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Q&A with Mark Heath, creator of the brand-new strip "Spot the Frog"

What better way to start the new year than with a new comic strip? So we did. On Jan. 5, we debuted "Spot the Frog," a charming, sweetly funny new strip about a young frog named Spot who decides to move in with an easygoing human named Karl. You'll find that life is full of adventure and humor when you see it through Spot's eyes -- he splashes in dishwater, sunbathes under a lamp, and somehow manages to pay his 10 cents rent by finding it in strange places. Oh, and he loves TV.

Haven't seen Spot yet? Just click here:
http://www.comics.com/comics/spotthefrog/index.html

So how did Spot come about? We asked his creator, Mark Heath.

Q: How would you describe Spot and Karl?

Mark Heath: I'd describe Spot as short, and Karl somewhat taller. They actually have a lot in common. They're both comfortable in their skins. The premise off the strip is a more good-natured Odd Couple. Spot moves in with Karl, and despite their subtle differences, they get along.

Q: How did you get the idea for "Spot the Frog"?

MH: I drew Spot for the first time in 1989-90. I was writing a strip called "Winslow," and Winslow tripped down a hill during a hike. The blow to his head was softened when he fell into a puddle full of frog eggs. Spot was one of those eggs. In the tradition of soap operas, Spot grew up in a month or so, and he and Winslow have appeared in many of the strips I've written since then.

Q: Why a frog? There have been a few frogs-as-lead-characters before. What makes Spot different from those frogs?

MH: I'm not especially drawn to frogs, save for drawing them. I love cartoon frogs. I love their buggy eyes and elastic bodies. Their modest size. Small things see the world differently, as any of us would if we pressed our heads to the floor.

Spot is actually like Kermit, minus the worldliness. Kermit's known disappointment and hardship. Spot's been lucky. I think Spot is what Kermit would be, if he'd stayed out of show business.

Q: Explain why Spot decided to move in with a human after enjoying his life in the pond.

MH: He's a curious guy. Spontaneous. I'm sure he didn't give the move a lot of thought. He packed his suitcase and hit the road. He wanted to know what it's like to live under a roof, to watch TV from inside a house, not at the window.

Q: How do you get story ideas? Are they drawn from your own experiences in any way?

MH: The other day I turned on the faucet in the kitchen sink and the water hit the bowl of a spoon. The stream ricocheted and spritzed my face. This has happened several times. I probably need fewer spoons. But that bit of drama turned into a strip. Most of the strips, however, arise from thoughts like these: Spot is hungry. Spot is scared. Spot wants to play. If I'm lucky, they'll lead to a punchline.

Q: Do you think readers of this strip will like it because they're attracted to the simplicity of country life?

MH: I don't think of country life as simple. There are bills to pay, ills to mend, relationships to maintain. Much of Stephen King's work takes place in the country. But living away from a city offers more opportunities for quiet. More space. More trees. Longer drives.

There's a rural tradition in comic strips: "Pogo," "Bloom County," "Calvin and Hobbes." "Peanuts" felt rural. Comic strips can offer a daily escape, and for many people, that means leaving the city behind (though there are certainly those who live in the country with reverse ambitions).

Q: After many years as a cartoonist, this is your first syndicated comic strip. To what do you attribute this breakthrough?

MH: Luck.

Luck No. 1: Last year I wasn't planning to submit a strip - after a decade and more of rejection, I thought I'd take a break -- but I met Craig Terlson, a fellow cartoonist, and we swapped comic strip stories, then comic strips, and a few months later I had "Spot the Frog." If I hadn't met Craig, I wouldn't have worked on a strip.

Luck No. 2: When I showed the early strips to [my girlfriend] Mary, she loved Spot. A lot. He wasn't central to the strip this time around, but I wrote more Spot strips to amuse her. If Mary hadn't embraced Spot, he might have disappeared.

Luck No. 3: Having Mary in my life - a creative person couldn't ask for a more forgiving and encouraging partner. That's no small thing.

Luck No. 4: Frogs are popular. I didn't know that, but the syndicates did.

Of course, you need talent, and persistence, but the world is filled with persistent talent, all waiting for the same thing.

Q: Unlike many comics, there seems be no underlying cynicism or sarcasm in "Spot the Frog." It feels warm-hearted and sincere. Are you consciously differentiating it, or is it because this perspective comes more naturally to you?

MH: It wasn't a conscious difference at first. But then Craig or Mary pointed it out to me. I'd been submitting strips every year, always suspecting that one was much like the other. Spot was a worldly, wisecracking frog. He irritated the other characters, but in a nice way. All of my characters were like that. Nice. Sarcastic. Many strips are like that. And I love those strips. I love any strip that's written well. But when I realized that Spot was less cynical this time around, the strip changed in my eyes. For the first time in years I felt I had something different to submit.

I think the difference was in me. I've always been a curmudgeon, and still am, but now I'm a happy curmudgeon. When my toad character appears later on, that will be a large part of me. But it's hard to be miserable when you do what you love for a living, and you live with someone who loves what you do.

Q: Can you give us a hint how "Spot the Frog" will evolve? Will Spot get into trouble? Are you planning any major storylines, or will you focus on a simpler perspective for a while?

MH: Actually, Spot gets in trouble all the time. But Karl forgives him. That's the basis of their relationship: Spot inspires good-natured mischief, and Karl is mellow enough to forgive and forget. That's why this strip is unlike my previous attempts: the main characters like each other and aren't reluctant to show it. It's like at first sight.

Eventually, I'll have other characters appear who are less enamored with Spot, such as the local birds, and Karl's daughter, Kay - because life rarely allows anyone to be universally loved - but the core group of Spot, Karl and Buddy will be the legs of this three-legged stool.

I don't have a major storyline in mind. I'll stay with the minor ones and hope they add up to something major.


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Answer to the Comics Knowledge Question

Rudy, from the comic strip Rudy Park, believes firmly in all things Internet, the healing powers of consumption, and the conviction that inner peace can be found at the mall.