- For other uses, see Glitch (disambiguation).
GLITCH Productions, or simply GLITCH (formerly Glitchy Boy) is an Australian-based independent animation studio, known for series such as Murder Drones, The Amazing Digital Circus, and others. The studio was founded by Luke Lerdwichagul (born: May 24, 1999) (SMG4) and Kevin Lerdwichagul (born: June 21, 1994).
History[]
GLITCH Productions was founded on May 24, 2017 when the first iteration of the logo first appeared in the 10th video of SMG4 mail time, announcing that it would be the representative for all of his channels at the time.[1] In 2018, they would announce their first animated project titled Meta Runner based off of the SMG4 character, Tari.[2] Luke and Kevin had wanted to fulfil their dream of creating their own animated shows and to tell stories.[3] The channel was created on January 13, 2018, and began uploading on August 27, 2020.[4] The channel eventually began uploading Meta Runner episodes, mainly season 2.[5]
On October 13, 2023, the channel uploaded the pilot episode of The Amazing Digital Circus.[6] The video quickly gathered attention, gathering one million views in the first 3.5 hours.[7] It eventually gaining 45 million views in a week.[8] They also received enough funding to continue.[9] As the result, merchandise for the show were released, which included both the Pomni and Jax plush.[10]
On November 9, 2023, GLITCH Productions would host GLITCHX, which was a live event on YouTube where they interviewed several of the creators of their series and other indie animators.[11] The next day, they changed their logo to reflect their brand.[12]
Shows[]
Meta Runner[]
This series has its own wiki. For more information, explore Meta Runner Wiki.
Meta Runner is an Australian computer-animated web series created by Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul and produced by Glitch Productions. The series is set in the future, where video games are everything, and being the best of the best is extremely important. People have upgraded their bodies with mechanical parts to make themselves just that more effective at video games. The best of the best are known as Meta Runners.
The series focuses on Tari, a Meta Runner with the extraordinary ability to warp inside video games whilst she is playing them. She wakes up with no memory of her past, and her abilities swiftly catch the attention of Lucks, the leader of the sinister corporation TasCorp.
The team behind Meta Runner includes Luke Lerdwichagul as director, Kevin Lerdwichagul as producer and co-writer, and Jasmine Yang as co-writer, and the show's music was composed by AJ Dispirito.
Season 1 aired on the SMG4 channel from July 25, 2019 to October 10, 2019, Season 2 aired on the GLITCH channel (which would become its new home) from October 16, 2020 to December 18, 2020, and Season 3 aired from July 22, 2022 to September 9, 2022.
Characters[]
- Tari - The main character. A nervous meta runner with no memory of her past, and the amazing ability to warp inside video games. It is revealed at the end of Season 2 that Tari is an A.I. created by Dr. James Sheridan for Project Blue, a project meant to revolutionise the world of gaming. At the end of the show, Tari would sacrifice herself to revive Lucinia Porter. She is voiced by Celeste Notley-Smith.
- Belle Fontiere - Tari's former rival and former Meta Runner for TAS Corp. She is voiced by Jessica Fallico.
- Derek Lucks - The main antagonist of Seasons 1 and 2. He is the corrupt CEO of TAS Corp. who wants Tari's abilities for his company. He is voiced by David J. G. Doyle
- Theo - The hyperactive and optimistic deuteragonist of the video game Ultra Jump Mania! who is transported to the real world via Tari's abilities. He is voiced by Robyn Barry-Cotter (née Moore).
- Lamar Williams - A laid back member of MD-5 who is also an otaku. He is voiced by Anthony Sardinha.
- Sofia Porter - An energetic member of MD-5 who isn't known to play games, but assists the team with her hacking abilities. She is voiced by Hayley Nelson.
- Masa Shimamoto - The serious leader of MD-5 who was a former Team Captain for TAS Corp. He is voiced by Brendan Barry-Cotter.
- Evelyn Claythorne - A bratty Meta Runner at TAS Corp. who despises Tari. She is voiced by Elsie Lovelock.
- Lucinia Porter - The overarching protagonist of the series. Sofia's sister and Belle's girlfriend who was a Meta Runner at TAS Corp. before going missing. It is revealed she was the test subject of Project Blue, but midway through, she suffered an explosion due to Sheridan trying to upload Tari into Lucinia. Her mind would fragment, with parts fusing with Tari's AI. At the end of the series, Lucinia would be revived by Tari after she sacrificed herself. She is voiced by Amber Lee Connors.
- Marco - A underground video game host in the slums of Silica City who collects Meta Runner arms and uses two spare arms as additional support. He also helps MD-5 stop Sheridan. He is voiced by Jason Marnocha.
- Dr. James Sheridan - The overarching antagonist of the series. He created Tari and wants to take down Lucks and take over TAS Corp. He is voiced by Anthony Sardinha.
