Lucas the Spider.
Nearly four or five months ago, those three words together had very little meaning to the online community of viral video watchers and social media sharers. However, within the past three months, that has changed.
This animated arachnid accomplished with nearly three months and a handful of videos what most YouTubers can only dream of achieving after spending years posting content, hoping to eventually “crack the code” of becoming a viral sensation within the popular streaming platform. Apparently, it takes a little bit of creativity, a talented animator, and the adorable voice of a young relative to crack the “code” and unlock millions of views and a seemingly endless list of possibilities.
Lucas the Spider introduced himself to the world in a 21-second YouTube video back in November. That relatively short clip quickly captivated the eyes and hearts of people of all ages, generating over 14.3 million views to date, and that was just the first video. To follow up the success and overwhelming popularity of the first video, Lucas the Spider’s creator, Joshua Slice, decided to follow-up his first viral hit with more viral hits: “Its Cold Outside,” “Playtime,” “Captured,” and the recently released “Musical Spider.”
quiero un Lucas the spider pic.twitter.com/rg7FGLMO3f
— neon baby (@lilbdeeya) January 31, 2018
Each of the videos essentially follow the same simple formula:
- Nearly 30 seconds or less
- Common location in the typical home (bathroom sink, windowsill, chair, etc.)
- Family-friendly dialogue (and song)
As soon as those big, beautiful eyes break the fourth wall and seem to stare directly at the viewer, it becomes increasingly difficult to turn, click, or scroll away from Lucas the Spider.
For those who have paid attention to each of the videos in the growing Lucas the Spider collection, it seems as if this childlike creature wants viewers to progressively get to know him better with each short clip.
LUCAS THE SPIDER
In his introductory video, he simply wanted viewers to know who he was. It did not take very long for viewers to fall in love with Lucas, without even fully understanding what in the world they had just seen. The only thing that must have mattered to them was the simple click of a replay button that allowed them to watch it over and over again along with the “Share” button that made it easy to spread the word about their new eight-legged friend.
IT’S COLD OUTSIDE
Perhaps the timing of Lucas’ second video was even more impressive, especially since temperatures were dropping as autumn was on its farewell tour and the cold winter was quickly approaching behind it. You may never think of allowing this type of spider to walk into your home, especially if you are snowed in. However, there was something about Lucas the Spider begging to come in that may make even the most skeptical person reconsider.
PLAYTIME
Chances are that fans would have never thought watching a spider play in a sink and fall down the drain would be adorable until they watched Lucas the Spider do it in this third video, which made its big debut on December 24, 2017.
CAPTURED
In most cases, capturing a spider in a wine glass is a cause for celebration, especially if you spent a considerable amount of time trying to catch it. Those who struggle with arachnophobia would likely not go anywhere near the glass, at least until the designated bug person in the house was present to take the baton of control and handle the situation from that point forward. However, there is just something so sweet and heartwarming about watching Lucas the Spider acknowledge the moment he was captured in this video. You may even start cheering for him when he eventually makes a run for it.
MUSICAL SPIDER
The most recent “Lucas the Spider” video proves that this cutesy crawler is also a musical prodigy. When he begs for people not to squish him in song, it will not take long before the catchy tune gets stuck in the viewers head like a fly in a web (pun intended).
As mentioned above, what Lucas the Spider has been able to accomplish on YouTube since last November is truly inspirational. Joshua Slice has essentially revolutionized the art of viral videos and more than likely has motivated other talented animators to pave their own paths with cute and cuddly animated characters and cartoons in the months and years to come.
According to the vast number of tweets about Lucas the Spider, it seems as if his biggest fans want a lot more than just the two minutes of YouTube footage that has generated more than 35 million views. There are quite a few requests for Lucas the Spider to be a star in his own feature film, many of which directly mention in Disney Pixar in their pleas.
Highly recommend watching Lucas the Spider episodes if you’re ever feeling down. That little dude makes my day every time. @DisneyPixar , please make a movie!!!
— ? Ellie ? (@ellieknight18) February 1, 2018
im just gonna say this right now my boi lucas the spider needs a disney movie and i will be the first one to buy a ticket
— Lee Drones (@kingdrones19) January 28, 2018
@DisneyPixar please, please, please, make a movie of Lucas the spider!! I’m begging you???? pic.twitter.com/csHWVqFH8D
— Helen (@JustHelen_) January 26, 2018
Disney Pixar has already announced that the studio is stepping away from sequels in favor of bringing original stories to the big screen. It does not get much more original than Lucas the Spider. With over 722,000 YouTube subscribers, this animated arachnid is not taking very long to build a massive collection of fans and followers. As of right now, official plans for a Lucas the Spider movie have not been confirmed. However, with the jaw-dropping success of this viral webcrawler, it should not surprise anyone if a studio gives this superstar the green light for a big screen debut.