Tantrum #[nn]

When 42-year-old Leo Quog finally snaps and transforms into a 2-year-old, he’s thrilled with his new, carefree existence—though his wife Carol and their children Phil and Ruth aren’t so sure they’re ready for dad’s dramatic metamorphosis.

In "2 Homecoming," two-year-old Leo Quog sets out to reunite with his parents, Ivy and Mr. Quog, only to find his mother skeptical of his identity. As he watches them share moments of warmth and connection he wasn’t part of, Leo begins to wonder if his return might be more trouble than it’s worth.

Leo Quog drops by his brother Charlie’s office hoping for help with a personal matter, only to find Charlie buried in work and barely noticing him. Frustrated, Leo calls his sisters—Nan, Norah, and Natalie—each of whom offers a wildly different solution, leading to a series of increasingly absurd attempts to fix the problem.

In "5 The Law," Leo Quog finds himself in a courtroom showdown with his wife, Carol Quog, over alimony—except Leo insists he’s only two years old and therefore legally exempt from financial responsibility. The absurd premise unfolds with sharp humor as the couple’s bizarre situation tests the boundaries of law, parenting, and what it means to be an adult.

In "6 The Others," Leo Quog stumbles upon a secret society of men who’ve transformed themselves into infants to escape adult duties—only to be pressured into joining their ranks. When he refuses, their playful facade begins to crack, leaving Leo caught in a surreal, sticky situation he never saw coming.

Leo Quog is on the lam from a group of baby-men, making a frantic dash through an airport before fleeing to Palm Springs, where he hopes his sister-in-law Joyce will offer a safe haven.

In "8 Dream's End," Leo Quog finds himself in over his head when Joyce Quog’s drastic diet leaves her fragile and dependent, forcing him to take on the unexpected role of caretaker. As their usual dynamic shifts, Leo must navigate the absurdity of caring for Joyce like a helpless infant—while trying not to lose his mind in the process.

In "9 Epiphany," Joyce Quog struggles to keep up as her son Leo—still a toddler in mind but now aged beyond his years in appearance—wears a look of weary wisdom. When she can’t manage his strange transformation any longer, she sends him to the doorstep of Miss Swallow, the strikingly beautiful secretary of his older brother.

In this quirky 1997 tale from Tantrum, Miss Swallow tries to care for Leo Quog—only to accidentally trigger an unexpected transformation when bathing him, awakening his adult self in a moment of sudden, awkward realization. Now stranded in nothing but his birthday suit, Leo makes a hasty retreat from the apartment, leaving Miss Swallow to wonder what comes next.

In "11 Comeuppance," Leo Quog tries to make amends with his wife Carol after a misstep, only to find himself drawn into a bizarre pact with the whole Quog family—Phil, Ruth, and Carol—when they all decide to become toddlers together to escape adulthood’s burdens. It’s a hilarious, heartwarming spiral of regression, where growing up means losing your pants, and maturity is just another thing to outgrow.