Press Release from Warner Bros. Animation
BURBANK, Calif. (October 9, 2009) - Warner Bros. Animation (WBA) has assembled the final pieces of its new senior executive team, naming Peter Girardi to the newly created position of Senior Vice President, Series & Alternative Animation, and appointing Ed Adams as Senior Vice President, Business & Legal Affairs and Administration. Additionally, WBA has named former Cartoon Network executive Jay Bastian as Vice President, Series.
The announcement was made today by Sam Register, WBA's Executive Vice President, Creative Affairs, and represents the completion of the division's executive restructuring under Warner Bros. Television President Peter Roth, who oversees television animation for the Studio. Girardi and Bastian will both report to Register, while Adams will report to Roth.
Working closely with Register, Girardi will oversee the creative for WBA series, and he will spearhead the development and production of animated programming for non-traditional animation markets and mediums, including alternative outlets for adults, emerging digital platforms DC Beyond.com and KidsWB.com, among others, as well as direct-to-DVD releases, in conjunction with Warner Premiere.
Also reporting to Register, Bastian will manage the day-to-day production activities for WBA's current television series, which include "BATMAN: THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD," <http://dcbeyond.kidswb.com/batman-the-brave-and-the-bold> returning for a second season this fall on Cartoon Network, and "SCOOBY-DOO! MYSTERY INCORPORATED," a new animated program debuting later this year on Cartoon Network. He will focus on the development of animated comedy and traditional television programming for Kids 6-11.
In his position, Adams will direct the day-to-day activities of WBA's non-production operations, including business affairs, legal affairs, finance, planning and administration for the division. He will oversee negotiations of WBA's deals with producers, writers and performers for its television series, direct-to-DVD releases and content for digital platforms, and will supervise the division's business and legal affairs staff.
"We are in the midst of ramping up development and production at WBA," said Register. "By bringing Peter Girardi, Ed Adams and Jay Bastian into the fold, we are making a strong statement about our future intentions and the many avenues of animation we are pursuing."
An acclaimed producer and a leading designer in the field of digital media, Girardi comes to WBA after 13 years as executive creative director of Funny Garbage (FG), a company he founded in 1995 and built into one of the premier producers of interactive experiences for the World Wide Web and the digital space. FG has created web sites, cartoons, TV programs, CD-ROMs, kiosks, record albums, motion graphics, books and print campaigns for a wide variety of clients, including Time Warner, Nike, Microsoft, Viacom and Bloomberg, among others. In 1999, Girardi became the youngest person ever given the prestigious Daimler-Chrysler Award for Design Excellence.
Most recently, Girardi's work has focused on television production. He executive produced and served as production designer on the series "MINORITEAM" and "SAUL OF THE MOLE MEN" for Turner's Adult Swim, and was production designer and puppet designer for Comedy Central's "CRANK YANKERS." He also created the main title design for Warner Bros. Animation series "THE BATMAN," "TEEN TITANS" and "DUCK DODGERS," as well as for the theatrical motion picture "FRIDAY AFTER NEXT."
Girardi began his career as a graffiti writer, painting on New York City subway cars and creating visuals for computers while at the School of Visual Arts. He later became a producer and designer at the Voyager Company, a prominent producer of CD-ROMs and laser discs.
Adams comes to WBA after more than a decade of business affairs, legal and operations experience at leading companies in the animation industry. Immediately prior to joining WBA, Adams was Head of Legal Affairs at DreamWorks Animation. There, he oversaw a department of 20 that handled all business and legal affairs responsibility for the company, including negotiations for above- and below-the-line agreements, rights acquisitions, employment and labor agreements (including unions) and more.
Prior to DreamWorks, Adams was Vice President, Business Affairs, Business Development & Sales at Cookie Jar Entertainment, where he spearheaded sales for the company in the areas of home video and publishing, and negotiated/closed a number of deals across home video, new media and merchandising.
Before Cookie Jar, Adams maintained his own development, business affairs and business development consultancy, providing business counsel across a broad range of subjects to a number of clients in film and television production, as well as publishing. He was also Senior Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs, for Cartoon Network Studios, as well as Senior Counsel, Business and Legal Affairs, for Turner Television. Prior to that, Adams was an associate attorney in the entertainment and intellectual property practice of the law firm then known as Katten Muchin & Zavis, and he began his entertainment career as an associated at Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler.
Bastian comes to WBA after spending the last 11 years in the original series department at Cartoon Network. During his tenure, he was the Executive in Charge of Production of 10 original animated series, supervising the initial development and day-to-day production of such long-running programs as "ED, EDD N EDDY," "COURAGE THE COWARDLY DOG," "JUSTICE LEAGUE," "THE GRIM ADVENTURES OF BILLY AND MANDY" and, most recently, "CHOWDER." He was also the Executive in Charge of Production of such Cartoon Network original longform programs as "ED, EDD N EDDY'S BIG PICTURE SHOW," "UNDERFIST: HALLOWEEN BASH," "BILLY AND MANDY'S BIG BOOGIE ADVENTURE" and "WRATH OF THE SPIDER QUEEN."
Before Cartoon Network, Bastian was the Manager of Development and Acquisitions at Lightyear Entertainment in New York City. While in New York, he also performed color rendering for six years on the independent animated films of Faith Hubley at The Hubley Studio, and Emily Hubley at Hubbub, Inc. Bastian graduated from Hofstra University with a BA in Communication specializing in Film.