“The Unknown is at turns gothic and autumnal, grim and threatening or comforting and even silly, with seasons of harvest and hearth giving way to snow and silence.”
- Martin Cahill
In this episode of Risking Enchantment I'm joined by professional animator Robyn Conroy to discuss the little known gem of autumnal animation that is Cartoon Network's 2014 Over the Garden Wall.
The story centres on two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who find themselves lost in strange woods, adrift in time, in a place called The Unknown. With the hel...
“The Unknown is at turns gothic and autumnal, grim and threatening or comforting and even silly, with seasons of harvest and hearth giving way to snow and silence.”
- Martin Cahill
In this episode of Risking Enchantment I'm joined by professional animator Robyn Conroy to discuss the little known gem of autumnal animation that is Cartoon Network's 2014 Over the Garden Wall.
The story centres on two brothers, Wirt and Greg, who find themselves lost in strange woods, adrift in time, in a place called The Unknown. With the help of Beatrice, an impatient bluebird they travel through this mysterious place encountering strange and eerie situations in search of a way home. Throughout their journey, they outwit a series of minor antagonists, yet The Beast— an unidentifiable, manipulative monster — consistently looms in the brothers’ shadows, waiting for their moment of weakness.
In the episode we discuss our love for the show and it's grounding in the virtues of hope and self-sacrifice, as well as the rich tapestry of literary and artistic allusions which form a backdrop to the story. In particular we look at how the series draws on Dante's Inferno, and how show creator Patrick McHale embraces nostalgia and Americana in order to create a uniquely American fairy tale for the modern age.
Music: Ashton Manor by Kevin MacLeod
Hosts: Rachel Sherlock, Robyn Conroy
Follow Rachel on social media: @seekingwatson
Follow Robyn on Instagram: @robynconroyart
Follow the podcast on Instagram: @riskingenchantmentpodcast
Find out more at www.rachelsherlock.com
Sign up for our email list at www.rachelsherlock.com/podcast
Robyn's previous episodes on Risking Enchantment include:
- Stranger Things in Stranger Times: Nostalgia in the Digital Age
- The Prince of Egypt: An Epic in Animation
- Cartoon Saloon: Celtic and Christian Coexistence
Works Referenced:
Over the Garden Wall (2014)
“Over the Garden Wall Deep Dive: Background & Cultural Context” by Bella Trucco
The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
‘“Where have we come and where shall we end?”: An Examination of Patrick McHale’s Over the Garden Wall as a Contemporaryof Patrick McHale’s Over the Garden Wall as a Contemporary Otherworld JourneyOtherworld Journey’ by Kayla Justice
Over the Garden Wall is Dante's Inferno (Symbolism Analysis) by Trey the Explainer
Is Over The Garden Wall About Having Faith? by PBS Digital Studios
What We’re Enjoying at the Moment
Robyn: Midnights by Taylor Swift
Rachel: The Fortnight in September by R.C. Sherriff
