Adult Animation Revolution: Glitch Productions Has Become More Exciting Than Cartoon Network

Glitch Productions has been on fire recently with hit shows including: Murder Drones, The Amazing Digtial Circus, The Gaslight District, Knights of Guinevere, and most recently they announced Lackadaisy. When I spoke with Glitch Productions back in 2023, they said that their ultimate goal is to make animated shows targeted at teens and young adults that tell fun and whimsical stories while also respecting our audience’s ability to appreciate mature plots and complex themes.

This commitment to creating shows for young adults that explore mature themes has been the key to Glitch Productions’ record-breaking success — which brings me to the sad state of Cartoon Network. What used to be the go-to place for edgy and cool cartoons has become a husk of its former self. The doom of the network began when it started moving towards a preschool audience. As a result, the more narrative-driven shows were pushed over to Adult Swim. Lots of teens and young adults love cartoons but the offerings on Cartoon Network don’t respect their intelligence.

I wrote an in-depth article about the steps it would need to take to reinvent itself. Cartoon Network needs to create more action adventure shows, horror comedies, romantic comedies, and support fresh art styles. Glitch Productions is currently succeeding where Cartoon Network is failing because they understand what young people demand from contemporary cartoons. Serialized storytelling, exciting action, spooky horror, openly Queer characters, and expansive world-building are what the next generation wants. If traditional TV channels want to survive, they need to grow and evolve with the audience.