Earlier this year in Fantastic Frog and the Amazing Tad Lad by Brandon Reese from Tundra Books, readers were introduced to the titular amphibious superheroes… But early next this year, the swamp-diving duo will return in an all new second adventure, Marsh Madness!
To celebrate the second volume in the Fantastic Frog and the Amazing Tad Lad series, Comics Beat caught up with Reese over Zoom to learn more about Marsh Madness. In addition to our interview, we are also pleased to reveal the cover for Marsh Madness! Scroll down to behold it in all its glory!
AVERY KAPLAN: Can you tell us about the cover for Marsh Madness? What kind of hints does it contain for the story?
BRANDON REESE: I’m trying to capture high adventure; something that’s going to be super fun for the reader. Something that harkens back to maybe a Duck book from Don Rosa and Carl Barks. I loved those as a kid so I’m trying to capture that!
I’m treating the series as a Saturday morning cartoon, and each book has two episodes, with each episode having its own villain. So the cover features the two villains — or the minions of one villain, the first story is about “Sluug,” which is a nod to The Hobbit. I don’t want to give too much away, but, Tad Lad finds a giant slug underground while he was collecting something.
And the second story is the “Sludge Ducks,” which you’ll see on the right-hand side. It’s about an oil tanker that runs aground near the swamp, and the sludge overtakes a bunch of ducks and it become this amalgamation of sludge and duck. I don’t know if you remember the Exxon Valdez — I’m taking liberties with that story!
KAPLAN: Does your comic creation process vary significantly from your creative process for picture books?
REESE: It does. A lot more background writing! Whereas picture books are just a one-and-done thing. So it’s always on my mind; I’m thinking about, “What can I add to the story to make it more interesting? What can I do for world building?” So a lot more work goes into it for sure.
I love working in graphic novels, that’s my new favorite jam. I just love comics, I always have, and just didn’t see a way through when I was a kid. I was a graphic designer for many years, just trying to get my foot in the door, and I made my way in through illustration and then picture books and now I’m doing comics, which is a lot of fun.
KAPLAN: This is a question I previously asked you in the summer of 2025, but I feel its worth asking again: what advice do you have for aspiring comics creators?
REESE: Just write your truth. Don’t try to follow trends, because things are going to change, especially with the internet and social media. Just write what you think is fun and I think you’ll find your audience.
KAPLAN: When working on these stories about frogs, do you conduct research, and if so, what does that process look like?
REESE: The only research I really do is just online research. Of course, I grew up in South Florida, so I was surrounded by tons of amphibians and frogs and gators and that sort of thing.
If I see a fun fact about a frog, I’ll write it down in my sketch book, because possibly it could be a sidekick or a villain later. I think there’s a frog that’s almost translucent, so you can see all its organs inside. I was going to try and figure out an invisible frog later on, where the only thing you could see is their stomach jumping around, I think that’d be pretty funny.
KAPLAN: Are there any specific influences for Marsh Madness?
REESE: The Duck books. I really loved them as a kid.
When I was a kid, we didn’t have cable, so I would record all kinds of stuff on Disney and just watch it over and over again. Robin Hood was one of my big influences, I loved that film. That and I bought a used copy of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. So back to the adventure stuff; I’m trying to capture that in these books.
KAPLAN: Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about Marsh Madness?
REESE: I feel like the second book is more able to get more into the funny and the characters quicker, because I don’t have to worry about their origin story, as in the first one.
The intermissions in the books are becoming some of my favorite stories to tell. Book 1 introduced Doug the gift-giving dung beetle. Book 2 features a 50s style biker gang named The Dirtbags… but the only thing they’re giving is guff!
KAPLAN: Is there anything else you’d like me to include?
REESE: Look for Book 3 soon! More adventures are coming!
Marsh Madness: Fantastic Frog and the Amazing Tad Lad, Book 2 will be available at a local bookstore and/or public library near you beginning on January 26th, 2027.
