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| From issue 17. |
Lizabeth "Liz" Tremayne first appeared in SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #3 in 1982. (Cover shown at right, by T. Yeates) She and her boyfriend Dr. Dennis Barclay (a Sunderland employee) were supporting characters and friends of ST during Martin Pasko's tenure as writer. In a sense, Liz and Dennis replaced Abby and Matt, who had been the supporting characters in the first SWAMP THING series. She was once known as an investigative reporter/host for the "In-Depth Magazine" TV tabloid news show. She wrote a book about the Swamp Thing (first shown in SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #1), but she and Dennis went into hiding following the attack by Sunderland and the DDI in #20 , believing ST and Matt and Abby Cable to be dead. Years later, Abby was reunited with the severely traumatized and paranoid Liz. Abby helped her escape from Dennis, who had become abusive and psychotic.
Chester Williams is a kind-hearted environmentalist drug-using "hippy" who was drawn to ST after learning of the hallucinegenic qualities of the tubers which grow off of ST's body. Chester befriended Liz and helped her recover from her psychologically shattered state. Liz and Chester eventually fell in love.
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| Talbot's Chester P. Hackenbush |
The Chester Williams character is widely considered to be based on the lead character in Bryan Talbot's underground comics of the mid-1970's, "The Chester P. Hackenbush Trilogy". Artist Steve Bissette's art school roommate, Larry Loc, also claims that he was the visual model for Chester. Loc writes at his own website:
When D.C. refused to print the last Veitch Swamp Thing I wrote a letter to them telling them to take my image out of their book or else. Up until that time Stan [Woch] freely admitted that Chester was modeled after me.After I threatened law suit he changed his story and said that he never meant it to be me and it is just an accident that Chester looked just like I did. I understand, he has to work for them.
Notable appearances in SWAMP THING:
#43
"Windfall"
Chester stumbles across a tuber from ST's body and shares it with two people as a psychedelic drug. He observes that the experience can be beautiful or horrific depending on the user's soul, and thus is too afraid to try it himself.
#53
"The Garden of Earthly Delights"
Chester journeys to Gotham City to experience the jungle ST has created there. He gives his treasured remaining piece of tuber to Wallace Monroe (from the Nukeface
story) for his dying wife. Chester is witness to ST's "death".
#54
"The Flowers of Romance"
We learn that Dennis Barclay has used the traumatic events of the attack in issue #20 to take complete control of Liz's life. He's kept her living in a constant state of unquestioning paranoia, afraid to even leave the house.
When Liz learns that Abby is alive in Houma, Louisiana, she summons up the courage to flee to her. Dennis, completely mentally unhinged, pursues them with deadly intent.
#55
"Earth to Earth"
Abby brings Liz to ST's funeral. Chester attends, too.
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| From issue 63. |
#63
"Loose Ends (Reprise)"
Liz meets Chester.
#64
"Return of the Good Gumbo"
Liz finally formally meets ST, and he encourages her to resume her writing.
#70 "The Secret Life of Plants"
Chester provides Liz with a typewriter to encourage her to resume her writing.
#77 "Infernal Triangles"
Liz and Chester reach "a pivotal point in their relationship."
#79 "Waiting for God(oh!)"
Liz and Chester attend a Superman press conference. Lois Lane is not impressed with them.
Chester also appears in the one-shot THE GEEK (1993).
