IDW Media Holdings announced plans to launch a kids, family, and young adult division as part of its IDW Entertainment and IDW Publishing units. The division will operate under the direction of Jeff Brustrom, who has been named its v-p.
Brustom, most recently an independent consultant on animation, production, and IP development, will oversee development and production of live-action and animated projects based on graphic novels, prose, and other source content. Before becoming a consultant, Brustom spent 17 years at the Disney Channel developing material for a wide variety of artists, among them Zendaya, the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, and Selena Gomez.
In addition, Daniel Kendrick has been named director of animation for the division, and will oversee the development and production of its animated series. He previously represented creators and oversaw animation projects at Chatrone, a production company based in Los Angeles.
Erika Turner has been named senior editor for original content at IDW Publishing, where she will direct the acquisition and development of original works primarily focused on children, middle grade, and young adult titles. Before joining IDW, Turner was a senior editor at Versify, an imprint at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, where she also focused on the acquisition of titles for children, middle grade, and YA.
Nachie Marsham, newly appointed publisher of IDW Publishing, praised Brustrom, Kendrick, and Turner, citing their “deep knowledge of family content” and “passion for animation.” IDW Entertainment president Lydia Antonini added: “We are thrilled to have Jeff and Daniel join our team. Their collective experience speaks for itself and we are looking forward to building out this area in partnership with Erika and her deep passion to inspire and empower young readers.”
