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Over the Garden Wall (mini-series) #0-4

Over the Garden Wall: Tome of the Unknown

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Pat McHale’s Over the Garden Wall was Cartoon Network’s first-ever original animated miniseries. Countless fans loved the eerily sweet story of two half-brothers trying to find their way home. We loved it so much, too that we published a companion one-shot that was quickly snapped up, and then we expanded the world of Over the Garden Wall with stories set between the episodes! Pat McHale and artist Jim Campbell return with more original stories that take place along with the animated show. Follow the additional adventures of Wirt and Greg as they try to find their way out of the Unknown forest. Collects the one shot and the limited series!

144 pages, Paperback

First published August 16, 2016

About the author

Pat McHale

23 books144 followers
Patrick 'Pat' McHale is a writer, storyboard artist, animator, and independent filmmaker, best known for being a former writer and creative director on the animated series Adventure Time for Cartoon Network, which he contributed to during its first five seasons. McHale also created the mini-series Over the Garden Wall.

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5 stars
627 (49%)
4 stars
439 (34%)
3 stars
158 (12%)
2 stars
26 (2%)
1 star
6 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews
Profile Image for karen.
4,006 reviews172k followers
June 12, 2020


And so off we sailed with the soldiers; my brother, my keeper, and I...into the fields of the Unknown upon an unscientific-looking sailing hat that made no sense at all.

i am so grateful to erica for turning me on to this show. ♥

and so grateful to connor for tracking this book down for me - how this went out of print so quickly and how every existing copy managed to fall into the hands of the greediest, grubbiest used book vendors in the world is beyond me. not one reasonable price in the lot of ‘em.

i was afraid to drop $60-90 on this < 150-page book and then find that it was just the same stories/artwork from the show. which don’t get me wrong, i love, but erica already bought me the dvd with the pictures that move, so i don’t need to see the same stuff standing still.

BUT YOU GUYS! that is NOT what this book is! and while $90 is still absurd, $60 seems less unreasonable, for people who can afford the dual luxuries of books and rent.

this is a collection of stories that take place between the ten episodes, or in one case, before the events of the show. i’ve bought and casually flipped through The Art of Over the Garden Wall which has all kinds of details about episodes they wanted to make but never did (BUT THAT I WOULD BE TOTALLY OKAY WITH THEM MAKING NOW, Y’HEAR?), and i don’t remember if these specific stories were part of that batch or not, but they are perfectly matched to the tone of the show and could be woven in seamlessly. you know, if anyone out there was thinking about making new episodes for me or anything. i’ve also bought and casually flipped through* the other over the garden wall comics**:

Over The Garden Wall Vol. 1
Over the Garden Wall Vol. 2
Over the Garden Wall Vol. 3
Over the Garden Wall Vol. 4
Over the Garden Wall Vol. 5
Over The Garden Wall Original Graphic Novel: Distillatoria

and i will read them eventually, but this is the only book that pat mchale (the show’s creator) contributed to***, and while the other books look cute and fun, they are lacking that special combination of whimsy,



olde-timey,



and menacing



that gives the show its soul.

but this one has it all - our favorite pals:

wirt:



gregory and his frog of many names:



beatrice:



plus, the backstory of fred the horse:



and the chance to see the woodsman with his family in happier times.



but then also in horrible times.

i liked this even more than i thought i would, and even though i’m a newish member of the “please make more episodes” brigade, i wish for it no less fervently than you smart, aware erica-types who tell us slowpokes what’s cool in the world.

an aside to show off the other cool o.t.g.w. stuff gifted to meeeee by connor:

this is a little gift set he said he ALMOST didn’t buy me because he thought i would make some lewd remark about it:



he told me this as the words “over the bukkake wall” were coming out of my mouth.

he knows me so well.

he also got me a little dome containing the best character of them all: AUNTY WHISPERS:



and that’s the end of me bragging.

back to the book - it’s great. the art, the stories, the sheet music at the end, and the cover gallery featuring no fewer than FOUR by jordan crane - it's just all-around wonderful.

i'll check out those other comics, but it's gonna be hard to top this. erica/connor, i cover you with gratitude the way those greg and wirt figurines are covered in ... snow.

