Hey Creatorverse readers,
The internet has a long history of launching animated TV shows. Pendleton Ward’s “Adventure Time” first gained its cult following on YouTube, and “Rick and Morty” started on Dan Harmon’s Channel 101. Even Adult Swim’s upcoming “Haha, You Clowns” started as a series of YouTube videos from Joe Cappa.
But Glitch Productions, the company behind “The Amazing Digital Circus,” is flipping that well-worn roadmap on its head.
Co-founder and CEO Kevin Lerdwichagul reached out to Dana Terrace, the former creator of Disney Channel’s “The Owl House,” on social media with a tempting offer: Do you want to make whatever you want? Immediately, Terrace was interested. That DM led to “Knights of Guinevere,” Glitch Productions’ first 2D animated series, which amassed 10 million views in its first five days. It’s the sort of quality and audience reach you would expect from a major studio, yet it’s on YouTube.
Created by Terrace, Zach Marcus and John Bailey Owen, “Knights of Guinevere” is a stunningly crafted thriller that combines rich characters with killer action scenes. It’s a show so well fleshed out, it would feel at home on any major network. But what makes “Knights of Guinevere” remarkable is Terrace herself. The creator of Disney Channel’s “The Owl House,” this marks Terrace’s first move from a traditional Hollywood studio to the digital space.
And so far it’s been working out. Production for the series took a little over a year — a quick timeline for animation.
“[‘Knights of Guinevere’] felt more genuine to my own tastes and interests. In a weird way, it was easier,” she said. Though there is someone who watches the show to make sure it tracks from an entertainment perspective, Terrace’s work with the independent studio is free of headache-inducing creative notes. “It feels like a collaborative student film, where we’re all just passionately working together on this one thing.”
The project hasn’t just afforded her creative flexibility. Terrace is currently a full-time Glitch employee with health insurance — a relief for any creative. She is also directly involved in crafting merch for her show, which was available ahead of its launch. Unlike traditional networks, which sometimes require several successful seasons before investing in merchandise,profits from Glitch merchandise directly help fund the creation of new episodes.
Terrace doesn’t yet know if her show will be picked up. But the overwhelming positive response and high viewer count for “Knights of Guinevere” is giving her hope.
“I was not bracing for this much love and positivity,” she said. “I’ve just been been glowing all week.”
Now onto the rest.
Kayla Cobb
Senior Reporter
kayla.cobb@thewrap.com
What’s New
Creator videos are now on Disney+, and “Subway Takes” is on Tubi
Right now, you can find 11 creator videos on Disney+ all connected to “Lilo & Stitch.” This is thanks to a partnership between Disney and pocket.watch, the kids’ media company that’s found a niche in bringing creator content to streamers. Neither company would confirm to TheWrap if more videos are to come, but if the first wave of Creator Collection is well-watched, it seems likely. “We’re constantly looking for ways to bring new and exciting programming to our subscribers,” an insider connected to Disney+ told TheWrap.
Less surprising is the fact that the public transit-based interview show “Subway Takes” is now on Tubi. It’s a good fit. Tubi wants more creator content; “Subway Takes” has been called the TikTok version of “The Tonight Show.” Congrats to Kareem Rahma.
MrBeast made $450 million in sales last year, and that’s still not enough
A report from Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw broke down the realities of Beast Industries, the holding company owned by Jimmy Donaldson, aka MrBeast, and unveiled some really interesting insights. For example, did you know Beast employs over a dozen people who make thumbnails? But the article’s biggest takeaway is that, despite MrBeast’s YouTube and snacking dominance, his company is “hemorrhaging money” and has been losing money for the past three years. Turns out making high-quality viral videos on the reg eats up a lot of cash.
Donaldson and his team have often been transparent about how expensive their work is, but it’s always interesting to see it spelled out. That may be one of the reasons why MrBeast has been cozying up more with traditional media. He, Salish Matter and Smosh will all be part of the cast of “Angry Birds 3,” and former NBC unscripted TV head Corie Henson has been tapped as president of Beast Industry Studios.
