Alfred R. Kahn
Encyclopedia
Alfred Robert Kahn is a retired American executive. From 1991 to 2011, he was Chairman and CEO of 4Kids Entertainment
, a company that is a global provider of children's entertainment and merchandise licensing. He previously led the licensing division for the Coleco
company. In 1998, he turned Leisure Concepts, Inc. into 4Kids Entertainment
, since then being the chairman and CEO of that company. In 2002, he founded the National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children's Foundation.
Kahn also serves on the Board of Directors of the Federal Drug Agents Foundation, Children's Tumor Foundation, Stephen Gaynor School for Learning Difficulties, Long Island University
, and Bette Midler
's New York Restoration Project. He has also appeared in various conferences surrounding the anime
industry.
to Murray and Lilyane Kaplan Kahn, Alfred R. Kahn is a graduate of C.W. Post College at Long Island University
. Previously the head of the licensing division for Coleco
, Kahn joined Leisure Concepts, Inc., turning that company to 4Kids Entertainment
, for which he became Vice Chairman in July 1987 and later Chairman and CEO in 1991. 4Kids eventually became the largest trading entity in North America
in the 1990s due to its success of licensing Japan
ese anime
series Pokémon
and Yu-Gi-Oh!
among many others, as well as producing American series like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
and Cabbage Patch Kids
. Kahn has been the executive producer
for numerous other 4Kids properties, including G.I. Joe Sigma 6 and Cubix.
In September 2002, Kahn founded the National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children's Foundation to help the children of law enforcement personnel and firefighters and fund anti-drug and anti-violence programs. Kahn also serves on the Board of Directors of the Federal Drug Agents Foundation, the Children's Tumor Foundation
, the Stephen Gaynor School for Learning Difficulties, Long Island University
, and Bette Midler
's New York Restoration Project.
On June 22, 2005, LIMA, the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association, inducted Kahn into the Murray Altchuler Licensing Hall of Fame for his "continual and outstanding" contributions to the licensing industry for over 10 years. Over those 10 years, Kahn and 4Kids had licensed such huge and popular properties such as Pokémon
, Yu-Gi-Oh!
, Cabbage Patch Kids
, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
.
Kahn also won the 2006 Spirit of Achievement award from the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
Kahn incited controversy during a manga panel at the 2006 New York Comic-Con
when he bluntly stated "Kids today don't read, they read less today." This incited a negative reaction from many of those present in the room, mainly librarians and other representatives of the publishing industry. He later elaborated on his comment by saying that, "In every survey, we find that they're watching more television, they're on the Internet more, and that content, although being king, is very disposable. Because the way content gets put out now, it gets put out free. " Viz Media
's Liza Coppola responded to Kahn's words by bringing up Viz's partnership with the Read for America literacy campaign, stating "Manga is a great medium to bring kids back to reading." Publishers Weekly
went on to note in their online article that "(Kahn) noted that many people in the U.S. walk around with MP3 players or other electronic devices, whereas in Japan, everyone on the subway seems to have a '3,000-page manga'."
In December 2007, Kahn was a panelist in the ICv2 Conference on Anime and Manga in New York City
. There, he commented about the Japanese manga
industry that "mainga (sic) is dying in Japan".This particular comment sparked some derisive comments from fans. Rich Johnson of Yen Press replied to the previous comment, stating that manga was still a billion dollar industry in a down phase.
Kahn retired as the CEO of 4Kids Entertainment on January 11, 2011.
who believe that his "Americanization
" and censorship
of anime licensed by 4Kids tarnishes their original format. In a 2005 interview with Anime News Network
, Kahn defended his company's actions by claiming that such actions are necessary to make the series appeal better to American children. In response to such criticism, 4Kids Entertainment eventually released unedited versions of their licensed series Yu-Gi-Oh!
and Shaman King
in the fall of 2004, but the releases were terminated in spring 2005 for unknown reasons.
4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment is an American film and television production company in bankruptcy since April 2011. It is known for English-dubbing Japanese anime and specializing in the acquisition, production and licensing of children's entertainment around the United States...
, a company that is a global provider of children's entertainment and merchandise licensing. He previously led the licensing division for the Coleco
Coleco
Coleco is an American company founded in 1932 by Maurice Greenberg as "Connecticut Leather Company". It became a highly successful toy company in the 1980s, known for its mass-produced version of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and its video game consoles, the Coleco Telstar and...
company. In 1998, he turned Leisure Concepts, Inc. into 4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment is an American film and television production company in bankruptcy since April 2011. It is known for English-dubbing Japanese anime and specializing in the acquisition, production and licensing of children's entertainment around the United States...
, since then being the chairman and CEO of that company. In 2002, he founded the National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children's Foundation.
Kahn also serves on the Board of Directors of the Federal Drug Agents Foundation, Children's Tumor Foundation, Stephen Gaynor School for Learning Difficulties, Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
, and Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
's New York Restoration Project. He has also appeared in various conferences surrounding the anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
industry.
Career
Born in BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
to Murray and Lilyane Kaplan Kahn, Alfred R. Kahn is a graduate of C.W. Post College at Long Island University
Long Island University C.W. Post Campus
The C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University is a private institution of higher education located in Brookville in Nassau County, New York, United States...
. Previously the head of the licensing division for Coleco
Coleco
Coleco is an American company founded in 1932 by Maurice Greenberg as "Connecticut Leather Company". It became a highly successful toy company in the 1980s, known for its mass-produced version of Cabbage Patch Kids dolls and its video game consoles, the Coleco Telstar and...
