My last article on this subject has gotten more views than literally anything I’ve ever done (5,287 and somehow still growing?!) so I guess it’s time for an overdue PART 2!

These are 10 more youtube channels you’ve (probably) never heard of.

10. Bizarre Beasts – 97.7K subscribers

Hey, remember the Vlogbrothers? Back when I was in high school their channel was BLOWING UP! And nowadays it feels like John and Hank Green have practically touched every corner of the nerdosphere.

They’ve published some of the highest selling YA novels of all time, created Vidcon, raised millions of dollars for hundreds of charities, provide merch for like half the internet, got TikTok famous, and they even did a live show at Carnegie Hall! You name it, the Vlogbrothers have probably done it, and been very successful.

One of their latest forays into online entertainment is a little channel called Bizarre Beasts.

Created by Hank and co-produced/hosted by Sarah Suta, Bizarre Beasts chronicles peculiar fauna from all around the world, and is also, a pin club! So if you find yourself inspired by a bear cat who’s pee smells like buttered popcorn, you can have them immortalized as a little metal trinket, and stick em to your book bag. (as long as you get to the website within 3 days of the video posting)

Be sure to hit up the Playlist section on this channel because before Bizarre Beasts was its own thing Hank Green uploaded mini creature docs to the main Vlogbrothers account. There are 13 “unofficial” episodes out there, weirdly named after lyrics to Smash Mouth’s All Star, that are in my opinion just as good as the stuff on the main page.

My personal favorites from the channel? The video titled You Might as Well Swim about the Portuguese Man of War was incredibly fascinating. But I also really loved the episodes on Feather Stars and the Iberian Ribbed Newt.

9. Worthikids - 727K subscribers

I’ve written about Worthikids before in my 7 Things for Quarantine article. But over the last year or so the unique animator has been BRINGING THE HEAT!

Now sporting a “longform” series called Bigtop Burger, a bazillion new shorts, and SEVERAL new and interesting art styles, there’s tons to choose from. 60s stop motion, 80s sci-fi, 90s video games, nothing is off the table! Their absurd humor is beautifully complimented by the visuals and my heart beats a little faster every time I see their stuff pop up in my subscription feed.

As for suggestions all my old ones still stand, but also, definitely give Bigtop Burger a shot, Jason & Friends is so good it should be a full series, and Dried Up Old Bones is pure aesthetics gold.

8. Skatune Network – 192K Subscribers

Ska never died. And it will live forever if Jeremy Hunter has anything to say about it.

Covering everything from your favorite emo hits to pop wonders, updating 90s classics, and providing a desperately needed horn section to video game soundtracks, the incredible talent and charisma of Skatune Network cannot be overstated. Follow JER as they explore the history of the genre, play with music theory, and get down and dirty with every aspect of the track creation process. Regardless of where you fall on the channel prepare to be inundated with a flurry of nostalgia, joy, and newfound hope for a genre most people think is long gone.

Some of my favorites Skatunes include this ABSOLUTE FIRE cover of Cold Raviolis by Graduating Life, a remix of the Steven Universe song Change Your Mind that makes me want to boogie down, and a straight up superior version of Float On by Modest Mouse. Yeah. I said it.

Also, they call their fans the Skatune Platoon and I think that’s just nifty.

7. Snellby Reviews – 4.49K subscribers

Featured in the honorable mentioned section of my best of 2020 video, as well as my article on 5 Green Things, I will continue to push this channel until the end of linear time itself.

Snellby Reviews creates video essays on all sorts of peculiar happenstances and forgotten oddities. The history of novelty Garfield phones, the rise and fall of the Cereal City USA, a retrospective on Dance Dance Revolution, you never quite know what you’re going to get with this channel. It’s like gachapon of weird niche topics, tackled with a lot of research, and full of heart.

So of course I’m obsessed with it.

If nothing else watch the video on the US Park’s department defunct mascot: Woodsy Owl. It’s remarkable.

6. Kiwami Japan - 3.44M subscribers

With the power of chemistry, household materials, and a whetstone – Kiwami Japan can make a knife out of basically anything.

AND I MEAN ANYTHING!

Chocolate, smoke, cardboard, MILK?

I have seen this man grow his own Tofu only to turn it into a blade that can fully dice a cucumber in seconds.

In fully silent, bizarrely comedic, 15 minute videos - Kiwami takes you on an ASMR journey that’s more entertaining than 90% of conventional entertainment.

Why make knives? What’s with the serial killer motif? How does this channel have more subscribers than literally every other channel on this list? Does it even count as obscure? ALL GOOD QUESTIONS! But honestly, why give them answers when there is so much more joy to be gained from the unknown?

Kiwami Japan represents the true majesty of the internet. The fact that some rando with an out of the box perspective can carve out (pun intended) a hyper specific niche that would never see the light of day in traditional media AND BE SUCCESSFUL! I mean, can you imagine any streaming service greenlighting a show like this? Absolutely not. But on youtube it can thrive! I love it all the same! And so do 3.38 million other freaks!

