Prohibition hasn’t been easy on the Lackadaisy speakeasy. Is it worth Rocky, Freckle, and Ivy risking their lives to bring back lackluster hootch to survive?
With the recent news of Glitch Productions picking up Lackadaisy to help create the full season, we’ve finally got more coming from this amazing Prohibition-era Crime Drama webcomic series turned into animation!
From Webcomic to Series: The Future with Glitch Productions
As Glitch is just covering the production, it will not have the same overarching styles of Knights of Guinevere or The Amazing Digital Circus, but rather retain the world that creator Tracy J. Butler has cultivated. In a world where studios like Warner Bros and Disney are attempting to Thanos-snap their cartoons and past animations from this reality, Lackadaisy is a welcome addition to a medium awaiting another renaissance.
Lackadaisy will now have six full episodes instead of five, a release on Glitch’s viral YouTube channel (and potentially other streaming platforms) which would increase series recognition and its audience, and less wait time between episodes with a greater focus on the unique stylistic animation for which the series is known.
Not to mention, we now have access to more Lackadaisy merchandise for characters like Rocky, Freckle, and Ivy since Glitch Productions is well-known for funding future episodes in projects from the proceeds of those sales.
First Impressions: The Lackadaisy Pilot is Worth the Hype
A beautiful soliloquy in ode to the Mississippi River starts what initially looks like a grave robbery. Given that Lackadaisy is set in prohibition-era Missouri, a bogus obituary entry lets us know that the (false) grave is actually coordinates to some lackluster hootch.
Immediately, shenanigans ensue where the anthropomorphic cats Rocky, Freckle, and Ivy are hunted down and stalked by a rival bootlegging gang.
I know it sounds like I just gave you the plot – but I didn’t.
In my latest reviews (some that haven’t been scheduled or released yet), I’ve been talking about the importance of showing, but not telling in a visual narrative. There were so many little nuggets and glimpses of story threads that made this 23-minute pilot feel like it was set in a living, breathing, and expansive world.
Speakeasies and Submachine Guns: The Perfect 1920s Crime Setting
Freckle and Rocky talk to each other like they are childhood friends, and the ending credits show a photograph of the two as children. Freckle seems to have a crush on Ivy and rushes to protect her during the shootout with Mordecai, while the speakeasy bartender Viktor seems to have some sort of jealousy or resentment toward their relationship.
Mitzi appears to be a recent widow and her husband must have run the Lackadaisy club.
Rocky, Freckle, and Ivy: The Unlucky Lackadaisy Crew
Rocky’s gang obviously isn’t profitable to keep, but judging by Rocky’s desperation to use dynamite during the shootout and his obviously fragile demeanor, Mitzi and her staff continue to employ them at a loss.
Wick seems to be the owner of the quarry worksite destroyed in the shootout, and after the credits seems astounded by Rocky’s vague description of the mayhem that took place.
I could keep going on and on, but seriously – this was a great watch. ☺
The voice acting was top-notch, and I even had to turn subtitles on to catch Serafine and Nico’s southern drawls. The animation was spectacular, and the core story itself reminds me of the late 1920s – 1930s noir talkies I fell in love with during film school.
Animation is such an important medium, and despite legacy corporations that have made their fortune utilizing this creative method of storytelling now rejecting it, I’m glad creator Tracy J. Butler and the good folks over at Glitch Productions are attesting to the magic and power of a good story.
LACKADAISY is based on a comic series created by Tracy J. Butler. The short was directed by Fable Siegel, produced by Iron Circus Animation, and worked on by a crew of over 160 artists around the world.
The Lackadaisy pilot can be viewed for free on YouTube.
You can read the LACKADAISY comics all the way back to 2008 (although existing since 2006!) for free on their website.
Are you excited for a full season of Lackadaisy?
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☆ In Asian Spaces ☆ Ephesians 6:12 ☆
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