Over the Garden Wall (miniseries)

Over the Garden Wall
Genre
Created by Patrick McHale
Based on Tome of the Unknown (2013)
Directed by
Creative director(s) Nate Cash
Bert Youn
Voices of
Composer(s) The Blasting Company
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of episodes 10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Patrick McHale
Producer(s) Pernelle Hayes
Running time 11 minutes
Production company(s) Cartoon Network Studios
Release
Original network Cartoon Network
Picture format HDTV 1080i
Audio format
Original release November 3 – 7, 2014

Over the Garden Wall is an animated television miniseries created by Patrick McHale for Cartoon Network. The series centers on two half-brothers who travel across a strange forest in order to find their way home, encountering odd and wonderful things on their journey. The show is based on McHale's animated short film Tome of the Unknown, which was produced as part of Cartoon Network Studios' shorts development program. The show features Elijah Wood and Collin Dean as the protagonists Wirt and Greg, and Melanie Lynskey as a bluebird named Beatrice. Over the Garden Wall was broadcast throughout the week of November 3, 2014 to November 7, 2014.

The show marked the first miniseries on the network, which commenced its production in March 2014. McHale first envisioned the show in 2004, and pitched it to the network in 2006. After working on The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack and Adventure Time, the network expressed interest in McHale pitching a pilot. That pilot became the catalyst for Over the Garden Wall. Production of the show was largely handled in Burbank, California, but many of the show's storyboard artists worked from other U.S. cities, while the program's animation was outsourced to South Korea. The series' environment evokes 19th- and 20th-century Americana, while its digital backgrounds are designed to resemble grisaille paintings.

Upon its debut, the series received positive reviews from television critics, with praise focusing on its mood and characters and criticism leveled at its storytelling. In 2015, the series won both a Reuben Award and an Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program. Outside of the series, a one-shot comic book adaptation penned by McHale has been produced, with four further issues commissioned. Over the Garden Wall is available on DVD and streaming services in the United States, and despite demand from fans, has not been released in Blu-ray format.

Plot

The series follows two half-brothers, Wirt and Greg (voiced by Elijah Wood and Collin Dean respectively), who become lost in a strange forest called the Unknown. In order to find their way home, the two must travel across the apparently magic forest with the occasional help of the wandering, mysterious and elderly Woodsman (Christopher Lloyd) and Beatrice (Melanie Lynskey), an irritable bluebird who travels with the boys in order to find a woman called Adelaide, that can supposedly undo the curse and make the half-brothers go back to their home.[1]

Wirt, the older brother, is worry-prone teenager and would rather keep to himself than to have to make a decision. His two passions are the clarinet and poetry, but he keeps this private out of fear of being mocked. On the other hand, Greg, the younger brother, is all about play and being carefree, much to Wirt's chagrin and the danger of himself and others. Greg carries a frog (Jack Jones), whose name is undetermined and who can communicate only through singing. Stalking the main cast is the Beast (Samuel Ramey), an ancient creature who leads lost souls astray until they give up and turn into "Edelwood trees".

Final chapters

In the final two episodes, it is revealed that Wirt and Greg are actually two boys from the modern era. Wirt and Greg's strange appearance stems from the fact it was Halloween the night they were transported into the Unknown. Wirt, attempting to take back an embarrassing poetry tape he made for a girl he likes, had followed her to a graveyard scary story gathering before a police officer scared him and Greg into jumping over the cemetery's garden wall. After they landed on train tracks, Greg was almost hit by a train. Wirt pushed them both off a hill into a lake/river in an attempt to save him, knocking them both unconscious in the process.

At the very end of the last episode, Wirt and Greg wake up in a hospital, with Greg telling a story but being cut off before we can hear what it's about. As the scene ends, Greg's frog begins to glow, due to having eaten a magic bell in The Unknown, suggesting that there was at least some physical aspect to the story. The series ends with a slow montage of how Wirt and Greg affected the inhabitants of the Unknown.[2]

Production

Production for Over the Garden Wall commenced in March 2014. It marks the first miniseries on the network, with an order of ten episodes for the series.[3] Created by Patrick McHale, a graduate of the California Institute of the Arts,[4] the show is based on the animated short film Tome of the Unknown, which he wrote and directed for Cartoon Network Studios as part of their shorts development program.[3]

The show was first envisioned in 2004 with a scarier and more adventure-based storyline. Before working as a storyboard artist on The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack, McHale pitched Garden Wall in 2006. He saw it as "a possible Halloween special", but had trouble adapting the premise with a larger story arc.[4] After his work for Flapjack, McHale moved on to co-develop Adventure Time, where he served as creative director, and subsequently as a writer. The network later asked him if he saw interest in developing a pilot, which led to him returning to his pitch, polishing it and pitching it again to the network.[5]:29 They ultimately settled upon the miniseries format, as McHale felt that it would lead to "something that felt higher quality than what we could do with a regular series".[4]

The show features Wood (reprising his role from the short), Lynskey, and Dean as the main voice cast. It has been characterized as a "comedy-fantasy" series;[3] in an interview dated October 2014, McHale stated that, while it mostly adheres to this genre, there would be some frightening moments which try to be "an experience for the audience".[4] Despite this, he and his crew tried to maintain a balance with "other episodes that are just light and funny".[6]:24 The same interview also has McHale depict his inspirations for the show, including children's literature of the 19th century, early 20th-century American music and folk art in general. Additionally, McHale sought inspiration from Gustave Doré and "Alice Comedies" for the show's "layouts".[4] Likewise for its music, McHale shared that it would contain various styles, including "classic American, opera singing", but that it would not contain much of any Broadway qualities.[4]

Meanwhile, Nick Cross served as art director and Nate Cash as supervising director; both worked with McHale alongside storyboard artists located in New York and Chicago. This distance proved difficult for McHale, who found it "particularly daunting considering the idiosyncratic nature of the production".

Patrick McHale has noted that the character Greg was based on his son, and other elements also drew from his life and experiences.[4]

Cast

Greg and Wirt, two half-brothers who act as the miniseries' main protagonists, along with Beatrice the bluebird and Greg's pet frog.

Main voices

Various voices

Episodes

Season Episodes Originally aired
First aired Last aired
Pilot 1 September 9, 2013
Series 10 November 3, 2014 November 7, 2014

Pilot (2013)

No. Title Written, storyboarded, and directed by Original release date
0"Tome of the Unknown: Harvest Melody"Patrick McHaleSeptember 9, 2013 (2013-09-09) (Film festivals)
May 18, 2015 (2015-05-18) (Online)
Wirt and Gregory grow tired of walking, so they borrow a car from a romantic songster made of vegetables.

Series (2014)