5. Stinnett Sticks – 432K Subscribers

God I want one of these sticks so bad.

Mike Stinnett is an artist who seems to live somewhere in the mountains with his fat little dog Pearl and whoever holds the camera. (His wife? His daughter? I’m not sure.) Together the trio chronicle Mike’s love of carving and nature set to relaxing banjo strums and the pitter pater of wildlife.

Bob Ross fans rejoice! I have found a new hero to take up the mantle.

The carving work is incredibly intricate, the settings in which Mike practices his craft are like something out of a hiker’s dream journal, and it’s always a good day to cozy up with a nice chai latte and watch this man burn scales into a fish.

Some highlights: The Chickadee Walking Stick is absolutely unreal. I’m a big fan of his reptile work. And this cheeky little beaver sent me over the moon when it was released.

4. MootroidXproductions – 124K Subscribers

When I was a kid I used to play with these lego action figures called Bionicle. Me and my brothers would assemble our fighters and act out fight sequences FOR HOURS! We’d give ‘em names, special powers, ya know, the works. I remember those moments really fondly and the content on MootroidXproductions takes me right back to those fun filled days.

Using figurines (both custom and consumer grade) the stop motion produced by animator Charlie Rose is action packed, well framed, and funny to boot. There’s so much movement! So much atmosphere! Thinking about the fact that there’s only one or two people behind some of these scenes is just…wow. The sheer dedication is impressive.

Whether you’re interested in learning more about the medium, or just lookin’ for some good ‘ol fashion robot fights, go subscribe.

3. Skurry - 83K subscribers

Have you played Hollow Knight? Because I have. And I freaking love that game.

I’ve beaten it probably 6 times, the sequel’s been in my steam wishlist for 2 years, and I even bought a little grub keychain. I mean this is TOP TIER metroidvania people! With beautiful art, amazing movement, and one of the most banging soundtracks to ever.

My somewhat embarrassing love for the buggy dungeon crawler grew so intense last year that my youtube algorithm started feeding me nothing but Hollow Knight content. And while my viewership for the other channels has waned - I’ll likely be a committed Skurry fan for a long time to come.

Skurry is a speed runner (mostly on twitch) who specializes in highly specific, extremely difficult, and all around fast game play. BUT! Rather than just attack Hollow Knight vanilla they’ll often go for weirder goals: randomizing enemies, beating the game without certain moves, etc. etc.

While the content itself may not be anything revolutionary (lots of speedrunners do this if you’re one of the uninitiated) Skurry’s personality is so incredibly wholesome and charming that I’ll get sucked into 45 minute video without even knowing what hit me. It’s almost a little hard to describe. They just have this way of lulling you into a calming silliness that’s so refreshing. Be it a mini-doc, meme run, or even a playthrough of something NOT Hollow Knight related, I know if it’s a Skurry video, I’m in for a good time.

Personal favs: Hollow Knight Randomizer with GUNS, Room Randomizer but we go for radiance ending, and Twitch Chat vs. Hollow Knight Speedrunner

2. Joel Haver - 1.14M subscribers

With an offbeat filmmaking style, awkward sense of humor, and genuine pathos, the work Joel Haver is producing absolutely astounds me. From a pure technical standpoint this guy is the pushing limits of what online content creation can be.

Developing new ways to do rotoscoping. Releasing straight up feature films for FREE! Youtubers don’t often go through the effort to be this daring, humble, or audience oriented. And whether you enjoy this style of humor or not it’s easy to respect the passion behind it.

Some Distressing News for the American People, Dads Checking Into Their Hotel Room, and the criminally under viewed A Middle Schooler Explains Why Classic Rock is Objectively the Best Music were my introduction to the channel. But definitely go deeper into the catalog!

1. Lackadaisy - 41K subscribers

Born in the smoldering dumpster fire known as Deviant art, Lackadaisy is a PHENOMENAL web comic that gained quite a bit of popularity in the early age of the internet (2006).

Following the antics of a dying speakeasy in 1927 St. Louis, a motley crew of morally ambiguous characters laugh and shoot their way towards dreams of better lives while spouting witty prose and loving pancakes…

Oh, also they’re all cats. Anthropomorphic cats.

It’s bizarrely perfect.

And as of March 2020, the creator of the series (Tracy J Butler) has announced Lackadaisy is getting its own animated short film! Hooray! The youtube channel linked above houses all sorts of animation updates, live streams of the process, and comics dubbed by the film’s cast. If you’re a fan of the series (definitely read it if you haven’t), love animation with more mature themes (I know some of ya do), or just want to support a bunch of really cool people going outside the studio system to create a unique project - GO SUBSCRIBE! And get hyped for the finished product coming soon!

OH! And if you’re super into it you can donate to the film via their patreon! How nifty is that?

Okay, that’s all from me for now. Happy watching!