Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
Hey y’all, I’m Ed Gaskew (he/they). I’m a BIPOC Character Designer and Storyboard Artist from Chicago, but have been livin’ in Burbank for the past few years now. Although it wasn’t always smooth sailing, like a lot of artists, I’ve had to traverse through some choppy waters to get to where I am today. I try to appreciate the positives because it could always be worse, and for a good part of my life things unfortunately were. I come from a pretty rough home life where from the early age of 16, after being kicked out of the home, I’ve had to figure things out and fend for myself. I’ve gone from shacking up in motels, to couch surfing, to even living out of my car at one point, but through it all I never gave up my dreams of putting myself through school and eventually working in animation.
I went to Columbia College Chicago where I like to say that I crammed four years into seven. Like a lot of schools, I learned a lot about the foundational elements of animation, but the curriculum just wasn’t in tune with what the current standards of the animation industry were. After graduating I landed an (unpaid) internship on what was at the time one of my favorite shows. But upon uprooting my life and moving halfway across the country, the studio ended up stringing me along for a few months, constantly pushing the start date of the internship back until they eventually ghosted me. So after a few years of working various odd jobs while simultaneously taking art classes and doing what I could to better my art skills, when the pandemic hit and everything shut down, that’s when I made the decision that it was now or never to break into the industry. Thankfully, with a little luck, a little help from some awesome people, and staying true to my craft, I managed to get my first job as a Freelance Character Designer on Family Guy, and then as a Revisionist at Titmouse on Bless the Harts. Although I’ve only been in the industry for a couple years, and things are very uncertain in animation right now, I’m super grateful for every opportunity I’ve had.
In my free time, I love to volunteer in various ways to help the community. Whether it’s rolling up my sleeves and helping clean up a park or assisting at a local food bank—and even giving the occasional art talk at schools to students—I for one am someone who has needed more help than I’d like to admit, so I always try to give back when I can. Additionally, I volunteer as a mentor in Jim Mortensen’s Story for All mentorship program specifically targeted for BIPOC artists.
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
I want to be optimistic and say that I’m currently navigating through my biggest challenge in animation. Personally, I’ve yet to work on a production longer than four months, and I’ve only ever worked remotely. Since starting my career during the pandemic, I’m part of a unique group in the workforce that was onboarded during a time when animation was propping up the entire entertainment industry. Now that there’s been this pull away from animation, with many projects having recently been canceled or shelved, so many artists are being affected. It feels like a lot of newer artists, myself included, are struggling to stick around and find immediate work after a job ends, because I see so many artists with tons more experience facing the same struggles.
But honestly, as crummy as the job landscape has been, I’ve noticed (and have taken an active part in) the communities being fostered by so many people in similar circumstances. I think with the recent declines of employment opportunities, artists have been vocal and open about their struggles that it’s created nice pockets of commiserating, building each other up, and ultimately supporting one another. Artists and creatives are truly some resilient people!
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
This is a great question, and although my inspo’s have changed throughout the years, lately … or at least over the tenure of my brief career, I draw some of my biggest inspiration from artists that not only create truly special artwork, but also make it a point to get involved within their communities. The work that both Andy Garner-Flexner (he/they) and Alex Quintas (she/ her) do for LGBTQIA+ representation within the animation community has been a huge influence on me. As well, as I’ve already mentioned, Jim Mortensen (he/him) and the work he’s done to create a mentorship program for BIPOC artists is something I wish existed when I was first starting out, but I’m excited to be a part of. A few others that create some awesome art, but also find the time to give back, foster truly special communities, and create safe spaces—in no particular order: Gen Wolfe (they/them), Paula Spence (she/her), and Abdullah Kassem (he/him) just to name a few. But also many of my friends that I know IRL and people online. Every day I open up Instagram, I feel like I always find inspiration!
Also, I watch a lot of anime, and I gotta give roses where they’re due and all that razzmatazz jimmy jazz. Anything from Tatsuyuki Nagai, but specifically Toradora!, and A Certain Scientific Railgun hit differently; Masaaki Yuasa’s Ping Pong: The Animation; and most recently Loundraw’s Summer Ghost. Oh, and also I def recommend you checking out Mob Psycho 100. Sheesh!! Pretty much anything that hits ya right in the feels is what I tend to gravitate toward.
What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
I really hope to accomplish helping change the narrative on gaining entry to this industry and staying employed. Whether it’s helping facilitate new pathways to navigate the animation industry, or helping to restructure the current ones, animation can feel very isolating at times, especially when trying to land a job. As a newer artist I personally know how demoralizing those struggles can be. In my limited tenure, one thing that’s been apparent is that it appears near impossible for any two people to gain employment the same way, and I’d really love it if I could help change that one day soon.
Other than that, I think personally I want to become a pillar of hope for those that have the desire to one day work in animation but feel they don’t have the resources or come from the right background. I want to show that it is possible to make it, and that those dreams aren’t unattainable. As an artist, I want to show that if someone like me can make it in this biz, anyone can!
What does being in the Union mean to you?
Having the Union in place means that when things go haywire on a job, you have someone who’s gonna go to bat for you! It also means community, and as someone who’s struggled their whole life to find a sense of community, being a part of this Union has allowed me the opportunity to connect with amazing people. It has also facilitated so many chances to get involved in current affairs, whether through committees or TAG events, and feel supported in ways I never felt when I was navigating the workforce prior to joining the Guild. So to me, having the Union continuously fighting for fair wages, better work environments, and health benefits, it helps take a lil stress off our sometimes overwhelming day-to-day lives.