Animation Guild | We are 839 Digital Magazine
Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1532153
SPRING 2025 7 EVAN HENERSON ("Bending the Rules") 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. SONAIYA KELLEY ("Making a Scene") 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. Freelance writer and author KAREN BRINER ("Dressed to Escape") 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. E D I T O R ' S N O T E We are a vibrant community of individuals who come together to support one another through both professional and personal challenges. One poignant example of this community spirit was during the recent and devastating wildfires that raged through Los Angeles. Over 100 TAG members lost their homes or were displaced. In response, we rallied together. TAG staff and volunteers reached out to every member potentially affected, checked in on their needs, and connected them with vital support services. I am proud that we could help our members in this way, and you can read more about some of these resources in The Local (p.14). When I joined TAG nearly eight years ago, one of my big goals was to strengthen the sense of community within our union. One way we do this is by fostering connections between artists from different studios, which is reflected in the article, "Balancing Acts" (p.22). In this roundtable discussion, animation workers from various backgrounds came together to share their experiences and learn more about the way things work on other productions. Another example of the unique communities TAG members are building is through individuals like Aimee Steinberger, whose passion for costume making has led to creating unique and fun events for friends and colleagues. These gatherings allow people to build the kinds of creative bonds that unite us. Read more about them in "Dressed to Escape" (p.10). These are only a few examples of ways we support one another, but they show that a union can be more than a labor organization. It can be a hub of community, strength, and connection. We are more than colleagues—we are an eclectic family, and we uplift each other, no matter the challenges we face. Alexandra Drosu editor@tag839.org A UNION IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT PROTECTS WORKERS THROUGH COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, ENSURING FAIR WAGES AND WORKING CONDITIONS, RIGHT? WELL, THE ANIMATION GUILD IS MUCH MORE THAN THAT. CONTRIBUTORS BEYOND DEFINITIONS