Hopkin Green Frog
Encyclopedia
Hopkin Green Frog was an Internet phenomenon which emerged in late 2004.
Hand-drawn fliers
requesting the whereabouts of a lost frog were spotted in various places around Seattle beginning in late 2003. Although there were several revisions of the flier, the later popularised version included two drawings of the frog alongside some grammatically incorrect text written in what appears to be a child's script, which read as follows:
In September 2004, a scanned version of this letter began to circulate the internet. A digit of the original phone number was removed shortly after to discourage people from phoning up. Digitally altered
riffs on the letter's content cropped up, much akin to the All Your Base phenomenon. These images involve the frog pictures and/or snippets of text from Terry's letter, pasted onto various pictures, from World War II
propaganda posters to television news footage to photographs of aircraft carriers as well as eBay
stills. Although humorous, many of these expressed concern (perhaps jokingly) for the child's loss. Lostfrog.org was set up in November 2004, which collected many of the altered versions of the meme along with the original poster.
The internet community responded by researching the frog and its owner. Hopkin was found to be a toy frog, and the phone number was traced to the parents. An explanation of the poster's origin is available here. Terry was an autistic
16-year-old who had received the toy frog with a McDonald's
"Animal Alley" Happy Meal
. After losing the toy frog, he created the "lost" fliers and posted them around his neighborhood. The boy's family was contacted in November 2004 about the toy, with the offer of a new one to replace the original Hopkins. The family declined the offer, believing that since the boy had by then forgotten about his stuffed frog, a new one would only upset him with unpleasant memories.
Flyer (pamphlet)
__notoc__A flyer or flier, also called a circular, handbill or leaflet, is a form of paper advertisement intended for wide distribution and typically posted or distributed in public place....
requesting the whereabouts of a lost frog were spotted in various places around Seattle beginning in late 2003. Although there were several revisions of the flier, the later popularised version included two drawings of the frog alongside some grammatically incorrect text written in what appears to be a child's script, which read as follows:
if I looking for frog him name is hopkin green frog I lost my frog 329-3228 Love, Terry P.S. I'll find my frog Who took my frog Who found my frog 2012 15th Ave. S 11> |
In September 2004, a scanned version of this letter began to circulate the internet. A digit of the original phone number was removed shortly after to discourage people from phoning up. Digitally altered
Photo manipulation
Photo manipulation is the application of image editing techniques to photographs in order to create an illusion or deception , through analog or digital means.- Types of digital photo manipulation :...
riffs on the letter's content cropped up, much akin to the All Your Base phenomenon. These images involve the frog pictures and/or snippets of text from Terry's letter, pasted onto various pictures, from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
propaganda posters to television news footage to photographs of aircraft carriers as well as eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
stills. Although humorous, many of these expressed concern (perhaps jokingly) for the child's loss. Lostfrog.org was set up in November 2004, which collected many of the altered versions of the meme along with the original poster.
The internet community responded by researching the frog and its owner. Hopkin was found to be a toy frog, and the phone number was traced to the parents. An explanation of the poster's origin is available here. Terry was an autistic
Autism
Autism is a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior. These signs all begin before a child is three years old. Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their...
16-year-old who had received the toy frog with a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
"Animal Alley" Happy Meal
Happy Meal
A "Happy Meal" is a meal specifically marketed at children, sold at the fast-food chain McDonald's since June 1979. A toy is typically included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a small box or paper bag with the McDonald's logo....
. After losing the toy frog, he created the "lost" fliers and posted them around his neighborhood. The boy's family was contacted in November 2004 about the toy, with the offer of a new one to replace the original Hopkins. The family declined the offer, believing that since the boy had by then forgotten about his stuffed frog, a new one would only upset him with unpleasant memories.
External links
- lostfrog.org
- Explanation of Hopkin Green Frog at whybark.com
- Flash animation parodying the search for the frog as a hardboiledHardboiledHardboiled crime fiction is a literary style, most commonly associated with detective stories, distinguished by the unsentimental portrayal of violence and sex. The style was pioneered by Carroll John Daly in the mid-1920s, popularized by Dashiell Hammett over the course of the decade, and refined...
film noirFilm noirFilm noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
detective storyDetective StoryDetective Story is a film noir which tells the story of one day in the lives of the various people who populate a police detective squad. It features Kirk Douglas, Eleanor Parker, William Bendix, Cathy O'Donnell, Lee Grant, among others. The movie was adapted by Robert Wyler and Philip Yordan... - Flickr group about Hopkin Green Frog (photo sharing site)
- Alternate Hopkin poster found by K. Thor Jensen
