Kartoon Studios has recruited former DreamWorks exec Gregg Goldin (pictured) to spearhead development and production in a newly created role.

As SVP of development and production, Goldin will manage the company’s slate of original IPs from early-concept to delivery. He officially starts today, reporting to CEO/chairman Andy Heyward and COO Michael Jaffa.

Based in LA, Goldin has spent the last 10 years working at DreamWorks Animation as a VP of current series. He was responsible for making animated TV shows based on popular movie franchises, such as Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (Netflix).

Earlier in his career, Goldin served as a director of development for current and original series at Cartoon Network, overseeing pilots and made-for-TV films based on lucrative brands like Scooby-Doo and Ben 10. And he has film credits on coming-of-age pics like Save the Last Dance (2001) and Crossroads (2002) from an eight-year run as a director of development at MTV Films. 

Kartoon Studios is best known for producing star-driven kids series such as Stan Lee’s Superhero Kindergarten (with actor Arnold Schwarzenegger) and Shaq’s Garage (with NBA champion Shaquille O’Neal). Last June, the company rebranded and changed its name from Genius Brands International in order to reflect its growth into a full-fledged franchise incubator encompassing development, production, distribution, streaming and merchandising.

Hiring Goldin is a strategic move to support Kartoon’s plans to ramp up its content pipeline this year. The company is already juggling a busy content slate. Its Frederator Network subsidiary is working with Buzzfeed Animation Lab to develop two animated series based on popular teen-skewing brands The Land of Boggs and Chikn’ Nuggit. AI tools are fueling two short series—Warren Buffet’s Secret Millionaires Club and Kidaverse Fast Facts—that launched on its Kartoon Channel! last year. And a film division was set up last summer to create feature-length projects based on IPs in the company’s library.

Heyward anticipates that Kartoon Channel! will achieve profitability this year, after breaking even in Q4 2023. He noted in a release that Goldin will be “pivotal in fueling the service with top-tier content, as he did so successfully at DreamWorks Animation for Netflix.”