Sunset Paradise[]
This series has its own wiki. For more information, explore Sunset Paradise Wiki.
Sunset Paradise is an Australian computer-animated web series created by Glitch Productions. The title was revealed in SMG4: War Of The Fat Italians 2020. The pilot episode, doubling as the first episode, was released on March 26, 2021. Due to its success, the series would run for nine episodes, coming out every Friday, starting from June 4, 2021 and ending on July 30, 2021.
The series is a spinoff to SMG4 which focuses on the series' breakout star, Meggy Spletzer, who takes a vacation to Port Aurora to find the calling she needs, and also fighting back her inner demon, Shadow Meggy. She also encounters various other enemies, ultimately going on to fight Sir Benedict Cumbersnatch, an infamous crime boss operating on the island, to prevent him from ruling it.
Characters[]
- Meggy Spletzer - The main character. She is a former Inkling turned human from the SMG4 series, who is on vacation in Port Aurora to find her calling. She is voiced by Lizzie Freeman.
- Auri Bori - A young Aura Bora who serves as the self proclaimed deputy of Port Aurora. He is voiced by Aimee Smith.
- Aziz Yousi - A grumpy ice cream vendor who tends to scam his customers, as seen in the first episode. He is voiced by James Bailey.
- Benedict Cumbersnatch - The main antagonist of the series. He is the crime boss of Port Aurora's underworld, who was turned into an egg by Auri's grandfather, and plots to use the Phoenix Egg to restore his body. He is voiced by Edwyn Tiong.
- The Spud Buds (Yam, Mash, Duke and Russet) - A group of anthropomorphic potato bandits that terrorize Port Aurora, under the command of Cumbersnatch. Yam is voiced by Kevin Lerdwichagul, Mash is voiced by Luke Lerdwichagul, and Duke and Russet are voiced by Jasmine Yang.
- Whisk - A cat burglar who works for Cumbersnatch that loses her confidence when she isn't wearing her mask. She is voiced by Amber May.
- The Funky Fource - A foursome of funky superheroes that create their own villains and under Cumbersnatch's command. All four members are voiced by Anthony Sardinha.
- Shadow Meggy - A manifestation of Meggy's negative thoughts and emotions that lives in Meggy's head. She is voiced by Lizzie Freeman.
- Froy and Doy Maloy - A pair of magicians that love to con and scam the citizens of Port Aurora. They are voiced by Anthony Sardinha.
Murder Drones[]
This series has its own wiki. For more information, explore Murder Drones Wiki.
Murder Drones is an Australian-American computer-animated web series created by Liam Vickers and produced by Glitch Productions. After humanity caused its own extinction by causing the planet's core to collapse, robots known as Worker Drones start to roam the planet freely. This is until another group of robots named Disassembly Drones (aka Murder Drones), was made in order to kill the worker drones. According to Uzi Doorman, the show's protagonist, the parent company JCJenson did not like that the workers became rebellious.
The team behind Murder Drones includes Vickers as the: showrunner, writer, and director. Alongside Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul as the executive producers. The pilot episode premiered on the GLITCH channel on October 29, 2021. Episode 2 was released on November 18, 2022, and the season finale premiered on August 23, 2024.
On May 16, 2025, all episodes of the series were streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
Characters[]
- Uzi Doorman - The main character. She is a rebellious teenage Worker Drone, and is voiced by Elsie Lovelock.
- N - A rogue Murder Drone who befriends Uzi who tries not to be useless and loves dogs, according to the SMG4 channel. He is voiced by Michael Kovach.
- J - The main antagonist of the first episode, who is the leader of a sect of Murder Drones. She is voiced by Shara Kirby.
- V - A sadistic and impulsive Murder Drone, who N had a secret crush on. She is voiced by Nola Klop.
- Khan Doorman - Uzi's father, who invented the blast doors that keep the colony of Worker Drones safe from the Murder Drones. He is voiced by David J. Dixon.
- Thad - A Worker Drone with the attitude and behavior of a high school jock. He is voiced by Sean Chiplock.
- Tessa - A human teenager who served as the original caretakers of Cyn and the three main disassembly drones before the events of Episode 5.
- Doll - A Russian, cannibalistic Worker Drone and major antagonist of the series who wants to get revenge on V for murdering her parents. She has a connection to the AbsoluteSolver program. She is voiced by Emma Breezy.
- Cyn / AbsoluteSolver - The overarching antagonist of the series. A "Zombie Drone" who was the first Drone to gain a connection to the AbsoluteSolver program, before eventually becoming the physical embodiment of it. She is voiced by Allanah Fitzgerald.
The Amazing Digital Circus[]
This series has its own wiki. For more information, explore The Amazing Digital Circus Wiki.
