W nieznane. Zaświaty i tanatyczne katharsis w serialu animowanym Po drugiej stronie muru Patricka McHale’a
Into the Unknown: The Underworld and Thanatic Catharsis in the Animated Series Over the Garden Wall by Patrick McHale

Summary/Abstract: Death, sadness, alienation, and confusion are themes that are rarely associated with children’s animated series. Nevertheless, there are multi-episode TV programs that – similarly to books, video games, and films – raise such issues even though they are created for young viewers. In that way, they not only break the cultural taboo, but also offer aesthetics and sensitivity that complement the image of mainstream children’s programming as laid-back and cheerful. As an interesting example, one might point to Patrick McHale’s Over the Garden Wall (2014), an animated series that deals with such themes as fear or death in a unique way, showing them against the background of adventure and wandering. In this article, the authors focus on the ways in which the work resonates with the mentioned motifs, but also with history and popular culture. The analysis leads to a conclusion that Over the Garden Wall is an intertextual series, open to interpretation for younger and older viewers alike, as well as enabling the experience of a Thanatic catharsis – a cleansing from the negative feelings associated with death and loss.

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