No. Title Written and storyboarded by Story by Original air date U.S. viewers
(in millions)
1"The Old Grist Mill"Steve Wolfhard, Natasha Allegri, and Zac GormanAmalia Levari, Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHaleNovember 3, 2014 (2014-11-03)1.19[7]
Half-brothers Wirt and Greg, the latter of which has just found a nameless frog he decided to keep and is now attempting to name, end up lost in the forest on their way home and are informed by an old Woodsman that they are lost in a forest called the Unknown and warns them of a creature known as the Beast that lurks within it. Taking them to his oil mill, Wirt and Greg decide to stay for the night but problems rise when the younger brother leaves a trail of candy that a wolf they believe to be the Beast follows. Wirt and Greg struggle to stay alive while evading the wolf. They ultimately send the wolf into the water turning it into a dog, revealing it not to be the Beast. However, they end up destroying the mill to the Woodsman's anger. He gives the brothers a set of directions to a nearby town, telling them both to beware the Unknown.
2"Hard Times at the Huskin' Bee"Bert Youn, Aaron Renier, and Patrick McHaleAmalia Levari, Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHaleNovember 3, 2014 (2014-11-03)1.19[7]
Beatrice, a bluebird who can speak, joins the brothers and Greg's frog after they help her out of a bush she seemed to be tangled in, claiming that she's obligated to do them a favour. The trio arrive in a strange town, Pottsfield, that appears to be deserted. They find that the town is holding their annual harvest festival in a barn, which is disrupted by their arrival. The Pottsfield Chamber of Commerce, which consists of what seem to be living pumpkins, led by a giant pumpkin head called Enoch, find the trio guilty of trespassing, destruction of property, and disturbing the peace. They sentence them to a few hours of manual labor. While digging holes in the ground, Wirt becomes convinced that the residents will bury them alive and convinces Beatrice and Greg to run away. They soon realize that the people of Pottsfield are actually the skeletons of the risen dead who wear pumpkin heads, and they were digging up new residents. After being freed, the brothers decide to follow Beatrice to a woman named Adelaide, who she claims can help them get home.
3"Schooltown Follies"Jim Campbell and Laura ParkAmalia Levari, Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHaleNovember 4, 2014 (2014-11-04)1.24[8]
Wirt, Greg, Beatrice and Greg's frog travel through the forest, but Greg and his frog quickly go missing. While searching for them, Wirt and Beatrice come across a school full of animal students being taught by a human teacher, Miss Langtree. She mistakes them for students and tells them to join the class, which Wirt does, trying to prove a point to Beatrice as she had earlier insulted him by calling him a push-over. Meanwhile, Greg and some of his new-found animal friends are chased by a gorilla and they hide in the school. Everyone sits down for lunch, but no one is happy as the potatoes are bland. Greg cheers everyone up by adding molasses to the potatoes. The fun is stopped by Langtree's father, who decides to close the school down as he cannot afford to keep it open. The next day, Wirt, Greg, and Beatrice organize a benefit concert for the school, which earns enough money to keep it open. Suddenly, the gorilla shows up again, but Wirt trips him over and the gorilla's head falls off. Miss Langtree's missing fiancé crawls out, and it turns out he had been stuck in the costume all along and had been trying to get help. He finally gives an engagement ring to Miss Langtree, as he had earned enough money from wearing the gorilla costume at the circus to buy it.
4"Songs of the Dark Lantern"Pendleton Ward, Bert Youn, and Steve McLeodAmalia Levari, Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHaleNovember 4, 2014 (2014-11-04)1.24[8]
Wirt and Greg visit a tavern to ask for directions to Adelaide's house. Beatrice, who was thrown out of the tavern due to being a bird, wanders off at the sound of the Woodsman chopping trees. Meanwhile, Wirt and Greg become acquainted with the people of the tavern through song. The tavern people warn the brothers about the Beast and reveal that the creature turns people into trees of oil to burn in his lantern. Wirt and Greg speculate that the Woodsman might be the Beast. Wirt steals a talking horse named Fred and finds Beatrice unconscious next to the Woodsman, seemingly confirming his speculations, and Wirt and Greg save Beatrice and ride off. Meanwhile, the Beast appears to the Woodsman and reminds him that the flame inside his lantern contains his daughter's soul, and that he must cut down Edelwood trees so their oil can fuel the fire and keep her alive. The Beast asks where the brothers are heading to.
5"Mad Love"Natasha Allegri and Zac GormanAmalia Levari, Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHaleNovember 5, 2014 (2014-11-05)1.55[9]