YouTube is bringing back banned accounts
After banning accounts for posting misinformation about COVID-19 and the 2020 election, YouTube said on Tuesday that it plans to reinstate some of those accounts. Alphabet made this decision following an investigation led by Republicans that questioned whether Biden pressured tech companies to censure certain content.
When I spoke to YouTube’s execs last week, we touched on moderation, specifically when it comes to live streaming. But this is just another example of tech companies relaxing their moderation standards under this administration.
Up and Coming
“Mythical Evening 2025: Sloshed In Space” will premiere in October
The R-rated spinoff of Rhett & Link’s “Good Mythical Morning” returns for its fifth year on Oct. 23. It will be available for a limited time on demand. With over 19 million followers, “Good Mythical Morning” has been called the most-watched daily show on the internet. The duo’s annual special lets them embrace their sillier and more adventurous side, this time in space.
Track Star launched a podcast hosted by Jack Coyne
The company behind the music trivia game show on TikTok (over 564,000 followers) launched a podcast on Wednesday. Hosted by co-creator Jack Coyne, the weekly podcast plans to have interviews from major names like Seth MacFarlane, John C. Reilly, Jon Batiste, Mark Ronson and Linkin Park all about how music has shaped their lives.
Speaking of podcasts, Raptive, the media company for creators, launched its own podcast “Ctrl Alt Ask” also on Wednesday. This one is an advice show for creators hosted by Stephanie Woodin. Also, “Heavyweight” returned today. Hosted by Jonathan Goldstein, the emotional deep dive podcast is one of the few survivors of Gimlet’s boom of narrative podcasts.
Improv show “Make Some Noise” returns in October
If you don’t actively watch Dropout.tv, chances are high their content has appeared in your feed. You know those videos where comedians riff on prompts like “Jimmy Kimmel the court jester is definitely going to be beheaded by the king after this set”? That’s them. And one of their biggest shows — “Make Some Noise” — will return with Season 4 on Oct. 13. Ben Schwartz, Lisa Gilroy and Paul F. Tompkins are all set to make appearances.
Movers and Shakers
Jay Renshaw is considering moving “The Chit Show” off social media
Conversations are ongoing, but they’re happening. After the finale of the viral TikTok comedy with over 2.2 million followers, Renshaw broke down that final episode with me, explained how his series brought in two A-listers and whether the series will remain on social media or move to a bigger platform.
Roblox taps a former Airbnb exec to lead its creator ecosystem
Vlad Loktev, who has experience at Airbnb and Zynga, has been named the company’s Chief Creator Ecosystem Officer and will start on Sept. 29. Loktev will be responsible for improving the day-to-day experience for Roblox creators as well as spearheading new tools. And since Roblox is in a bit of a PR crisis right now, that’s not going to be an easy gig.
Kamala Harris joins Substack
Former vice president Kamala Harris is now on Substack. The politician’s first post was an excerpt from her upcoming book, “107 Days.” You know who else is new to Substack this week? Former Deputy Editor at The Verge, Alex Heath. The tech journalist announced that he’s going independent and started with an interview with Mark Zuckerberg.
Who to Watch
RocketJump
After (rocket) jumping from YouTube to Hollywood, VFX creator Freddie Wong is back on YouTube. This week, Wong relaunched his channel after being away from it for five years. If you need an internet refresher, Wong created the webseries “Video Game High School” before creating “RocketJump: The Show” and “Dimension 404” for Hulu.
In his return, Wong highlighted how he accidentally burned most of his Hollywood bridges over “The Witcher” and teases his upcoming action movie. It’s an interesting watch in case you need another reminder about how brutal the Hollywood machine can be.
Bonus Content
- She Fought the Far Right Online for Years. Now She Wants to Do It in Congress (via Wired)
- The Top Creators of 2025 (via Mashable)
- How Podcasts (and Plastic Surgery) Are Shaping Male Beauty Standard (via GQ)
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This report provides a weekly deep dive into the creator economy. It highlights key trends, political and technological developments, data points and industry leaders all with the goal of making you smarter about this constantly evolving space.