* i believe in saving things for rainy days

** this list includes a few that have not been published yet that i will certainly buy and casually flip through but have not yet done for lack of time travel.

*** because prepositional stranding is no longer frowned upon.

**************************************
i love you.





review to come.


come to my blog!
Profile Image for Jim Ef.
369 reviews95 followers
January 11, 2022
8.5/10*

*5 stars If you have watched the animated series
*3 stars if you haven’t... also go check it right now
Four great short stories. The events take place between some of the episodes and helps you understand better what's going on.
Reading this after finishing the tv show means that you can read the lines with the actors voices ( great job on the casting ) and one of the voices ( Wirt’s ) is made by this guy
description
Don’t tell me you don’t like Elijah Wood
Profile Image for Artemy.
1,045 reviews961 followers
December 23, 2016
Have you seen Over the Garden Wall? If you haven't, I highly recommend it — it will take you less than two hours to watch the whole thing, and it's fantastic. Spooky, weird, goth-y, and yet very kind and heart-warming. And after you watch it, if you want more (and you probably will), you'll want to pick up this comic. It's basically like five lost episodes of the cartoon. The comic is written by the same person, so everything is spot on — the characters, the tone, the humor and the atmosphere. Great read!
Profile Image for Amin.
Author 14 books205 followers
February 13, 2024
داستان این پنج شماره کمیک در ارتباط با یک مینی سریال انیمیشنی به همین نامه. قبل از خوندنش این رو می‌دونستم، اما فکر می‌کردم مستقل‌تر از سریال باشه. حین خوندن متوجه شدم که ارتباط‌شون بیشتر از این‌هاست و در واقع اتفاقات هر شماره، بین قسمت‌های سریال رخ می‌ده. برای همین نمی‌تونم به کسی که سریال رو ندیده توصیه‌اش کنم. با این حال شخصیت‌ها اون‌قدر جذاب بودند که ترغیب شدم حتماً خود سریال رو ببینم. قطعاً کسی که سریال رو دیده، از این کمیک‌ها لذت خیلی زیادی می‌بره، کما اینکه همین‌طوری هم برای من تا حدود زیادی جذاب بودند. البته که از ترجمه‌ی عالی کژوان آبهشت نباید گذشت که معنا رو به‌خوبی و به‌درستی انتقال می‌داد.
Profile Image for Rod Brown.
6,472 reviews236 followers
September 30, 2020
I recently watched this series and sort of liked the weird and dark tone it had for a children's show. This volume contains a couple of stories that seem like deservedly rejected episodes and a couple of stories that fill in some backstory for a few of the side characters. Not bad, but not as good as the show.

I'd probably stop here if I didn't already have several more volumes on hand from the library, so . . . onward!
Profile Image for Jenan.
107 reviews13 followers
November 16, 2016
I ADORED this. Over the Garden Wall is one of my favorite works of animation EVER, and this comic did not disappoint. It carried the same feel of the series, so it felt like getting bonus episodes.

And seriously, if you haven't seen the series yet, please do so, it's amazing!
Profile Image for Kristyn.
74 reviews6 followers
September 14, 2019
I was introduced to Over the Garden Wall cartoon miniseries last year and absolutely adored it. I rewatched it several times during the fall season. I found out that this was a graphic novel series and I promised myself I would read these in the fall season, as well as rewatching Over the Garden Wall. I'm cutting corners here because its only the beginning of September, but I really couldn't wait! (I'm restraining myself from watching the miniseries just yet.)

description

This graphic novel comes with added adventures, characters and a way more in-depth backstory that the show wasn't able to give. I love how the this graphic novel is sectioned. We get to see other characters' perspective. I know certain pieces, items, people, or places are important to the story because I watched the show. They're part of the symbolism and metaphors. The little tales create a much larger story!

