham Asylum with some difficulty in SWAMP THING #66.

14:1 Woodrue joined the short lived NEW GUARDIANS during the MILLENNIUM mini-series crossover event in 1987.

15:6 SANDMAN author Neil Gaiman showed the danger of Ivy's touch in SECRET ORIGINS #36 (1989).

16:2 S.T.A.R. Labs ("Science and Technology Advanced Research") first appeared in SUPERMAN #246 in 1971, has been referred to in many DC comics series since.

"Tri-Skulan" is a joke reference to Tom Skulan. See note below for page 23, panel 4 for more info.

"Wheelock Neuro-Optics" is a joke reference to comics creator James Wheelock. Artist Steve Bissette wrote in Alan Moore: Portrait of an Extraordinary Gentleman that he thanks Wheelock for his ideas for the issue #45 story. His name also appears on a tombstone in issue #42

16:4 Batman fought to defend Gotham City from ST in SWAMP THING#53.

18:1 ST killed a number of DDI agents in SWAMP THING#63 who were responsible for ejecting him into space in SWAMP THING#53.

18:4 Bullock appeared in SWAMP THING#51 -53 and attended ST's funeral in #55.

19:4 "Attack of the Mushroom People" was a 1963 Japanese film (by the director of the original "Godzilla") about a fungus that turns people into monsters. (See poster at right.) WATCH VIDEO. More on this below.

19:5 These signs are not written in real Chinese, are they? It looks like gibberish?

22:3 First appearance of Ratheau? (whom Chester calls "Rathole")

22:6 There have a been a number of books on "How to Speak Cajun", but I'm not aware of one with this exact title.

23:1 "Coonass" refers to the Cajun people of the southern Louisiana region, and while some are proud of the ethnic slang term others find it offensive.

Uncle Remus, a old plantation slave, is the fictional storyteller of folktales published in the 1880's by a white journalist, Joel Chandler Harris. The tales of Brer Rabbit and friends achieved wider popularity with the 1964 Disney film "Song of the South". [VIDEO SAMPLE] Many consider the use of southern black dialect as promoting negative stereotypes of blacks.

23:4 Tom Skulan is also mentioned in 16:2. (See factoid box at left)

27:4 Translation: "I think that it is too cold for the catfish." - "Why, no, man. I caught some yesterday."

27:6 "Peepers" are small frogs.

28:5 For infomation on traiteurs, see notes for the backup story below.

32:5 Swampy helped Superman in DC PRESENTS #85. When they meet again in #79, ST seems to have forgotten their earlier meeting.

39:5 "Pocketful Of Miracles" (1961) starred Glenn Ford as a gangster who makes a lady out of street peddler "Apple Annie" (Bette Davis). [WATCH VIDEO]

40:3 "Matango, Fungus of Terror" is the alternate title for the film "Attack of the Mushroom People", mentioned earlier. (It is sometimes misspelled "Mantango")

Comment: For some reason Matango and "The Grey" (as opposed to ST's realm of "The Green") don't show up in any issues for a while after this, until SWAMP THING #90. It was eventually explained that Matango was a primordial fungus-based earth elemental who was corrupted by "The Grey".

"Traiteur" (8 pages)
Writer: Steve Bissette
Artist: Mike Hoffman
Colorist: Tatjana Wood
Letterer: Bob Pinaha
Editor: Karen Berger

2:1 "Traiteur" is French for delicatessen, but here it literally means "treater". Traditional Cajun traiteurs treat people in their community for illnesses. Although home remedies may be used, the focus is healing through secret prayers. While prayers may be done from a distance or over the phone, they are considered most effective with physical contact and especially should not be separated from the patient by a body of water. Some believe that once a traiteur passes on their secrets to their successor, they lose the ability themselves. Traiteurs therefore usually pass on their title and knowledge on their deathbed.

2:3 LaBostrie first appeared in SWAMP THING #64.

3:3 "Chauve-souris" is French for "bat".

3:4 "Promesse-moi" means "promise me".

4:1 "Fais Do-Do" means "go to sleep" in Cajun French. It is also the word for a traditional Cajun community dance.

4:2 "Araignée" is French for "spider".

5:2 "Pére" is French for "father".

5:4 "Pour moi" is French for "for me."

COMMENT: This issue was published between SWAMP THING #76 and SWAMP THING #77, although the story may not take place in that order, since no mention is made of the rather important events happening in the monthly series.

COMMENT: In late 2006, DC Comics collected issues 77-81 and ANNUAL #3 in the trade book "Swamp Thing: Infernal Triangles". This is odd, because that annual did not come out near the time of issues 77-81. ANNUAL #4 has not be reprinted in a trade paperback.