Animation Left Me With Nothing. Please Help Me Start Again

My name is Eddie Mead. I am a storyboard artist and animator that has worked on a variety of shows, including Helluva Boss, Harley Quinn and Kite Man: Hell Yeah. I’ve been a longtime advocate for indie animation and have helped foster mentorship and advice within the community.

After years of working in animation, I spent two years unemployed in LA, desperately fighting to make it work. Like so many of us, I stayed far too long trying to survive on promises of work that never came. I was on unemployment and food stamps until they ran out, and I worked whatever small jobs I could find to try to survive. I applied for every single job I saw.

The money ran out, the freelance dried up, and I was dangerously close to becoming homeless.

I had to make the hardest choice I’ve ever made in my life… To leave LA to escape the cycle. I just had to finally call it, after so many exhausting months of fighting. I packed whatever I could, got on a flight with my partner, and moved back across the country.

But moving out was incredibly expensive. Between two years of joblessness and the costs of relocating two people and our cat, I’m now carrying over $30,000 in debt, all just to survive and finally get out.

I’m humbly asking for help because I can’t get out of this financial hole alone. I struggle to make my payments on time, and my account is in the negatives every month. It’s not for lack of trying, but high interest rates are an endless cycle that keeps you in debt.

The stress has made me chronically sick and I know I can’t do this anymore. Fighting this level of stress, while also struggling with working with a disability, has been detrimental to my health and well being. I feel like I’m drowning.

If you knew me from a studio, a production, the Helluva Boss fandom, or the indie animation community, you know how much I loved this industry and supported others. But right now, me and my family needs support too. I need to finally put this behind me and rebuild a stable life outside of LA and outside of the animation industry.

Every dollar will go directly to:

• Paying down $30k in survival & moving debt, starting with my overdue payments and knocking out my lowest credit card debt.

Even $5 chips away at this and gets me closer to breathing room again.

If you’ve ever connected with me through animation or felt the same struggle with this industry, I’d be deeply grateful for your help. Even if you can’t donate, sharing this helps more than I can ever express.

Thank you for reading and for any kindness you can give.