Critical review on Carved and Modeled - Wittebane collaborative album - The Owl House by @a-magpie-in-gravesfield

On the day of the premiere, the four horsemen of the apocalypse (that’s me, @lasymit, @tuumcleander and @levshany) sat down with jokes and banter to watch the hour-long musical album. The project is impressively high-quality for fandom work, and the sheer amount of effort put into it commands respect. There were a few songs we especially liked, which deserve special mention.

A Dark Beginning, depicting the execution of Caleb and Philip’s parents, was dark and atmospheric—the music perfectly matched the tone of the narrative. 

Witch Hunters, a song about hypocrisy, nailed the emotional weight, particularly the lines about how their parents “lost the game” they’re now forced to play. 

I Can Be Your Friend! was also great—it perfectly captured the character’s energy and was dynamic as hell. The concept of Philip meeting the Collector in the in-between realm when he first crosses worlds is genuinely interesting. Too bad their relationship isn’t explored further. 

Curse is absolutely magnificent—from the voice acting to the body horror atmosphere, it’s our favorite track.

Disclaimer

First off, we deeply respect Magpie for their dedication, enthusiasm, and the high-quality merch—clearly the result of painstaking work, with carefully chosen materials and lovingly crafted designs. We also appreciate their attentiveness to every customer and the monumental effort poured into this project!

What follows is serious criticism and our raw reactions. If you’re part of the project, loved the album, and are sensitive to critique, please stop reading here. Otherwise, we’re open to discussion—just keep it civil. We’ve done our best to make this critique constructive and not hurtful (we kept some cursing and CAPS for humor, because otherwise it would be a boring long read). Our goal isn’t to offend but to voice our perspective.

We disagree with Magpie’s interpretation and feel it’s important to say so, especially since this project is massive, gaining traction fast, and some fans are calling it "100% canon" and "better than canon". The fandom’s response has been overwhelmingly positive, likely because this is one of the biggest fan projects of its kind, made with contributions from so many people. Philip’s fans are proud that our fandom can produce something this ambitious.

But in our view, much of this fan-made story contradicts canon or works worse than the original series. Below, we’ll break it down.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come… That's a big thing

REUPLOAD because I'm dumb and should've done close-ups from the start. GUYS, I SPENT A WHOLE WEEK GIVING BIRTH TO THIS, I SWEAR! I was completely obsessed - could only think about this poor feathered woman with a kid, nothing else. 😭 Didn't even finish the canvas - ran out of steam for that corner sketch. 😔 And this isn't the final design yet because I made Eda way too cutesy, when her actual character is much harsher. More on that below.

WHO SHE IS

Eda's a side character in "The Axe", but I stuffed her so full of drama even Ludwig got pissed. Here's her backstory:

• Homeless (lives in a broken-down wagon);

• Killer:

— At first her parents tried treating her at home - hid her, prayed, did magic. But the curse won: one day Eda broke free and tore a random passerby to shreds.

— Guards arrived, saw a "monster" - wanted to execute her on the spot. But her parents stood their ground: proved she wasn't a monster but their cursed daughter. Convinced the court to send her for treatment at the castle.

TREATMENT: GLYPHS, RITUALS AND THE CRYSTAL

What happened at the castle wasn't just "treatment". It was months of experiments:

Diagnosis:

— First the mages studied her: walked her through glyph circles, made her drink potions with sacred herbs, even tried "extracting" the curse with silver needles.

— Conclusion: she'd merged with the owl beast at soul level. Separating them would be like cutting a person in half.

Treatment attempts:

— Purification rituals: dunked her in ice water with runes, burned incense, chanted spells. After each session she'd pass out from pain.

— Restraining glyphs: drew suppression symbols on her skin. Worked for a couple days... then the beast broke through again.

The crystal - last resort:

— When all else failed, the mages created an artifact:

• Partially separated her consciousness from the beast

• Blocked her magic (which was fuel for the beast)

• Bonded to her sternum - if removed, she'd turn back

Her parents took her home "healed"... but for Eda, this was just the start of new hell.

PHILIP WITTEBANE

Now here's something fascinating about Eda - despite everything she's been through, she maintains this peculiar fascination with Philip Wittebane:

• She actually produces and performs puppet shows depicting him as this Robin Hood-like character who steals from the corrupt and helps the innocent - basically complete fairy tales

• She knows about him both from the various legends circulating around the islands and from having read one of his many diaries (yes, there are apparently multiple)

• She's fully aware that Philip was actually a complete asshole in reality, but that doesn't stop her from idolizing him as the ultimate model of the perfect swindler and rogue

• She actively strives to emulate this idealized image of him

• In her mind, there's absolutely nothing wrong with theft or even murder - she sees it all as natural selection at work ("if you were quick enough, you got to eat")

• The delicious irony? She has no clue (just like everyone else) that Philip is actually the Black Guard

• What connects her to the Guard is actually the whole history with her crystal... but that's spoiler territory. Let's just say she's absolutely terrified of him.

THE CURSE (AND HOW IT BREAKS HER)

This isn't some back-and-forth transformation. It's constant discomfort:

The body changes slowly... almost:

— Feathers grow in gradually but itch like mosquito bites. Everything itches: back, arms, even fingers.

— Her face stayed human, but her eyes - golden with black sclera like an owl's. Her gaze became piercing, alien - sometimes even she's scared by her reflection.

The world irritates but doesn't torture:

— Sunlight makes her squint

— Strong smells like smoke or rot "hit her nose"

Instincts - a quiet nightmare:

— Worst of all: her instincts see King as prey. "He's small... weak... eat him." For now she copes by freezing and distancing herself, but who knows how long that'll last.

Shame and pain:

— Remembers being a witch - strong, whole. Now her back's covered in pathetic wings (they can't even fly!), every step reminds her: "You're not human anymore."

— Wants to go back but can't: fixing the crystal means becoming helpless again. Not fixing it means King dies.

Aaaand that's the main stuff^^

Would love to hear your thoughts and opinions :>

THE BIRB GIRLLL!!!!!

HAROLD.

Serious at five. Serious at eighty-five. Caleb still swears he’s "just shy"…

You raise a kid, think everything’s fine. Eighty years pass — then BAM. Now HE’S raising YOU. And the whole damn village. "Steal? Lose a hand. Kill? Hang."

Caleb’s horrified ("Where did this even COME FROM?!"), but Harold’s no longer a child — he’s the law.

…Then they found Phillip in the woods. Caleb screamed he’d come back. That he’d fix everything. Phillip just crushed his wrist — bone grinding — and dragged him into the dark. Away. He wasn’t losing him again.

baby boyyyy

Made something for my wife :>

BEDONЫ

I was so anxious that no one came from my latest price list that i lowered all prices and asked my girlfriend @levshany to help me with it this time, she was very happy to help ><💕💖💕

So here it is! Please DM me if you are interested I will be happy to draw something for you!^^

you can do this babe!!! ✨💞qwq