Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1521473
SUMMER 2024 7 E D I T O R ' S N O T E CONTRIBUTORS TALENT NEVER SLEEPS THREE-AND-A-HALF YEARS IN AS MANAGING EDITOR OF KEYFRAME, I'VE HAD A FRONT ROW SEAT TO THE LATEST SEISMIC UPS AND DOWNS IN AN INDUSTRY KNOWN FOR BEING A ROLLER COASTER RIDE. DURING THIS TIME, I'VE LEARNED SOMETHING IMPORTANT: TALENT DOESN'T RISE AND FALL WITH THE WHIMS OF THE MARKETPLACE. A studio may lay off animation workers, but that doesn't mean those workers automatically stop being creative. Our Guild is awash in talent, and that talent— consistent during good times and bad—is what makes us strong and necessary. It's also an embarrassment of riches that can make our work here at Keyframe difficult at times. We never have a dearth of amazing members and their equally amazing work to choose from. For this issue, we had a lot of fun spanning decades worth of TAG talent. Retiree Dave Brain reflects on his encounters with legendary animator Tex Avery (p.42), and for The Lion King's 30 th anniversary—can you believe it!—a few of our members look back on being a part of creating this groundbreaking film (p.34). In a case of old becoming new again, Storyboard Artists share the art of visually translating story and vision for X-Men '97 (p.26). And for something completely new, Grimsburg introduces noir gone wild with a disgraced police detective and his raised-by-bears ex-wife (p.16). As for that off-the-job creativity, our members continually inspire, from Lindsey Pollard's meticulous felt-work (p.9) to Kris Wimberly's "bridge studio" that helps animators get the experience they need to rise in the industry (p.12). And while it goes without saying, no matter who we write about, that animation is a team sport, in the case of our article about siblings in animation (p.20), talent is also a family affair. We feel fortunate to be able to document your creative journeys. With your unique talents, you create beloved movies, series, characters, and moments—bringing entertainment and joy to people around the world. Kim Fay editor@tag839.org ROMA MURPHY ("Brewing Authenticity") is a comedy writer living in Los Angeles and missing her hometown of New York. She is a proud member of TAG and has worked across studios like Disney and DreamWorks. In her free time she likes to cook and have long conversations with her cat. SONAIYA KELLEY ("Long Live the King") is a film reporter at the Los Angeles Times. The Bronx, N.Y., native previously served as a digital producer at Essence and Allure magazines and has contributed bylines to Complex, Mashable, and Patch.com. An alumna of Stony Brook University's School of Journalism and the Bronx High School of Science, you can find her on X (formerly Twitter) @sonaiyak and on Instagram @sonaiya_k. EVAN HENERSON ("Swinging for the Fences") is a lifestyle and entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in L.A. Parent, TV Guide, Orange Coast Magazine, and the Los Angeles Daily News where he was a features writer and critic for nine years. Freelance writer and author KAREN BRINER ("Sibling Revelry") grew up in Cape Town, South Africa where her garden was home to wild chameleons. Her most recent novel is Snowize & Snitch: Highly Effective Defective Detectives.