At the last General Membership Meeting, a group of talented new members were sworn in. Here, a few share about their lives, inspirations and what it means to them to join TAG.
Alex “WhiteTreeFox” Burke
Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I’m a California native, and I have unicorn hair! While I’ve been an artist my whole life, I’ve never really felt at “home” with my ventures until now. I’ve been a freelancer for the past few years, but after starting my first animation job in 2020, I can’t imagine a better place for myself.
When did you know you wanted to go into animation, and what inspired you to do so?
Watching cartoons for my entire life! I always knew I wanted to be an artist, but I wasn’t sure if I’d fit in the industry until I met my best friend and she told me how much she loved it. Then I had to go after it myself!
What does joining the Animation Guild mean to you?
It’s a dream come true. I’d go to conventions and see Keyframe magazine and think about how cool it all sounded. I’m so happy to say that the time has finally come for me to be a part of the Guild, and I’m excited for the future.
Evi Pineschi, Storyboard Revisionist
Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I’m Evi, a queer person of color from the West Coast who went to art school on the East Coast and then came back to the West Coast to work in animation! I’ve been in the industry a little over two years now as a storyboard revisionist. I love KBBQ, karaoke and going to punk shows: three things I can’t wait to do once it’s finally safe again!
When did you know you wanted to go into animation, and what inspired you to do so?
I’ve drawn ever since I can remember, but never thought it could be a viable career option. I had been putting off deciding what I wanted to be when I grew up, assuming it would just come to me naturally, as it seemed to for all my other friends and peers—until one day I looked up and it was senior year, and I still hadn’t figured anything out!
I attended the animation program at CSSSA (California State Summer School for the Arts) the summer after I graduated and fell in love with it. I knew I had to work in the animation industry. The remaining obstacle was convincing my apprehensive parents to allow me to pursue it. The Talking Heads’ “Remain in Light” poster in our hallway loomed large that day, as they agreed I could attend art school under the condition that I go to RISD (Rhode Island School of Design), the place where the Talking Heads met. I suppose in the end I owe my animation career to David Byrne, so thanks, David!
What does joining the Animation Guild mean to you?
For me, it means being a part of an amazing community! One filled with talented creators who watch each other’s backs and fight for the change we want to see in the world. It’s been a super inspiring and humbling experience to be surrounded by such kind and passionate people.
Aaron Pham, Visual Development Artist
Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I’m from the Bay Area and graduated from San Jose State University in Visual Development. I was fortunate enough to start out as a junior artist at Lucasfilm Animation, and I learned a lot from the amazing talent there. I’ve always wanted to come to SoCal to dive into the hub of animation and be a part of the community here. I was lucky to get that chance and work on Jurassic World: Camp Cretaceous at DreamWorks Animation TV. I’m currently doing environment design on Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai at Warner Bros. Animation.
When did you know you wanted to go into animation, and what inspired you to do so?
My dad had a drafting table and a woodshop when I was growing up, so as a kid I always enjoyed making and drawing. I remember stumbling upon Disney’s Frank and Ollie documentary. Seeing them flipping paper was like watching a magic trick being revealed. With my love for crafting, and seeing the magic of making in Frank and Ollie, I realized at a very young age that working in animation was something I wanted to pursue.
What does joining the Animation Guild mean to you?
Being a part of a great community that not only is interested in the same things as you creatively, but also is interested in helping you have a long and successful career.
Caitlin Rose Boyle, Storyboard Revisionist
Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I’m an East Coast transplant, born in New Jersey and raised in Maryland. I went to Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts, graduating in 2012. I got my career start in 2014, co-creating the short Buck ‘n Lou & the Night Crew with my friend Tara Helfer for the Nickelodeon Animated Shorts Program. I spent a year after that drawing a comic called Jonesy for BOOM! Studios before moving across the country to L.A. to pursue animation as a career. Since arriving I’ve worked for Crunchyroll and done some storyboarding for Pixar’s theme park division. I am currently working on Disney Television Animation’s Amphibia as a storyboard conform revisionist.
When did you know you wanted to go into animation and what inspired you to do so?
I’ve always loved animation, but it didn’t feel like a tangible career choice until Adventure Time—seeing artists whose work I previously knew from indie comics jumping into storyboarding made a light bulb turn on in my head. Like “Oh! I don’t have to actually be an animator to work in animation!” Getting to make Night Crew was also a solid push towards the industry—when we pitched that short, neither of us were even on the West Coast, so flying out and getting a firsthand crash course in the pipeline definitely lit a bit of a fire under me.
What does joining the Animation Guild mean to you?
After working for a spell in other non-unionized industries, it means a lot to me to be able to join the Guild. To be a part of something that protects workers from abusive practices and provides access to healthcare was another big factor in my decision to pursue a career in animation; it shouldn’t be such a rarity but it is, and I’m very lucky to be a part of it.