The TAG membership

Since this is turning into a day of statistics, here are a few more.

Current Animation Guild Membership

2800 Active members

489 new employees (working under TAG jursidiction)

65 reinstated members ...

This gives us a grand total of 3,354 participants in the guild, the most we've ever had.

Why is this happening? Actually it's confluence of fortuitous events. Animation is the most profitable segment of filmed/recorded entertainment these days. Animation travels well from country to country, and generates lots of cash flow to eager, avaricious conglomerates. Therefore we see a lot of new activity in Cartoonland.

And cartoons have long been centered in Southern California. Though tax subsidies have pulled a lot of animation to other geographic locations, the talent pool in Los Angeles remains wide and deep. There is quality here in California, and because union density is relatively high wages remain relatively strong, pulling in more talent and building a virtuous circle.

Not perfect, of course, but better than working in cities where animation opportunities are sparse and wages are depressed.