Warning: The following contains some mature content.

Today, I’d like to cover two recent animations that broke the mold.

This article might stray a bit from from what we usually cover here at Boss Rush, but I wanted to take some time to spotlight two recent animated shorts from independent artists Matthew Gafford and Iron Circus Animations.

Matthew Gafford created a non-profit parody of Star Fox and uploads episodes to YouTube. “Parody” is hardly the right word for it. It’s more of a labor of love.

After a gap of six years, the second episode of his series A Fox in Space – Episode Two – Fixing a Hole is here.

I recommend starting with episode one if you’re interested in the series. Its run time is much shorter (13 minutes) compared to episode two (40 minutes). Episode one sets the tone for the series. If you’ve ever thought to yourself “I love Star Fox, but I wish it had a darker, grittier edge to it” you owe it to yourself to check out this series. Watch episode one, see if it’s for you, and know that episode two is waiting for you in all its gritty glory.

The series itself is rather self-contained too. I’ve seen folks in the comments sections of these episodes saying that they know nothing about Star Fox, but they still enjoy the episodes that Gafford uploads. That said, the more Star Fox knowledge you have going in, the more you’ll get out of the show.

Next, I’d like to cover Lackadaisy. This is an animated pilot from Iron Circus Animation and it is based on the comic series of the same name by Tracy J. Butler.

This pilot was brought to life via Kickstarter backers “and made by a crew of more than 160 skilled artists across the world,” according to the description on YouTube. This pilot is set in the Prohibition Era and follows a rag tag team on a Canadian whiskey heist. There’s poetry. There’s music. And ProZD (SungWon Cho) even voices one of the characters!

I’m curious to see where this pilot will go. A24 picked up Hazbin Hotel in 2020, so, I’d say anything’s possible. I’ve got my fingers crossed for these folks. I hope they can land a good deal with a distributor in the future.

What makes both of these animations such triumphs for me is that they were all made from home with either the support of Kickstarter backers or Patreon supporters. This means there is still a place for animations like this to exist within the animation landscape as a whole. It’s inspiring. The creators of these animations clearly come from a place of passion and it shows. I applaud the creators for seeing their projects all the way through to fruition.

People seem to have latched on too. Lackadaisy boasts over six million views on YouTube and its only been two weeks since it’s been uploaded. A Fox in Space is well on its way to a million views as well, and I’ll be cheering when it crosses that milestone too.

Do you have a passion for independent animation? Are there any animated shorts from this year you’re a fan of that might have gone under the radar? Share them with us over on the Boss Rush Discord.

Boss Rush After Dark: The Alternative Podcast for The Boss Rush Network – Saturdays at 7AM ET (Warning: For Mature Audiences Only)

Boss Rush After Dark

Boss Rush After Dark is the Alternative Podcast from The Boss Rush Network. Each week, LeRon, Stephanie, Corey, and their friends from around the internet come together to discuss topics of conversation dealing with dating, depression, life experiences, sex, and more. If you enjoy a more adult oriented, serious subjects as well as some lighthearted NSFW discussions, check out Boss Rush After Dark every Saturday morning on podcast services and YouTube.

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Featured Image: Lackadaisy & A Fox in Space