Most wouldn’t hold on to the nickname Frog by their own choice. David Miller did. And he has kept it for about 40 years.

“I still use it because ‘Recycled Jokes by Frog’ sounds a lot better than ‘Recycled Jokes by David Miller’,” he said.

Miller, 67, came to Eugene in 1979. Initially, he took a job at a Fred Meyer to get by. But that was not the destiny of Frog.

“People kept telling me, you know so many jokes you should write a book,” Miller said.

So he did. That was in 1986. Since then, he has put together 92 different paper joke books. He has sold them all around Eugene at $2 or $3, for the children’s books and adult books, respectively.

But before Frog, there was David Miller of Ohio.

Miller was born in Cincinnati. His parents are both former members of the military, and they met at a hospital where his mother was a nurse and his father had been injured in his service.

Miller also has a sister, Paula Miller, now living in Richmond, Virginia.

Miller went through high school in Cincinnati. As he tells it, he’s always wanted to be a writer — a dream his parents supported.

“My parents believed I should do what’ll make me happy,” Miller said. “We got along pretty well.”

Miller stayed in Ohio for college, attending Ohio University. He wrote for the school newspaper there and published short stories in local magazines. He graduated in 1970 with a degree in journalism — a means to an end for the destination of working as a writer.

It’s at this period of his life when things become a little difficult to organize on a timeline. Miller was everywhere. He spent some time writing for an Ohio newspaper. He also saw some of the greatest musicians of his time.

Miller attended Woodstock. He also saw Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix in Ohio, and Bob Dylan open for the Grateful Dead in California later on. An impressive resume, to say the least.

“I was born at the right time,” Miller said. “It was a fun time, ya know?”

Miller spent a lot of the ’70s on the road.

“I was trying to see the world,” he said.

Miller hitchhiked across the U.S., to Canada and to Mexico.

“Back then it was easier to get a ride,” Miller said. “All kinds of people were hitchhiking. All kinds of people would pick you up.”

Miller’s most unexpected driver — a congressman.

While in Mexico, Miller seized the opportunity to visit the place that topped his list — Cuba.

He flew into Havana, a city he immediately loved, but Miller found he preferred the countryside.

“I worked on a farm, for a time, just to have the experience. We sat around afterwards and drank Cuban rum,” Miller said. “I wanted to experience how the people lived.”

Miller has settled down on the wanderlust since he landed in Eugene. But that doesn’t mean he’s done.

“I plan on going to Australia next winter.” Miller said. “Next summer I fly back east, to Richmond.”

On this trip, Miller also plans to visit Washington D.C.

“Last time I went to D.C. was to protest the Vietnam War,” Miller said.

This opened up a brief conversation about his politics. It’s difficult to quote him directly on this topic as it quickly became very vulgar. Needless to say, Miller has never been afraid to speak his mind.

I couldn’t leave without picking up a book myself. He recommended his latest addition, “Frog Joins I.S.I.L.”

“A couple of I.S.I.L. members flip a coin, they both took heads,” the first page read.

Miller doesn’t seem to consider much to be off limits when it comes to jokes.

He signed the book personally and even drew a self-portrait in the cover — an artist of many talents, have no doubt.

These days you’ll find Frog, bushy-bearded and grinning, on 13th Avenue, outside the Duck Store — all 92 copies in hand.