description

I'd love to add that I adore the artwork, like the show this artwork gives a classic nostalgic like feel when you read it. I've never read this before and that's what I felt. (I watched the show for the first time last year and the first time I felt nostalgia.) The colors and shading give it such an eerie feel, like The Tale of Fred the Horse and The Woodman's Daughter. I was surprised by the touch of adding music sheets in the back of The Adelaide Parade, The Highwayman, Come Wayward Souls (my fav), etc. so that the reader can play the short tunes themselves.

description

It is perfection. And "that's a rock fact"!

description
Profile Image for ewondare.
174 reviews14 followers
June 10, 2020
ریویو برای ولوم ۱تا۵ کمیک آن‌سوی دیوار باغ:

کمیک شیرین آنسوی دیوار باغ، اگر اینقدر وابسته به سریالش نبود قشنگ می‌تونست شمارو غرق در خودش بکنه. اما ترتیب نسبتا بهم ریخته‌ای که باید سریال دیده بشه و کمیک همراهش خونده بشه یکم دشواری ایجاد می‌کنه.

سبک نقاشیش مورد علاقه ی من نبود، اما جدا از اون داستان ساده‌ای داره و فعلا، وارد داستان جدی‌‌‌ای نشده. پس می‌تونه یه سرگرمی خوب براتون باشه اما ممکنه خیلی کشش نداشته باشه.

شخصیت‌‌پردازی اما عالی انجام شده و شاید عامل اصلی این که جذاب نگهش داشته شخصیت‌پردازس برجسته‌شه.
Profile Image for Qeti.
28 reviews6 followers
August 18, 2016
It was here, strangely enough, in the fog of THE UNKNOWN, that I began to see things more clearly <3
Profile Image for ♠ TABI⁷ ♠.
Author 15 books506 followers
December 2, 2017
This was ADORABLE and CREEPY and I need more, so I'm going to watch this mini-series I knew absolutely nothing about until now.
Profile Image for Grey Liliy.
Author 10 books40 followers
October 27, 2019
This volume contained some short, delightful little stories that bridge the gaps between the episodes of the television mini-series.

If you enjoy the show, you'll enjoy the comics.
Profile Image for Matt Beardmore.
30 reviews
November 5, 2024
I love Over The Garden Wall, and it is quite possibly my favourite piece of media ever. I've wanted the comics for years, but they're now super expensive since they're out of print. Thank you readallcomics.com

The graphic novel itself is truly fantastic. Each short story is set between the episodes, and it helps to contextualise SO much stuff that the miniseries simply just didn't have enough time to explain. I'm not going to ruin anything, but just know that if you like the series, this collection of short stories is an essential read.

The art and the writing is a perfect translation from the show to a comic. No surprise, of course, since Pat McHale was still creating these, but it's worth mentioning all the same.

The only reason this isn't a 5-star book is simply that it is only a companion piece. If you were to read these with no recollection of the show, it wouldn't make much sense at all. And since it is a collection of stories set between the episodes, there isn't anything too rich in meaning but rather just very well told stories that slot in nicely and feel intentional, rather than just a comic for the sake of making it
Profile Image for Raaven&#x1f496;.
593 reviews40 followers
October 18, 2024
I was a decade late, but finally watched this mini series. This graphic novel is a great companion piece to the story. We get little tidbits woven in and questions answered. I really enjoyed this extra look at Wirt, Greg, Beatrice, and the Woodsman. We see his backstory with this daughter, which I had wondered about. This is also just as cute and goofy as the show. Beatrice is my favorite still. This is a nice short read of one shots so if you enjoy the show I would say read this too!
Profile Image for Marina.
664 reviews130 followers
December 2, 2018
Over the Garden Wall es junto a Gravity falls una de mis series favoritas. No solo tiene una animación redonda, si no que tiene una música preciosa y una narrativa brutal. No soy muy fan de consumir tebeos producto de series, así que este tebeo no me hacía el qué cuando vi que Boom! lo editaba. Luego cuando lo editó Norma pensé: "Es una de tus series favoritas que puede salir mal" así que me compré el tomo. Y bien que hice. Este primer tomo es una maravilla. Se nota que los autores son los mismo de la serie y tiene ese mismo encanto que su versión audiovisual. Este primer tomo cuenta varias historias entre capitulos de la serie que rellena vacíos, asi que complementa a la perfección a la serie de una forma super divertida. Sí soys fans de la serie como yo os va a encantar el tebeo.
Profile Image for Mady.
195 reviews4 followers
March 31, 2022
Un tome à lire avant la série de BD principale en 5 volumes, mais après avoir regarder la série d'animation (d'une saison unique).
Ce tome indépendant reprend le périple des deux jeunes frères et de leur amie adélaïde. Chaque chapitre s'intercale temporellement entre les épisodes de la série, mais je conseille tout de même de lire le tome après avoir vu la série entièrement afin de ne pas être spoilé.

