That could be it, actually. Maybe she was doing some sort of investigation out in the Southwest, fresh from the Yukon wilds, and plop! A Colorado River Toad jumps smack into her face, all 16 ounces of psychotropic poisonous amphibian! The result: instant frog/toad phobia. …..hey, it could happen…..
Actually, I thought it was more the “cause” was an irrational one? For example… I’m afraid of spiders. Didn’t used to be. Then I saw the movie Arachnophobia (when I was what? 9 or so?)….
Yeah, I’m pretty sure you still need a trigger to form the phobia. It might just be something stupid that you overheard, or a nightmare or whatever, but fears don’t generate randomly.
When you hear that “phobias are irrational”, it refers to the fact that there does not need to be any real danger for a person with a phobia to feel frightened, and that even if there is danger, they will often feel much more fear than the ‘threat level’ would suggest they should.
For example, a typical arachnophobe is usually afraid of a box of spiders, even if the spiders are not venomous and the box is shut tight and secure. In addition, they would likely be more afraid of those harmless spiders than they would be of something genuinely dangerous, like a an open flame or a large dog of unknown temperament.
As the others say, phobias generally are formed from bad associations and experiences in a person’s past. The person may not always remember the original sources, especially if they happen at a very young age, and they may not even develop the phobia until long after the events which inspired it, but cause and effect do still apply.
My own aquaphobia almost certainly developed from some very, very bad experiences I had while attending swimming lessons as a child.
It’s a bit late, but once he was given the nickname, I had to use it …
(TUNE: “Santa Baby”, Javits, Springer, & Ebb)
Sewer Santa,
We just found out that England’s your name,
The same
As the country that’s tame!
Sewer Santa,
You’re working with an aide who’s undead!
Sewer Santa,
You’re fighting things that give us the shakes,
Like snakes!
Hey, but those are the breaks,
Sewer Santa,
And Sweetheart’s jumping onto your head!
Can’t believe this dauntless dog
Got so apprehensive ’bout a giant frog!
When she sees … those suckers hop,
The pal-pi-ta-tions just won’t stop! (ba-bop ba-bop!)
Sewer Santa,
Our mission here, we now will abort!
Cut short!
We must file our report,
Sewer Santa!
(You knew this job was dangerous, Fred!)
My understanding is that the host, Webcomics Nation, is offline (possibly permanently). Ed put the 2 most recent pages up on the Everyday Heroes Facebook page, here: https://www.facebook.com/EverydayHeroesComic?fref=ts
Apparently frogs are to Sweetheart as bunnies are to Anya:
Froggies aren’t just cute like everybody supposes,
They’ve got them hoppy legs and bumpy-nostrilled noses.
They’re green or brown or warty
They hop right at you in such a menacing way
Froggies, froggies, it must be froggies!
. . .
Or maybe zombies
Considering the natural (semi-natural?) presence of frogs/toads that eat birds about the size of a human head, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sweetheart and Unity encountered GM toad that attempted to eat them.
Dude… there ARE such things as frogs the size of your head. Just do a Google Images search for African Bullfrog or Cane Toad.
Hell, I’m a country boy and I’d be afraid of a few of those if they got together; probably be planning some revenge for all the torment I put on their brethren as a youth. :p
As for Sweetheart’s phobia… you know that toads whisper bad dreams in your ear while you’re sleeping, right?
mnem
*Now imagining a gang of giant toads all dressed up like the Fonz and doing that scene out of Grease*
Oh gawd… here come the Toad-ettes dressed in Poodle Skirts… *Jumps up on Director England’s head too, then beats feet right behind UNITY and Agent Fancy*
she has ranidaphobia of all things? And here I thought it would be mice, oh well, can’t call them all.
It’s as Robert E. Howard once noted, even the bravest have their own particular fears! ^_^
And what, pray tell, could have caused such a phobia in Sweetheart? There aren’t all that many big frogs hopping around her homeland in the north.
That could be it, actually. Maybe she was doing some sort of investigation out in the Southwest, fresh from the Yukon wilds, and plop! A Colorado River Toad jumps smack into her face, all 16 ounces of psychotropic poisonous amphibian! The result: instant frog/toad phobia. …..hey, it could happen…..
Most phobias are irrational, and thus don’t have any cause.
Actually, I thought it was more the “cause” was an irrational one? For example… I’m afraid of spiders. Didn’t used to be. Then I saw the movie Arachnophobia (when I was what? 9 or so?)….
Yeah, I’m pretty sure you still need a trigger to form the phobia. It might just be something stupid that you overheard, or a nightmare or whatever, but fears don’t generate randomly.
