Michael Sporn Animation – Splog

The last transit strike in NYC happened almost 26 years ago. I had just formed my own company and was in the process of making the first film for my first client, The Learning Corporation of America. Byron Blackbear and The Scientific Method was in production in two Boroughs of New York. I was animating and filming it out of my apartment in Queens, and the Ink & Paint was being done out of the apartment of Steven Parton, who was supervising a staff of two: Bridget Thorne and Patty Hoyt. I made daily trips to Manhattan to deliver art I’d animated the day before and pick up the cels that had been colored. Back home, I animated or did backgrounds for the remainder of the day; I shot the film at night. Of course once the transit strike hit, everything went topsy-turvy. Steve was located on 42nd Street, so Patty and Bridget had long walks from up and downtown.
I had a car back then; with a strike on, I would drive in very late at night – to avoid other traffic – to make the exchange with Steve or get my film to the lab. I remember that I wasn’t particularly annoyed about that strike; as a matter of fact, I saw it as a fun adventure. This was particularly true in light of my first film in production that was initiating my own company.
Somehow the current strike sparked that memory that had remained hidden for so long and probably would have stayed hidden otherwise. I wonder if I’ll remember anything about this strike. Walking two miles to and from work isn’t the fun-adventure I’d had back in 1980, but it isn’t terrible. I can use the exercise. The work in my studio isn’t getting all the attention it should. People have to travel long distances to get here or are working home if they can. I suppose with Christmas around the corner work might have slowed a bit anyway. Maybe the real problem I’m having is that the party mood doesn’t seem to be as buoyant as it might, or maybe I’m just getting old.

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