Wirt and Greg claim to be the nephews of the apparently deranged, but wealthy, Quincy Endicott so they can steal two cents from him to pay for a ferry that will cross the river to Adelaide's house. In order to distract him, Greg, Greg's frog and Fred convince Quincy to search for a ghost he supposedly saw one night in a bedroom and was instantly smitten with. Meanwhile, Wirt and Beatrice search for money and bond over their personal problems. Beatrice reluctantly reveals she was once human, but she and her family were cursed by a blue bird she threw a rock at and were turned into blue birds themselves, and Adelaide is the only one that can change them back. Wirt reveals he has a crush on a girl back home named Sara and is afraid of being seen as weird due to his love of poetry and playing the clarinet. The groups reunite and discover that the ghost was in fact Quincy's neighbor and that both their mansions had been expanding so quickly that they had connected together without them realising. The two embrace each other and award Greg a cent each due to his help. Now with enough money, the group, aside from Fred who decides to stay behind and work for Quincy, head to the ferry, but Greg throws the money away into the fountain.
6"Lullaby in Frogland"Bert Youn and Nick EdwardsAmalia Levari, Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHaleNovember 5, 2014 (2014-11-05)1.55[9]
Wirt, Greg, Beatrice and Greg's frog sneak aboard the ferry, which is filled with frogs in human clothing. They are discovered by frog guards and chased around the ferry. They disguise themselves as a member of the ferry's band, which soon starts performing, with Wirt reluctantly plays a bassoon thanks to Beatrice's encouragement. Greg's frog unexpectedly starts to sing, accidentally blowing their cover in the process. The frogs of the boat are so moved by their performance they allow them to stay on board. When they arrive to their destination, Beatrice, who had been acting strangely throughout the ferry ride, tries to convince them to stay in the Unknown and not to visit Adelaide. That night, Beatrice flies away and is unknowingly followed by Wirt and Greg to Adelaide's house. Beatrice had been lying to Wirt and Greg the whole time and had originally planned to give them both to Adelaide as slaves in exchange for a pair of scissors that would lift the curse off herself and her family, but she had a change of heart as she grew attached to the brothers. Adelaide attempts to capture Wirt and Greg, but is killed by Beatrice. Beatrice attempts to explain that it wasn't as it seemed, but Wirt is hurt by her betrayal and runs away with Greg. The brothers and Greg's frog continue their journey, without Beatrice.
7"The Ringing of the Bell"Patrick McHale, Bert Youn, and Tom HerpichAmalia Levari, Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHaleNovember 6, 2014 (2014-11-06)1.19[10]
Greg, Wirt and Greg's frog are walking in the rain, when they come across the Woodsman, who warns them that the Beast is ready to claim them. They run from the Woodsman and come across a lonely cottage in which they can stay out the rain. However, the house is not uninhabited, as they come across a young girl named Lorna who warns them to hide as her care-giver, the grotesque Auntie Whispers, is coming. Auntie Whispers, who seems to have a taste for human flesh, asks Lorna if anyone else is in the house. Sensing that she is deceiving her, she uses a bell that can control Lorna with its ringing. Lorna is forced to tell Auntie Whispers to look in the basket, but she assumes Lorna is referring to the basket of turtles in the house and continues walking to her bedroom, reminding Lorna that she makes her constantly work for her own good and so that "she won't become wicked". The brothers help Lorna to escape by helping her finish her housework early. Just before they leave, Greg and his frog accidentally awaken Auntie Whispers, who warns them to stay away from Lorna or they will be eaten. They discover that Auntie Whispers meant that Lorna is the one who will eat them, as Lorna suddenly transforms into a horrific demon. Before they are devoured, Greg shakes his frog, who has eaten Auntie Whispers' bell, and Wirt commands the demon to leave Lorna's body and never return, freeing Lorna of its control. Lorna decides to stay with Auntie Whispers, who is not her real aunt, as she realizes she is her true family and had loved her all along. After leaving Lorna and Auntie Whispers, Wirt begins to lose hope of ever leaving the Unknown, which pleases the Beast who is watching from afar.
8"Babes in the Wood"Mark Bodnar, Jim Campbell, and Bert YounAmalia Levari, Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHaleNovember 6, 2014 (2014-11-06)1.19[10]
The brothers and Greg's frog sail down a lake, when they hear the Beast's singing, which does not bother Wirt as he has given up on getting home, but Greg remains hopeful. They reach land and sleep under a tree for the night. Greg has a dream of an angelic cloud city, where he is warmly welcomed by its residents. The festivities are cut short when the North Wind is accidentally released and starts destroying the city, but Greg manages to defeat it and saves the city. The Queen of the Clouds appears to Greg, allowing him one wish as a reward. He wishes to find his way home, but the Queen informs him he cannot return home with Wirt as the Beast has already claimed him, showing him that the sleeping Wirt had been engulfed in growing Edelwood branches. Greg instead wishes to take Wirt's place, and leaves with the Beast. Wirt awakens and chases after them, but falls through ice and nearly drowns before being saved by Beatrice and a fish who was fishing nearby. He then passes out.
9"Into the Unknown"Cole Sanchez, Vi Nguyen, and Zac GormanCole Sanchez, Bert Youn, Amalia Levari,
Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHale		November 7, 2014 (2014-11-07)1.13[11]

