Into the Unknown [Remastered] | A Critical Examination of Over the Garden Wall

138,634

8,435 0

Published 2019-10-31

Into the Unknown is a critical examination of the Cartoon Network Original mini-series Over the Garden Wall, as we look at the character, inspirations, symbols and plot points of this show in order to better understand one of the most compelling pieces of modern animation put to television. Obviously, this video will be best enjoyed if you have already seen the series in its entirety. So if you haven’t seen the show yet, turn back lest you be cursed by spoilers.

Chapter Markers:
0:00 Introduction
1:16 Chapter 1: "Long Forgotten Stories"
8:30 Chapter 2: "Animated Affects"
18:18 Chapter 3: "The Pilgrim's Tale"
29:00 Chapter 4: "Beware the Unknown"

This video is a remaster of the original video published on February 7th, 2017. This video included remastered audio and video, as well as minor revisions and expansions from the original script.

Click here for the transcript of my email interview with Nick Cross, the lead art director of Over the Garden Wall and head art director of the Shorts Program at Cartoon Network: henrykathman.tumblr.com/post/175312602571/email-tr…

Bibliography:
Alice's Adventures. Dir. Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Perf. Virginia Davis. Laugh O Grams Films Inc., 1923. YouTube. 12 Apr. 2012. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. • Video .
Alliterator. “‘By the Milk-Light of Moon’: Myths and Meanings of ‘Over the Garden Wall," Part One.” Observation Deck, Gizmodo Media, 10 Nov. 2014, observationdeck.kinja.com/by-the-milk-light-of-moo….
Alliterator. “‘Content to Be Slightly Forlorn’: Myths and Meanings of ‘Over the Garden Wall," Part Three.” Observation Deck, Gizmodo Media, 12 Nov. 2014, observationdeck.kinja.com/content-to-be-slightly-f….
Alliterator. “‘The Haunted Ruins of Night’: Myths and Meanings of ‘Over the Garden Wall," Part Four.” Observation Deck, Gizmodo Media, 13 Nov. 2014, observationdeck.kinja.com/the-haunted-ruins-of-nig…
Alliterator. “‘I Make Ends Meet’: Myths and Meanings of ‘Over the Garden Wall," Part Two.” Observation Deck, Gizmodo Media, 11 Nov. 2014, observationdeck.kinja.com/i-make-ends-meet-myths-a….
Cross, Nick. "Over The Garden Wall Interview." E-mail interview. 3 Oct. 2016.
Frank, Freder S. “Gothic Hero.” The First Gothics: A Critical Guide to the English Gothic Novel, Garland Publishing, 1987, epublications.marquette.edu/gothic_hero/.
Minnie the Moocher. Dir. Max Fleischer. Perf. Cab Calloway. Archive.org. Archive, 18 Mar. 2005. Web. 17 Oct. 2016. archive.org/details/bb_minnie_the_moocher.
McHale, Patrick et al. Over The Garden Wall, Cartoon Network Studios, 3 Nov. 2014. DVD.
McHale, Patrick. Tome of the Unknown, Cartoon Network Studios, 19 Sept. 2013.
“Over The Garden Wall Historical Fashion.” Aquilaofarkham, Tumblr, 10 July 2016, aquilaofarkham.tumblr.com/post/147197452146/over-t….
Wood, Elijah. For Sara. The Petrojvic Blasting Company. Cartoon Network Studios, 2015. Soundcloud. Web. 16 June 2016. soundcloud.com/therealglish/sets/for-sara-over-the….
The Petrojvic Blasting Company. “Over The Garden Wall (Original Television Soundtrack).” Cartoon Network Studios, 2015.
Reilo, Eino. “Byronic Hero.” The Haunted Castle; a Study of the Elements of English Romanticism, Humanities Press, 1964, epublications.marquette.edu/gothic_byronichero/.
Willsey, Kristiana. "All that was Lost is Revealed": Motifs and Moral Ambiguity in Over the Garden Wall." Humanities, vol. 5, no. 3, 2016. pp. dx.doi.org/10.3390/h5030051.
“Wirt's Inferno/Dante's Unknown: Allusions to the Divine Comedy in Over the Garden Wall.” Globe Gander, Tumblr, 18 Nov. 2014, globegander.tumblr.com/post/102962248481/wirts-inf….

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kathmanhenry
Tumblr: henrykathman.tumblr.com/
Podcast: pinkaisle.podbean.com/
Patreon: www.patreon.com/Henrykathman
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Like what you saw? Please give this video a like and share it around, if you want.

If you would like to see more material from me, please also considering subscribing to the channel for future updates.