When you hear that “phobias are irrational”, it refers to the fact that there does not need to be any real danger for a person with a phobia to feel frightened, and that even if there is danger, they will often feel much more fear than the ‘threat level’ would suggest they should.
For example, a typical arachnophobe is usually afraid of a box of spiders, even if the spiders are not venomous and the box is shut tight and secure. In addition, they would likely be more afraid of those harmless spiders than they would be of something genuinely dangerous, like a an open flame or a large dog of unknown temperament.
As the others say, phobias generally are formed from bad associations and experiences in a person’s past. The person may not always remember the original sources, especially if they happen at a very young age, and they may not even develop the phobia until long after the events which inspired it, but cause and effect do still apply.
My own aquaphobia almost certainly developed from some very, very bad experiences I had while attending swimming lessons as a child.
It was probably some “white rabbit” incident from her beloved Captain Bram.
It’s a bit late, but once he was given the nickname, I had to use it …
(TUNE: “Santa Baby”, Javits, Springer, & Ebb)
Sewer Santa,
We just found out that England’s your name,
The same
As the country that’s tame!
Sewer Santa,
You’re working with an aide who’s undead!
Sewer Santa,
You’re fighting things that give us the shakes,
Like snakes!
Hey, but those are the breaks,
Sewer Santa,
And Sweetheart’s jumping onto your head!
Can’t believe this dauntless dog
Got so apprehensive ’bout a giant frog!
When she sees … those suckers hop,
The pal-pi-ta-tions just won’t stop!
(ba-bop ba-bop!)
Sewer Santa,
Our mission here, we now will abort!
Cut short!
We must file our report,
Sewer Santa!
(You knew this job was dangerous, Fred!)
Off topic from the Skin Horse comic, but am I the only one getting a 404 when trying to access Everyday Heroes (which you’ve linked your handle to)?
You’re not alone – I haven’t been able to access Everyday Heroes for some time. Not sure what’s going on there.
My understanding is that the host, Webcomics Nation, is offline (possibly permanently). Ed put the 2 most recent pages up on the Everyday Heroes Facebook page, here: https://www.facebook.com/EverydayHeroesComic?fref=ts
Unfortunately I don’t have a Facebook account
@Mental Mouse the comic is readable without logging into Facebook.
Apparently frogs are to Sweetheart as bunnies are to Anya:
Froggies aren’t just cute like everybody supposes,
They’ve got them hoppy legs and bumpy-nostrilled noses.
They’re green or brown or warty
They hop right at you in such a menacing way
Froggies, froggies, it must be froggies!
. . .
Or maybe zombies
Rage virus?
Sewer Monsters?
Sounds like a place Mulder would drag Scully into
http://www.shaenon.com/monsteroftheweek/2013/01/11/01112013/
Please tell me a crossover with “Monster of the Week” is in the works
“Sweetheart, why does the floor move?”
“Give me your torch, Unity.
“Frogs. Why’d it have to be frogs?”
“Zombie frogs… very dangerous. You go first.”
“If only I could have been there with you.”
“There were frogs, dad.”
“Frogs?”
My mind went to Last Crusade first. Probably because they’re in a sewer.
Awww… not cool. Maybe she had a run-in with a frog or toad when she was a cute sqwee little puppy…
how amusing that my first two check-as-soon-as-i-wake-up comics are related this week! http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20140108
Good thing she’s in Colma… not at the Famous Fortress of Blue Mice http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20140108
Considering the natural (semi-natural?) presence of frogs/toads that eat birds about the size of a human head, I wouldn’t be surprised if Sweetheart and Unity encountered GM toad that attempted to eat them.
Dude… there ARE such things as frogs the size of your head. Just do a Google Images search for African Bullfrog or Cane Toad.
Hell, I’m a country boy and I’d be afraid of a few of those if they got together; probably be planning some revenge for all the torment I put on their brethren as a youth. :p
As for Sweetheart’s phobia… you know that toads whisper bad dreams in your ear while you’re sleeping, right?
mnem
*Now imagining a gang of giant toads all dressed up like the Fonz and doing that scene out of Grease*
Oh gawd… here come the Toad-ettes dressed in Poodle Skirts… *Jumps up on Director England’s head too, then beats feet right behind UNITY and Agent Fancy*
mnem
Bad imagination… BAD!!!
The Green Ladies, and their former member Frenchie.
A frog on a log makes the dog jog out of the sewer bog.
A little Seussian rhyme with your mad science is always appreciated.