Todd to ToddTHE TODDCAST · WITH TODD MICHAEL
Editorial + fictional collectionsTHE PLAYGROUND / ALL EDITIONS

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little archives.

Every saved adventure, sourced essay, rhyme and spectacular detour. Pick a lane, pick a Todd, or explore the whole collection.

The toy box is open

97 story entries · 5 journal essays · 23 saved fiction editions

Saved edition

fictional satire

Todd Monken awoke to a bright toy sun shining over the sprawling cardboard village of Playville. Todd Gurley had left a mysterious note by the plastic mailbox, challenging Todd Monken to find the legendary Golden Puzzle Piece hidden somewhere within the maze of colorful blocks and tiny toy trees. The note promised that whoever found it would earn the title of Master Toy Strategist for the day. Todd Monken, with his adult-sized cartoon toddler head and bright eyes, set off with a confident smile and a trusty plastic map that promised more confusion than clarity.

Starring Todd Monken
Saved edition

fictional satire

Todd Monken’s cheerful determination was complemented by his knack for turning obstacles into opportunities. When he encountered a bridge made of wobbly popsicle sticks, he didn’t hesitate to use his toy building blocks to reinforce it, much to the amusement of passing toy ducks. His adult-faced toddler expression shifted between concentration and delight as he balanced engineering with childlike wonder.

Starring Todd Monken
Saved edition

fictional satire

After a brief detour that led Todd Monken into a loop of identical cardboard trees, he realized he needed a fresh approach. Taking a deep breath, he pressed the imaginary reset button in his mind and declared a Re-Todd moment—starting over with new eyes and renewed energy. This mental reboot allowed him to see the maze’s subtle patterns he had missed before.

Starring Todd Monken
Preview edition

A very small guest list

Todd Michael set up a cardboard podcast booth beside the jar of marbles. Todd Glass arrived as producer, carrying a microphone no bigger than a pea. “Today’s guests are the marbles,” Todd Michael announced. The marbles said nothing. This was their first booking, and they were already keeping a mysterious silence.

Starring Todd Michael
Preview edition

The Sofa-Side Studio

Todd Michael and Todd Glass crouched beside a cardboard booth as solemn as a broadcast tower. Their marble guests had no chairs, so Todd Glass rolled out bottle caps. The blue marble chose the one shaped like a tiny moon.

Starring Todd Michael
Preview edition

Record Again, Please

The blue marble escaped mid-interview. Todd Michael and Todd Glass stopped the recording and searched under the sofa, where the guest was hiding beside one lost button. Nobody scolded the runaway; the button had been missing for years.

Starring Todd Michael
Preview edition

Todd Monken fictional Satire

Todd Monken’s day began with a mysterious invitation from Todd Gurley, who had discovered an intriguing map tucked inside the toy-block library. The map promised a secret treasure hidden somewhere in the sprawling playroom forest, a place where colorful blocks grew like trees and toy cars zipped along invisible roads. Todd Monken, with his bright eyes and earnest smile, was immediately enchanted by the idea of a treasure hunt and eagerly accepted the quest. Together, Todd Monken and Todd Gurley set off, their tiny shoes pattering on the soft carpet as they followed the map’s winding path.

Starring Todd Monken
Preview edition

Todd Monken fictional Satire

The central character of our story, Todd Monken, exemplifies the curious and cheerful nature of an adult-faced cartoon toddler in a toy-world full of surprises. His keen eyes and steady hands make him an excellent explorer, even when the challenges seem to tease his patience. Todd Monken’s fully clothed figure, complete with a tiny explorer’s hat and a satchel packed with toy-tools, embodies the spirit of discovery that defines the day’s theme.

Starring Todd Monken
Preview edition

Todd Monken fictional Satire

After the treasure hunt took an unexpected twist, Todd Monken decided it was time for a little re-Todd—his way of resetting the day’s adventure with a fresh perspective. Re-Todd meant taking a step back, wiping the slate clean, and trying again with a smile. Todd Monken sat beneath a giant plush leaf, closed his eyes, and imagined the playroom anew, as if pressing an invisible ‘restart’ button on his toy-world quest.

Starring Todd Monken
Preview edition

A fair turn under the kite

Todd Young opened a block-built town hall to write one fair rule for sharing a kite. Todd Blanche brought a golden pencil and a paperweight, but the wind kept carrying the draft away. The townspeople—two mice, a snail, and a very tall daisy—each proposed a different schedule, including one that gave the kite every Tuesday off.

