SMG4
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation |
| 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 formerly known as Glitchy Boy—is an independent animation company headquartered in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 2017 by producer Kevin Lerdwichagul and animator Luke Lerdwichagul, the creator behind the machinima series SMG4, Glitch focuses on creating and financing animated web series including Meta Runner, Sunset Paradise, Murder Drones, The Amazing Digital Circus, and The Gaslight District. The founders earned a spot on the 2023 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in Media, Marketing, and Advertising.
Background
Luke Lerdwichagul began producing content for YouTube in 2009. When he was 11 years old, on 7 May 2011, he launched his initial web series based on Super Mario 64 machinima, which later became known as SMG4—named after his channel "SuperMarioGlitchy4". The early episodes used emulated footage from Super Mario 64 and featured Mario characters embarking on adventures that parodied internet memes and popular culture references. Gradually, the series shifted to employing Garry's Mod with an expanding roster of original characters. Between 2014 and 2016, the channel's subscribers surged from 100,000 to one million.
In 2016, Kevin Lerdwichagul recognized the channel’s commercial prospects and joined full-time as writer and producer, while Luke concentrated on directing and voicing his character.
Formation
On 24 May 2017, Luke announced the creation of a company named Glitchy Boy to manage content for the SMG4, Hobo Bros., and "TheAwesomeMario" YouTube channels. Later, on 5 September 2018, Kevin and Luke officially launched the company under its rebranded name Glitch Productions, coinciding with the release of Hitbox, a live-action series featuring themselves portraying various Nintendo characters.
Glitch unveiled the trailer for Meta Runner on 5 December 2018, with its premiere episode airing on 25 July 2019. Supported financially by Screen Australia, it became that agency’s highest-performing online project, attracting over 10 million viewers during its debut season. Additional backing came from Crunchyroll, AMD, and production collaboration with 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 from its primary brand and introduced the GLITCH channel to focus on projects outside of SMG4. Early releases included an announcement alongside a feature-length remake of Meta Runner season one, followed by the pilot episode of the now-cancelled spin-off Ultra Jump Mania and the second season of Meta Runner.
On 12 March 2021, Glitch revealed plans for Sunset Paradise, an SMG4 spin-off centered around Meggy Spletzer; its pilot was released on 26 March. In May 2021, Screen Australia granted production funding for this series.
On 9 October 2021, Glitch presented the pilot episode of Murder Drones, created by Liam Vickers. Unlike previous projects that operated at a loss, this series surpassed expectations by garnering millions of views per episode.
On 1 September 2023, Glitch announced a livestream event titled "GlitchX" scheduled for 9 November, during which they introduced their forthcoming show The Gaslight District, developed in partnership with animator Nick Szopko. The pilot premiered on 18 April 2025.
On 13 October 2023, Glitch released the pilot for The Amazing Digital Circus, co-created alongside Gooseworx. Within its first month, the pilot accumulated over 100 million views, becoming the most viewed independent animation video and significantly elevating Glitch's profile. This achievement contributed to growing their YouTube subscriber base to 10 million and surpassing one billion total views.
On 7 June 2024, Glitch launched "Glitch Inn," a subscription-based platform costing $9.99 per month as of June 2025, accessible through their website and Discord, designed to support ongoing content production.
On 5 July 2024, Glitch introduced FinalFinal_Project, a merchandise venture aimed at financing their productions and supporting other independent creators. Their initial collaboration was with Iron Circus Animation, producers of the Lackadaisy adaptation.
On 4 October 2024, Glitch announced that their series The Amazing Digital Circus would premiere on Netflix—marking their first project on this platform—while retaining independent financing and creative autonomy. New episodes continue to debut first on YouTube.
On 17 January 2025, Glitch revealed its inaugural co-produced two-dimensional animated series titled Knights of Guinevere, developed alongside Dana Terrace (creator of The Owl House), John Bailey Owen, Zach Marcus, and Irish studio Studio Meala. The release is planned for later in 2025.
On 10 March 2025, web animation collective ZAMination formed a partnership with Glitch to oversee future marketing initiatives.
On 16 May 2025, Amazon Prime Video added Murder Drones to its streaming library and signed a multi-title agreement to distribute upcoming Glitch productions alongside their YouTube releases.
Controversies
In March 2024, Glitch encountered criticism after terminating Celeste Notley-Smith, who provided the voice for Tari in both Meta Runner and SMG4, and replacing her with Lottie Bourne without prior notification. This decision caused confusion among fans and sparked accusations directed at the studio. Notley-Smith publicly expressed that she had not been informed about the recasting and later disclosed reaching out to the Lerdwichagul family for clarification. Jasmine Yang, the general manager, explained that the situation resulted from a miscommunication on her part. Subsequently, Robyn Barry-Cotter, the voice behind Theo in Meta Runner, departed from the company, leaving a character in SMG4 without a voice actor.
Further claims involved allegations of demanding work hours, blacklisting ex-employees, and harassment primarily associated with Kevin Lerdwichagul. On 4 March 2024, Kevin issued a public statement apologizing for his earlier lack of experience but condemned harassment directed at staff and community members, including an incident where his personal address was exposed. He also acknowledged previous staffing shortages but emphasized that employee conditions had significantly improved by 2023.
Animation
| Title | Creator(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SMG4 | Luke Lerdwichagul |
|
— | Produced by Glitch starting in 2017. | ||||
| TheAwesomeMario |
|
|
YouTube channel featuring shorts related to SMG4 and additional content. | |||||
| Meta Runner | Kevin Lerdwichagul Luke Lerdwichagul |
|
|
Initial season released on SMG4 channel; later seasons premiered on Glitch channel. | ||||
| Sunset Paradise |
|
|
Spin-off series derived from SMG4. | |||||
| Murder Drones | Liam Vickers |
|
|
The first Glitch production not created by the Lerdwichagul family; reissued on Amazon Prime Video in May 2025. | ||||
| The Amazing Digital Circus | Gooseworx |
|
— | Released on Netflix as of October 2024. | ||||
| The Gaslight District | Nick Szopko |
|
— | Marking Glitch's debut series helmed by a Canadian showrunner. |
Live-action
| Title | Creator(s) | Premiere date | Finale date | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobo Bros. | Kevin Lerdwichagul Luke Lerdwichagul |
|
|
YouTube channel featuring Let's Play videos and reaction content; currently on indefinite hiatus. | ||||
| ' 'Hitbox | ' '
|
' '
|
' 'Glitch's only live-action production. |
Upcoming
| Title | Creator(s) | Premiere date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ' 'Knights of Guinevere | ' ''Dana Terrace'' John Bailey Owen Zach Marcus |
' '2025 | ' 'Glitch's first series utilizing traditional animation, co-produced alongside Studio Meala. |