This past weekend, Jason turned 17. Not only is that tough to swallow but for the first time ever, I laid my eyes on a Swamp Thing cake.
Yes, my wife Allison once again outdid herself by surprising Jason with a special birthday cake featuring the muck-encrusted mockery of a man.
I’ve been a monstrous (pun intended, sorry) fan of Swampy since Alan Moore was writing the comics back in the 1980’s. It wasn’t until the recent Swamp Thing TV series on DC Universe that Jason got his first glimpse into the character. And just like me, he instantly fell in love.
Unfortunately, the TV show (while critically acclaimed) only lasted one short season.
So when Allie asked me what she should make for Jason’s cake this year, we both rattled our brains for awhile. He’s been watching Star Wars: Clone Wars lately, so maybe an Ahsoka cake? Nah.
He liked the recent Sonic movie and loves the games. Uh uh.
Somehow it hit me. Like me, Jason is a sucker for the crazy, obscure characters out there. (One of my favorite DC characters? Ambush Bug. Yeah, exactly.) So I knew he would absolutely love a Swamp Thing cake.
The problem? The character is so not easy to draw. Especially when so many different artists have tried so many different takes.
After scouring the internet, I found the following which became the main basis of reference:
Allie spent some time sketching out the character and laughing at her initial sketches which looked more like a chimpanzee than a swamp monster. But by the end she nailed it. She wasn’t sure Jason would know who it was, but I was completely confident.
Lots of food coloring and Pillsbury frosting later, she began building her masterpiece.
The eyes totally do it for me. Though I also do love the white flowers in the lower right corner.
Jason most definitely was surprised. And he knew exactly who it was in a heartbeat.
Now I can’t wait to see what Allie makes me for my birthday next month. I’ve hinted at a life-size Death Star cake, but I’m not holding my breath.
Happy Birthday, Jason!
This cute-looking Swamp Thing cake is nicely decorated appreciated your efforts, and I am sure Jason loved it.
Awesome job with the coloring and decorating. Very impressive. Love the look on Jason’s face. Happy Birthday to him.
I love to bake cakes and all but I’m poor at piping or making icing. You did great in this cake!
That is amazing and so different! I need to practice my frosting as it looks so easy but whenever I try to do those stars they don’t come out as perfect!
What an awesome job with the cake! I don’t have any cake decorating talent, so I usually let my daughter do the frosting.
That looks amazing! It turned out really great. I love it. She did an amazing job on this cake.
The real swamp thing is scary, but that cake is so adorable. Looks like Jason loves it too.
This Swamp Thing Cake is perfect! I really love how creative you are. Hope he had a wonderful time!
This cake is awesome! wow! I am impressed about your decoration!
That is a cute and creative cake and the look on his face! Belated happy birthday!
Wow! This Swamp Thing cake is creatively baked! I’m sure he really enjoyed having this. Looks really delicious!
Great post! I am sure Jason enjoyed his Swamp Thing cake?.
This is the coolest cake! I love it! I am terrible with decorating, so I am impressed. I usually pay someone to do it!
Haha, this is awesome! I can hardly frost a cake, let alone decorate one. So you did a great job!