Starring Todd Young
Preview edition

Town Hall in a Breeze

Todd Young drafted a kite-sharing rule while Todd Blanche pinned the page with a paperweight. Two mice, a snail, and a tall daisy offered amendments. The wind kept trying to adjourn the meeting.

Starring Todd Young
Preview edition

Write It Down Again

Todd Young wrote the kite rule; the wind whisked away the draft. Todd Blanche pinned the next copy, while a snail requested a longer turn.

Starring Todd Young
Preview edition

Kite Rule

Todd Young writes the kite-share rule,

Starring Todd Young
Preview edition

A crossing with a ribbon

Todd Woodbridge found a toy train waiting beside a river crossed by bubbles. Todd Beamer carried a ribbon medal for whoever could guide it safely across. The bubbles made a fine bridge but were not especially sturdy; every one wobbled when the train gave a hopeful toot. A duck watched from shore, wearing a conductor’s cap.

Starring Todd Woodbridge
Preview edition

The Bubble Crossing

Todd Woodbridge tested each bubble while Todd Beamer held a ribbon medal. A duck in a conductor’s cap inspected the bridge and quacked at every wobble. The toy train waited at the riverbank.

Starring Todd Woodbridge
Preview edition

Test the Wobbly Bit

Todd Woodbridge stepped onto the bubble bridge; the duck inspected the next bubble and gave a doubtful quack. Todd Beamer kept the ribbon medal ready.

Starring Todd Woodbridge
Preview edition

Bubble Bridge

Todd Woodbridge tests bubbles round,

Starring Todd Woodbridge
Preview edition

A beat with a pause

Todd Terry set a tiny record spinning in a quiet shop. Todd Glass brought a turtle who wanted to learn a smooth dance turn. The turtle moved only when the music paused, so every time the record played, it stood still with the focus of a dancer waiting for a very specific cue.

Starring Todd Terry
Preview edition

The Quiet Part of the Dance

Todd Terry spun a tiny record while Todd Glass counted beats for a turtle. The turtle only danced during the pauses. A dust jacket slid from the shelf and waited for its cue.

Starring Todd Terry
Preview edition

One More Turn

Todd Terry played the record; the turtle stood still. Todd Glass counted the pause twice, and the dust jacket slid off its shelf in anticipation.

Starring Todd Terry
Preview edition

Flowers like it backward

Todd Rundgren found a garden where the stepping stones were painted like piano keys. Todd Terry brought a tuning fork to wake the flowers with a melody. Every note made the tulips lean closer, but they would not open. A bee landed on the black key and buzzed a tune that sounded suspiciously like the song played backward.

Starring Todd Rundgren
Preview edition

Notes for the Tulips

Todd Rundgren stepped across piano-key stones while Todd Terry tuned a flowerpot. The tulips stayed shut until a bee buzzed the melody backward. A snail arrived with a program after the first note.

Starring Todd Rundgren
Preview edition

Play It Backward

Todd Rundgren played the tune forward; the tulips only leaned. Todd Terry tapped the flowerpot while a bee buzzed the melody backward.

Starring Todd Rundgren
Preview edition

Tulip Tune

Todd Rundgren plays a backward phrase,

Starring Todd Rundgren
Preview edition

A wandering guest star

Todd Phillips set up a backyard cinema with a screen, two lawn chairs, and a popcorn tub striped like a circus tent. Todd Haynes brought a paper ticket for the moon. Just as the first frame appeared, the moon drifted behind the screen, leaving only a silver glow at the edges. The audience of garden gnomes gasped with professional timing.

Starring Todd Phillips
Preview edition

Moonlight at the Movies

Todd Phillips and Todd Haynes prepared a backyard screen for an audience of garden gnomes. The moon drifted behind the picture, and one gnome turned around to watch the audience instead.

Starring Todd Phillips
Preview edition

Another Premiere

Todd Phillips tilted the screen toward the moon; the moon slipped behind it again. Todd Haynes called the wandering part of the picture. A gnome watched the audience.

Starring Todd Phillips
Preview edition

Moon Premiere

Todd Phillips dims the garden light,

Starring Todd Phillips
Preview edition

Paper birds, one simple play

Todd Monken brought a whistle and a playbook to a field of green felt. Todd Gurley had folded a team of paper birds, ready to practice one easy route through a chalk hoop. But every time Todd Monken said “formation,” the birds flapped into the air and landed somewhere new, usually on the playbook.

