Patrick Horvath has turned his cuddly serial killer comedian Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees right into a veritable hit franchise for indie writer IDW, and now the creator has invited some contemporary blood into the bucolic city of Woodbrook.
Horvath has enlisted James Tynion IV, the creator of hits One thing Is Killing the Kids and Beautiful Corpses; Tony Fleecs, creator of cute animals run amok title Feral; and Absolute Catwoman co-writer Che Grayson, amongst others, to affix him in a particular unique one-shot set on the planet of Beneath the Bushes.
Artists enlisted within the endeavor embody TMNT drawer Dave Wachter and cartoonist Jared Cullum (Usagi Yojimbo).
The anthology is Halloween-themed and is because of hit shops Oct. 7.
Earlier than turning his consideration to comics, Horvath was a filmmaker in indie horror, and wrote and directed a section within the 2016 horror anthology film Southbound. He understands the attraction of the format.
“One of the best parts about them is having a variety of different creators having fun together,” Horvath informed The Hollywood Reporter by way of e-mail. “It’s an exciting change of pace to open this world up for other people to step into and add their voices.”
Beneath the Bushes, with its Dexter meets Richard Scary tones, facilities on a brown bear named Samantha Robust, a seemingly mild-mannered ironmongery store proprietor who is definitely a serial killer, dwelling in a bucolic suburban city of Woodbrook. The six-issue comedian was a shock hit when it debuted in 2024, and Horvath unexpectedly discovered himself engaged on a second quantity, Beneath the Bushes The place No person Sees: Ceremony of Spring, which wrapped earlier this 12 months. A 3rd quantity is within the works. The title has bought over 400,000 for IDW and is the writer’s biggest-selling unique collection.
Whereas particulars for the brand new comedian are being saved below the counter, the story is about within the years after Robust infamously left the city (see the current quantity 2 for all of the grizzly, I imply, grisly particulars). In that point, her legend has solely grown, and increasingly horrific murders have been tied again to her. Some are her doing, others mere folklore.
The premise sees the city’s residents coming round a campfire and spilling the beans on a few of most terrifying deeds.
“We reached out to creators whose work I really admire and who we felt could tune into the specific wavelength of Beneath the Trees,” Horvath mentioned concerning the means of discovering his collaborators. “In particular, I’ve always tried to keep some sort of balance of keeping it cute, horrific, cozy, and upsetting, and everyone onboard very much understands how to tap into that.”
Fleecs is being paired with Wachter, his inventive collaborator on Uncanny Valley, the duo’s indie comedian that was Eisner-nominated for greatest new collection in 2025. He established himself as a author of hit horror involving speaking animals along with his serial killer title Stray Canines and zombie horror Feral, so felt like a pure selection for the mission.
“I was a Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees fan before almost anyone,” Fleecs mentioned in a press release. “I read a review copy before the first issue came out and haven’t stopped loudly singing its praises since. Patrick is working in a subgenre of a subgenre. He’s taking something familiar and comforting and adding outrageous violence and pathology and creating something wholly original.”
Said Tynion: “Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees is one of my favorite comics of the past few years, and it’s a pleasure to be invited to have a bit of gruesome fun in this killer, off-kilter world Patrick has created.”
Try the covers for the primary subject, by Horvath, Fleecs, Peach Momoko, and DH Gonzo, beneath.
Beneath the Bushes The place No person Sees
Courtesy of IDW
Beneath the Bushes The place No person Sees
Courtesy of IDW
Beneath the Bushes The place No person Sees
Courtesy of IDW
Beneath the Bushes The place No person Sees
Courtesy of IDW
