King Features Syndicate, the home to characters like Popeye and Betty Boop has tapped C.J. Kettler as president.
King Features, a member of the Hearst Entertainment & Syndication group, distributes comics, columns, puzzles and games to print and digital outlets and licenses both brands and comic characters for entertainment programs, as well as consumer products.
Kettler will focus on new initiatives for King Features’ stable of brands in digital video entertainment across multiple platforms and introduce its classic characters to a new generation. She succeeds T.R. “Rocky” Shepard III in the position.
Previously EVP of consumer brands and strategy at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Kettler developed a media literacy curriculum for Channel One News and launched pre-school subscription app Curious World and served as executive producer of Carmen Sandiego.
Earlier this year, King Features had appointed eight new licensing agents viz. Vertical Licensing (Brazil), Segal Licensing (Canada), Medialink (China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia), Licensing Dynamics International (Israel), Asiana Licensing (Korea), Copyright Licensing Agency (the Middle East), AMV Licencias (Peru), and Mon Entertainment (Mexico, Latin America).
The appointments are part of a larger plan to expand King Features’ licensing program into new merchandising categories and territories globally.