Starring Todd Monken
Preview edition

The Quiet Signal

Todd Monken and Todd Gurley brought paper birds to a felt field. The birds flapped whenever anyone said “formation,” so Todd Gurley tried a hand signal. One bird perched on the whistle and looked supervisory.

Starring Todd Monken
Preview edition

Try the Hand Signal

Todd Monken used the word “formation” and the birds scattered across the field. Todd Gurley tried a hand signal; one bird landed on the whistle instead.

Starring Todd Monken
Preview edition

Paper Birds

Todd Monken brings a whistle bright,

Starring Todd Monken
Preview edition

Monsters need handrails

Todd McFarlane opened a sketchbook on a cloud and drew stairs down to a garden. The stairs grew into friendly monsters with curly tails and oversized shoes. Todd Glass brought a charcoal pencil to add handrails, but every monster wanted a different style: one asked for stripes, one for polka dots, and one wanted a rail shaped like a spaghetti noodle.

Starring Todd McFarlane
Preview edition

The Snail-Safe Stairway

Todd McFarlane drew stairs down from a cloud; friendly monsters appeared along the way. Todd Glass tested the handrails as a cautious snail, wearing a thimble helmet offered by a polka-dot monster.

Starring Todd McFarlane
Preview edition

The Staircase Re-Sketch

Todd McFarlane’s first staircase grew into monsters without handrails. Todd Glass tested the sketch as a snail and slid gently into a cloud cushion.

Starring Todd McFarlane
Preview edition

The robot writes its own rules

Todd Howard wound up a little robot in the toy workshop, but its button had gone missing. Todd English searched the flour tin, the toolbox, and one suspicious teacup. The robot kept changing its own instructions: first “find button,” then “build castle,” then “serve tea to castle.” It was ambitious, if not especially organized.

Starring Todd Howard
Preview edition

Workshop World Builder

Todd Howard found the robot’s instructions changing every few seconds. Todd English found a button-shaped sketch, a spoon for a fountain, and a robot already planning tea service. The workshop’s blocks became a castle.

Starring Todd Howard
Preview edition

Build It Again

Todd Howard and Todd English looked everywhere for the button while the robot rewrote its instructions. It had moved on to “construct castle” and was supervising from a block.

Starring Todd Howard
Preview edition

A frame of its own

Todd Haynes found a shy mirror in a wardrobe of painted doors. It reflected every frame in a different shade, except the blue one, which made it glow like evening. Todd Field carried a camera but did not switch it on. The mirror seemed to prefer a quiet audience and a little time to consider its options.

Starring Todd Haynes
Preview edition

The Wardrobe Screening

Todd Haynes laid painted frames beside the shy mirror while Todd Field waited with a camera. Green reflected a garden; yellow reflected a puzzling room of lemons. A cat appeared in the blue frame and sat down.

Starring Todd Haynes
Preview edition

An Alternate Frame

Todd Haynes showed the mirror a yellow frame. It reflected lemons. Todd Field showed it green; a cat walked through the garden and sat in blue.

Starring Todd Haynes
Preview edition

Blue Frame

Todd Haynes brings frames of yellow hue,

Starring Todd Haynes
Preview edition

Punctuation on the pond

Todd Gurley opened a tiny playbook beside the pond and asked the ducks to practice a neat V. Todd Bowles blew a whistle. The ducks formed a comma, then a question mark, then something that looked like a very surprised semicolon. Each duck had an opinion about where the punctuation should go.

Starring Todd Gurley
Preview edition

Pondside Playbook

Todd Gurley drew a V in the mud, but the ducks made a question mark. Todd Bowles blew the whistle; the flock answered with a comma and kept waddling. A small duck stopped to snack and became captain.

Starring Todd Gurley
Preview edition

One More Lap

Todd Gurley drew another arrow; the ducks followed it backward. Todd Bowles put down the whistle, and the flock formed a V with a snack break in the middle.

Starring Todd Gurley
Preview edition

A lesson in the breeze

Todd Golden carried a chalkboard into the treehouse classroom, where the breeze had learned to spell “snack.” Todd Young pinned the lesson plan beneath a paperweight, but the board lifted anyway and floated out the window like a very serious kite. The students were three squirrels, each holding a pencil too large for its paws.

Starring Todd Golden
Preview edition

Class in the Canopy

Todd Golden and Todd Young watched the chalkboard drift through the treehouse window. Squirrels followed with pencils, while the breeze spelled “snack” across the board. The lesson plan was not prepared for airborne classroom materials.

