Australian comedian, writer, and artist Cassie Workman is bringing occult history, ritual magic, and demonic puppets to the Jersey Shore in her new YouTube series, Cassie Workman is Witchy AF.
Produced by independent studio ETCH alongside Lilly Wachowski’s Anarchists United Studios, the eight-part weekly series, with new episodes dropping on Wednesdays, explores magic and occult philosophy through the lens of an occult bookstore owned and hosted by Workman.
For Workman, releasing the project brings a mix of excitement and vulnerability. “You send your babies out into the world, it’s always scary,” Workman said in an interview with The Pop Break.
It is, as Workman says at the start of the first episode, “a show about black magic hosted by a transgender immigrant. I am expecting some pushback on the Internet.”
“It was a labor of love, and it’s great to see it getting out to the world,” producer Will Battersby said in a separate interview.
For Workman, an acclaimed performer who earned a Fringe First Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for her show “Aberdeen,” the production of Witchy AF found its home along a single city block on Fifth Avenue in the heart of Asbury Park.
The decision to film in Asbury Park began during a drive to a local wedding. Battersby, a northern New Jersey resident whose family frequents the booming shore town, recalled his wife suggesting the city. “We’ve always loved Asbury. We’ve loved its multiculturalism,” Battersby explained. “It’s got a bit of an edge, but it’s also very progressive.”
When Battersby and Workman scouted locations, a series of discoveries locked the production in place. An online search led them to Wolfe & Kron Books on Fifth Avenue, an independent, queer-owned bookstore. Directly adjacent sat Georgie’s, Asbury Park’s oldest gay bar. Seeking space for equipment, Battersby asked the owner of Georgie’s if room was available, and was offered an empty apartment directly above the bar. Within a week, Workman rented the unit, moved in, and transformed it into the show’s occult temple set.
“It’s a magical spot,” Workman said. “I just fell in love with it straight away.”
The local community became woven into the series. Regular patrons and staff at Georgie’s were cast in key roles, including local patrons, two bartenders, and a pair of resident drag queens.
“It was a series of magical moments and discoveries,” Battersby said. “It really was one of those (scenarios) where I was like, ‘Oh, this was meant to be.'”
Witchy AF tackles topics ranging from Aleister Crowley and John Dee to tarot, Santa Muerte, and Hollywood history. Framed as a funny explainer show, the D.I.Y., handmade series uses marionette puppetry created by Direct Message and practical makeup from Monster in My Closet.
Workman explained that the concept grew out of conversations with people intrigued by her occult knowledge. “People were always saying to me how fascinating they find the occult,” Workman said. “I thought, well, clearly there’s a market here for a funny explainer show.”
Balancing facts with comedy reflects Workman’s standup background. “Comedians love things by making fun of them,” Workman noted. “You’ve got to respect something before you can make a good joke about it. Having all of these facts and telling these factual historical stories, the natural impulse for me is to make fun of it.”
For ETCH, founded by Philip Gelatt, Will Battersby, and Morgan Galen King, the show fit their ethos of creating “highbrow, lowbrow” entertainment. “They had me at puppets,” Battersby joked, adding that the scripts recalled classic British comedies.
The show marks a key early project for Anarchists United Studios, launched by The Matrix co-director Lilly Wachowski alongside Sarah Marie Flores and Lawrence Mattis to uplift elevated genre work by artists from underrepresented communities. Workman and Wachowski previously connected through playwright Phoebe Waller-Bridge following Workman’s success at Edinburgh.
Wachowski, who executive produced, visited the Asbury Park set to collaborate with the team. Battersby highlighted the impact of Wachowski’s presence for a crew that was predominantly women, queer, and LGBTQIA+. Directed by Hannah Welever with cinematography by Frederic Fasano, the production prioritized inclusive representation.
“When Lilly Wachowski shows up and gives that creative presence, it’s very rare,” Battersby said.
Featuring guest appearances by Garbage lead singer Shirley Manson and comedian Ben Russell alongside practical effects demons and evil puppets, “Cassie Workman is Witchy AF” streams weekly on YouTube.
