In a time when anyone can have access to the materials to tell any story and a platform to share it, many independent creators have begun sharing their visions through animation. This wave of animated creators has taken the internet by storm, with hundreds of millions of people tuning in and weighing their support. The most popular examples I will go in-depth here are “Hazbin Hotel,” “Helluva Boss,” “Lackadaisy” and “The Amazing Digital Circus”.
A prominent success story of indie animation is “Hazbin Hotel.” The 30-minute pilot dropped back in 2019, telling the story of the Princess of Hell trying to give sinners a chance of redemption and enter Heaven. A fandom quickly formed, and one year later, indie studio giant A24 picked up the series for two seasons. The first official season of “Hazbin Hotel” was released in early 2024, and the series has been met with great praise from fans and critics alike. Needless to say, this show has a bright future ahead of it, and it’s all thanks to the pilot as well as the fans who supported it every step of the way.
In the meantime, the creator of “Hazbin Hotel,” Vivienne Medrano, had more stories to tell in her fictional Hell. In the same year, the pilot for “Helluva Boss”- a spin-off series that takes place in the same universe- aired. This series tells the story of mercenaries who are paid by sinners in Hell to go to Earth and assassinate requested targets. Unlike “Hazbin Hotel,” “Helluva Boss” was made specifically for YouTube, and currently has released two seasons with more episodes in the works.
Medrano isn’t the only success story in this genre. What started as a webcomic in the early 2000’s quickly became one of the most prominent animated pilots at the time of publication. Released in May, 2023, “Lackadaisy,” created by Tracy J. Butler, tells the story of anthropomorphized cats during the Prohibition Period, working to smuggle alcohol which has become like gold. This series was crowdfunded and in a matter of days, it passed their initial goal of $125,000, making $1 million. By the end of the crowdfunding, “Lackadaisy” had $2 million raised by fans and supporters, ensuring one season. Currently, their YouTube page is filled with mini-episodes promoting the show and characters.
However, these shows pale in comparison to the overnight phenomenon that was “The Amazing Digital Circus.” “TADC” is the story of a digital world where players are trapped inside, taking curtain roles by the mysterious ringmaster Caine. As the newest member, named Pomni, tries to escape back to reality only to find herself trapped with the others. This pilot has the most rapid rise to popularity out of all the listed examples. In less than a month, the pilot gathered over 100 million views, a first in indie animation. GLITCH Productions, the company behind “TADC” has already confirmed that more will come of this world, and I for one can’t wait for it.
With so many success stories, it’s no wonder that many have taken to creating their own animated pilots to express their ideas and talents. Therefore, I say enough remakes and adaptations and reworks of pre-existing works– let’s give the hordes of indie animators a chance to tell their story, with the funding and the team to help bring them to life.
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