The Creator of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy Really Needs Your Help
Maxwell Atoms, a beloved Cartoon Network creator, is in financial straits as the animation industry faces a reckoning.
Cartoon Network is known as a bastion for all things animation, and its heyday in the '90s was second to none. From The Powerpuff Girls to Courage the Cowardly Dog, the network carried some of the best animation on television. Part of that legacy is due to Maxwell Atoms as he brought The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy to life. And now, the beloved artist needs our help.
Over on social media, reports surfaced this week that Atoms has launched an eBay account to host auctions. A number of bids are already live as Atoms is auctioning off rare production materials. The sales will go to Atoms' living expenses as the animator is out of work, and as so many know, bills wait for no one.
"The creator of The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy (Maxwell Atoms) has lost his job and is auctioning off production materials on EBay right now to pay his mortgage," voice actor Derek Kelly shared with fans online. "He's inspired me SO much and is why I am who I am now, please check out his listings."
Who Is Maxwell Atoms?
If you are not familiar with Atoms, the animator began working in 1995 and is known best for creating Grim & Evil. The successful Cartoon Network series went on to produce other hits like The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy as well as Evil Con Carne. In later years, Atoms shifted away from Cartoon Network as developed his own project called Dead Meat in 2012. The web-series earned big buzz online, but sadly, Dead Meat fizzled out in development. The crowd-funded series was shelved indefinitely in 2020.
Most recently, Atoms has been involved with Hazbin Hotel, one of the hottest animated series in television. The dark comedy, which Vivienne Medrano created, brought Atoms in for a few voice roles. The creators met while working on Dead Meat, so Atoms is still woven into the anime space. However, the industry is not one that showers workers with riches.
The Current State of Animation
While the '90s were a golden age for animation on television, that time has come and gone. For decades now, workers in the animation industry has bemoaned its harsh conditions. From low wages to mandatory overtime, the expectations loaded upon animators is intense. When you toss in Hollywood's reluctance to kickstart new IPs, well – you can see where friction may occur. Back in the day, it was far easier to get a greenlight for a brand-new IP, but now major studios prefer to hedge bets with revivals and adaptations.
Right now, animators across Hollywood are negotiating for a better future. The Animation Guild is working on a contract renewal with Hollywood's major studios. At the end of September, TAG confirmed a temporary contract would keep work afloat until November 1st as negotiations are ongoing. According to the guild, the studios' proposal has "significant gaps" but progress is being made.
"The Negotiations Committee worked consistently and tirelessly to push the animation studios to recognize and address the priorities our members stated are in need of change," Steve Kaplan, a representative for TAG, shared in a newstatement. "While measured, and definitely slower than we wanted, progress has been made. I look forward to continuing to work with the committee and push the studios to make the moves necessary to reach an agreement for the next three years."
From generative AI to stagnant wages, The Animation Guild has stressed this round of contract negotiation is bigger than any it has ever seen. The very future of animation is at risk, and after seeing Atoms' online auction, it is hard to disagree with the guild's position.
What do you make of this online auction? Give me a shout at @meganwpeters with your take! You can also let us know what you think over on X (Twitter) and Instagram.
