Background Artist Cathleen McAllister discusses her transition from animation fan to dedicated union representative, using her Negotiations Committee experience as a Flying Bark Shop Steward, and her commitment to helping colleagues navigate Union rights.
Name: Cathleen McAllister
Job Title: Background Artist
Studio/Production: Flying Bark/ Minecraft Animated Series
Contact Info: stewards-flyingbark@tag839.org
Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I always wanted to do art but didn’t really know what type of art jobs existed. But I grew up loving animated movies. I started looking through the art books for movies like Tangled and How to Train Your Dragon, and realized I wanted to do visual development and environment design in particular. I’ve worked in feature, series, games, and literary illustration, and I currently work at Flying Bark on the Minecraft animated series. I’ve been playing Minecraft for a long time, so it’s a really exciting project to be working on!
Cathleen McAllister (left) at the 2024 Stand with Animation Rally, alongside fellow TAG members,Allison Smith, Patrick Harpin, and Alex Konstad.
What do you love most about working in animation?
I get to work with great people from a ton of different backgrounds. I love working on a big complicated project together. I also love art, so it’s great to be around a ton of creative people and learn from them!
Why did you volunteer to serve as a Shop Steward?
I’m really excited to be working at Flying Bark, which has a relatively new presence in Los Angeles, where both production and artists are unionized! We didn’t have a Shop Steward yet, and since I volunteered for the past Negotiations Committee, I wanted to use what I recently learned to help my co-workers. It’s exciting to be working with so many new Union members and help them understand things like the contract and healthcare, and keep them up to date with Union events.
As a Shop Steward, what are your priorities in helping TAG members at your studio?
Reading the contract and knowing your rights as a TAG member can be daunting. There’s so much information. When I first joined TAG, I had some very helpful co-workers who passed their knowledge onto me when I had no idea where to start, and I’m hoping to do the same for our new members. I’m also excited about the organizing efforts TAG has been doing for remote workers and production, and I’m hoping to be a part of TAG’s expansion.
Learn more about Cathleen on her website.
Follow her on Instagram.