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(Image credit: IDW / Patrick Horvath)
It can be hard to predict what’s going to be big in comics. Sure, you can rely on the big name Marvel and DC titles to regularly sell well and there are certain creators who can shift thousands of copies based on their name alone, but given that there are more than 150 different comics, graphic novels, and trade paperbacks publishedthis week alone, it can be hard to cut through the noise. Every now and again, though, something entirely unexpected will take off.
(Image credit: IDW)
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees’s premise instantly raises a smile, but what really makes it work is the contrast between Horvath’s cutesy storybook visuals and the utter horror of both Sam and the mystery killer’s actions. There’s a real sense of melancholy amid the guilty chuckles. These animals are, for all intents and purposes, just regular people, and that makes the comic’s mix of adorable art and outright brutality all the more impactful.
If you go down to the woods today…
Early layouts from Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees.(Image credit: IDW / Patrick Horvath)
So who is Patrick Horvath? Before breaking into the comics world, he was best know for writing a string of indie horror films, including work on the Southbound anthology and The Pact 2. Frustrated with the slow pace of the film world, however, he returned to his youthful love of drawing every day. After several years of doing this, he self-published an online graphic novella Free For All (which isdue to get a print release later this year) and published a short story in Josh Trujillo’s Love Machines Anthology. Arguably his first mainstream work came, however, when he painted an issue of Image’s Haha back in 2021. Horvath’s work caught the attention of IDW and he was approached to pitch to the publisher as part of a new creator push.
(Image credit: IDW)
Beneath the Trees has its origins in one of Horvath’s daily sketches - in this case, a teddy bear carrying a bloodied axe - as well as a famous nursery rhyme. Talking toBearded Comic Bro on YouTube, he revealed that the title of the series was plucked from the song ‘Teddy Bear’s Picnic.’ “I think it’s the second chorus where they sing, ‘Beneath the trees where nobody sees, they hide and seek as long as they please, because that’s the way the teddy bears have their picnic’ and I was like, what do they do beneath the trees where nobody sees?!”
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Clearly Horvath’s idea has struck a chord. The five issues of Beneath the Trees published so far have sold almost 150k copies, with the first three issues each requiring several reprints. According to IDW, comic shops have shown increased interest in the book with each passing issue - an unusual and pleasing development given that the numbers generally tend to trend downwards after a series launch and the hype of a first issue has died down.
Early layouts from Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees.(Image credit: IDW / Patrick Horvath)
Early layouts from Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees.(Image credit: IDW / Patrick Horvath)
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees ends with #6 and there’s no word as yet on if the book will be back for a second arc - though, assuming Samantha makes it out of the series alive, we’re sure that IDW will be keen. Whatever the case, it’s really encouraging to see an original title like this not only win critical acclaim, but also chime with the wider comics-buying public. And with Patrick Horvath, the series has introduced the world to an impressive new comics talent whose work we’ll be keeping a keen eye on.
Want something scary to read? Here are our picks ofthe best horror comics of all time.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
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2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”