Big Apple's Fantastic Toon Femmes


		Big Apple's Fantastic Toon Femmes *The women of New York's thriving animation scene are rewriting the old rules and breaking away from traditional stereotypes* (Continued from Page 2 )
		One such person is Jennifer Oxley, an animator by trade who has grown to be Creative Director at Little Airplane Productions, a studio currently establishing itself with projects like Nick Jr.'s "Wonder Pets" series. "I have to say I haven't given much thought to being a woman in the animation industry," says Oxley. "It is true there aren't a lot of female animators or animation directors in the biz. I am definitely proud to be one of them. I guess maybe not thinking about it or worrying about it has really helped me get to where I am today." She adds, "I think there are some truly amazing female animators working in the industry today. I only wish that there were more. Women have a unique way of animating which is extremely important for a strong animation team."	Jennifer Oxley
		But let's not limit the woman's voice to the sole action of animating. "I got into animation for fun, not money, in order to make specific films which no studio would support," says award- winning independent animator Nina Paley. Paley has been using the medium to tackle topics such as widespread pregnancy and, most recently through her Sitayana films, women's strength in popular Indian mythology. "Male bosses tend to feel more comfortable working with male buddies. It only takes one insecure sexist -- male or female -- in an organization to start screwing things up. For the most part, the men and women animators I've met are an exceptionally cool bunch, and I hope to see proportionally more women in studios as time goes on."	Nina Paley
		With other big influences like Dancing Diablo studio head Beatriz Ramos, top indie animator Signe Baumane and director/producer/designer/co-owner of Buzzco Studios Candy Kugel, it feels easy to be optimistic. However, for most New York women who have been in the business for more than thirty years, they can remember when Tissa David was the only one. Ms. David can recall when she was considered "the loner" in the industry. "But it's never lonely," she says, "because all the characters I've ever animated are all around me." At the end of the day, there seems to be a legacy at work of more than just her characters.
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