GLITCH Productions is having a moment in the spotlight. If Murder Drones put their name on the map for Internet animation, The Amazing Digital Circus turned them into a cultural phenomenon. Both projects pushed the studio into more macabre, creepypasta-inspired territory – the type of thing that draws in an adolescent fanbase full of fan theories and eager to get their hands on enough merch to turn them into full-fledged series, something many YouTube pilots unfortunately never get to reach. The Gaslight District looks to be another viral success for GLITCH – though its untethered chaos may prove even more polarizing than its predecessors, the creative ambition behind it is undeniable.
The Gaslight District takes place in a post-apocalyptic wasteland of all sorts of mutated creatures that vaguely look like humans, even if some of them have bread for heads, and even if they are all immortal. The “Rotlings” are the shreds of human life that remain, only because God has left them to suffer, with the warning that the prophesied return of the human will end their immortality. Little do they know the dreaded human has already returned – something notorious Ken the Butcher is desperate to hide, considering it’s his adopted daughter Melancholy. Still, her spunky attitude leads her to hatch a plan for Ken’s team of undead gangsters that might just have them (and her) set for life…or to a fate worse than hell.
Much like GLITCH’s other most popular series, including The Amazing Digital Circus and Murder Drones, the pilot has a dark world with plenty to be uncovered in future episodes if successfully funded. The initial exposition dump may be off-putting for some viewers, though understandable with the constraints placed. At the same time, the story does quickly get into the action and attempts to make its main cast at least memorable. There’s the aforementioned Ken and Mel, whose protective nature of his daughter comes from an understanding place of fear – the other members of the family we meet are uncle Mud and her previously alluded-to brother Breadhead. If there’s one advantage to living in the Gaslight District, there have been significant improvements in the body modification field.
If you’ve got a taste for the macabre, that is. The art style of The Gaslight District rings familiar with an odd place between off-putting and inviting – the same territory that The Nightmare Before Christmas and even HBO Family’s edutainment classic Crashbox explore. However, this is the darkest that GLITCH has explored so far – characters being immortal allows them to sustain some pretty brutal injuries, which other characters take advantage of for their enjoyment. There’s also a bit of cursing and other crude imagery in the scenery, including a fly attracted to a pile of dung who is then repeatedly run over, with a bit too much love put into every detail. It doesn’t quite cross into adults-only territory, but if any of that description made your stomach churn, maybe give this one a skip.
Not everything about this world is grisly, though. There’s a definite amount of heart in the relationship between Ken and Mel, with her wanting to impress her father by being a valuable member of his crew versus him prioritizing her safety. Melancholy’s determination to belong and Ken’s fear of losing her add a bittersweet undertone to the otherwise grotesque comedy and absurd visuals. Ken has an unexpected run-in from the past, who the sheer brutality of his attack on suggesting a fair deeper emotional backstory to be explored.
While not reaching the almost universal appeal of their two previous series, The Gaslight District appears to have enough of an audience built in to secure its future, reaching 13 million views on YouTube in just the first two weeks. The series has already developed a fanbase like the ones previously mentioned, analyzing the Easter eggs and hieroglyphics throughout the pilot.
Overall, The Gaslight District is a bold, strange, and often gross entry into the GLITCH Productions catalog – and for fans of experimental animation, that’s a compliment. It doesn’t shy away from being weird, abrasive, or uncomfortable, but that commitment to a unique aesthetic and tone is exactly what makes it stand out in a saturated animation space. It might not appeal to everyone, especially those who prefer cleaner visuals or more straightforward narratives, but those who connect with its surreal, anarchic vibe will likely be hooked. If GLITCH can maintain this balance of horror, humor, and heart in future episodes, while continuing to refine its pacing and world-building, this could be yet another massive franchise in the making for the studio. Whether you’re in it for the lore, the madness, or just the absurdity of a bread-headed gangster fighting for his afterlife, The Gaslight District proves there’s still plenty of uncharted territory in internet animation. If only that fame didn’t come with YouTube Kids videos. Poor Ponmi…
The Gaslight District is available streaming on YouTube via GLITCH, with further instructions on how to support the development of the full show available through their official webpages.
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