Ethan Schulteis, known as "The Amagi," derived his nickname from the lead villains of an animated story he created at the age of 12. Inspired by shows like "Avatar: The Last Airbender," Schulteis developed his own animated series called "The Amagi" and pitched it to Nickelodeon. However, when Nickelodeon didn't yield any feedback, Schulteis decided to take online animation courses and launch his own show.
After dedicating nearly a year to creating the show, Schulteis created a YouTube channel to showcase his animations. Although the channel didn't initially gain much success, Schulteis continued to experiment and seek out the right niche. Eventually, Cartoon Frederator Network, a prominent YouTube network, took notice of his work and supported him in creating additional animations in various content formats, including a top-10 video series.
“The Amagi,” has steadily emerged as an influential presence in the realm of YouTube and social media entertainment. Schulteis’ ability to identify talent and create content that resonates with a wide audience has not only established a solid brand but also contributed to the revival of the Frederator Digital channels.
In 2019, Schulteis decided to revisit his initial obsession with "Avatar: The Last Airbender" and posted a video exploring the history of lava bending in the animated series. Surprisingly, the video went viral, helping Schulteis discover his true niche and paving the way for his channel's success.
In 2020, Frederator Digital underwent a significant restructuring, resulting in the departure of its content creation team and leaving the future of their channels uncertain. Schulteis, whose YouTube channel The Amagi was already gaining traction, recognized an opportunity to revive the Frederator brand.
Having hired former Frederator employees to work on his channel The Amagi, and demonstrating his ability to maintain the quality associated with Frederator, Schulteis was approached in 2021 by the president of Frederator to run and produce new content for ChannelFrederator, which had over two million subscribers. Schulteis accepted the offer and began working on content that appealed to the existing audience while also attracting new viewers.
Over the next year, ChannelFrederator gained 100,000 new subscribers and posted several videos that each received over one million views. Among them was “The Complete Despicable Me Timeline,” which accumulated 400,000 likes, setting a new record for the channel. This achievement highlighted the potential for success in reviving dormant channels through a combination of creative vision and resourceful utilization of available talent.
Amagi's successes with ChannelFrederator did not go unnoticed by industry stakeholders. In the summer of 2022, Schulteis was asked to take over Cinematica, Frederator’s live-action channel with over 250,000 subscribers. The partnership was announced on July 4th, 2022, and both parties shared the news on their respective social media channels.
In less than a year, Schulteis was given control of another Frederator channel, The Leaderboard, a gaming-focused platform with over 1.5 million subscribers. That partnership was announced on January 25th, 2023.
In January 2023, Schulteis also received a custom award from YouTube for surpassing a billion views across all his channels. In total, The Amagi now has an impressive six million subscribers and 1.5 billion views, with over 15 billion minutes of watch time across all channels.
In 2022, Schulteis’ channels collectively achieved over 250 million views and 3.32 billion minutes watched, gained more than 625,000 new subscribers, and posted close to 400 videos that year alone. Additionally, The Amagi expanded its brand by launching a merchandise line with signature products.
ChannelFrederator, which features popular series such as “107 Facts,” “Timelines,” and “Cartoon Theories,” has more than 2.16 million YouTube subscribers, 640 million views, and 4.7 billion minutes watched on YouTube.
The growth of The Amagi’s brand and its ever-expanding audience base reflects the broader trend of digital media consumption. As more people turn to online platforms for entertainment, content creators like Schulteis are finding innovative ways to capture their attention and keep them engaged. This shift in viewing habits has led to the rise of new media powerhouses, with The Amagi being a prime example.
"The resurgence of the Frederator Digital channels under Schulteis’s supervision also highlights the significance of teamwork in the sphere of digital entertainment. By fostering a cooperative environment that encourages creativity and innovation, Schulteis has been able to assemble a team capable of producing content that appeals to a wide range of viewers. His newest series like the 8th season of “107 Facts” and “Complete Timeline of Your Favorite Shows” are already proving to be popular with the viewers.
As digital media advances and new platforms emerge, new opportunities for expansion should emerge with them - given its established YouTube presence and unwavering support from its loyal followers, The Amagi is in prime position to take advantage of any such possibilities and strengthen its position as a notable figure in the digital entertainment sector.
