Residuals

Because I used to write a fair amount of animation for television, I was able to join the Writers Guild of America, West, the organization that takes care of movie and TV writers. As a junior member -- read: without full membership or benefits -- of what is called The Animation Caucus.

The Guild is essentially a union, and Hollywood, if you work for the major studios, is a closed shop. If you write movies and you aren't a member -- actually, I think it's two movies -- you are required to join. It costs a nice chunk of change, but there are mucho benefits -- health insurance, minimum payments for work, and the Guild has enough clout to arbitrate arguments and, if need be, call a strike against the studios. On balance, this is a great organization and if you work in the biz, will pay for itself in a hurry.

I wasn't aware than any of the animation I wrote was subject to the perks that live-action writers get, one of which is residual payment for work beyond what you were paid for the original airing, or if it is aired overseas.

So I get this little check in the mail yesterday. Well, the check is normal-sized, just the amount is little, for foreign copyright royalties on a bunch of old episodes of Batman, Gargoyles, Ghostbusters, and Godzilla. These run like seventy cents, twenty-three cents, three dollars and ninety-one cents, etc. There are a lot of 'em, but totaled, they don't amount to much.

Still, it's free money, and I'm happy to get it ...