Behind The Lens: 'Cassie Workman Is Witchy AF' Conjures Comedy, Occult History, & Punk Energy!

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Magic, demons, puppets, and comedy collide in CASSIE WORKMAN IS WITCHY AF, a new adult series from ETCH and Anarchists United Studios premiering exclusively on YouTube beginning September 16. Created and hosted by acclaimed Australian comedian and multidisciplinary artist Cassie Workman, the eight-part weekly series explores occultism and magic through a world that is as strange as it is informative.

Set inside a fictional occult bookstore, 'Cassie Workman Is Witchy AF' uses documentary storytelling, practical effects, and puppetry to unpack ritual magic, identity, tarot, love, death, and possible salvation. Along the way, Workman ventures into subjects ranging from Aleister Crowley and John Dee to Hollywood's secret history and Santa Muerte, joined by guests including Shirley Manson of Garbage and comedian Ben Russell—plus an appropriately chaotic collection of demons and evil puppets.

Where Occult History Meets Comedy

The show's unconventional world is built through puppetry created by Direct Message and practical SFX makeup from Monster in My Closet, whose credits include Smile 2 and Hocus Pocus. Directed by Hannah Welever, with Frederic Fasano serving as Director of Photography, the series was filmed entirely in Asbury Park, New Jersey, including Wolfe & Kron bookstore and Georgies, the city's oldest gay bar.

Photo Credit: Nick Rioberstson

For ETCH partners Philip Gelatt and Will Battersby, Workman's ability to combine humor with something more meaningful sits at the center of the series. Sharing what made her the right creative force for the project, they explained:

Cassie Workman is a rare comedic talent. This show is hilarious, poignant, and full of the punk energy of resistance our world needs so badly right now. And that's even before you get to the puppets.

That combination fits naturally within Workman's body of work. Her previous productions have tackled gender identity, grief, depression, and self-discovery through comedy, music, theater, and visual storytelling, including the award-winning Giantess and Aberdeen. 'Cassie Workman Is Witchy AF' gives that same fearless curiosity a supernatural playground to explore.

Photo Credit: Christa Holka

A Little Dark Magic For The Screen

The series also represents one of the first productions from filmmaker Lilly Wachowski's Anarchists United Studios, created with Sarah Marie Flores and Lawrence Mattis to support elevated genre projects from artists in underrepresented communities. Much of the show's cast and crew is made up of women, queer, and LGBTQIA+ creatives. Wachowski's enthusiasm for Workman's peculiar brand of magic is perhaps best expressed in her own appropriately bewitched reaction to the series:

Cassie Workman weaves a Charm of Making so wickedly delightful it turned me into a newt! Seriously, everyone needs to watch the fabulous and funny and informative 'Cassie Workman is Witchy AF' immediately! I am so proud to be a producer on this and call her my friend!!! #NEWTLIFE

For ETCH, 'Cassie Workman Is Witchy AF' follows First Word On Horror and Art Show! With Captain Skinner as the third series the independent studio has financed and produced since its 2024 founding. With its mixture of occult history, irreverent comedy, practical effects, and unconventional storytelling, the new series continues ETCH's mission of putting a little dark magic back into moving images.

'CASSIE WORKMAN IS WITCHY AF' premieres Wednesday, September 16, exclusively on YouTube, with new episodes arriving weekly.