Taking place before the events of the first episode, on Halloween, Wirt has just finished making an audio cassette tape for his crush, Sara. He fashions a costume out of an old Santa Claus hat and a marching band cloak. He goes to a football game, where he meets up with his brother, Greg. Wirt thinks about giving the tape to Sara, who is the football team's mascot. Greg takes the tape as Wirt chases after him. Greg gives it to Sara's friends, as they tease Wirt for having a crush. They tell him that he should hurry, because another boy, Jason Funderberker, was planning on asking her out at a party that night. Wirt chickens out and leaves with Greg. He realizes that they never got the tape back, and they head back to retrieve it. They end up at the Halloween party, as Wirt chases in after Greg. He meets up with Sara, who invites him to go to the graveyard with her and her friends. He declines and tries to get the tape from her jacket. However, Sara comes back for it, leading Wirt and Greg to sneak after her and her friends.

At the graveyard, the group is telling ghost stories when Greg tries to cause a distraction for Wirt. The plan backfires and Greg unwittingly reveals that Wirt is hiding behind a tombstone. A police car pulls up and jokingly tells them off for being in the graveyard, but they take him seriously and run off, with Wirt and Greg scaling a wall at the edge of the graveyard. At the top, Wirt notices Sara finding the tape in her jacket and he panics. They jump off the wall and onto a set of train tracks on the other side. Wirt blames Greg and his stepfather for ruining his life, but Greg pays no attention and picks up a frog in the bushes. A train comes down the tracks, heading straight for them. Wirt and Greg jump out of the way, but roll down a steep hill and into a lake, knocking them both unconscious. Wirt then wakes up after the events of the previous episode, and finds himself in a nest with Beatrice's family. He thanks them and heads off with Greg's frog into a snow storm to look for his brother.
10"The Unknown"Natasha Allegri, Jim Campbell, and Tom HerpichAmalia Levari, Tom Herpich, and Patrick McHaleNovember 7, 2014 (2014-11-07)1.13[11]

After leaving Wirt with her family, Beatrice navigates through the storm to find Greg, who she sees performing meaningless tasks for the Beast. She is whisked away by the strong wind and crashes into Wirt, who was wandering in the storm holding Greg's frog, and leads him to where she last saw Greg. As the sun sets, having used up what little Edelwood he had left, the Woodsman ventures into the woods and finds Greg slowly transforming into a new Edelwood tree. The Woodsman refuses to allow this and attempts to free Greg before fighting the Beast away from the clearing as Wirt and Beatrice arrive. Coming to, Greg reveals to Wirt that he stole his "Rock facts" rock from his neighbor Mrs. Daniel's garden. He asks Wirt to return it for him once he is gone, to which Wirt refuses, and decides to name Greg's frog "Jason Funderburker" to cheer him up as he tries to break the Edelwood branches off. Wirt then sees the Woodsman knocked down at his feet as the Beast appears, offering to keep Greg's soul alive inside the lantern in exchange for Wirt taking over the Woodsman's duties in keeping it lit. Wirt is tempted to accept this offer, but he realizes that the flame within the lantern is actually the Beast's own source of life.

After explaining this to everyone in the clearing, Wirt frees Greg and asks for Beatrice to come with them. But she declines as she wants to return home and admit to her family that she is responsible for their curse. Wirt gives Beatrice Adelaide's magic scissors, which Wirt had kept from their encounter, sheepishly admitting that he had kept them from her out of spite. They head off as the Woodsman, mortified to learn that Edelwood trees grew from the bodies of the lost and that he had never been keeping his daughter alive, resists the Beast's lies and extinguishes the lantern, ending the Beast's life once and for all. The scene cuts to black as Wirt and Beatrice exchange one final goodbye. Wirt wakes up under the lake and pulls Greg and his frog to the surface, passing out as the police and his friends show up. The brothers are taken by ambulance to the hospital. Wirt wakes up at the sound of Sara. He asks for Greg, who is standing near him telling Wirt's friends about the adventures they just had. Sara also tells Wirt that she hadn't listened to the tape yet, as she doesn't own a cassette player. Wirt offers for her to listen to it at his house, which she accepts. Greg shakes his frog and it rings, revealing that Auntie Whispers' magic bell is still inside it and that everything that had taken place was real. Back in the Unknown, the Woodsman is sitting on his porch in melancholy when his daughter comes out of his home, having been brought back to life. The other Unknown residents are shown to be living much happier lives as a result of Wirt and Greg's influence, including Beatrice and her family restored to human form. Greg's frog plays the piano and sings. One final shot is shown of Greg returning the rock to Mrs. Daniel's garden.

