“The Garden of Enid” Takes Mormon Comics by Storm

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Garden of Enid Front Page Image

If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to read the tremendous new Mormon comic “The Garden of Enid,” Go. Now. Read it. And then come back.

“The Garden of Enid” details the daily adventures of Enid Gardner—an intellectual, self-doubting, and very 15-year-old Mia Maid (a Latter-day Saint term for 14- to 15-year-old young women).

 Adventures of a Mormon Girl. Isn't it about . . . Time

Enid is committed to her faith, but also full of questions—which she often poses to historic Latter-day Saint figures, such as Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Eliza R. Snow, or B.H. Roberts.

Enid talks to B.H. Roberts

Enid maintains a mild tension with her faith, whether springing from her adolescent fears:

Mormon comic strip when Enid shows up to a dance in a dress with no sleaves

…or from simply teasing her culture:

But really it sounds strange when you don't say nourish and strengthen

“The Garden of Enid,” which was published on Tumblr beginning in December 2013, has already built an impressive world of characters, including her “morbidly obese” mother, her mother’s visiting teacher, and Kyle Dansen, the priest (common term for a 16- to 17-year-old boy in “Mormon” culture) on whom she has a crush, among many others.

Enid has a crush on Kyle

The Garden of Enid has stood out because of its unique tone. The comic’s tone ranges from “Family Circle” sweet to “Zits” hilarious to Terryl Givens inquisitive.

Enid sings I'm so glad when Daddy Comes Home

Despite being around for such a short amount of time, “The Garden of Enid” received a special award from the Association of Mormon Letters at their recent annual conference:

Mormon comis strip when Enid receives AML award

 

“The Garden of Enid” also maintains an active social media presence, in the persona of Enid. The Twitter feed can range from earnest:

to snide:

“Enid” represents a major departure from the sanitized strips that make up most of Mormon comics. It attempts to demonstrate honest faith and struggle through the unique lens of a 15-year-old girl. So if you still haven’t, go read “The Garden of Enid.”

And check out our Q&A with Garden of Enid author, Scott Hales,!

Christopher D. Cunningham is the managing editor for Public Square Magazine and contributor to Third Hour. He loves emphatically celebrating the normal healthy development of his sons Albus and Whitman, writing about the Church of Jesus Christ, finding the middle ground on most controversies, and using Western Family generic brand lip balm. Christopher is a proud graduate of Brigham Young University-Idaho, and a resident of San Antonio, Texas.