Frog and Toad (2023)

The 2023 animated series FROG AND TOAD is based on the classic children’s books of the same name by gay author/illustrator Arnold Lobel. The books, which were released between 1970-79, follow the daily adventures of the inseparable Frog and Toad.

In interviews about his writing process, Lobel revealed that he drew from his personal experiences when crafting a story. In 1974, Lobel came out as gay to his family. “I think ‘Frog and Toad’ really was the beginning of him coming out,” his daughter, Adrianne Lobel, said in a 2017 interview with The New Yorker. Frog and Toad are “of the same sex, and they love each other … It was quite ahead of its time in that respect,” she stated additionally.

Showrunner Rob Hoegee, of the new series for AppleTV, also spoke of the queerness of Frog and Toad in an interview with Out Magazine, stating “You can’t deny it … It is part of the books, it’s part of the legacy.”

The FROG AND TOAD series is a very faithful adaptation of Lobel’s books and, while still technically “queer-coded,” when watching the series there is no denying that these two animated amphibians are very much in love.

FROG AND TOAD is streaming on AppleTV, with a second season premiering May 31st, 2024.

FROG AND TOAD

2023. USA.

Director: Sarah Johnson

Writers: Patrick Rieger, Ghia Godfree & Ken Pontac

Starring: Nat Faxon, Kevin Michael Richardson, Ron Funches, Fortune Feimster, Yvette Nicole Brown, Margaret Cho, Cole Escola, Tom Kenny and Aparna Nancherla