Broadcast

McHale's original short, Tome of the Unknown, was screened at the 2014 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, where McHale earned the Bruce Corwin Award for best animated short film.[12] Meanwhile, at the 2013 Ottawa International Animation Festival, it received an honorable mention.[13]

At the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con International, a preview of the show was shown along with various panels for other shows on the network.[14] It was also previewed at the 2014 New York Comic Con, which Hale and the main cast attended.[15] The show made its premiere on November 3, 2014 on Cartoon Network, and ran over five consecutive nights.[16] The entirety of it was published on iTunes preceding its broadcast.[17]

The series aired on Cartoon Network in Australia from December 15 to 19, 2014[18] and on Cartoon Network in the United Kingdom and Ireland from April 6 to 10, 2015.[19]

Music

Over the Garden Wall (Original Television Soundtrack)
Soundtrack album by various artists
Genre Jazz,[20] folk
Length 13:11
Label Cartoon Network
Producer The Blasting Company

Various melodies and songs are heard throughout the series, often with pre-20th century influences. Elijah Wood, the voice actor for Wirt, has said that "if this show were a record, it would be played on a phonograph".[21] Songs from the series include "Into the Unknown", its title song, composed by Patrick McHale and sung by Jack Jones; "A Courting Song", composed by the Petrojvic Blasting Company and performed by Frank Fairfield; and "Come Wayward Souls", sung by Samuel Ramey as the Beast.[21]

No. Title Length
1. "Over the Garden Wall"   1:47
2. "Into the Unknown (Theme Song)"   1:24
3. "Like Ships"   0:32
4. "Patient is the Night"   1:29
5. "Forward, Oneiroi!"   1:33
6. "The Highwayman Song"   0:34
7. "Come Wayward Souls"   0:45
8. "A Courting Song"   1:25
9. "Langtree's Lament"   2:30
10. "Potatoes and Molasses"   1:13

The majority of the series' songs have been officially uploaded to YouTube, and on the DVD release, can be heard along with visuals and without dialogue, in a special feature known as the Composer's Cut. An extended version of the soundtrack, featuring 32 tracks and totaling around 44 minutes in length, was released in the form of a 180 gram vinyl record by Mondo in August 2016.[22] The extended soundtrack debuted at the San Diego Comic-Con, with a limited 1,000 copies, featuring a cover designed by Sam Wolfe Connelly.[23][24] The extended vinyl is also available as a webstore exclusive from Mondo.[24]

Home media

The animated miniseries was released on DVD in the United States on September 8, 2015 from Cartoon Network and Warner Home Video.[25] The DVD release took place two months earlier on July 8 in Australia.[26] The DVD features all ten episodes of the show, commentaries, the original pilot, alternate title cards, and deleted animatics. Other extras on the DVD include the Composer's Cut, an option wherein a viewer can watch the show with only the visuals and the background music; and the mini-documentary Behind Over the Garden Wall.[27]

Despite demand from fans, the miniseries has yet to be released in a Blu-ray format in the U.S and Europe. However, a limited run has been released in Australia, which would make it playable in region B. Cartoon Network has not issued any official reasons for withholding a worldwide release.[28]

Reception

Critical reception

Over the Garden Wall was critically acclaimed. Preceding its premiere, Patrick Kevin Day of the Los Angeles Times called it "funny, creepy" and, from the premise, "not as simple as it sounds".[4] In TV Guide and also before the premiere, Megan Walsh-Boyle felt that the show's fictional universe "sounds like a world worth getting lost in".[6]:24 Meredith Woerner of io9 called a preview of the show "amazing", "weird, and cute and great", reflecting "all the things we love about this oddball animation renaissance we are currently living in".[29] Conversely, Amid Amidi of Cartoon Brew judged from the same preview that the animation was lacking and discounted from its storytelling, music and production design, though he was still looking forward to it.[30]

Robert Lloyd of the Los Angeles Times wrote that it was "a little too folksy and fairy story" at times, but that its "contemporary strangeness wins out", and concluded that "it is throughout something to behold".[31] Lloyd later wrote that it evoked "a kind of artisanal quality", both in its design and setting, and though the writing felt "a little too intent on its own folksiness", it became more enjoyable throughout.[32] In the New York Times, Mike Hale also felt the writing was sometimes weak and the stories "perilously thin", but concluded that McHale developed an environment worth living in.[33]

