Indie animation, or independent animation is usually referred to as animated shorts or series made outside of major animation industries, networks, or studios. It relies on funding from fans and the support it gets. Indie animation cannot be found on cable or streaming services but mostly, social media. With the rise of the internet, especially YouTube, during the 1990s and 2000s there was a major increase in the production of independent films. People being able to own a home computer allowed for a single person to produce their own animated cartoon. 

One of the defining characteristics of indie animation is its emphasis on personal expression. Indie animators use this to convey individual perspectives, exploring topics that might not be found in mainstream shows.

There are many indie animated series across every platform, some of fan favorites include “Ramshackle”, “Lackadaisy”, the “Knights of Guinevere”, and much more. One of the most well-known indie-animation studios is Glitch Productions. Glitch has been known for its popular indie animation series for multiple years. Some of its most popular works are “The Amazing Digital Circus” and “Murder Drones”. Many talented artists, writers, and voice actors help support these shows’ success. Some of those people also worked on popular mainstream shows; for example, The Knights of Guinevere was written by the same people who wrote “The Owl House”. The Living Tombstone has worked on soundtracks for multiple indie shows and is known for their music videos revolving around pop culture and video games. Such as: “Five Nights at Freddy’s”, “Overwatch”, and “My Little Pony”.

Indie animation plays a crucial part of expanding access to the art form, as it has allowed creators to share their work and ideas to an audience without the looming presence of an overbearing studio executive. It prioritizes the passion and originality from artists over profit. Independent animation is a reminder that animated storytelling is not just for major studios, it is for everybody. Thanks to the internet, the community has grown bigger over the past few years and hopefully will continue to inspire others.