Sunday, May 13, 2012

a few more Frog Stories


Most of my Frog Stories are inspired by real events involving my various pet amphibians. As a sort of web-exclusive extra, I will share a few more stories about my critters. While my book contains comics, I have composed the extra stories in prose, with a few illustrations.

Horned Frog Gymnastics

Once, Bud (the Argentine horned frog) spied a juicy, mouthwatering earthworm before him. He lunged for it and missed. The worm crawled into a hole. Bud dove in with jaws agape. And found himself doing a head-stand. He kept in place for a few minutes, perhaps baffled by the predicament. By the time he regained his footing, the worm had escaped.




Flash versus Metallica

We introduced Flash (the firebellied toad) to join my two green tree frogs in a 15-gallon terrarium, and thought that the three would be friends. Characteristic of his breed, Flash took to the water dish. He swam about using the classic frog kick, floated with eyes above water and body submerged, stood on the stones, and didn't venture far from the “pond.” Meanwhile, the tree frogs dwelt mainly on the leafy plants or affixed to the glass walls, above the ground. Then Hoppy the tree frog clambered down from his perch and to the edge of the water, in search of a cool bath. And we heard a sound. HREF HREF HREF HREF—surprisingly high and loud. I took a closer look and listen, and found that the barking came from Flash. And then he climbed atop a rock in the pond, and glared down at the intruder. Hoppy, unconcerned, proceeded to the water. And Flash leapt towards him! Hoppy jumped away, back into the foliage. The amphibians might not be so compatible. Later, we found Flash and Hoppy together, with the former's jaws clamped forcefully around the latter's foot. And so, I reached my hand--giant by frog standards--into the cage.  Both animals jumped away, in different directions. Obviously, Flash needed a separate enclosure.

After becoming a lone toad, Flash found a new motivation to burn his territorial fire. Any time I set my boombox to heavy metal, Flash responded. HREF HREF HREF HREF! He heard the challenge and answered forcefully. And he had no fear about pitting his lone voice against the fearsome combination of vocals, guitars, and drums. My mom joked that it was a sing-along among angry young males. With his barking and posturing, Flash looked quite the intimidator, for a critter only two inches long. Were I a frog, I would keep my distance.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Frog Stories available on Etsy!

Greetings, true believers!

My new self-published comic book Frog Stories is for sale on etsy.com!


The listing: http://www.etsy.com/listing/99017689/frog-stories-comic-book

The synopsis:

Frog Stories contains four short narratives of life and death drama, wherein the players are frogs, insects, mice, and other small animals. A pacific chorus frog makes a frustrated search for a mate--and encounters a giant six-legged monster. A green tree frog sleeps by day and hunts moths by night, performing amazing aerial feats. Big Bad Bo, an Argentine horned frog, devours anything that moves. He is lord of his domain--or is there a higher power? In Frog Stories, the eat-or-be-eaten world of the swamp comes to life, in vivid black, white, and cross-hatched shades of grey.

Interior splash panel for "The Threat of Big Bad Bo"--a dramatic and humorous tale of a tyrant horned frog, which contains some fond parody of the Marvel "monster" comics of the 1960s.

Frog Stories includes "Song for a Hungry Horned Frog" which I originally released as a mini-comic (8.5" by 5.5"). It is reprinted in a bigger, grander size, along with three new stories.



24 pages, 10” by 8”
b&w interior, full color covers 


If my experiment with Frog Stories succeeds, I will release other books through Etsy as well.

Good fortune to my mammalian readers and amphibious subjects!