Brian Moylan of The Guardian wrote that the visuals were "absolutely stunning", and that the stories contained "a certain darkness to it that is both mellow and twee at the same time, with a fair amount of anxiety creeping around the edges".[34] Brian Lowry of Variety wrote that Garden Wall was "an admirable experiment", but not one to sustain "the five-night commitment", calling it "slightly mismatched" while praising a departure from "the more abrasive characteristic" of the network's primetime content.[35] Kevin McDonough of the Illinois Daily Journal criticized some of the writing, but summed it up as "an ambitious cartoon" for both younger and older audiences.[36] Jason Bree of the website Agents of Geek called the miniseries "the greatest thing Cartoon Network has ever produced".[37] Kevin Johnson, writing for The A.V. Club, praised the series, giving it an A, saying that "with such a perfect blend of mood, atmosphere, story, and characterization, Over the Garden Wall's 10-episode run will leave you wanting more, but like every great fairy tale, it's a story that knows when it's over."[38]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result
2015 Annie Award Best Animated TV/Broadcast Production for Children's Audience[39] Over the Garden Wall Nominated
Outstanding Achievement, Directing in an Animated TV/Broadcast Production[39] Robert Alvarez, Ken Bruce, and Larry Leichliter Nominated
Reuben Award TV Animation[40] Over the Garden Wall Won
Primetime Emmy Award Outstanding Animated Program Over the Garden Wall Won
Outstanding Individual Achievement in Animation Nick Cross Won
Ottawa International Animation Festival Best Animated Feature Over the Garden Wall Won
2016 Teen Choice Award Choice TV: Animated Over the Garden Wall Nominated

Comic book adaptation

A one-shot comic book adaptation of the show was announced in October 2014. Produced by KaBoom!, an imprint of Boom! Studios, the comic was released on November 5, 2014. The comic was supervised by McHale and was produced as an oversized special. The comic was illustrated by Jim Campbell, a writer/storyboard artist on the television series. A special variant cover, by McHale, was also released.[41] The success of the standalone comic led to further issues being commissioned in May 2015 and began to be released in August 2015. According to Patrick McHale, the comic books would be similar to the one-shot comic, detailing the events that occurred in between certain episodes and will expand on the miniseries.[42] The success of the series of one-shots led to an ongoing series of comics, serving as both a sequel and prequel to the series, rather than telling adventures that happened between episodes. The stories are told parallel, with half the comic detailing Greg returning to mysterious dreamlands in his sleep. The other half chronicles the Woodsman's daughter, Anna, and how she became lost in the Unknown.[43]

