“The Amazing Digital Circus” pays homage to classic sci-fi horror with a breakdown

Episode eight of “The Amazing Digital Circus,” titled “hjsakldfhl” and released on Friday, March 20, puts the viewer front-row center of a villainous breakdown that makes it one of the most disturbing chapters in the series.

“The Amazing Digital Circus” is a dramedy/psychological horror animated web series by Gooseworx.

The series follows Pomni (Lizzie Freeman), an urban explorer who accidentally gets sent into a virtual reality circus game overseen by Caine (Alex Rochon), a maniacal ringmaster with a pair of dentures with eyeballs for a head and an oblivious disregard for the humans in his world.

Together with a cast of characters including trickster Jax (Michael Kovach), kindly Ragatha (Amanda Hufford) and anxious Gangle (Marissa Lenti), Pomni is forced to go on dangerous adventures while she tries to find a way to escape the circus.

It is produced by rising independent animation studio Glitch Productions, who had made a name for itself in recent years with releases such as “Knights of Guinevere," created by Dana Terrace of “Owl House” fame, and the upcoming “Gameoverse.”

In October 2025, Glitch announced they will be funding indie animation projects through their “Glitch Presents” label, starting with an adaptation of the long-running web comic “Lackadaisy,” about anthropomorphic cats running a speakeasy in the Roaring ‘20s.

Alex Rochon as Caine is the standout in “hjsakldfhl." In a heated exchange with his AI companion Bubble (voiced by Gooseworx), he sheds Caine’s affable persona to deliver a rant that is on par to AM’s “hate” monologue from “I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream.”

Gooseworx has said that “The Amazing Digital Circus” is inspired by “I Have No Mouth,” a 1967 short science fiction story by Harlan Ellison about five post-apocalyptic survivors who are endlessly tormented by AM, a supercomputer responsible for wiping out almost all of humanity.

It’s not the only homage Gooseworx pays to the source material. After his breakdown, Caine begins openly taunting the six humans living in his twisted circus world in a way that could make AM proud.

Rochon demonstrates his talent as a singer with a villain song “Who’s Running the Show,” a riff on “A Friend Like Me” from Disney’s “Aladdin,” where our heroes are tormented with Looney Tunes-style hijinks juxtaposed with Bubsy Berkeley-style song and dance numbers.

Near the end, several characters are captured and thrown into personalized prisons that prey on their worst fears and insecurities, another nod to “I Have No Mouth," in what is one of the most disturbing sequences in the entire series.

After having to get to know the main cast over eight episodes, it’s hard to see Gangle and Ragatha confront their past traumas after learning their backstories in episodes “Fast Food Masquerade” and “Untitled.”

The ending of “hjsakldfhl” goes in a direction that no fan could have predicted and will leave them theorizing as to what will happen in the final episode, which will air June 19.

All episodes are available on Glitch Production’s Youtube page.

Author’s note: Episode 8 of “The Amazing Digital Circus” begins a warning letting viewers know that it will contain “some sequences with flashing lights and rapid visual effects which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or other photo sensitivities.” Viewer discretion is advised.