Starring Todd Golden
Preview edition

Chalkboard, Come Back

Todd Golden drew a wind arrow, but the breeze carried the board toward the acorns. Todd Young added another arrow and a squirrel added a sandwich.

Starring Todd Golden
Preview edition

Canopy Lesson

Todd Golden draws the breeze a sign,

Starring Todd Golden
Preview edition

A laugh takes the scenic route

Todd Glass built a brass bell tower to measure how far a giggle could travel. Todd Michael brought a tape measure and a very small clipboard. Their first laugh reached the garden gate, where it startled a watering can into tipping over. The tape measure curled into a spiral and refused to record anything while laughing.

Starring Todd Glass
Preview edition

The Laugh Lab

Todd Glass and Todd Michael set a brass bell beside a garden path. Their tape measure curled up laughing at the first joke. A robin carried the giggle to the fence and answered with a chirp.

Starring Todd Glass
Preview edition

Measure That Again

Todd Glass told a joke; the tape measure laughed and recorded the same inch six times. Todd Michael carefully wrote down each result while a robin carried the giggle off.

Starring Todd Glass
Preview edition

Laugh Measure

Todd Glass tells jokes beside the gate,

Starring Todd Glass
Preview edition

A cloud changes its mind

Todd Field set a pocket camera on a quilted hill to film a cloud shaped like a sailboat. Todd Haynes held up a paper frame, giving the cloud a proper screen. Just as the camera began rolling, the sailboat became a teapot, then a sleepy whale with one very small fin.

Starring Todd Field
Preview edition

Clouds, Camera, Maybe

Todd Field and Todd Haynes framed a sailboat-shaped cloud with a paper viewfinder. It became a teapot, then a whale. A sheep wandered into the shot and stared at the camera as if it owned the studio.

Starring Todd Field
Preview edition

One More Cloud Take

Todd Field asked the cloud to hold its shape. It became a whale, then a teapot. Todd Haynes said the changes were the plot; the sheep appeared to agree.

Starring Todd Field
Preview edition

Carrots enter early

Todd English stood in a blue-tiled kitchen with a wooden spoon for a baton. Todd Bowles brought a duck whistle to conduct the soup orchestra. The carrots were meant to enter on beat four, but they bobbed up on beat two, each wearing a bubble like a tiny hat.

Starring Todd English
Preview edition

Kitchen Concert

Todd English raised a wooden spoon while Todd Bowles held a duck whistle. The carrots bobbed before their cue, wearing bubbles like hats. A potato asked for a solo, then yawned halfway through it.

Starring Todd English
Preview edition

Another Take in the Kitchen

Todd English counted the carrots in; Todd Bowles blew the whistle, and the peas rolled over to watch. The potato forgot its solo again.

Starring Todd English
Preview edition

Pigeons with reservations

Todd Chrisley planned a rooftop picnic for the pigeons and wore a hat with a feather so grand it had its own shadow. Todd Blanche arrived with sandwiches and a tidy seating chart. The feather tickled the basket lid every time Todd Chrisley leaned forward, keeping the sandwiches trapped like guests who had arrived early.

Starring Todd Chrisley
Preview edition

The Rooftop Guest List

Todd Chrisley’s picnic hat feather kept snapping the basket shut. Todd Blanche brought a seating chart; the pigeons ignored it and chose the sunniest tiles. One pigeon sat on the chart, making itself head of the table.

Starring Todd Chrisley
Preview edition

Picnic, Take Two

Todd Chrisley and Todd Blanche tried holding the basket lid open. The feather tickled Todd Chrisley’s nose, and the lid clicked shut again. A pigeon gave the seating chart a critical peck.

Starring Todd Chrisley
Preview edition

Rooftop Picnic

Todd Chrisley’s feather shades the tray,

Starring Todd Chrisley
Preview edition

Knot quite ready

Todd Bridges opened the shoebox theater to find every sock puppet waiting behind the curtain. The curtain, in turn, was tied into a knot worthy of a sailor. Todd McFarlane brought a pencil and sketched a heroic rescue plan, complete with a dramatic staircase and one very confident sock wearing a button eye.

Starring Todd Bridges
Preview edition

Behind the Shoebox Curtain

Todd Bridges and Todd McFarlane found the sock-puppet curtain tied into a knot. One striped puppet waved from backstage, although the show had not begun. A pencil sketch of a rescue staircase became a very polite instruction sign.

