The Ogre and the Toad
When people think of monsters, they might recall blood-draining vampires,
brain-hungry zombies, or boogeymen under the bed. Few might consider the
terrors of an amphibious puppet and a lonely ogre. While these two strange
creatures might not have much in common, Fremont the Toad and Gerf (from
the animated film series of the same name) present interesting similarities that
help to understand both of them as deeper characters and closer to human
than the audience may realize.
Fremont and Gerf have some significant differences that set them apart in both
goals and personalities. Fremont is a musical toad with big show business
aspirations. In contrast, Gerf is an ogre with a self-imposed isolationist view.
Fremont’s aspirations mean that he is constantly in interaction with others,
from strangers to friends, as a means of learning and making connections to
further his dreams. On the other hand, Gerf possesses no such dreams and
instead prefers keeping others away as both a safety measure and defense
mechanism.
In spite of their differences, Fremont and Gerf do share some similarities. Aside
from both being a similar shade of chartreuse, Fremont and Gerf share a
similar home environment: the swamp. This flooded, damp biome acts as a
place of hiding and solitude for both of them. This might run counter to
Fremont’s big dreams, but to this talented toad, the swamp is a space to get
away from the spotlight, to find himself. Gerf, however, must venture outside
the swamp to understand himself better.
Both Fremont the Toad and Gerf the ogre are mysterious creatures with some
distinctly different aspirations. However, they both have a deeper need to
connect to themselves while connecting to others. In other words, these two
strange creatures may be more human than what viewers initially think,
creating a deeper reading of their characters beyond the superficial.
