How To Help Animation Industry Workers Who Have Been Displaced By The L.A. Wildfires
The destructive wildfires that are currently raging across Los Angeles have displaced tens of thousands of Angelenos, including many members of the animation community who have suffered unimaginable losses.
Among the over 9,000 structures damaged or destroyed in the Palisades and Eaton Fires are homes that belong to animation industry workers. Below, we have compiled a list of fundraisers for members of our community who have lost their houses. There are many more people in our community who have lost homes, but at this time, we will only link to those who have public fundraising notices.
If your home has been affected by the fires and you wish to be included here, please send us a note. This story will be updated. And if you are able to do so, donate generously to these people.
Ben Mekler, staff writer on Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts, story editor on Final Space, and writer and co-executive producer on Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight.
We lost our home and all of our stuff in the Eaton fire. We’re safe and together but will have to replace everything. If you want to, Target and Amazon gift cards are going to be the most helpful for us right now. You can send to meklerfamilydonations@gmail.com. Love you all.
— Ben Mekler (@benmekler) January 9, 2025
Greg Sextro, a sound mixer who had recently moved from New York to Los Angeles and who has mixed many independent animated film projects, including shorts and features by Bill Plympton, Signe Baumane, Nina Paley, and Max Porter and Ru Kuwahata: FUNDRAISER.
Jinko Gotoh, whose various producing credits include Finding Nemo, Klaus, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, The Little Prince, and The Illusionist. While Gotoh lost her own home, this fundraiser on her behalf will be distributed to help others in need: FUNDRAISER.
Chuck Peil, a 30-year veteran of Reel FX and vp of business development and strategic partnerships at the studio, which has produced films like The Book of Life, Rumble, The Monkey King, Back to the Outback, Scoob!, and the upcoming The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants:
Tim Lamb, a veteran character designer and art director at Dreamworks who has worked on the Trolls franchise, Megamind, Rise of the Guardians, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa, and who was most recently production designer of Dreamworks Animation and Netflix’s Orion and the Dark: FUNDRAISER.
Bill Flores, a background painter and layout artist on series including Exploding Kittens, Clone High, Mickey Mouse Shorts, Uncle Grandpa, Clarence, Sanjay and Craig, Chowder, and Rugrats: FUNDRAISER.
Jeremy Polgar, animation supervisor of X-Men ’97, who has also done animation on Space Dandy, storyboard supervision on OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes, and directed on Netflix’s Centaurworld: FUNDRAISER.
Anthony Chun, an animation director on Rick and Morty, The Batman, King of the Hill, and Bob’s Burgers: FUNDRAISER.
