Nov 4, 2024

Mikey Preece and Dan Ojari Remake “Over the Garden Wall” in 10th Anniversary Stop-Motion

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the special Cartoon Network miniseries “Over the Garden Wall” by Patrick McHale, Aardman Animations, along with directors Mikey Preece and Dan Ojari, have created a stunning stop-motion tribute short to bring the story back to life.

McHale's original series was a meditation on the beauty and strangeness of life, blending elements of Ub Iwerks' surreal animation, Grimm's Fairy Tales, and Harry Smith's The American Folk Songbook. At its core, Over the Garden Wall explores a journey, a quest for identity and understanding, not only in the forest, but through the self. The children in the story symbolize all of us as we wander through a wondrous world, meeting friends, family, and strangers, surrounded by sun, sky, trees, and animals. Shadows of the past, present, and future lurk within and without, symbolizing the unknown and as yet undiscovered truths of life.

This stop-motion short features an elaborately crafted wooden puppet with hand-painted eyes and mouth that serves as a fitting coda to McHale's masterpiece. Wilt contemplates the nature of his journey, wondering if the journey is really over, and perhaps we are all a little lost. Beatrice interrupts his musings and reminds him that life is about embracing the present moment. This introspection is especially poignant in the confusion and uncertainty of our times.

Preece and Ojari, the creative team behind the Academy Award-nominated short film “Robin Robin,” co-wrote the story with McHale. The short features the return of original series stars Elijah Wood (Wert), Colin Dean (Greg), Melanie Linsky (Beatrice), and Frank Fairfield (Toy Maker/Narrator). The puppets were created by Joshua and Nathan Flynn (aka Sculpt Double), Laura Tofalides, and Rachel Brown, and animated by Lee Wilton, Marie Lechevalier, and Susie Parr. All credits are listed in the Youtube video description.

A behind-the-scenes video documenting the production can be seen at: