YouTube sensations The McCartys are broadening their creative horizons. Their recent endeavors, including the Spooky Special, underline their knack for crafting half-hour interactive experiences, as highlighted by Catherine Winder from Wind Sun Sky. At the recent Mipcom event in France, they announced development on an animated series as well as an unscripted competition show featuring Kevin Healey as host.
“We are actively seeking innovative strategies to amplify our brand,” stated Paul Telner from Viral Nation.
“There’s nothing quite like them on YouTube; they’ve effectively carved a niche in the realm of spooky, Halloween-themed content.” Alongside these projects, an e-commerce platform has been launched, all within the cohesive universe they’ve developed around Camp McCarthy, as detailed by Stephanie McCarthy.
The family also reflected on their origins.
“Before this journey began, I was a history teacher with no aspirations to be where I am today,” confessed Kevin McCarthy. The COVID-19 pandemic transformed their lives. “With Stephanie working in healthcare, I was home with a four-year-old and a six-month-old. To keep our sanity, we started making silly videos, which unexpectedly gained traction. We flourished on TikTok but recognized that YouTube was where we needed to be.”
Ultimately, he made the decision to dedicate himself fully to their YouTube channel. “In 2022, I had merely 8,000 subscribers. Fast forward to today—16.1 million subscribers and over 22 billion views,” he remarked, with Telner acknowledging “The McCartys” as experiencing one of the fastest rises in social media history.
“I started watching their content and thought: This is the quirkiest, funniest, and weirdest material I’ve seen online in years. They run the channel with their kids, placing storytelling at its core. This isn’t an influencer channel; it’s narrative-driven, aligning more closely with traditional production practices,” Telner added.
Winder praised their inventive approach and storytelling prowess. “It’s genuinely quirky and creepy. I felt: this is like ‘The Addams Family’ meets ‘Beetlejuice’. We were eager for something novel in the animation sector; partnering with them was a clear choice because they are open to unconventional collaborations.”
“Historically, launching a property like this into an animated series was challenging. We needed to explore innovative methods to test concepts and build an indisputable package so that when we approached our partners and investors, we’d be in control of our vision,” she elaborated.
As Stephanie McCarthy noted, their established audience proved advantageous. “One of the benefits of social media is the instant feedback we receive. We don’t have to wait; we can adapt immediately based on viewer reactions. The animated characters won’t be unfamiliar to our fans.”
“These characters appear in my live-action videos, where fans engage with them regularly and they already have an audience,” Kevin McCarthy mentioned, highlighting Jingle Jangle the clown.
“I had the opportunity to visit Catherine’s studio in Vancouver, don the motion capture suit, and animate Jingle Jangle. Proving this concept was essential. Last year, we posted animated versions of Jingle Jangle and Audrey in our live-action content. Those videos garnered nearly 200 million views and contributed to an increase of over 3.3 million subscribers,” he explained.
Stephanie McCarthy, known as Demon Mom, remarked, while their material resonates well with children, it’s truly relevant to all age groups. “Kevin doesn’t necessarily write exclusively for kids; he creates content that he finds humorous. Kids are drawn to it, but it’s designed for shared viewing—it’s relatable,” she elaborated, with Kevin adding a historical note.
“The concept of Demon Mom emerged because the audience initially wanted to see more of her, often asking: ‘Where’s the mom?’ They even assumed she was dead! Our style is twisted, weird, and funny. I thought: ‘What if we made her a demon?’ It became a hit, racking up millions of views.”
As they were already like a “human cartoon”, extending their universe felt seamless. “It was a natural progression for our content’s style. At some point, you reach a saturation point in your niche, which is precisely what Stephanie and I have accomplished on YouTube and other platforms. We desire an animated series since there’s only so much I can do in live-action—why not launch my son into outer space as a cartoon?” he joked.
“In today’s environment, we are committed to long-term careers. The McCarthys are here for the long haul, with our help to grow their business,” said Telner, with Winder adding: “This is where animation comes into play—it’s timeless and transcends borders, serving as a remarkable means for them to sustain their presence in the industry.”
“We’re building an expansive brand.”
