“Drawing The Line”

As I mentioned in my last post, this weekend I had the privilege of meeting animator and author Tom Sito. I just wanted to take a moment to plug his book, Drawing the Line: The Untold Story of the Animation Unions from Bosko to Bart Simpson. You are probably thinking it would be hard to come up with a more boring topic than the history of animation unions. That’s what I thought too. But after the book came out I read so many rave reviews from other animators that I decided to give it a try.

I haven’t finished the book yet but so far I’ve found it to be a great read. It’s full of fascinating stories and anecdotes about the animation biz from the early days onward to the present. Sito takes what could be a very dry topic and breathes life into it by focusing on the human element. He guides you through the history of American animation, stopping along the way to explain the challenges and conflicts that have arisen from time to time and from studio to studio.

It’s a terrific read and I’d encourage you to get a copy. (Full disclosure: Amazon.com will throw a few coins my way if you order after clicking from my blog. If enough of you order copies I’ll be able to afford a few 99 cent apps for my iPhone).