If you haven't yet watched the timless autumnal masterpiece that is Cartoon Network's miniseries Over the Garden Wall, stop right here and go watch it, and then come back. You'll thank me. If you have seen it, follow me on a journey into the Unknown, an exploration of a few of the many inspirations that make this cozy Halloween series such a fan favorite.
Before there was Over the Garden Wall, there was McHale’s pitched TV short called Tome of the Unknown, off of which OTGW is based. Though the storyline in the first episode, "Harvest Melody," has nothing much to do with Over the Garden Wall the artwork and overall tone are much the same, so it'll give you a pretty good idea of what Over the Garden Wall has going on.