This story is featured in CityBeat's Feb. 21 print edition.
Since the '50s, there have been three sightings of the Loveland Frogman on record. The tale of a 4-foot-tall frog-like man has been told to generations, lending another personality to the cryptid universe of Mothmans, Bigfoots and Loch Ness Monsters. An alleged Frogman run-in with a police officer in the ’70s near the Little Miami River sparked an air of wonder and awe surrounding Cincinnati’s very own cryptid that hasn’t quite settled since.
The four-foot-tall amphibian who walks on hind legs has remained elusive for years, apparently roaming riverbeds and slurping up pesky insects, or trying to find a lily pad large enough for lounging. Often referred to as Frogman, the Loveland Lizard or the Loveland Frog, the mystical creature is said to wield magic and exhibit a friendly, harmless aura.
Jeff Craig has never seen the Loveland Frogman, but his belief in the cryptid is so strong that he created the Frogman Festival, which will see its second installment on March 2 at the Oasis Conference Center in Loveland.
“Do I believe in the Frogman?” Craig repeats the question back to CityBeat, raising an eyebrow in playful contempt. “Yes, I do. I believe in the spirit of Frogman, the idea to keep an open mind and understand that not all we see is straightforward or black and white. And if you go to the Frogman Fest, you’re going to see evidence of his existence.”
Frogman Festival attendees might find evidence and possibly even a Frogman sighting, Craig adds. During the 2023 Frogman Festival – which attracted people from across the country – a green creature roamed the festival grounds, posing for pictures and stopping to shake hands and check out vendors. The festival’s purpose is not to prove the Frogman’s existence, Craig says, but to celebrate the cryptid’s existence and the fact that locals have a lighthearted story to call their own; a close-to-home cryptid that no one else in the world can claim.
“Last year going into it had no idea what to expect,” Craig says. “But everybody embraced it and we had a huge crowd, a couple thousand people. It was a huge success. There were packed houses for the speakers and the vendors all loved it, they said it was one of their best shows of the year.”
This year more than 50 vendors are signed up to exhibit, including live animal handlers, fortune tellers, artists, UFO enthusiasts, paranormal investigators, authors and booths with all kinds of Frogman merch. A Caesar Creek State Park representative will be on site exhibiting live creatures who inhabit the Little Miami River. There will also be a cryptid hunter card game that anyone can play, Craig says.
The event takes the shape of a comicon or cosplay gathering, in which visitors are encouraged to dress up, whether in their own version of the Frogman costume or their favorite anime character, movie character or just an enhancement of themselves.
Decorated or not, festivalgoers will also be encouraged to join the Frogman Parade, led by The Pied Piper of Loveland, a “mysterious” member of the Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes and Drums and The Great Lakes Pipe Band, who is an award-winning bagpiper. The parade will begin at noon.
“I've got a couple of bagpipers to march the frogs out of Loveland – or march them in – who knows what will happen,” Craig says. “The Pied Piper of Loveland will be there, leading the parade at noon inside the venue. We are encouraging everybody to participate however they want. I hear that we may have a couple of other cryptids there in person, so people should look for that.”
While the Frogman gathering has gained enough attention and followers to make a name for its enthusiasts, nothing has caught on so far. “Frog heads, frog legs, croakers,” Craig jokingly lists a few suggestions, but says Frogman followers should lead that effort. “We definitely should have a contest for that,” he says. Maybe next year, the parade’s namesake will shift to favor Frogman enthusiasts.
The Loveland Frogman legend has been made into a movie as well, and private screenings will be offered at the Oasis Conference Center during the Frogman Festival. Frogman (2023) was written by Anthony Cousins and John Karsko. Cousins, who also directed the found-footage-style film, along with cast and crew, will be at the Frogman Festival and movie screenings. He tells CityBeat that the Loveland Frogman is the most bizarre cryptid there is, and upon his visit to Loveland he is eager to go looking for the Frogman.
“I can't wait to connect with other people that love Frogman and see the awesome art they've created in honor of him,” Cousins says. “And most of all, I can't wait to meet the artist behind our incredible poster, Easton Hawk.” Cousins says that the inception of Frogman came from his obsession with frogs, “Particularly bipedal frogs in suits. When the Loveland Frogman came on my radar it was a match made in swampy heaven.”
Frogman is the story of friends who go out in search of the Loveland Frogman, only to find out it’s more than just a legend. It’s a horror movie about the Frogman, and Cousins says the found-footage angle felt like the perfect way to tell a cryptid’s story. He says there are moments of comic relief, because the Frogman concept is too absurd to take too seriously. The cast and crew are based in Minneapolis, where the film was also shot and produced.
“Being a part of Frogman Fest is about the coolest thing we could've ever hoped for. The crowd that would come out for such a thing is exactly who we made this movie for,” Cousins says. “The funny thing is, when I was doing my research it didn't seem like Loveland was embracing Frogman all that much. So we really just created our own Loveland and mythology. It wasn't until we had finished filming that the first Frogman Fest took place and with such an impressive turnout. So I'm definitely feeling the pressure of getting Loveland's approval.”
Frogman screenings will be Friday, March 1 and following the Frogman Festival on Saturday, March 2. Tickets for Frogman screenings are sold separately from festival tickets. The movie is available on VHS and Blu-Ray, and on March 8 it will be available by video on demand with streaming services not yet disclosed.
Craig says the Loveland Frogman tale and the Frogman Festival are great ways to unite a community and a chance for individuals with a shared interest in unusual subject matter to connect.
“It's important for the community to embrace this and appreciate it,” Craig says. “Because these are our local legends and oral legends that get passed on. You can imagine in the ’70s, as people just spread the word about the Frogman. There were no books, no internet, chat rooms or social media to share. So all this stuff was just passed on through oral traditions.”
The Frogman Festival will be at the Oasis Conference Center on March 2 from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. More info: frogmanfestival.org.
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