Idk if I ever said this out loud, but Iâm from Maryland (well the DMV) and a chunk of my childhood was spent in the suburbs of Maryland. I remember seeing the cicadas episode of COTC for the first time and it felt like I was going back in time to when I was a kid.
Although my childhood was very different from a lot of kids in the show, I think itâs one of the few shows where I feel like I truly see myself in it. Especially as a black girl and I know that if I was still a kid I would still love it as much as I do now.
So yeaâŠseeing this Warner Bros. situation really fuckin hurts to see.
Like idk how else to put it. Itâs just heartbreaking. I hate seeing people lose their jobs, their shows, their fuckin work, for some dudes at the top to make a quick buck. It absolutely enrages me and itâs something Iâve ranted and cried about to my sister. And Iâve seen many people around my age and younger say that they might step away from the animation industry for something more stable. And sometimes I wonder myself if Iâm going the right path, and if pursuing the animation industry is worth the risk. And yâknow whatâŠI do think itâs worth the risk. Art and more specifically animation is quite frankly the love of my life. Itâs helped me get through life in so many ways and I just donât know where the hell Iâd be if I didnât have it. Thereâs so much love put into these shows and shorts and movies. From writing to concepts and characters, to sound design and effects, like I love it all, and itâs my dream to be a part of it all, no matter how small the role is. My sister told me that moments like this (where corporations try to fuck over craftsmen and they care more about a product than people) never end well for those mfs, especially in art, because artist wonât take that shit sitting down. And Iâd like to think sheâs right. That we wonât take this shit sitting down, that whether your a causal viewer or someone who wants to make a career in animation, weâre gonna be like âman fuck this shit you gonna respect meâ and actually square up with these companies that think they can just throw ppl away and fuck people over. Animation isnât nothing, creators arenât nothing. I know itâs a hard fight to go up against but I donât think itâs impossible to fight, and itâs something I wanna help fight in. I think the animation industry and the workers involved are worth fighting for and I know Iâm definitely not alone in this thought.
I donât know of any of this makin any sense but honestly I just wanted to speak from the heart.
If youâre reading this and you worked on Craig of the Creek or were a part of the creative teams under Warner Bros. or Netflix or whichever big animation studio (miraculously lol but you never know whos reading i guess) and you were laid off, from the bottom of my fuckin heart, thank you and Iâm sorry. Yâall put so much hard work and creativity and love and dedication into the shows you worked on and I have so much respect for yâall for doin what you do. Yâall arenât nothing, yâall arenât garbage to be tossed away and you shouldnât be treated as such. And I know yâall have a big and bright future ahead.
Keep supporting animation
Keep watching and loving animation
Keep fighting for animation
Thank you for this. I absolutely agree. To anyone who is younger and looking to go into animation, donât be discouraged. I was told a long time ago in art school that the industry is full of ups and downs. I came in at a good time when shows were popping up all over. But now the downturn is here. Things will pick back up again tho, I believe they will. I love art and animation too much to quit. Thereâs still nothing else Iâd rather be doing.Â
Beautiful art by the way!




















