Photo By Gail

Marshall Thompson was proud of his toad hole and very comfortable with his favorite toad, Maxwell.  Maxwell or “Maxie” as Marshall referred to him, enjoyed his time massaging his human’s brain with his feet and keeping his mind at ease with calm croaking vibrations.  It was a tradition; part biological and part magical that skips a generation in the Thompson family line.

The elongated head and eventual toad hole would start developing as early as six months after the child is born and be fully functional some time during puberty. A special amulet with a built-in “toad call,” handed down from grandfather to grandson, is worn at a very secret location and used to summon the magical toads to their person.  When the prospective magic toad manages to match the exact tone of the person using the toad call, it would leap into the hole above the forehead and live there until the person expires. The average lifespan of a toad hole toad is 90 years. There are great gatherings of toad hole bearers and enthusiasts which take place annually and feature a beautiful chorus of toad hole toads and their humans.

Art and Story by Travis Louie. Photographed at Harman Projects Gallery on the Lower East Side.