With fall coming just around the corner, many want to get into the spirit. The perfect way to do this is by watching a very underrated cartoon. Over the Garden Wall, created by Patrick Mchale is the perfect spooky animated mini-series for this season.
Over the Garden Wall aired on the Cartoon Network in November of 2014, spanning over 10 episodes. The series was a big change from what Cartoon Network was used to airing. Instead of a silly cartoon filled with gags such as the amazing world of Gumball, Over the Garden Wall took a creepier route.
This show follows the story of two brothers named Wirt and Greg as they try to find their way out of a strange and unknown forest. The brothers’ personalities clash, making their interactions both funny and sad. The show has its ups and downs when it comes to emotions, with some episodes diving into more depressing moments between the brothers. The plot is amazing with handling the backstories of the characters, and the overall ending.
This cartoon is beautifully thought out, perfectly sticking to that spooky fall aesthetic. The color scheme sticks to a desaturated palette that perfectly matches the charming character designs. The pacing of the episodes keeps viewers drawn in and in constant suspense. Everything about this show is artistically pleasing.
The backgrounds never fail to amaze viewers, with each of them having extremely intricate details. The sense of the unknown and fear that the brothers are feeling is perfectly communicated through the background art. As they walk into this new unknown forest it shows large overgrown trees that frame the screen. The backgrounds span from a school in the woods to a dark forest with no clear exit. The backgrounds help a lot with the story-telling aspect of the show.
Not only is the art extremely impressive, but one of the most memorable aspects of the show is its soundtrack. The music in this show is what pulls it all together. The soundtrack is very diverse, with many different songs and instruments created to fit in perfectly with each scene. They throw in fun songs to lighten up moments, and darker tunes to create suspense. An example of the contrast of songs is Potatoes and Molasses and Into the Unknown. Both of these songs are extremely different in tone and mood, yet they both work together so well. Potatoes and Molasses is a fun song with an upbeat tune that Greg sings to try and cheer up Wirt, while Into the Unknown is an uncomfortable song with deeper instruments to show that the brothers don’t know what is out there.
A big factor that separates Over the Garden Wall from other cartoons is the storyline. The plot of this show is amazing, with many twists and turns. Everything that leads up to the ending is perfectly planned out and leaves viewers wanting more. The backstories of the characters, and their motives all come together to create such an interesting story. It’s a shame that this show was never as popular as other cartoons that aired alongside it due to its darker plot line. The real-life issues and the honest way they portray the characters’ relationships are extremely well done for a show directed towards a younger audience.
Many fans were sad that the show ended so soon, they wanted more content about Wirt and Greg’s adventures outside of the main plotline of the show. A year after the initial release of the show, a comic version retelling the events in the show was published in 2015. Due to the small, but devoted fan base, the comic became a success in the community. After the release of this debut comic, over 20 volumes of new content and stories were released.
Amelie De La Torre has been a lifelong fan of cartoons, she has always loved this show, she says, “Over the Garden Wall has always been one of my favorite shows since I was a kid. I used to watch it all the time with my brothers when I was younger. I recently just rewatched it and it still is an extremely beautiful and amazing work of media. It’s genuinely one of my favorite shows of all time and it’s surprisingly well written and executed for a cartoon network show. The show is incredible at capturing the emotions of the characters and making you as the viewer resonate and relate to them. I highly recommend it to anyone no matter what age or demographic.”
Matthew Bruce has also been a fan of Over the Garden Wall for a few years now, he states,
“Over the Garden Wall has to be one of my favorite cartoons. The story is extremely interesting and the characters are written very well. The contrast between a stressed-out older brother and his carefree oblivious little brother creates some very interesting moments. I’ve also read a few of the comic books, and the story, art, characters, and everything is still just as good as the show. I would recommend this series to anyone who enjoys animation or even just horror that takes a more psychological route.”
It is very disappointing that this show still has such a small fan base despite being around for almost 9 years now. Over the Garden wall is an unforgettable watch, and such a beautifully made cartoon. Many look past this show as just another silly cartoon, but it is so much more than that. Everyone should give this show a watch at some point in their life.