Don't take candy from strangers. Did you ever ask your mom or dad, "Why?" Or were you too afraid? Were you already too good at actively imagining what those strangers would do with you once they got you in the van? Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees by Patrick Horvath brushes against that very particular dread, playing with your nostalgia and injecting grotesque horror into your picturesque youth.

Sam the Bear appears as the ideal small-town neighbor. She runs the local hardware store. She has a kind word for everyone who walks through her doors. And sometimes, she makes trips to the city where she can slaughter a stranger and bury their parts in the woods.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees smashes serial killer iconography with an impeccably illustrated children's tale. When people talk about this comic, they will mention Richard Scarry. They will mention Dexter. The comparisons are obvious and accurate, but Horvath creates something far more tantalizing than genre fusion.

Brad wrote in his review that the comic would only work if both elements were executed flawlessly. Patrick Horvath melds both worlds masterfully, creating a fantastically looking realm where its fears are tangible and utterly relatable. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is easily the most enjoyably upsetting comic you'll read all year.

In this week's episode, we chat with Horvath. Our conversation begins with colliding these disparate worlds before exploring our childhood encounters with stranger danger lore. We discuss what Sam the Bear sees in the woods and why it sparks an existential crisis in the reader, and we cover how the comic's final two pages upend everything.

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees #1 hits shops on October 18th from IDW Publishing. It's written and illustrated by Patrick Horvath, lettered by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, and features a variant cover by Riley Rossmo.

Continue this conversation with Patrick Horvath by following his Twitter, Instagram, and Website.

This episode continues our year-long partnership with Omnibus, the Digital Comic Store and Reader. Each episode from now on will feature our new "Referrals" segment, sponsored by them, where we recommend other comics titles for those wishing to explore this week's themes and concepts further. CLICK HERE to learn more and explore Omnibus' unique, browsable space.

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