We’re just over halfway to Halloween, and I’ve got to admit I’m not feeling very Halloweenie right now. I just feel like a regular weenie…so exactly the same as the other 11 months out of the year. I went into a Spirit Halloween store the other day in an attempt to feel something, and it was just kind of sad. Standing there in that repurposed Joann Fabrics store, I felt much like Linus waiting for the Great Pumpkin: A thumb-sucker until high school and likely a virgin until sophomore year of university.
Dejected, I went to the supermarket only to discover that the greeting card section that was just days before flush with Halloween cards was now 75% Christmas cards. The war on Christmas is clearly over, and it’s begun making inroads into territory once held by Halloween for generations.
I just want to circle back on the Linus analogy and make it clear I was talking about how Linus felt. I myself have consensually touched many butts in my day and have had several successful relationships. Linus will probably die alone, but not me!
Ahem.
I’m not feeling the Halloween spirit, and I’m not even vaguely autumnal, but it’s Figure Friday —this is a column about toys —and I have a job to do.
Over the Garden Wall Chapter 1 Figure Set
Back in 2014, I was sitting in a movie theatre waiting for Big Hero 6 to start, splitting my time between scrolling on my phone and tolerating the pre-show commercials. There was a prepackaged Cartoon Network featurette that was an extended look at a new miniseries called Over the Garden Wall.
I was instantly taken by the pastoral images on the screen. It looked like an early 20th-century Halloween greeting card had been animated especially for me. I couldn’t wait to see it. Thankfully, I still had cable TV at the time and was able to catch up on the series as soon as I got home.
Watching Over the Garden Wall has been a Fall tradition for me for the last eleven years. It seems like the show has only grown in popularity over the years, and it’s easy to see why. It’s a cozy, funny, occasionally frightening show centred on two brothers as they make their way through The Unknown.
Merchandise for the show has been hard to come by over the last decade. Of course, there have been comic books and an art book (both of which I have), a DVD release (no Blu-ray??), some vinyl figures…and not much else. I do appreciate that things have been kept fairly lowkey in relation to this show, as I feel it helps maintain some of its charm.
I’d personally have one really nice collectible rather than a million crappy Pop! Vinyls. That’s where Mondo comes in.
Mondo is proud to present the first-ever officially licensed OVER THE GARDEN WALL figures, based on the beloved characters from creator Patrick McHale.
The first figure set in our brand new line, this Mondo Squad includes protagonists Wirt and Greg plus swappable portraits and accessories introduced in Chapter 1: The Old Grist Mill. (Future sets will feature different characters from the series … Chapter 2 will be the Pottsfield Pumpkin People!)
These are astonishing works of art and a must-have for any fan of the series. The sculpts on these look like the characters stepped right off your TV screen and they come with a whole slew of accessories. As is their custom, Mondo also released a “timed” exclusive with even more stuff, but it’s since sold out.
This set seems like a bargain for $95 USD, but you’ll have to wait until June 2026 to get your hands on one…and that’s a Rock Fact.
