A Word from Illustrator Gary Taxali:

In the last little while, there has been a MAJOR backslide in the industry. Poor rates have been an issue for a while but things are becoming worse. Clients' fees are getting even lower and the rights they're demanding are even higher.

You want examples? How about SWATCH calling me and asking me to design a watch. They wanted a complete transfer of copyright for a paltry fee. As if that's going to happen. Google calls me and wants my work for their new search engine all over the web, the fee? Nothing. Editorial clients are slashing 1999's fees almost in half and citing the bad economy as an excuse. You know what? My excuse is that the economy is bad so you have to pay me MORE for an illustration. How's that for an economic stimulus package?

So here's to every client with shitty fees and terms. Do not waste my time or contact me. I am very busy working with clients who respect artists and you're wasting my time with your solicitations. So for you, I give you a special salute that I hope will keep you away because I don't need your work.

Not much different from the animation industry. Broadcasters are flocking to other countries to get their cartoons done for HALF the price compared to what was done two years ago. The quality shows, and it looks piss poor and down right awful, budgets have been reduced due to reduced advertising revenues and the sad state of the economy. Some say there's no signs of it getting better, others say broadcasters 'need content' therefore it will have to turn around sometime. All I know is that I've lost count of all the studios in Canada that have shut down either temporarily or permanently in the last 18 months. When will the Canadian Television system improve?... never, since the broadcasters are satisfied with the crap they get from over-seas Flash studios, all we can hope for is for the producers to wise up and have the urge to trust Canadian studios again. You get what you pay for, and now Canadian studios are forced to adapt, seeking out co-production from Europe and the U.S.

Legendary animation director, Ralph Bakshi discusses how he survived the collapse of theatrical animation and offers tips to current animators for how to succeed in the cartoon business: