Luke Lerdwichagul
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| Founded | May 24, 2017 in Sydney, Australia |
| Founder | Kevin Lerdwichagul, Luke Lerdwichagul |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Kevin Lerdwichagul (Producer), Luke Lerdwichagul (Animator, Director) |
| 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 animation company located in Sydney, Australia. Established in 2017 by producer Kevin Lerdwichagul and animator Luke Lerdwichagul, the studio is recognized for creating the machinima web series SMG4.
Operating independently, Glitch produces and finances animated web series such as Meta Runner, Sunset Paradise, Murder Drones, The Amazing Digital Circus, and The Gaslight District. In 2023, the founders earned spots on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list within the Media, Marketing, and Advertising category.
Origins
Luke Lerdwichagul began his YouTube content creation journey in 2009. When he was 11 years old, on 7 May 2011, he launched his initial web series: a Super Mario 64-inspired machinima titled SMG4 (short for "SuperMarioGlitchy4"). The early episodes utilized emulated footage from Super Mario 64 and featured Mario characters engaged in parodies of internet memes and contemporary pop culture. Subsequently, the series incorporated content created with Garry's Mod on the Source engine and expanded its roster of original characters. Between 2014 and 2016, the channel’s subscriber base surged from 100,000 to over one million.
In approximately 2016, Kevin Lerdwichagul identified the channel’s commercial potential and joined as a full-time writer and producer. Meanwhile, Luke took on directing responsibilities and continued voicing his character.
Company Establishment
On 24 May 2017, Luke announced the formation of a company named Glitchy Boy to manage the YouTube channels SMG4, Hobo Bros., and "TheAwesomeMario." Later, on 5 September 2018, the company was officially rebranded as Glitch Productions. Alongside this rebranding, they introduced Hitbox, a live-action series starring both Kevin and Luke portraying various Nintendo characters.
On 5 December 2018, Glitch unveiled the trailer for Meta Runner, which premiered its first episode on 25 July 2019. Supported by funding from Screen Australia, this series became the agency’s highest-performing online investment with over ten million viewers during its debut season. Additional backing came from Crunchyroll, AMD, with production collaboration involving Epic Games. On 20 April 2020, Screen Australia confirmed its continued support by financing a second season of Meta Runner.
Recent Developments (2020–present)
On 27 August 2020, Glitch separated its SMG4 content onto a dedicated channel and launched the GLITCH channel to spotlight projects unrelated to SMG4. This new channel debuted with an announcement alongside a movie-format remake of Meta Runner season one. Shortly thereafter, they released the pilot episode of Ultra Jump Mania (a cancelled spin-off from Meta Runner) followed by the launch of Meta Runner season two.
On 12 March 2021, Glitch announced a new series titled Sunset Paradise, an SMG4 spin-off centered around Meggy Spletzer; its pilot episode premiered on 26 March. In May that year, Screen Australia provided online production funding for this project.
On 9 October 2021, Glitch presented the pilot for Murder Drones, developed by Liam Vickers. Unlike previous ventures that operated at a loss, this series exceeded expectations by garnering millions of views per episode.
On 1 September 2023, Glitch revealed plans for "GlitchX," a livestream event scheduled for 9 November 2023 designed to introduce their forthcoming show, The Gaslight District, created in partnership with animator Nick Szopko; its pilot episode premiered on 18 April 2025.
On 13 October 2023, Glitch released the pilot episode of The Amazing Digital Circus, co-created with Gooseworx. Achieving over one hundred million views within its first month, it became the most-watched independent animation video. This accomplishment significantly elevated Glitch’s visibility, resulting in media coverage and helping their YouTube channel reach ten million subscribers alongside more than one billion total views.
On 7 June 2024, Glitch launched "Glitch Inn," a subscription platform priced at $9.99 per month as of June 2025. Accessible via their website and Discord, this service aims to support their content creation financially.
On 5 July 2024, Glitch introduced FinalFinal_Project—a merchandise venture designed to fund their productions as well as other independent creators. Their inaugural partner was Iron Circus Animation, known for producing the adaptation of Lackadaisy.
On 4 October 2024, Glitch announced that their series The Amazing Digital Circus would premiere on Netflix—marking their first production on this platform—with episodes also debuting first on YouTube. Despite this distribution arrangement, Glitch maintains full creative control and independent financing.
On 17 January 2025, Glitch revealed plans for their first-ever two-dimensional animated series titled Knights of Guinevere. Created in collaboration with Dana Terrace, John Bailey Owen, and Zach Marcus—alumni of The Owl House—the show is slated to premiere in 2025 and represents Glitch’s inaugural co-production with Irish studio Studio Meala.
On 10 March 2025, web animation collective ZAMination partnered with Glitch to lead upcoming marketing campaigns.
On 16 May 2025, it was announced that Murder Drones would be added to Amazon Prime Video, accompanied by a multi-title agreement enabling future shows to stream both on YouTube and Prime Video.
Controversies
In March 2024, Glitch encountered criticism following the dismissal of Celeste Notley-Smith, the voice behind Tari in Meta Runner and SMG4. Without prior notification to Notley-Smith, the role was reassigned to Lottie Bourne. Notley-Smith publicly revealed that she was not informed ahead of the recasting decision. Jasmine Yang, the general manager, later explained that the situation stemmed from a breakdown in communication. During this period of dispute, Robyn Barry-Cotter, who provided the voice for Theo in Meta Runner, departed from Glitch, resulting in an SMG4 character losing its voice actor.
Further accusations were directed at the studio involving excessive working hours, blacklisting of former staff members, and harassment allegations primarily associated with Kevin Lerdwichagul. On 4 March 2024, Kevin released a public apology addressing those affected by these issues. He admitted to mistakes made during his early career and stressed a strict policy against harassment, including incidents where his personal address was leaked. He also referenced previous challenges with understaffing but asserted that employee conditions had markedly improved by 2023.
Animation
| Title | Creator(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMG4 | Luke Lerdwichagul |
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— | Production by Glitch began in 2017. | ||||
| TheAwesomeMario |
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YouTube channel presenting shorts related to SMG4 and additional content. | |||||
| Meta Runner | Kevin Lerdwichagul Luke Lerdwichagul |
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Initial season released on SMG4 channel; later seasons premiered on Glitch channel. | ||||
| Sunset Paradise |
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Spin-off derived from SMG4. | |||||
| Murder Drones | Liam Vickers |
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The first Glitch production not created by the Lerdwichagul family; reissued on Amazon Prime Video in May 2025. | ||||
| The Amazing Digital Circus | Gooseworx |
|
— | Debuted on Netflix in October 2024. | ||||
| The Gaslight District | Nick Szopko |
|
— | Marks the initial Glitch series led by a Canadian showrunner. |
Live-action
| Title | Creator(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Notes |
|---|
|- | Hobo Bros.
| rowspan=2 | Kevin Lerdwichagul
Luke Lerdwichagul |
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| YouTube channel focused on Let's Play videos and reaction content; currently on indefinite hiatus.
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| The only live-action series produced by Glitch.
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Upcoming
| Title | Creator(s) | Premiere date | Notes |
|---|
|- | Knights of Guinevere
| Dana Terrace
John Bailey Owen
Zach Marcus | 2025 | The first Glitch project utilizing traditional animation, co-produced alongside Studio Meala.
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