Today, Comics Beat is proud to unveil the cover of the new intermediate graphic novel series by Brandon Reese. Fantastic Frog and The Amazing Tad Lad introduce “two heroic but dim frog superheroes.” Arrived from Penguin Random House Canada in February 2026, the series should capture the hearts (and funny bones) of investigators and dog fans.
Read our email interview with Creator Reese at Comics Beat. Then scroll to the bottom of the article and look at the cover in its glory!
Avery Kaplan: Tell us about the origins of the series.
Brandon Reese: I mainly write and draw picture books. Out of the pandemic, the editors felt very cautious about what they were looking for publication. All of the picture books I pitched landed anywhere. In my frustration, “My work has been moving in the direction of cartoons for years. I should accept it! I love dog guys, investigators, intermediate graphic novels like Narwal and Jelly. What do you do in that space?” So I chuckled the cover and it rolled the ball!
Kaplan: What about this story in particular?
Reese: The story of a wonderful frog and an amazing tad young man has been hatched in my sketchbook. I drew a lot of frogs for some reason and randomly painted some of them in a super suit. I turned the gear. I also grew up in South Florida surrounded by all sorts of swamps. I think it had an influence.
Kaplan: What was the inspiration for this story?
Reese: I grew up in the 80s. I’m going to be hard to not be inspired by that decade of pop culture. The book is packed full of scratch’n sniff stickers, landfill video games, toy dolls, orange cats and more. I’m also very inspired by the incredible work of cartoonists: Walt Kelly, Charles Adams, Carl Burks, Don Rosa, John Stanley, Al Jaffey.
Kaplan: What can readers expect from this volume?
Reese: There’s a lot of goofy humor and action-packed battles! This first book features a story of the great Frog and Tad Ladd origins, setting their mission to defeat the villains who are polluting their swamps.
Kaplan: In particular, do you hope that readers will take away this story?
Reese: I want readers to laugh and enjoy a fun adventure…but I also want to explore the importance of conservation, ecology and biodiversity.
Kaplan: What advice do you give to readers who may be interested in pursuing a career in the comics themselves?
Wreath: Keep your sketchbook. Better at drawing people and animals. Draw what you see and what you imagine. Write down any interesting things you hear, come up with, or come up with. If you do that often enough, the story tells itself. For structure – read, read, read! Pay attention to the pace of the story, how the panels are drawn, and where important story beats occur. It’s probably recommended a million times, but How to Draw a Comic The Marvel Way is a great starting point for beginners. I also think Ivan Brunettei’s book comics are a great resource.
Find a critical group. It could be an online community or a group of other aspiring comic creators who can share their work. Get some pages under your belt. I sketched the entire graphic novel that didn’t go anywhere, but the experience of drawing and finishing something will hone your skills. Go to the convention and talk to the experts. Most creators are cool people who enjoy helping others and don’t mind giving advice.
Kaplan: Have you ever had any stories you particularly enjoyed recently?
Reese: My local theatre shows classic anime. Recently I saw Ninja Scrolls, Princess Mononoke and Paprika on the big screen. What a feast? I’ve also recently read a bunch of southern fiction. David Joy and Callan Wink are my favourite authors, but Barbara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead really sticks to me. Oh, and James by Percival Everett – Otto! As for the manga, I loved everything under the tree that no one else sees!
Kaplan: Is there anything else you would like to include?
Reese: Check out my Patreon! There are a lot of behind the scenes. Almost everything is free to watch without membership. I’m just treating it as a process blog. Readers can see live drawings, sketches, unreleased ffatatl stories and more, and take a sneak peek at what’s going on in Book 2!
Starting from February 3rd, 2026, Fantastic Frog and the incredible Tad Ladd will be available at bookstores and public libraries near you.