Were there issues in the video? Got any ideas for what I should examine next? Liked what I had to say? Do you have any other insights? Leave a comment and tell me what you thought!

All Comments (21)

@eggonbread7054 3 years ago

There’s something about this show that brings my soul a sense of longing. The painted backgrounds, the music, the story. I crave more of this, but I’m not sure where I can find anything like OtGW.
@samanthaharris2094 3 years ago

the part where Greg goes YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL EYES is so funny to me lol
@ramcams 4 years ago

I just rewatched over the garden wall yesterday, and it's such a joy to be able to watch something this clear, well researched and interesting about a show I love
@basilisarsenaut2404 4 years ago

This is by far the best research and analysis of Otgw I've seen. Great job
@opalmistic5364 3 years ago

One thing i love about over the garden wall is that its one of those shows that if you watch it young enough, when you get older it suddenly pos into your head and you get that "oh yea" feeling. and if you watched it when you were really little chances are that you don't remember the plot and theres a pretty big chance you'll come to love it again if you re watch it and appreciate it. over the garden wall is memorable but it isn;t afraid to be forgotten, in fact if you re watch it years later its a long forgotten story reveled to you as you travel through the woods.
@arthurkassabian2528 4 years ago

This is the best video essay of Over the Garden Wall that I've seen. Your analysis of It's art style is something that I haven't found elsewhere. Well done.
@tedsowards 4 years ago

I'm watching it and I'm like "I've seen this before..."
@HeavenlyEchoVirus 3 years ago

“...What do you call the beast. Well, since you asked...” “DRY, SENSITIVE SKIN” according to the Aveeno ad
@nightowl8477 3 years ago

32:28 suicide, in fact. As does Come Wayward Souls; "Sorrow and fear are easily forgotten, when you submit to the soil of the earth."
@diromiz 4 years ago

I STARTED WATCHING YOUR 2017 VERSION YESTERDAY AND HAVEN'T FINISHED WATCHING YET! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS REMASTER BECAUSE THE SOUND IS MUCH BETTER HERE AND I LOVE IT. Happy Halloween, enjoy some potatoes and molasses
@LittleMongoosie 3 years ago

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this! Otgw is my favorite piece of media probably ever. While I see your point of view interpreting the Beast as a personification of the Unknown itself, I still remember watching the show the first time and meeting the Beast in episode 4. From the moment I saw him, he struck me as the perfect personification of depression; preying on complacency and feeding on the lost lives of those who give up hope. You were so in depth with so many facets of the show from the narrative archetypes to the visual themes to the social commentary-- i'll be watching more for certain!
@lovemylillie1 3 years ago

The Brothers Grimm were part of the literary romantisism movement in Germany. So it really ties together what you said about those two things seperately. Not really important, just thought it might be an interesting fact to some people.
@Shroomish_Art 2 years ago

I am not exaggerating when i say that this show is the closest thing to a perfect cartoon i have ever seen. The music, the art, the message, the plot, the charecters and well... EVERYTHING comes together perfectly! There is no filler, no spin offs, no unessecery season 2. It's just... perfect. It's untouched by capitalism, untouched by greed. There wasn't a single second that I didn't like about this show. And I think that BECAUSE it's so short that it's perfect. There is no time for filler episodes or B plots. It's just a good story.
@kaelang12 3 years ago

There's something I noticed, but for some reason no one talks about. In every episode, there's a blurry border around the screen. I think this is foreshadowing about the Unknown, and its dreamlike quality.
@alexbenavidez4500 3 years ago

When you were talking about that rotoscoping sequence inspired by the Fleischer brothers, it's just so strange to me how viscerally familiar it was. I instantly knew what scene you were talking about, but the weird thing is, I don't remember anything specific from the Fleischer brothers that was it's inspiration. I remember the inspiration, but I also don't remember it. It's so familiar, but I can't recall what it is specifically, and it has such a striking, strange mood, that I instantly knew that was the scene you were talking about. It's so difficult to explain.
@samuelbott6104 3 years ago

That feel when you do a video essay in the middle of a forest to fit the subject matter
@duchi882 4 years ago

What I hate about your channel is that it doesn't have enough subscribers
@hand-drawnanimations8763 3 years ago

23:51 I certainly didn't expect The Adventure Zone to be referenced in an analysis of Over the Garden Wall.
@DustyCrow6 3 years ago

This is absolutely PIRFECT for my collage art project! You have no idea how happy I am to find this with its analysis, context, artists, art movements and literary figures
@ms.pirate 3 years ago

I didn't expect this type of video, i was expecting the song "into the unknown" in an over the garden wall style