The Amazing Digital Circus is an Australian-American computer animated web series created by Gooseworx and produced by Glitch Productions. The show follows a group of six humans who have become trapped inside a digitalised circus themed world, and turned into computer-animated cartoon characters. The world is overseen by an eccentric A.I. named Caine, and his loyal assistant Bubble. An anxious woman named Pomni is the newest human to enter the circus, taking the form of a jester, and is now desperate to find a way to escape the circus as she takes part in the adventures Caine sets up for her and the other humans, all to ensure they keep their sanity and prevent them 'abstracting'.
Following worries and doubts managing creative projects with other people on a large scale, Gooseworx was contacted by GLITCH with the offer to develop an animated series under them. Gooseworx pitched 3 different concepts before settling on Digital Circus, an idea inspired by PC games of the 1990's, and early CGI character renders.
The team behind The Amazing Digital Circus includes Gooseworx as a showrunner and Kevin and Luke Lerdwichagul as executive producers. The pilot premiered on the GLITCH channel on October 13, 2023. Episode 2 was released on May 3rd, 2024, and the remaining will be released every few months.[9]
The pilot became critically acclaimed online for its animation, comedy, and story. It not only became the most viewed video on GLITCH, at 200 million views, but also surpassed the pilot of Vivziepop's adult-animated series Hazbin Hotel, to become the most viewed pilot for an indie animation series.
On September 22 2024, GLITCH announced that The Amazing Digital Circus would be streaming on Netflix from October 4th (the premiere date of the third episode) while still being free to watch on YouTube. It was clarified in the same announcement that GLITCH would still be independently funding and keeping full creative control over the show, and that new episodes would continue to come out on YouTube first.
Characters[]
The Circus[]
- Pomni - The main protagonist, taking the form of a small female jester. She is an anxious woman who has become the latest human to be trapped in the digital circus, falling victim to the many wacky adventures she is put into by Caine. She is voiced by Lizzie Freeman.
- Caine - A sentient AI depicted as two floating eyes and teeth, who serves as the ringleader of the digital circus. He is very insane and whacky, and commonly puts the humans trapped inside on many crazy misadventures. He is voiced by Alex Rochon
- Ragatha - One of the humans trapped in the digital circus, who resembles a doll (inspired by Raggedy Anne). She is a cheerful optimist who smiles through everything, even through mortal pain, and cares deeply about the other humans, most prominently Pomni. She also has a fear of centipedes, which Jax likes to take advantage of. She is voiced by Amanda Hufford.
- Jax - One of the humans trapped in the digital circus, taking the form of a purple rabbit with pink overalls. Unlike the rest of the humans, Jax is a lot more of a rebel and jokester, and takes pleasure in tormenting the other humans when he can. It is stated his attitude will only get worse as the series goes on. He is voiced by Michael Kovach.
- Gangle - One of the humans trapped in the digital circus, shown as a floating mask surrounded by red ribbons. She bares the famous comedy and tragedy masks as her faces, both of which are easily breakable and can change her emotion. The comedy mask will make her cheerful and happy, and the tragedy mask will make her upset. She is voiced by Marissa Lenti.
- Bubble - An AI entity created by Caine that lives in his hat, who as the name implies is a talking bubble. Similar to Caine, he is very crazy and unpredictable, and is capable of cooking, speaking backwards, and other things. He is voiced by Gooseworx.
- Kinger - One of the humans trapped in the digital circus, who is a chess piece reassembling a king. As explained by Jax, Kinger has been in the circus the longest of the remaining humans, and spends a lot of time in his pillow fort when given the chance. Kinger consistently shows signs of anxiety and a slow deterioration into insanity due to how long hes been in the circus, with his insanity having only worsened following the abstraction of his wife. Despite his crazy and manic behavior however, it is only in dark places when Kinger can return to a normal state. He also presents a fascination for insect collections, which was thanks to his now abstracted wife. He is voiced by Sean Chiplock.
- Zooble - One of the humans trapped in the digital circus, who has become made out of random objects. They struggle heavily with figuring out their identity, and each episode sees them with a different design (save from their head). Their monotone personality makes them disinterested in Caine's adventures, and they can get aggravated easily. No one, not even Zooble, know their true gender. They are voiced by Ashley Nichols.
- Kaufmo: A former human trapped in the circus, who took the form of a white clown with yellow clothes. Kaufmo became another of the many humans in the circus who "abstracted." As Kinger said earlier in the pilot, he had gone insane looking for an exit to the cirucs.
NPCs[]
- Gloinks: A species of tiny shapes with faces, that're quite troublesome and enjoy stealing random objects. They can come in the shape of a circle, star, square, triangle, crescent moon and bowling pin.
- Gloink Queen: The leader of the gloinks. She is a prideful snake-like creature, who serves as a titular royal figure to her species. She is voiced by Elsie Lovelock.
