Animation All-Stars Unite for Adult Swim’s Wildest Experiment Yet: The Elephant

Posted on by

Adult Swim is set to deliver one of its most unique and ambitious projects to date with Adult Swim’s The Elephant, an animated special that unites a powerhouse collection of talent responsible for some of modern animation’s most beloved series.

The one-of-a-kind, three-act special, which premieres Friday, December 19, at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT on Adult Swim (and streaming the next day on HBO Max), is a rare creative experiment in narrative storytelling.

The Creative Team Behind the Mystery

The project brings together the creators of three of the most celebrated and groundbreaking animated shows of the last decade:

  • Rebecca Sugar (Steven Universe)
  • Ian Jones-Quartey (OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes)
  • Patrick McHale (Over the Garden Wall)
  • Pendleton Ward (Adventure Time)

A Blind Narrative Experiment

The Elephant is structured as a three-act special, with each segment created in near-total isolation from the others. The creators were tasked with completing their portion of the story without any knowledge of what the other teams were making.

  • Act 1: Overseen by Patrick McHale
  • Act 2: Collaborated on by the duo Rebecca Sugar and Ian Jones-Quartey
  • Act 3: Overseen by Pendleton Ward

To guide this storytelling experiment and ensure the three independent pieces ultimately merge into a single, unexpected narrative, Adventure Time veterans Jack Pendarvis and Kent Osborne served as “game masters.” Produced by Titmouse, the result is an animated adventure so mysterious that even the creators themselves admitted they didn’t know what the final product would be.

Michael Ouweleen, president of Adult Swim, described the special as a “gift” to the audience, celebrating the enduring friendship and creative partnership of the brilliant team.

To provide viewers with a look at this highly unconventional production, Adult Swim will also debut a behind-the-scenes documentary, Behind the Elephant, alongside an encore airing of the special on December 20, which will stream on HBO Max. The documentary promises a rare look into the challenges and discoveries that made the project a truly original experience.