Thread by @RichardScarp

I'm tagging @TAGwriters because they've been one of the most vocal on this subject. Strap in, because I found my soap box and I'm coming out swinging! Also, please note, when I use "us," I know I'm not repped or staffed, but that doesn't mean I don't write and work toward (0/?)

Being there, in the rooms, shoulder to shoulder with the people who are every day in some way shape or form. I may not get a paycheck for it yet, but I AM an animation writer and WILL do everything I can to support my peers. Let's go! (0.5/?)

So some of you may have seen myself or others on your timeline using hashtags like #PayAnimationWriters or #NewDeal4Animation. There's a good reason for that. Animation writers are not getting their fair share. If you know anything about me, this directly effects (1/?)

Not just my career path, but many of my friends' career paths and something that gives a lot of us a sense of purpose and fulfillment. It's kind of a big deal both career-wise and personally for us and THOUSANDS of other people. And if you think (2/?)

That this doesn't effect you, well take another look around. Shows like Avatar:The Last Airbender, Castlevania, Archer, and Steven Universe that are beloved across multiple generations are animated. Basically every animated Disney and Dreamworks movie (3/?)

Over the last forever that you loved were written by an animation writer. Remember the writer's strike of 2007-2008? How for months we all were upset we weren't getting good shows? Or at the start of the pandemic, when SO many studios were forced to shut down (4/?)

For safety reasons. Animation writers weren't stopping during a pandemic because we had the ability to work remotely and many felt the moral obligation to throw down because our brothers and sisters in live-action couldn't since their shows were put on pause. (5/?)

Still, the problems of animation writers remained. Most animation writer's rooms are ALL freelance. For those not in the know, that's equivalent to contract work for a company and that means:
-No benefits
-Less pay for the same work
-No backing from major players in the job
(6/?)

And more. And that's the norm! But there was no love for us outside our families and friends, our brothers and sisters. When the rest of the world stopped, we took the shot in the jaw, looked to each other and said "I won't stop if you won't." And arm in arm, we pushed on (7/?)

With our peers and our teams of animators, storyboarders, directors, voice actors, you name it! But take a look at these numbers here. This is where we're at. The cost of living in LA, where these jobs are is rated as 164.7% the average. For context, I live in (8/?)

Dallas, Texas, where the cost of living is 101.6% and I'm struggling here with both my wife and I having above average paying jobs for people in our age group. If you're in the other half of the animation world's job market and live in New York, you're looking at 187.2% (9/?)

The US average for cost of living. Which can be done much easier for a live action writer (who makes anywhere from 26-66% MORE than an animation writer, though either way is not "easy" in any sense) but we do the same job. We work to give the public the (10/?)

Best damn stories we can. And let me be clear here: I'm not out to bring down live-action writers. Y'all are out here, in the trenches with us, sharing the same struggles and fighting the same battles. We just want to have the same tools you do so we can do (11/?)

The same job to the same degree and effect. And luckily, a lot of live-action writers have shown support for this, so from the deepest parts of my very being, THANK YOU for standing with us. It means SO MUCH more than you may realize. We lift each other up (12/?)

Because we know the struggles and we love what we do and who we do it with. But when an animation writer has to choose between putting food at the table and connecting with potential writing partners at one of the largest networking events of the year? (13/?)

Is that right? When our brothers and sisters can do both and then some doing the same thing we do? Is that okay? "Are you good with that, Spider-man?" We're fighting uphill against studios who don't want us staffed because it's "too expensive." Against (14/?)

Executives who want to pay us less because "animation is for kids."We're not out here fighting because it's fun or we want to stir shit up. We're out here fighting because we love what we do and we're getting exploited for it. (15/?)

We just want to be equal to our brothers and sisters, who see us suffering and stand with us. So, I know this is long, but I'm begging you, everyone who sees this, add your voices to ours, give us your energy, and push together. Use the hashtags from the start (16/?)

(#NewDeal4Animation and #PayAnimationWriters in case you forgot), follow the @TAGwriters, to see if there's a way you can help (yes, even here in Texas) and help us work to get what we've earned. And to repay you, we'll do our god damndest to put out the best (17/?)

Stories that we can, to keep you, your kids, your parents and even your goldfish as entertained as we possibly can for as long as we can. And when the next generation comes up, you can bet we'll teach them the same. (18/18)