Glitch Productions
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| Predecessor | Glitchy Boy |
| Founded | May 24, 2017 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Founder | Kevin Lerdwichagul, Luke Lerdwichagul |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Kevin Lerdwichagul (Producer), Luke Lerdwichagul (Animator) |
| Products | Animated web series including SMG4, Meta Runner, Sunset Paradise, Murder Drones, The Amazing Digital Circus, The Gaslight District |
Glitch Productions Pty. Ltd.—commonly referred to as Glitch and previously known as Glitchy Boy—is an independent Australian animation company headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales. Established in 2017 by producer Kevin Lerdwichagul alongside animator Luke Lerdwichagul, the creator behind the machinima web series SMG4, Glitch focuses on developing and financing animated web series including Meta Runner, Sunset Paradise, Murder Drones, The Amazing Digital Circus, and The Gaslight District. Both founders earned recognition in the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list within Media, Marketing, and Advertising.
Background
Luke Lerdwichagul began producing content on YouTube in 2009. At just 11 years old, he launched his inaugural web series on 7 May 2011—a machinima based on Super Mario 64 titled SMG4, originating from his channel "SuperMarioGlitchy4". Utilizing emulated footage from Super Mario 64, the series initially centered on Mario characters engaged in meme-inspired storylines. Over time, it incorporated elements from Garry's Mod and introduced original characters, expanding its audience from 100,000 subscribers in early 2014 to reaching one million by late 2016.
By around 2016, Kevin Lerdwichagul identified the channel’s commercial potential and took on a full-time role as writer and producer, allowing Luke to concentrate on directing and voicing his character.
Formation
On 24 May 2017, Luke announced the creation of Glitchy Boy to serve as the umbrella for the YouTube channels SMG4, Hobo Bros., and "TheAwesomeMario". Subsequently, on 5 September 2018, the company underwent rebranding to become Glitch Productions, marked by a formal video featuring founders Kevin and Luke introducing Hitbox, a live-action series portraying themselves as Nintendo characters.
After releasing teasers on the SMG4 channel, Glitch unveiled the trailer for Meta Runner on 5 December 2018, with its first episode premiering on 25 July 2019. Supported financially by Screen Australia, this series emerged as their most successful online investment, attracting over 10 million viewers during its debut season. Additional sponsorship was provided by Crunchyroll, AMD, along with production assistance from Epic Games. On 20 April 2020, Screen Australia confirmed funding for a second season of Meta Runner.
2020–present
On 27 August 2020, Glitch separated the SMG4 channel content and launched the GLITCH channel to dedicate focus to projects outside of SMG4. This launch was accompanied by an announcement and a Movie-format remake of Meta Runner Season 1. Following this were releases including the pilot for Ultra Jump Mania—a cancelled spin-off of Meta Runner—and the second season of Meta Runner.
On 12 March 2021, Glitch announced a new series titled Sunset Paradise, a spin-off from SMG4 spotlighting Meggy Spletzer; its pilot was released on 26 March. The show secured online production funding from Screen Australia in May of that year.
The pilot episode of Murder Drones, created by Liam Vickers, was revealed by Glitch on 9 October 2021. Differing from earlier projects which often operated at a loss, this series exceeded expectations with millions of views per episode.
Glitch announced the "GlitchX" livestream event scheduled for 9 November on 1 September 2023, where they introduced The Gaslight District, a collaborative project with animator Nick Szopko; its pilot premiered on 18 April 2025.
The pilot for The Amazing Digital Circus, co-created with Gooseworx, premiered on 13 October 2023 and garnered an impressive 100 million views within its first month, becoming the highest viewed indie animation video. This achievement significantly elevated Glitch’s profile, contributing to their YouTube channel surpassing 10 million subscribers and accumulating over one billion views.
On 7 June 2024, Glitch launched "Glitch Inn," a subscription platform priced at $9.99 per month as of June 2025. This service supports funding through providing subscribers with exclusive content accessible via a dedicated website and Discord community.
On 5 July 2024, Glitch introduced FinalFinal_Project, a merchandise enterprise designed to support their productions alongside other independent creators. Their inaugural partner was Iron Circus Animation, known for producing the adaptation of Lackadaisy.
On 4 October 2024, it was announced that The Amazing Digital Circus would premiere on Netflix—marking Glitch’s first production distributed through this platform—while retaining full creative control and continuing to release episodes initially on YouTube.
On 17 January 2025, Glitch revealed plans for their debut fully-animated 2D series titled Knights of Guinevere, co-produced with Irish studio Studio Meala and developed with creators who previously worked on The Owl House. The series is scheduled for release in 2025.
On 10 March 2025, web animation collective ZAMination formed a partnership with Glitch to oversee upcoming marketing campaigns.
Finally, on 16 May 2025, Glitch confirmed that Murder Drones had been added to Amazon Prime Video under a multi-title agreement designed to support future productions across both YouTube and Prime Video platforms.
Controversies
In March 2024, Glitch encountered criticism after terminating Celeste Notley-Smith, the voice behind Tari in Meta Runner and SMG4, and replacing her with Lottie Bourne without prior notification to Notley-Smith. She publicly expressed that she was left uninformed about the casting change and later disclosed that she reached out to the Lerdwichagul family seeking clarification. Jasmine Yang, the general manager, explained that the situation stemmed from a miscommunication. Subsequently, Robyn Barry-Cotter, who voiced Theo in Meta Runner, departed from Glitch, resulting in an SMG4 character losing their voice actor.
Further accusations surfaced concerning prolonged working hours, blacklisting of former staff members, and harassment mainly associated with Kevin Lerdwichagul. On 4 March 2024, Kevin released a statement apologizing to employees who had negative experiences and admitted to initial managerial shortcomings. He stressed that harassment was unacceptable, referencing an incident involving the leaking of his personal address. Kevin also mentioned earlier challenges with understaffing but asserted that employee conditions had improved by 2023.
Animation
| Title | Creator(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMG4 | Luke Lerdwichagul |
|
— | Production by Glitch began in 2017. | ||||
| TheAwesomeMario |
|
|
YouTube channel showcasing shorts and content related to SMG4. | |||||
| Meta Runner | Kevin Lerdwichagul Luke Lerdwichagul |
|
|
Initial season aired on SMG4 channel; following seasons moved to Glitch channel. | ||||
| Sunset Paradise |
|
|
Spin-off of SMG4. | |||||
| Murder Drones | Liam Vickers |
|
|
The first Glitch series not created by the Lerdwichagul family; re-released on Amazon Prime Video in May 2025. | ||||
| The Amazing Digital Circus | Gooseworx |
|
— | Premiered on Netflix in October 2024. | ||||
| The Gaslight District | Nick Szopko |
|
— | The first Glitch series led by a Canadian showrunner. |
Live-action
| Title | Creator(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobo Bros. | Kevin Lerdwichagul Luke Lerdwichagul |
|
|
YouTube channel focused on Let's Play videos and reaction content; currently on indefinite hiatus. | ||||
| ' 'Hitbox | ' '
|
' '
|
' '
Glitch's only live-action series. |
Upcoming
| Title | Creator(s) | Premiere date | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ' 'Knights of Guinevere | ' 'Dana Terrace John Bailey Owen Zach Marcus |
' '2025 | ' 'First Glitch production utilizing traditional animation, co-produced alongside Studio Meala. |