, Kahn joined Leisure Concepts, Inc., turning that company to 4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment
4Kids Entertainment is an American film and television production company in bankruptcy since April 2011. It is known for English-dubbing Japanese anime and specializing in the acquisition, production and licensing of children's entertainment around the United States...
, for which he became Vice Chairman in July 1987 and later Chairman and CEO in 1991. 4Kids eventually became the largest trading entity in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
in the 1990s due to its success of licensing Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
and Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yu-Gi-Oh! (second series anime)
Yu-Gi-Oh!, known in Japan and the rest of East Asia as is an anime based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. It is produced by Studio Gallop and Nihon Ad Systems, and the English-language adaptation was distributed by 4Kids Entertainment until March 29, 2011 when TV Tokyo and Nihon Ad Systems sued 4Kids...
among many others, as well as producing American series like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an American animated series, mainly set in New York City. It first aired on February 8, 2003 and ended on November 21, 2009...
and Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids is a line of dolls created by American art student Xavier Roberts in 1978. It was originally called "Little People". The original dolls were all cloth and sold at local craft shows, then later at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia...
. Kahn has been the executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
for numerous other 4Kids properties, including G.I. Joe Sigma 6 and Cubix.
In September 2002, Kahn founded the National Law Enforcement and Firefighters Children's Foundation to help the children of law enforcement personnel and firefighters and fund anti-drug and anti-violence programs. Kahn also serves on the Board of Directors of the Federal Drug Agents Foundation, the Children's Tumor Foundation
Children's Tumor Foundation
The Children’s Tumor Foundation is the leading non-governmental funder of research into Neurofibromatosis . The mission of CTF is to find a cure to NF through support of research. Neurofibromatosis is the term for three distinct genetic disorders: Neurofibromatosis 1, Neurofibromatosis 2 and...
, the Stephen Gaynor School for Learning Difficulties, Long Island University
Long Island University
Long Island University is a private, coeducational, nonsectarian institution of higher education in the U.S. state of New York.-History:...
, and Bette Midler
Bette Midler
Bette Midler is an American singer, actress, and comedian, also known by her informal stage name, The Divine Miss M. She became famous as a cabaret and concert headliner, and went on to star in successful and acclaimed films such as The Rose, Ruthless People, Beaches, and For The Boys...
's New York Restoration Project.
On June 22, 2005, LIMA, the International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association, inducted Kahn into the Murray Altchuler Licensing Hall of Fame for his "continual and outstanding" contributions to the licensing industry for over 10 years. Over those 10 years, Kahn and 4Kids had licensed such huge and popular properties such as Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
, Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yu-Gi-Oh!
is a Japanese manga created by Kazuki Takahashi. It has produced a franchise that includes multiple anime shows, a trading card game and numerous video games...
, Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids
Cabbage Patch Kids is a line of dolls created by American art student Xavier Roberts in 1978. It was originally called "Little People". The original dolls were all cloth and sold at local craft shows, then later at Babyland General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia...
, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
.
Kahn also won the 2006 Spirit of Achievement award from the National Center for Learning Disabilities.
Kahn incited controversy during a manga panel at the 2006 New York Comic-Con
New York Comic-Con
The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television.-History:The first event was held in 2006 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center...
when he bluntly stated "Kids today don't read, they read less today." This incited a negative reaction from many of those present in the room, mainly librarians and other representatives of the publishing industry. He later elaborated on his comment by saying that, "In every survey, we find that they're watching more television, they're on the Internet more, and that content, although being king, is very disposable. Because the way content gets put out now, it gets put out free. " Viz Media
VIZ Media
VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...
's Liza Coppola responded to Kahn's words by bringing up Viz's partnership with the Read for America literacy campaign, stating "Manga is a great medium to bring kids back to reading." Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
went on to note in their online article that "(Kahn) noted that many people in the U.S. walk around with MP3 players or other electronic devices, whereas in Japan, everyone on the subway seems to have a '3,000-page manga'."
In December 2007, Kahn was a panelist in the ICv2 Conference on Anime and Manga in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. There, he commented about the Japanese manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
industry that "mainga (sic) is dying in Japan".This particular comment sparked some derisive comments from fans. Rich Johnson of Yen Press replied to the previous comment, stating that manga was still a billion dollar industry in a down phase.
Kahn retired as the CEO of 4Kids Entertainment on January 11, 2011.
Criticism
Kahn has caused a lot of controversy among fans of animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
who believe that his "Americanization
Americanization
Americanization is the influence of the United States on the popular culture, technology, business practices, or political techniques of other countries. The term has been used since at least 1907. Inside the U.S...
" and censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
of anime licensed by 4Kids tarnishes their original format. In a 2005 interview with Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
, Kahn defended his company's actions by claiming that such actions are necessary to make the series appeal better to American children. In response to such criticism, 4Kids Entertainment eventually released unedited versions of their licensed series Yu-Gi-Oh!
Yu-Gi-Oh! (second series anime)
Yu-Gi-Oh!, known in Japan and the rest of East Asia as is an anime based on the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. It is produced by Studio Gallop and Nihon Ad Systems, and the English-language adaptation was distributed by 4Kids Entertainment until March 29, 2011 when TV Tokyo and Nihon Ad Systems sued 4Kids...
and Shaman King
Shaman King
is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Hiroyuki Takei. Shaman King follows the adventures of Yoh Asakura as he attempts to hone his shaman skills to become the Shaman King in the Shaman tournament....
in the fall of 2004, but the releases were terminated in spring 2005 for unknown reasons.