- Gumigoo: The leader of a trio of gummy-crocodile bandits in the Candy Candy Kingdom. He sprouts an Australian accent, and stole the kingdom's maple syrup to save his unnamed village. After falling out of the map however, Gumigoo experiences an existential crisis before being comforted by Pomni. Despite being brought back to the circus, his status as an NPC resulted in Caine sending him away. He is voiced by Jack Hawkins.
- Angel: An unnamed angel from Heaven who was mistaken for a demon from Hell by Baron Mildenhall. After being shot dead and having its head hung on the walls of Mildenhall Manor, it became highly aggressive and attacks those who happen to encounter it. It has the ability to mess with people's minds, and manipulate them into going crazy. It is voiced by Payton Goodwin.
Controversy[]
Employee Mistreatment[]
On February 24th, 2024, the episode "SMG4: The Day My Arm Went Psycho" revealed a new voice actress for Tari, Lottie Bourne, replacing Celeste Notley-Smith.[13] Hours later, Notley-Smith said on X that she had not been made aware that she was being replaced.[14] This was received negatively by the fanbase, causing many fans to take Notley-Smith's side. Robyn Barry-Cotter, Meta Runner co-star and voice of SMG2, publicly condemned Glitch's actions and resigned as the voice of SMG2, appalled by how replaceable Glitch made the VAs feel.[15]
A few days later, SMG4 voice director, Jasmine Yang, made a response on Discord that she was at fault for the situation, as she had forgot to notify Notley-Smith that they were replacing her.[16] This response was met with wide-spread criticism, as many fans felt that it was a poor excuse and not the full story. Barry-Cotter released a video on her channel, Anime America, fully explaining her side of the story and everything she was allowed to say. She claimed that Yang's response was not the true story, and that Notley-Smith and Barry-Cotter knew the real reason why Notley-Smith was let go and that it was a poor reason.[17]
Following these posts, numerous reports from past employees came out, explaining the harsh nature of the company caused by the upper management (especially CEO Kevin Lerdwichagul) while also saying the creative heads, such as Luke, were amazing to work with. Upper management would repeatedly make employees work overtime and instill crunch time to get projects done by strict deadlines.[18]
Barry-Cotter would share multiple statements from anonymous past employees, claiming that Glitch cared more about gaining attention through big names and that their positive messaging was nothing but a PR front. [19][20]
Kevin would end up getting doxxed by some users on Twitter, forcing him to give a response to this.[21][22]
Trivia[]
- Tari was originally designed by Luke and Kevin's 12 year old sister, who wanted a new character for SMG4. They eventually decided to create the series, Meta Runner after making several iterations with Tari's character design.[23]
- Much of the character designs in Meta Runner are based on birds. One example included Tari, who was associated with a blue jay.
- The Amazing Digital Circus was heavily inspired by the short horror story, I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream.[24]
- Caine himself was inspired by the story's antagonist, AM.
- On February 17, 2024 The Amazing Digital Circus was nominated by the Annie Awards for Best Character Animation - TV/Media.[25] They lost the award to the Netflix series Blue Eye Samurai.
Channel milestones[]
Note: The following dates are according to Social Blade. Dates may vary by one or two days due to differences in time zones.
Subscriber milestones[]
- 1 million subscribers: December 28, 2022
- 2 million subscribers: October 14, 2023
- 3 million subscribers: October 24, 2023
- 4 million subscribers: November 3, 2023[26]
- 5 million subscribers: November 12, 2023
- 6 million subscribers: December 23, 2023
- 7 million subscribers: January 20, 2024
- 8 million subscribers: March 3, 2024
- 9 million subscribers: May 2, 2024
- 10 million subscribers: May 15, 2024
Video view milestones[]
- 100 million views: May 22, 2022
- 200 million views: October 23, 2023
- 300 million views: November 6, 2023
- 400 million views: November 18, 2023
References[]
- ↑ Representative of channels
- ↑ Meta Runner
- ↑ Animated Shows/Stories
- ↑ Starting of Uploading
- ↑ Season 2 Meta Runner
- ↑ The Amazing Digital Circus
- ↑ One Million Views!!!
- ↑ 45 Million Views!!! OMG!
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 https://youtu.be/rafQwY9n_M0?si=QKzv4fMI55mgYNZc
- ↑ Pomni and Jax plushies
- ↑ GLITCHX
- ↑ New Logo
- ↑ Accussation of VA of Tari being replaced.
- ↑ Replscement?
- ↑ Glitch condemned
- ↑ Jasmine Yang was at fault?
- ↑ Notely-Smith reveals truth
- ↑ Struct deadlines
- ↑ Evidence #1
- ↑ Evidence #2
- ↑ Drama Explained
- ↑ Liam got Doxxed?
- ↑ Tari's development in Meta Runner
- ↑ Inspiration for horror story
- ↑ Annie Awards.
- ↑ November 3rd, 2023