J'adore cet univers et je suis ravie qu'il soit prolongé par une adaptation en bande dessinée.
Le graphisme est toujours aussi beau et l'histoire a un côté dark très bien dosé pour un jeune publique.

Je recommande vraiment cet univers (au complet, série + bd) et suis triste qu'il soit aussi difficile de se procurer les différents tomes.
Profile Image for A Fan of Comics .
431 reviews
November 12, 2019
This one is tied to the show!

I’ve read quite a few vols now of Over the Garden Wall and this is the first one I found that was directly linked to the show! It shows Greg’s and Wirts time in between episodes. Not all episodes but it’s still cool to see it fall into place. There’s also a story about Fred the house and The woodsman’s daughter. Another cool part about this book was it had the sheet music to songs from the Tv show! So if you’re looking for a cool gift for a fan, this is great! Not that the other stories aren’t, but big fans will go crazy for it.
Profile Image for Scott Robins.
Author 1 book39 followers
October 20, 2016
Beautiful artwork in this book but I really had a hard time following what was going on. I felt it was bogged down with so much chattery inane dialogue and exposition and this might the be tone of television cartoon but this is squarely in the 'not for me' camp. As well, my confusion makes sense after discovering that this isn't really a complete story - it fills in the gaps of the cartoon series so pretty much if you haven't seen the show, you're going to be equally confused.
Profile Image for Chloe.
444 reviews18 followers
May 28, 2017
LOVELY. A cute addendum to a really fabulous show, which I love to pieces. I also much appreciate that these are further adventures (some of which fit in-between episodes) as opposed to any kind of sequel, because Over the Garden Wall is perfect as it is and needs no sequels. Also I enjoyed that I could hear the voice actors in my head as I read the dialogue. Highly recommended for fans of the show.
Profile Image for Dolly.
Author 1 book665 followers
December 23, 2018
Maybe I just don't get the humor in this tale because I've never watched the show, but it's very weird and not all that entertaining.

I have started to read this book several times, thinking it would be a fun fast read, but the challenging font, odd dialogue, and hard-to-follow plot led me to stop after only a few pages every time.

It wasn't until I had a long wait at the ER with my mom that I finally got around to finishing it.
58 reviews1 follower
February 21, 2019
Really 3.5 stars. Without the whimsical music that made the show so magical, this addition struggled to capture the real joy of the original miniseries. (I also dislike reviews that compare books with their show equivalent, but in this case the show came first so I'm allowed...) It was certainly charming, and if you are a fan of the show this does a good job as filler for what the characters were doing between episodes. Good romp, fun times, more teapots.
Profile Image for Darthy McDarthface.
1,027 reviews
December 28, 2016
So good! Really captures that magical feel of the miniseries. I'd definitely recommend reading this while watching the show, as the stories in this comic bridge the gap between the episode (which is a really neat idea). The last story in this comic should be left until you finish the miniseries.

I loved the sheet music at the end with all the songs.

Profile Image for Elizabeth.
Author 1 book13 followers
January 11, 2017
3.5, but grading up because I didn't realize this was based on a TV show and so I don't feel like I had the right background for it. Strange and creepy, and a good read alike for Beautiful Darkness or Through the Woods.
Profile Image for Tess.
130 reviews73 followers
February 16, 2021
4.5 Stars easily!

This is definitely the best of all the OTGW books! It's very accurate to the show and characters, and reads like a true companion to the show.

The sheet music and cover art gallery at the end was also a great addition to the book!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 177 reviews

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