Indie Animation

Independent animation studios on YouTube have been rising above larger corporations like Disney with their high quality shows for the past five years.

It seems as though YouTube animation studios have greatly grown in popularity. One in particular, Glitch Productions, has been making waves in the independent animation industry.

“It’s a new and amazing time for indie animation to shine. We wouldn’t be anywhere without the audience’s enthusiasm and support,” Tracy Butler, partner of Glitch and creator of indie series and comic, Lackadaisy, said.

Glitch is run by two brothers, Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul. The channel started in 2020, with the brothers making a few 3D animated series that didn’t get too much attention.

In 2021, Glitch joined with Liam Vickers to create their first big show called Murder Drones. The show ran from start to finish on YouTube, but was subsequently put on Prime Video after it ended. The series showcased professional animation and writing, especially in later episodes, that had fans hooked.

“I really like the way it’s animated. It all seems so fluid and it looks super good. Also the writing is just insane,” NHS freshman Leo Dominguez said.

However, Glitch’s biggest achievement happened while Murder Drones was still running. They teamed up with the musician and writer known as Gooseworx to make The Amazing Digital Circus. It was this surreal psychological comedy series that took the internet by storm, bringing in almost 300 million views. The show was later put on Netflix to gain even more fans, becoming one of, if not the most, viewed indie pilots of all time.

With all this attention, and new shows on the way, people have been wondering if Glitch might actually surpass more established companies like Disney. The creators seem to think so as well.

It’s no secret that Disney has been struggling lately. Most movies they put out continue to perform poorly. New releases like Wish and the live-action remake of Snow White have created much disappointment in fans, as many of these movies seem to lack a lot of creativity and passion. The writers of these stories usually start off with a lot of love for their film, but Disney slowly makes them change significant element. Eventually, only a shell of the creator’s original vision is left, and the story loses its heart, becoming unentertaining. Even those who are able to hold onto their vision are eventually robbed of it. This happened to Dana Terrace when Disney canceled her show, The Owl House.

Though it was never officially confirmed why this beloved show was abandoned, Terrace has talked about it on her social media accounts before.

“At the end of the day, there are a few business people who oversee what fits into the Disney brand, and one day, one of those guys decided The Owl House didn’t fit that ‘brand.’ The show is serialized, our audience skews older, and that just didn’t fit this one guy’s tastes,” Terrace explained.

It is also speculated that Disney was against the abundant representation of LGBTQ+ characters, as they were revealed to have secretly donated to the “Don’t Say Gay” bill a while back. This was something that Terrace also addressed online, and another reason why she will likely never return to work for Disney.

After the show aired its final season, consisting of only three episodes, Terrace was done with Disney. But not even two years after the ending of her first show, Terrace returned in a most unexpected way.

In January of 2025, Glitch Productions put out the teaser for a new show: Knights of Guinevere. It was said to be a sci-fi psychological thriller set to release sometime in 2025. The premise interested many, but what really got people talking were four simple words at the end of the trailer: “Created by Dana Terrace.” Terrace had fled to the vibrant world of indie animation, joining none other than Glitch Productions.

When the pilot finally aired, people fell in love with it. But what really captured people was the obvious symbolism in the show. It is about a theme park with a princess for a mascot that creates cheap content and treats their employees poorly, all while making millions. 

It’s clear that Terrace’s spite towards Disney inspired this show. The pilot got 14 million views in it’s first month, and a whole lot of love. For a while it was all over social media, with many people praising Terrace’s courage to speak out in such an artistic way.

“Even though only the pilot is out with Knights of Guinevere, the story line that has developed so far is intriguing, the characters are interesting, and it also already has so many people hooked,” NHS freshman Rowan Kling said.

All partners of Glitch such as Gooseworx, Vickers, and many more, continue to thank them for the financial support and creative freedom. These sensational shows would have never been made without the help of Glitch Productions and their animation team.

“I can actually just make the show I want to make with all my collaborators, and I get to do all that with the most amazing artists. Knights of Guinevere is the first time I feel like I’m doing something genuine, and without being forced to hold back,” Terrace said to Kevin Lerdwichagul from Glitch.

As Terrace points out, Glitch offers creators an opportunity that no other company will: to make the exact show they want, with no changes necessary. This idea is something that people haven’t seen in a while, which may be why Glitch’s shows feel like such a breath of fresh air for everyone. They receive much of their funding from fans, so that they can achieve their greatest ambitions and continue to change the animation industry for the better.