CORVALLIS, Ore. - Marylandian -- Despite the tragedy of the novel coronavirus, "shelter in place" has brought some unlikely wonders into the world. Consider Jonmar, father of four and business owner who found himself, like so many others, stuck at home with no clear future.

Jonmar is an accomplished software engineer, artist, and singer/songwriter whose work has been heralded as magical by art critics in LA, described as "Harry Potter-type magic" in Billboard magazine, and featured by both Apple and Rolling Stone Magazine. He was a lead developer/designer on Nike's Innovation Team at their world headquarters until launching his own business creating magical, story-focused AR experiences. But in the wake of COVID, his professional life was up in the air. Still, his heart told him to continue to tell stories worth sharing, but to focus on children who were stuck at home and isolated.

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Jonmar decided to start a youtube show that could breathe life, love, and happiness into the hearts of kids everywhere. The show would feature powerful storytelling and captivating music, but the magic really happened when he looked for a story-related domain name.

He found that www.story.dog was available. A lightning bolt of inspiration struck. He'd create a puppy puppet named Story Dog who'd take kids on breathtaking adventures.

Within days he created the Story Dog show, a marvelous mixture of adventure, learning, and laughter, with original songs that fill you with joy, no matter your age. Think Calvin and Hobbes meet Winnie the Pooh.

https://vimeo.com/420849502



https://youtu.be/NE8GIB6W88c



Within weeks he made three episodes and was interviewed on morning television, where reporter Molly Riehl praised Story Dog as a truly impressive show that can entertain all ages.

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Watch the interview:
https://youtu.be/7BFTInEHEGE

Kids are saying "I know I'm special. Story Dog told me!"

And parents are saying "This is better than half of the cartoons on Netflix! I absolutely love it! My kids were mesmerized. You got some hearty laughs out of them. Thanks for the great stories!"

What's next for Story Dog? He hopes to make it on Ellen. As inclusive as she is, he notes her show is sadly lacking in the puppy-puppet demographic.

If you're looking for a super positive influence for children, or want some happy magic for yourself, go to www.story.dog and enjoy the show.

And subscribe! It's like subscribing to your own happiness.

https://youtu.be/RufyNa4Girs



https://www.slideshare.net/JohnMarr2/story-dog