Starring Todd Bridges
Preview edition

Encore, With Laundry

Todd Bridges and Todd McFarlane tried pulling opposite ends of the rope. The knot became more confident. The striped puppet called a committee meeting and requested snacks.

Starring Todd Bridges
Preview edition

Puddle tempo

Todd Bowles stood in a felt-green gym as rain tapped the roof. Todd Gurley brought a duck-shaped whistle to teach the drops a marching beat. The puddles had other ideas: one went plip, one went plop, and the long puddle by the door made a sound like a tuba clearing its throat.

Starring Todd Bowles
Preview edition

Puddle Practice

Todd Bowles and Todd Gurley tried to line up the raindrops, but every puddle had its own rhythm. The long one by the door sounded like a tuba. A duck borrowed the whistle and looked surprisingly prepared.

Starring Todd Bowles
Preview edition

Rain Check, Encore

Todd Bowles and Todd Gurley began with marching steps; the puddles answered in three unrelated tempos. The duck’s whistle squeaked whenever it tried to conduct.

Starring Todd Bowles
Preview edition

Puddle Band

Todd Bowles taps a marching beat,

Starring Todd Bowles
Preview edition

A fair at turtle speed

Todd Boehly opened a seaside fair so small that its Ferris wheel fit on a picnic table. Todd English volunteered to run the teacup ride. The cups refused to spin unless someone told a joke they liked. A turtle bought a ticket, settled into the blue cup, and waited with the grave patience of a seasoned amusement-park visitor.

Starring Todd Boehly
Preview edition

The Teacup Test

Todd Boehly and Todd English built a Ferris wheel from teacups and a napkin ring. Their turtle customer wore a paper ticket like a sash. Every cup waited for a joke before it would budge.

Starring Todd Boehly
Preview edition

The Ride Gets a Rerun

Todd Boehly and Todd English tried a louder joke; the teacups spun so fast that a biscuit flew into the ticket booth. The turtle calmly caught it.

Starring Todd Boehly
Preview edition

The library of red herrings

Todd Blanche opened the cereal-box library just before story hour and found a troubling gap: the dragon’s bookmark had vanished. Todd Chrisley put on a feathered hat and appointed himself chief of clues. A cinnamon crumb lay near the mystery shelf. “A dramatic clue,” said Todd Blanche. “Possibly breakfast,” said Todd Chrisley.

Starring Todd Blanche
Preview edition

A Very Small Courtroom

Todd Blanche and Todd Chrisley arranged cereal boxes into a library and questioned a paperclip about the missing bookmark. It bent into a question mark. Todd Chrisley’s feathered hat nearly became a witness when it caught on the atlas.

Starring Todd Blanche
Preview edition

One More Clue

Todd Blanche and Todd Chrisley first suspected the cinnamon cookbook, but it was only guilty of smelling delicious. They checked the atlas next, where a small dragon was reading with the bookmark.

Starring Todd Blanche
Preview edition

A quiet light in the garden

In a timeless storybook garden, Todd Beamer found a paper lantern that glowed without a candle. Todd Woodbridge brought a folded map, but its dotted path ended at a drawing of a teapot. They were meant to guide a procession of fireflies to the hill, where the garden’s old bell waited for its yearly song.

Starring Todd Beamer
Preview edition

The Lantern Walk

Todd Beamer and Todd Woodbridge followed the fireflies through a garden that seemed to remember every path. Their lanterns made warm circles on the grass. At the top of the hill, they paused beside a bell and let the night settle around them.

Starring Todd Beamer
Preview edition

A Second Look at the Map

Todd Beamer and Todd Woodbridge first followed the map’s arrow straight into a hedge. It was a soft hedge, more leafy than troublesome, but the fireflies waited patiently on the other side.

Starring Todd Beamer
Preview edition

Lantern Hill

Todd Beamer lifts a lantern high,

Starring Todd Beamer
SOURCE-LED JOURNAL · EDITORIAL

The worlds built by Todds

A game designer, a comic-book creator and a filmmaker. Three ways to make an imaginary world feel real.

Todd Howard · Read the essay ↗
SOURCE-LED JOURNAL · EDITORIAL

A name with a sound of its own

From Todd Rundgren’s studio imagination to Todd Terry’s dance-floor vocabulary.

Todd Rundgren · Read the essay ↗
SOURCE-LED JOURNAL · EDITORIAL

Beyond the scoreboard

Coaches, competitors and the different kinds of careers hidden inside one category.

Todd Woodbridge · Read the essay ↗