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#RIPCartoonNetwork Gets AWI, IATSE Clarity But Animation Fears Remain

Animation Workers Ignited and IATSE clarified #RIPCartoonNetwork while also standing firm on their message regarding the animation industry.


On Monday, the Animation Workers Ignited (AWI) ran a #RIPCartoonNetwork social media campaign to shine a brighter spotlight and dial up the bullhorn on the plight of the animation industry. Once the saviors of the entertainment industry during the pandemic times, the folks who bring the animated art that we love were "thanked" by studios and streamers who now see them as disposable as they looked to cut production costs, build up tax write-offs by making animated series "disappear," outsource production work overseas, and shift the focus away from original animated series and onto projects that could work with existing IPs (Marvel, DC, "Harry Potter," etc.).

Animation
Image: Animation Workers Ignited Screencaps

But some people took issue with the hashtag #RIPCartoonNetwork, claiming it to be misinformation because it gave people the impression that the network was going away (which it isn't). Did it lose half of its programming day to Adult Swim (which we love, by the way)? Yes, and that's something that's definitely worth noting. From our perspective, we assumed right from the start that they were talking about Cartoon Network as it used to be being "RIP," as the video accompanying the hashtag explains. To clarify the message, both AWWI and the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) took to social media to reaffirm that "Cartoon Network still exists as a brand and channel" while also standing behind the points made regarding what has "led to less jobs for animation workers.

In the animated video below, Adam Conover and Alex Hirsh walk us through the brutal realities of how the studios and streamers have treated those who make up the animation industry in what we're hoping will be a bigger "call to arms" for fans and the rest of the entertainment industry to defend animation. Here's a look at the animated video posted by AWI on Monday, along with a rundown of the team that put it together, as well as a link to the survey for The Animation Guild (TAG) members:


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Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
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