
Tell us a little about yourself and your career.
I was born and raised in Kansas watching Jayhawk basketball and the Kansas City Chiefs. I grew up just wanting “to draw for a living.” I’ve always loved animation, with my earliest inspirations being the original 1980’s Transformers TV series and Beauty and the Beast in 1991. I moved out to L.A. by myself right after college not knowing anyone here and having no network. I supported myself as a waitress while taking classes and networking with other artists in the industry. Living in California for a year, after a lot of hard work and struggle I landed a character layout position on The Simpsons. Over the years I’ve worked on a variety of 2D and 3D shows, from preschool to primetime. Most recently I was a Director on Warner Bros.’ preschool show Bugs Bunny Builders.

Outside of work, I love to travel, and one of my proudest accomplishments is that I’ve stepped foot on all seven continents. Among my favorite places to visit were the Galapagos Islands, Antarctica, Kenya, and Japan.
What challenges have you faced in navigating a career in animation?
A major challenge for a steady career in animation is to keep up with the technology, and also to deal with a range of styles and subject matters. Also, I had traditional Asian parents who expected me to be a doctor and were very disappointed when I decided to pursue a career in animation. I had to learn to live my own life and not the life they had planned out for me.
Who are your inspirations in the field of animation?
The era of the Disney Renaissance of the late 1980s to the late 1990s was a major inspiration growing up. One of the greatest honors of my career was to shake the hand of Gary Trousdale, one of the Co-Directors of Beauty and the Beast, and tell him personally that movie was the reason I wanted to pursue animation as a career. More recently, Domee Shi, who directed Bao and Turning Red, is an important example to me of what can be achieved as an Asian female director.

What do you hope to accomplish as an artist in the animation industry?
Maintaining a work/life balance. As much as I love to draw, I think it’s important to maintain art as my livelihood and not my life. When I was directing, I hoped the artists working under me were able to feel comfortable to not let work take over their lives, especially with the complications of working from home. My other hobbies are cooking, watching sports, and traveling, and I pursue those hobbies as much as I can after work hours. I think by maintaining this balance this enables me to enjoy drawing for myself more.
What does being in the Union mean to you?
I think it’s all the hard-fought Union protections that otherwise wouldn’t exist for animation workers, such as dismissal pay, pension, etc. It’s important to share information with others in the Union and help others as much as one can. It’s important to work as a unit instead of enemies. United we stand, but divided we fall.
Learn more about Kim at her website.
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