References

  1. ↑ Hersh, Farrah (September 3, 2014). "Over the Garden Wall – About". Cartoon Network. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved October 11, 2014. (password-protected)
  2. ↑ Hersh, Farrah (September 3, 2014). "Over the Garden Wall – Characters". Cartoon Network. Turner Broadcasting System. Retrieved October 11, 2014. (password-protected)
  3. 1 2 3 Andreeva, Nellie (March 7, 2014). "Cartoon Network Orders Over the Garden Wall as First Miniseries". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Day, Patrick Kevin (October 5, 2014). "Lost in an animator's imagination". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. p. D12.
  5. ↑ McLean, Thomas J. (October 2014). "Rising Stars of Animation". Animation Magazine: 28–31. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014.
  6. 1 2 Walsh-Boyle, Megan (September 1–14, 2014). "Toon In". TV Guide. OpenGate Capital: 24–25.
  7. 1 2 "Monday Final Nationals: ESPN Continues Win Streak with 'Monday Night Football'". TV Media Insights. November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  8. 1 2 "Tuesday Final Nationals: 'Masterchef Junior' Lifts Fox". TV Media Insights. November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  9. 1 2 "Wednesday Final Nationals: 'CMA Awards' Gives ABC Dominant Victory". TV Media Insights. November 6, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Thursday Final Nationals: NFL Network Proves Competitive with Broadcast Nets". TV Media Insights. November 7, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  11. 1 2 "Friday Final Nationals: CBS, ABC Share Night's Top Honors". TV Media Insights. November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
  12. ↑ "2014 Award Winning Films Announced". Santa Barbara International Film Festival. February 9, 2014. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  13. ↑ Zahed, Ramin (September 22, 2013). "Tito on Ice, Lonely Bones Win Ottawa's Top Honors". Animation Magazine. n.p. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014.
  14. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (July 28, 2014). "Cartoon Network Teases Over the Garden Wall". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014.
  15. ↑ Milligan, Mercedes (September 22, 2014). "Cartoon Network Plans Surprise-Packed NYCC Panel". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014.
  16. ↑ Weinstein, Shelli (September 30, 2014). "Cartoon Network Sets Premiere for Miniseries Over the Garden Wall". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  17. ↑ Davis, Lauren (October 31, 2014). "Watch the First Episode of Cartoon Network's Over the Garden Wall". io9. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  18. ↑ "GET LOST IN THE UNKNOWN OVER THE GARDEN WALL". Turner Broadcasting System. October 8, 2014. Retrieved November 16, 2014.
  19. ↑ "Cartoon Network UK HD Over The Garden Wall New Show Promo". Cartoon Network. Turner Broadcasting System. April 6, 2015. Retrieved October 29, 2014.
  20. ↑ Polo, Susana (3 November 2014). "An Interview With the Folks Behind Cartoon Network's Over the Garden Wall, Premiering Tonight!". The Mary Sue. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  21. 1 2 Maas, Emily (21 October 2014). "Video: Creating the Soundtrack for Cartoon Network's Over the Garden Wall". TV Guide.
  22. ↑ PenzeyMoog, Caitlin (8 July 2016). "Mondo exclusive: An Over The Garden Wall soundtrack is coming in August". The A. V. Club. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  23. ↑ Shiach, Kieran (8 July 2016). "Mondo to Debut 'Over the Garden Wall' Soundtrack Vinyl at San Diego Comic Con [SDCC 2016]". Comics Alliance. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  24. 1 2 "Over the Garden Wall Original Television Soundtrack!". Mondo. 8 July 2016. Retrieved 20 September 2016.
  25. ↑ "Cartoon Network: Over the Garden Wall". Amazon.com. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Over the Garden Wall on DVD-Video from EzyDVD.com.au". EzyDVD. Retrieved July 21, 2015.
  27. ↑ "Patrick McHale".
  28. ↑ "Patrick McHale on Twitter".
  29. ↑ Woerner, Meredith (October 13, 2014). "Over the Garden Wall Preview Is Crushingly Charming and Batshit Insane". io9. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  30. ↑ Amidi, Amid (October 13, 2014). "6-Minute Preview of CN Mini-Series Over the Garden Wall". Cartoon Brew. n.p. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  31. ↑ Lloyd, Robert (October 31, 2014). "TV Picks: Powerless, Craft, Who, PuppyCat, Garden Wall". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  32. ↑ Lloyd, Robert (November 3, 2014). "Over the 'Wall', a land of enchantment". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. p. D3. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  33. ↑ Hale, Mike (November 2, 2014). "In a World of Whimsy, a Perilous Journey Home". International New York Times. The New York Times Company. p. C3. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  34. ↑ Moylan, Brian (November 3, 2014). "Over the Garden Wall: slapstick for the kids, existential dread for the adults". Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  35. ↑ Lowry, Brian (October 31, 2014). "TV Review: Cartoon Network's Over The Garden Wall". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  36. ↑ McDonough, Kevin (November 3, 2014). "Tune in tonight: Grimm tidings on Cartoon Network". Daily Journal. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  37. ↑ Jason Bree (4 November 2014). "Over the Garden Wall is the Best Thing That the Cartoon Network Has Done - Review". Agents of Geek. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  38. ↑ "Review: Over The Garden Wall". The A.V. Club. November 7, 2014. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
  39. 1 2 "41st Annual Annie Awards Categories". AnnieAwards.org. International Animated Film Association. Retrieved December 3, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Reuben Awards Winners 2015 Categories". The National Cartoonists Society. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
  41. ↑ McLean, Thomas J. (October 10, 2014). "Roundup: Rig a Zombie, Learn from Stoopid Buddies". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on October 12, 2014.
  42. ↑ Brown, Tracy (May 13, 2015). "Exclusive: Pat McHale announces 'Over the Garden Wall' comic book series". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  43. ↑ "KaBoom Announces Ongoing 'Over the Garden Wall' Series".

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