For faster navigation, this Iframe is preloading the Wikiwand page for Froggy the Gremlin.

Froggy the Gremlin

Froggy with Smilin' Ed and the cast of Smilin' Ed's Buster Brown Gang, 1947.

Froggy the Gremlin was a character created by Smilin' Ed McConnell and brought to radio in the 1940s and television in 1950s on the Smilin' Ed's Gang show, and later Andy's Gang TV show, hosted by actor Andy Devine after McConnell's death.

The character

[edit]

Froggy was a troublemaker. Disrespectful of adult authority figures, Froggy played practical jokes and disrupted the presentations of other guests. If a guest were to demonstrate how to paint a wall, he might say, "And now I'm going to take this can of paint..." Froggy would chime in, "And dump it over my head." And the confused guest would proceed to do so.[1]

On radio and the early TV shows, Froggy's voice was frequently supplied by Arch ("Archie") Presby, who was also the program's announcer.

He appeared on screen in a puff of smoke with the catchphrase, "Hiya, kids! Hiya hiya hiya hiya!" The human host had another catchphrase, directed to Froggy, "Plunk your magic twanger, Froggy!" Followed by a "twangayangayang" sound. On radio, it was then followed by a raspberry. Froggy would appear atop an armoir.

[edit]
  • Froggy appears on the fictional television series Young People's After-school Press Conference to disrupt an interview with Dr. Henry Kissinger (Roger Bowen) in the 1976 satirical film TunnelVision.
  • Buckner & Garcia paid tribute on a 1982 novelty song about the arcade game Frogger called "Froggy's Lament" from their album Pac-Man Fever, which utilized Froggy's catchphrases.
  • Froggy made regular appearances on The Ghoul Show in which he was more often the victim of the host's pranks rather than the initiator of the same.
  • George R. R. Martin, a well-known writer of science fiction and fantasy, occasionally uses a picture of Froggy the Gremlin as his avatar when posting on his "Not a Blog". Fans of Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series have speculated that Martin adopts the Froggy icon when dropping hints as to new developments in the books. In addition Martin has made reference to the character in the Wild Cards series and in The Armageddon Rag.

See also

[edit]

Further reading

[edit]

The Search for Smilin' Ed by Kim Deitch, Fantagraphics (2010)

References

[edit]
  1. ^ McMahon, Ed and Fisher, David C., When Television Was Young, Thomas Nelson Inc, 2007, ISBN 9781418578411
[edit]


{{bottomLinkPreText}} {{bottomLinkText}}
Froggy the Gremlin
Listen to this article

This browser is not supported by Wikiwand :(
Wikiwand requires a browser with modern capabilities in order to provide you with the best reading experience.
Please download and use one of the following browsers:

This article was just edited, click to reload
This article has been deleted on Wikipedia (Why?)

Back to homepage

Please click Add in the dialog above
Please click Allow in the top-left corner,
then click Install Now in the dialog
Please click Open in the download dialog,
then click Install
Please click the "Downloads" icon in the Safari toolbar, open the first download in the list,
then click Install
{{::$root.activation.text}}

Install Wikiwand

Install on Chrome Install on Firefox
Don't forget to rate us

Tell your friends about Wikiwand!

Gmail Facebook Twitter Link

Enjoying Wikiwand?

Tell your friends and spread the love:
Share on Gmail Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Buffer

Our magic isn't perfect

You can help our automatic cover photo selection by reporting an unsuitable photo.

This photo is visually disturbing This photo is not a good choice

Thank you for helping!


Your input will affect cover photo selection, along with input from other users.

X

Get ready for Wikiwand 2.0 ๐ŸŽ‰! the new version arrives on September 1st! Don't want to wait?