Murder Drones and the Indie Animation Revolution
Over the past decade, there have been a multitude of popular indie animation series to come out on Youtube. The first big hit was Hazbin Hotel’s pilot episode, which aired right before Halloween back in 2019. As of now, the pilot episode has over one hundred million views and it now has its own animated series on Prime. Since then, loads of other indie creators have been making their own series and pilot episodes to flex their creative muscles. With the SAG-AFTRA writers strike of 2023 and the ongoing devaluation of animation in Western media, people have been yearning for more unique projects similar to Hazbin Hotel. Even if you aren’t a big fan of the crass humor and hellish vibe (it takes place in Hell so that’s kind of a gimme), there are many other projects that have followed in its footsteps. What I want to talk about is Murder Drones, written by Liam Vickers and produced by Glitch Productions, and how it helped bring a wider audience to the indie animation scene.
Before we get into Murder Drones in detail, I want to go in depth about why animation as a medium is undervalued in the West. Back in 2022, a Cartoon Network show called Infinity Train was removed from Max without warning. Fans and creators alike were confused and demanded an explanation. They got nothing. Posts about Infinity Train were deleted off of Max and Cartoon Network’s Twitter, solidifying the show as effectively lost media. The creator of the show Owen Dennis made a statement about the situation on Cartoon Brew:
“I think the way that Discovery went about this is incredibly unprofessional, rude, and just straight up slimy. I think most everyone who makes anything feels this way. Across the industry, talent is mad, agents are mad, lawyers and managers are mad, even execs at these companies are mad. I can’t think of a single person who works in animation and entertainment that, when you bring this all up, doesn’t say ‘What the f*ck are they doing? How do they plan to have anyone ever want to work with them again?’”
Owen Dennis is not the only creator who’s suffered as a result of these decisions. Inside Job, a Netflix show created by Shion Takeuchi, was greenlit for a second season, only to be canceled abruptly. This kind of thing happens all the time and it seems that Hollywood does not value animated movies or series. Recently, the Minecraft movie trailer came out and was met with insane negative backlash. People criticized the choice to make the movie in live-action and called it a cash-grab that used actors like Jack Black and Jason Mamoa to attract adults unfamiliar with the game. All in all, despite successful animated releases here and there, like Inside Out 2 and Hazbin Hotel, older adults view animation as being for kids, and companies are beginning to pull back on original cartoon productions.
The Murder Drones pilot came out two days before Halloween back in 2021 and quickly gained over fifty million views. Glitch Productions, who are known for their 3D animation, were able to keep Liam Vickers’ signature art style intact while also using the new format extremely well. The 3D atmospheres are very metallic, cold, and help to paint a clear picture of the kind of story being told. The voice cast is also very talented, and they were able to get well-known figures like Michael Kovach and Elsie Lovelock to star as the main duo. Many may know them as the main characters in other indie projects such as Lackadaisy by Tracy Butler and Hazbin Hotel’s pilot episode. In summary, the pilot attracted many fans of previous indie works, fans of Liam’s old content, such as his animated short Cliffside, and new fans itching to see a new and unique animated series.
Just last month, the final episode aired of Murder Drones and sits at around eighteen million views. Fans praised its enhanced fight choreography and the amazing music composed by AJ Dispirito. While the plot is a bit hard to follow and the fact that there are only eight episodes means the story had to be condensed, overall it was an overwhelming success. If Hazbin Hotel started the indie animation wave, Murder Drones rode it to the shore. As much as I want to gush over the series and get into it deeper, this isn’t a review. I want you to go and view it for yourself and support Liam and the rest of the team who spent their time crafting it.
The big question now that the series is over is: What now? Hazbin Hotel went from being a cartoon pilot to being a show on Prime Video. Will this goofy sci-fi thriller get the same treatment? As of now, it’s hard to say. However, its success paved the way for one of the largest indie series to date: The Amazing Digital Circus.
Gooseworx is most well known for her Undertale game music covers and short animations. The pilot aired back in October of 2023 and has since reached over three hundred million views. Wow. For context, that’s almost triple the amount of views that Hazbin Hotel’s pilot got and that’s been out for over five years. In just a short time, Digital Circus became an internet phenomenon. It stars a clown named Pomni (Lizzie Freeman) who was transported to this digital circus through unknown means and has since lost her memories. The other digital avatars there go through slightly scripted adventures for the sake of not losing their minds. It’s very meta in a way that captivates those who spend a lot of time online, and while it does have dark themes and some adult jokes, it appeals to most ages (though I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s for kids).
A second episode of TADC aired back in May of 2024 and even that has views that surpass the pilot of Hazbin Hotel and Murder Drones. I think this is specifically because of how it can appeal to people of a large age range, not to mention its colorful and comedic atmosphere contrasts well with the pure insanity and randomness of the characters and plot. Murder Drones walked so The Amazing Digital Circus could run. Glitch Productions got so much more traction and attention from Liam’s show and now most fans of indie works are aware of their channel. They have merchandise for their shows and have partnered with creators of other projects to spread the word about indie animation.
In a world that constantly undervalues cartoons and labels them as just for children, Glitch Productions, Liam Vickers, Gooseworx, and the rest of the indie animation industry have proved them wrong. It’s not that people are liking animation less. It’s that they crave new, original ideas without million dollar corporations controlling their creativity and seeking only to profit off of it. And these indie animators can give that to them.