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The World Herald is a newspaper publishing company. Their articles cost 3 cents. Revealed in the Joey Drew Studios Employee Handbook guidebook, they published an issue concerning an investigation of Joey Drew Studios.
Background
In 1946, World Herald published a newspaper article concerning an investigation concerning Joey Drew Studios' financial danger. The article itself reads as follows:
JOEY DREW STUDIOS UNDER INVESTIGATION
FINANCIAL TROUBLE LOOMING FOR ANIMATION COMPANY
New York, NY-Joey Drew Studios is under investigation, with former employees citing hazardous work environments, harassment, and excessive backpay. The company is also in danger of going bankrupt, according to investors.
"These accusations are preposterous--They're ridiculous," said Joey Drew, founder and president of the company. "I vehemently deny them. These are sad lies no doubt made by disgruntled former employees or competing studios. Our facility is state-of-the-art. Joey Drew Studios is where dreams happen. And it's where dreams are going to happen. We are in no financial trouble at all."
Anonymous workers have threatened to unionize over the poor conditions, which include unpermitted building, hazardous electrical wiring, and a plumbing system prone to bursting. Many employees also cite excessive work hours, several of which were unpaid. Several animators confided that they hadn't seen their families in weeks, after being threatened with disciplinary action and termination if they were unable to finish animations on exceedingly tight schedules.
Music director Sammy Lawrence seemed unfazed by the claims. "Joey runs a pretty tight ship. Some people can't take it and that's fine. This industry is all about survival of the fittest. We don't need a bunch of useless sheep who can't finish their work on time."
Despite the mounting evidence, Mister Drew remains adamant that the studio has done nothing wrong.
"I am so certain that there's nothing wrong with our studio, I not only welcome investigators--I invite them." said Drew. "Reports of barricaded offices, employees locked in work spaces, and malfunctioning machinery are just crazy. And about the money, why, we just installed new technology in partnership with the Gent Corporation! We certainly wouldn't have done that if we were going bankrupt. In fact, we're on the verge of taking our business to the next level. I can't wait to show everyone what I have in store with our new cartoons."
City officials have reported that they will be exploring these complaints against the company in the coming weeks, to determine if these claims have any merit. In the meantime, employees seem to be fleeing the studio in droves. Recent job listings have included a head of animation, several background and character artists, as well as inkers and storyboard artists. If his staffing issues are as bad as they seem, one must wonder if Mister Drew intends to draw future cartoons himself.
Trivia
- The establishment may be based on Omaha World-Herald, a newspaper establishment based in Omaha, Nebraska.
