From the Publisher A

s Tom and I get ready to embark on our final journey of this year, to SIGGRAPH Asia in Shenzhen, China, 2014 is almost at its conclusion and our final issue of this year is ready to go to print. This is the time of year in the United States to reflect on that which we are thankful for and, upon reviewing this past year, there is little not to be thankful for.

First, I am so grateful for our wonderful staff at Animation Magazine. The job they do, for the artists and content creators that we cover from all over the world, is nothing short of miraculous.

Second, I so appreciate all of you, who after almost 30 years have kept us going with your support. It is not an easy task to publish a print and online magazine in this new age of free media and paperless digital publishing. We feel that it is so important for us to provide you with news and stories written by professional journalists, and we think that, like Kim Kardashian, you agree that paper magazines still have a place in your lives.

So spread the word that you value our publication and the on-line daily news that keeps you informed about what’s happening all over the world in animation and digital media. If you would like to continue to read about your industry in our pages, or you know someone who would love to receive a copy of the magazine in digital or paper format, please take advantage of the great holiday rates on our website.

Finally, I am thankful for those sponsors who helped us put on the third annual World Animation and VFX Summit (see page 26). According to the comments on our survey passed out at this year’s event, it was an overwhelming success and as one of our attendees expressed it is “definitely a great time to be in animation!”

Happy anniversary to all of those in our industry who are celebrating a milestone in the coming year. We wish you and yours happy holidays and a fantastic 2015!

Sincerely,