Exclusive: Patrick McHale & Gavin Fullerton Bring Bags (Or a Story Thereof) to BOOM! Studios

We are big, big fans of Patrick McHale here at Paste. McHale is, of course, the creator of the Emmy Award-winning Cartoon Network series Over The Garden Wall, a high-water mark for nuanced, spooky animated storytelling—and a phenomenon that inspired former Paste editor Sean Edgar to literally write the book on it. So it’s with great pleasure that we bring you the official announcement of Bags (Or a Story Thereof), McHale’s first original graphic novel, adapted and illustrated by Gavin Fullerton (storyboard artist, Disney’s Space Chickens in Space) with colors from Whitney Cogar (Steven Universe).

Arriving in stores next July from Over the Garden Wall comic publisher BOOM! Studios, Bags (Or a Story Thereof) follows John Motts, a man who had a dog, but now does not. John searches his home, his street and his neighborhood, but the dog is nowhere to be found. John soon realizes that he must travel further, past the road and into the trees (a familiar theme for McHale) if he’s ever to find out the truth about his pooch.

“Before making Over the Garden Wall, I tried to write a novel in one week and failed; instead I ended up with an odd, rather experimental story about a man looking for his missing dog,” McHale said in a statement. “It’s very exciting that my weird little book is being adapted into a full-on graphic novel, and even more exciting that Gavin Fullerton is the one adapting it! I’m extremely happy with what he’s done with this story, and I hope other people like it too. (Note: It has the Devil in it, and a walrus who puts things in bags, so… you might like it.)”

Bags (Or a Story Thereof) Cover Art by Gavin Fullerton

“I’m a huge fan of Pat’s work, so I was incredibly excited when I was asked to adapt his short story Bags into a full-length graphic novel,” Fullerton added. “Bags is sad, fun, spooky and a wee bit strange. It’s the kind of story you come away from feeling a little less alone. I hope the comic can make people feel the same way.”

Bags (Or a Story Thereof) arrives courtesy of BOOM! Studios’ KaBOOM! imprint, which publishes both licensed fare (Adventure Time, Steven Universe) and original series like Derek Laufman’s Ruinworld and the upcoming Just Beyond from R.L. Stine and Kelly and Nichole Matthews.

“Based on Patrick McHale’s beloved short story, Bags (Or a Story Thereof) is a journey about one man, John Motts, and his search for his dog Beth,” said BOOM! Studios Editor Whitney Leopard. “John is an interesting narrator in this story, with an almost childlike wonder, John has to go out into a bizarre and confusing world to figure out what happened to her. Pat and Gavin have beautifully blended humor, suspense and loss to create a story that will resonate with readers of any age—and remind them just why it’s important to cherish those close to you.”

Bags (Or a Story Thereof), for those of you fully prepared for dog-related emotions, hits stores and digital retailers in July 2019.