The Truth About Ben Afquack, The Drumming Duck

Most famous ducks ruffle people's feathers on account of some severe character defect or unsavory behavior. Donald Duck is a short-tempered tantrum factory who refuses to wear pants and probably curses like a sailor during his unhinged rants. Daffy Duck is loony and cartoonishly selfish. The Aflac duck got fired for offensive tweets. And Duckman was, as IMDB describes, "a crass, womanizing duck" who works as a private eye, which is deeply disconcerting when you consider that the privates of male ducks are corkscrew-shaped and super long. However, in 2020, the internet fell in love with a duck who doesn't have any of those shortcomings. That seemingly flawless fowl is, of course, Ben Afquack.

With a name like Ben Afquack, you might expect a fledgling actor who stars star opposite Michael Quack Duckan in a superhero movie about blind crime fighter named Matt Murduck. But as City Pages reports, this punny duck has people's hearts beating to the rhythm of webbed feet. A video posted to Instagram features a Ben energetically kicking his little feet against a drum, which is just all sorts of adorable. But who is Ben Afquack really? And why hasn't he landed a supporting role in Good Will Duck Hunting?

Ben is the feathered friend of Minnesota resident Derek Johnson, who took the duck under his wing when Ben was just a day-old duckling. The bird imprinted on his human family as ducks are wont to do and stuck to them like white on rice or white on Ben's feathers. Back then Johnson had no idea whether Ben possessed an anatomical Johnson and just gave the duck a cute moniker. But when Ben laid an egg, it didn't end up all over Johnson's face. Rather, City Pages explains that "Ben's a he or a she depending on what the moment requires." 

So when did Johnson discover his duck had a knack for drumming? Johnson is a drummer and a visionary. One day as he was taking apart his drum set, he had a eureka moment. Noticing that Ben has a tendency to kick her feet (Ben is now a "she") when held in the air, Johnson decided to hold the duck over the drum. They began making sweet music together, and presumably, the stage was set for Ben to join Howard the Duck's rock band.