After the recent successes of indie animation and indie film-making, media made by independent companies, major studios have been put to complete shame. With internet exposure, passionate writing, and sheer talent, indie studios have begun to thrust themselves into the spotlight and revolutionize the television industry, setting a potential standard for the future.
Popularizing indie animation as we know it today, “Hazbin Hotel” began as a small webcomic by Vivienne Medrano, featuring raunchy themes but within an intriguing world. Telling the tale of Charlie Morningstar, who runs the hotel to rehabilitate Hell’s sinful and vulgar inhabitants, the 122 million-viewed pilot episode accrued a massive following on YouTube and lit a hellfire in their fanbase’s hearts. This would eventually catch the attention of film distributor A24, which gave Medrano a full-on Amazon Prime show now in its second season, marking “Hazbin Hotel” as the largest animation debut on the platform. “Hazbin Hotel” kicked off the indie craze, proving to independent animators that bringing their dreams to fruition was possible with enough passion.
“The Amazing Digital Circus,” created by Cooper Smith Goodwin under independent animation studio Glitch, follows the human inhabitants of the Digital Circus, who try to escape the confines of the virtual wonderland before insanity finds them. The pilot episode set a record for indie media as a whole, with a whopping 150 million views only a month after its release in Oct. 2023. Combining childlike aesthetics with dark undertones, the show cemented itself as a stepping stone within the industry and paved the way for three shows by other aspiring creators, completely backed by Glitch.
Directed, funded, written, edited, and starring famous YouTuber Mark Fischbach, better known as Markiplier, “Iron Lung” was originally created as a passion project, originally playing in only 60 theaters. However, with the support of Markiplier’s 38 million subscribers, fans all over the world called their local movie theaters, advocating for the film’s distribution. On release day, “Iron Lung” showed in 4,161 theaters globally and made 17 times more than its budget, proving the film industry was in the realm of possibility, too.
With the prominence of indie animation in the world, these shows have begun a sort of animation revolution, full of smaller animators and creators. After years of concepts that have been done and done again, independent animation has satisfied the search for something new. With overwhelmingly positive reception and attunement to internet culture, these shows force hallmark studios to realize: money and resources don’t always equate to success and fame; true passion and imaginativeness do.
