The Shivering Truth
A stop-motion anthology of surreal, darkly comic parables.
The Shivering Truth is an American stop-motion animated series for adults, blending comedy and horror in an anthology format. It was created by Vernon Chatman for Adult Swim, Cartoon Network’s late-night block. Each episode presents two or three surreal, loosely connected stories that function like twisted parables, narrated by Chatman. Direction was handled by Chatman and Cat Solen, with Solen also producing alongside PFFR and ShadowMachine.
A pilot was released on Adult Swim’s website in May 2018, before the series premiered on the network that December. A second season was ordered in November 2019 and aired in May 2020.
The show’s puppets stand about ten inches tall, built with wire armatures and materials like silicone, wool, polystyrene, and resin. Chatman estimated that six episodes required roughly six months of physical production, a month of recording, and two and a half months of post-production. He cited Terry Gilliam’s work on Monty Python’s Flying Circus as an early influence, noting it scared him as a child because he couldn’t tell where the animation began or ended. Other inspirations include non-animated works like David Eagleman’s neuroscience books. Solen mentioned being influenced by the film *The Wizard of Speed and Time* and Nicolas Roeg’s adaptation of Roald Dahl’s *The Witches*, which frightened her as a child.
The closing credits typically feature a distorted version of the old English ballad “Long Lankin,” often starting near the lines “There’s blood in the kitchen, there’s blood in the hall / There’s blood in the parlour where my lady did fall.” The original score was composed by Heather Christian.
The pilot debuted on Adult Swim’s website on May 22, 2018. Before the television premiere on December 10, 2018, the network organized an online scavenger hunt, releasing all six episodes across various websites and platforms. In June 2020, the series was added to HBO Max, except for the episode “Ogled Inklings.” That episode was omitted due to a scene where a woman gives birth to a child wearing a peaked policeman’s cap, referred to as “a dirty pig.” An Adult Swim representative explained that the decision was made through creative and cultural filters, in collaboration with the show’s creator, amid the George Floyd protests and the Black Lives Matter movement.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Adult animation / Anthology / Black comedy / Comedy horror / Dark fantasy / Surreal comedy
- Creator
- Vernon Chatman
- Director
- Vernon Chatman / Cat Solen
- Voices
- (Complete list)
- Composer
- Heather Christian
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Network
- Adult Swim
- Cinematography
- Mark Elfert (Pilot) · Tarin Anderson and Drew Fortier (Series)
- Editor
- Jon Philpot / Kira Ablak
- Company
- ShadowMachine (season one) · HouseSpecial (season two) · PFFR · Williams Street
- Num Seasons
- 2
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The Shivering Truth was announced by Adult Swim in May 2017, described as a darkly surreal anthology comedy. The pilot episode was released online on Adult Swim's website on May 22, 2018, ahead of the television premiere on December 10, 2018. Before the television premiere, Adult Swim created an online scavenger hunt by releasing all six episodes on multiple websites and platforms. The series was renewed for a second season in November 2019, which premiered on May 10, 2020.
The characters in the show are 10-inch puppets with wire-based armatures, created with silicone, wool, polystyrene, and resin. Chatman stated that around six months of physical production, a month of recording, and 2+1/2 months of post-production were needed to complete six episodes. Chatman cited inspirations including Terry Gilliam's work on Monty Python's Flying Circus and David Eagleman's books on the brain. Solen cited inspirations including the film The Wizard of Speed and Time and Nicolas Roeg's adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches.
The song played during the closing credits is usually some version of the old English ballad Long Lankin, often distorted. The original score is by Heather Christian.
Reader's Guide
The Shivering Truth stands as a distinctive entry in Adult Swim's lineup, noted for its stop-motion animation and surreal, horror-tinged comedy. The series received critical praise, with Daniel Kurland of Den of Geek giving it a score of 5/5 and calling it 'straight up one of the best things that I've ever seen in my life.' Jonathan Barkan of Dread Central called the show 'pure nightmare fuel genius,' describing it as looking like 'the cast aside baby of Charlie Kaufman and Wes Anderson.' Dave Trumbore of Collider wrote that 'It's not often you get to put this level of artistry and insanity on display on an international television network.' The show's legacy includes a notable controversy: in June 2020, the series was uploaded to HBO Max with the exception of the episode 'Ogled Inklings,' which was intentionally excluded due to a scene involving a woman giving birth to a child wearing a peaked policeman's cap, deemed inappropriate amid the George Floyd protests and Black Lives Matter movement. Similar action was taken against episodes of The Boondocks and Aqua Teen Hunger Force. The series remains a cult example of adult animation's capacity for dark, experimental storytelling.
Did You Know?
- The characters are 10-inch puppets made with silicone, wool, polystyrene, and resin, with wire-based armatures.
- The episode 'Ogled Inklings' was excluded from HBO Max due to a scene involving a child wearing a peaked policeman's cap, amid the George Floyd protests.
- The closing credits music is usually a distorted version of the old English ballad Long Lankin.
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