It’s hard to explain just what The Elephant is other than it being this marquee experiment on Adult Swim with a group of some of the leading figures of American Animation and legends of Cartoon Network. Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall), Ian Jones-Quartey (OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes), Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe), and Pendleton Ward (Adventure Time) come together to make three parts of this animated special. Much like an exquisite corpse with Ward doing the first part, Sugar and Jones-Quartey doing the second part, and McHale pulling the anchor leg. The kicker is that they don’t know what the other is making. You learn in the “making of” documentary that the special is guided by “game masters” and Adventure Time alums Jack Pendarvis and Kent Osborne to help keep some thematic consistency.
What we end up getting is one of the most interesting animated projects to be released this year. This actually feels quite different from what I’ve seen from all the parties involved. It’s hard to explain what is going on in this other than being a being living different lives over time and trying to understand what existence is. Each part has very striking silhouettes of its characters. So distinct in palette as well. The first third uses grays and black and white with wonderful color splashes for the characters and the world that draws your eyes to where it wants you to focus. I liked the world design as it felt minimalist seventies science fiction with the right touch of Ward’s unique character design and storytelling.
The middle part by Sugar and Jones-Quartey is my favorite. The look is a mix of the two styles visually, with he story being about the expectations of a creative person by the public. Do they get to be or do more than what the public sees them as or wants from them? The section has a character that plays music from a button in their midsection, and the song is quite good. It stays in your head after you hear it. I feel this is the best overall section and can stand alone the best. The colors in this are more pastel, and the world fits a cyberpunk urban setting. It’s visually completely different from the first part but not distracting or will turn you off in way. You feel like you’re discovering something along with the main character.
The third and final section jumps around a lot and has a lot of different looks and styles. The beginning of the third section is quite disorienting and is quite sad, contrasting with how wholesome the look of this part is. It has the look of a Christmas special or a little golden book. It does switch a few styles, each quite visually interesting until it gets to one that has a kind of anime-influenced look with a scientist and robot he made getting possessed by the main character of the special. This one, about human connection, I feel, drives home the core concept of the piece well. Great animation, character design, and a dope ending.
They made a documentary about making the special too. I think it’s worth watching since you get to learn all the people who had a hand in making it and the thought process, not only for the animation but for the music and from the producer side as well. It’s the most prestigious thing I’ve seen from Adult Swim and sets it apart from a lot of other things. The Elephant is a grand experiment that pays off and is a great delight and surprise at the end of the year for animation fans. I enjoyed it and plan to watch many more times, and hope others take the time to do so as well.
Rating: B+
Level of Enthusiasm: 80%