Jenette Kahn
Jenette Kahn | |
---|---|
Born | May 16, 1947 |
Nationality | American |
Area(s) | Publisher |
Awards | Library of Congress Living Legends, 2000 Inkpot Award, 2010 |
Jenette Kahn (/kɑːn/; born May 16, 1947[1][2]) is an American comic book editor and executive. She joined DC Comics in 1976 as publisher, and five years later was promoted to president. In 1989, she stepped down as publisher and assumed the title of editor-in-chief while retaining the office of president. After 26 years with DC, she left the company in 2002.
Early life
Jenette Kahn grew up in Boston. Her father was a
Career
After graduating from Radcliffe College with a degree in art history,[1] Kahn eventually founded three magazines for young people. The original publication, Kids, was entirely written by children for one another.[3][4] Its subject matter included drug abuse, diversity, animal protection, and the environment. Kahn's second magazine was Dynamite, for Scholastic Inc.[4] Kahn followed with Smash for Xerox Education Publications.[4]
DC Comics
Kahn was 28 years old on February 2, 1976, when she became publisher of
To mark her new direction for the company, Kahn officially renamed National Periodical Publications to DC Comics, complete with a bold new company logo, nicknamed the DC Bullet, designed by
In addition, Kahn, unlike her predecessors, was impressed by
Kahn initiated the "DC Explosion" of new titles and formats
Kahn oversaw the launch in 1993 of the
She oversaw a diversification of the originally overwhelmingly male staff at DC, to the point where when she left, almost half the employees were women.[3] Kahn left DC Comics in 2002 after 26 years with the company[26] to pursue a career as a film producer.[27]
Double Nickel Entertainment
Kahn is a partner in Double Nickel Entertainment, a film production company she co-founded with Adam Richman after leaving DC Comics. Double Nickel's first film was
In addition, Kahn serves on the boards of
Awards
Kahn received the Library of Congress Living Legends award in the "Writers and Artists" category in April 2000 for her significant contributions to America's cultural heritage.[28] She received an Inkpot Award in July 2010.[29]
President Ronald Reagan honored Kahn for her work on drug awareness, and she has been honored by the Clinton Administration, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, the United Nations, and the Department of Defense for her work on land mines.
The
Kahn created The Wonder Woman Foundation in honor of Wonder Woman's 40th Anniversary. In its three years of existence, the foundation contributed more than $350,000 in grants to women over 40 in various categories.[30]
Bibliography
- In Your Space: Personalizing Your Home and Office (ISBN 0-7892-0755-9
References
- ^ a b Gutis, Philip S. (January 6, 1985). "Turning Superheroes into Super Sales". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 28, 2018. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
...Jenette Kahn, DC's now 37-year-old president and publisher...; And in the Central Park West apartment that she shares with her two cats and her husband of one year, Morton J. Fink, a former president of Warner Home Video.
- FamilySearch.org. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
Name: Jeannette Kahn. Also Known As: Jenet Kahn, Jeanette S. Kahn, Jenette S. Kahn
- ^ a b c d e f Contino, Jennifer (May 2001). "A Chat with Kahn". Sequential Tart. Archived from the original on October 26, 2003.
- ^ a b c Kahn, Jenette (w). "And Now... We Interrupt this Comic to Bring You a Word from Your New Publisher..." Batman, no. 285 (March 1977).
- Groundhog's Day[February 2], 1976, when you arrived at DC.
- ISBN 978-0-7566-6742-9.)
Jenette Kahn replaced Carmine Infantino as publisher of a struggling DC Comics.
{{cite book}}
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has generic name (help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link - ISBN 978-3-8365-1981-6.
Replacing [Carmine] Infantino in 1976 was a balance of experience and the improbable: 55-year-old production exec Sol Harrison, who had worked on National's very first comics as a color separator before being moved up to president. He was teamed with an unlikely equal partner as publisher, a 28-year-old woman from outside comics, Jenette Kahn.
- ^ Greenberger, Robert (July 2012). "The Path of Kahn". Back Issue! (57). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 12.
- ^ Levitz (2010) p. 455
- Fantagraphics Books: 31.
- ^ Catron, Michael (June 1981). "Executive Shifts at DC". Amazing Heroes (1). Stamford, Connecticut: Fantagraphics Books: 25.
- ^ Tucker, Reed (2017). Slugfest: In the Epic 50-Year Battle between Marvel and DC. Da Capo Press. pp. 100–1.
- ^ Tucker. Slugfest. pp. 105–6.
- ^ Tucker. Slugfest. pp. 101–2.
- ^ Tucker. Slugfest. pp. 112–3.
- ISBN 978-1-9848-5690-6.
- ^ Scioli. Jack Kirby. p. 178.
- ^ Kahn, Jenette (September 1978). "Publishorial: Onward and Upward". DC Comics. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013.
- ^ "The DC Implosion". The Comics Journal (41). Stamford, Connecticut: Fantagraphics Books: 5–7. August 1978.
- ^ Kahn, Jenette (w). "And Now... Still Another Message of Untold Importance from our Prolific Publisher!!" Batman, no. 286 (April 1977).
- ^ Romero, Max (July 2012). "I'll Buy That For a Dollar! DC Comics' Dollar Comics". Back Issue! (57). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 39–41.
- ISBN 0821220764.
DC's royalties plan, inaugurated in 1981, gave percentages to writers and artists on all comics that sold beyond the break-even point of 100,000 copies.
- ^ Levitz (2010) p. 567
- ^ Groth, Gary (March 1981). "The Dick Giordano Interview (Part One of Three)". The Comics Journal (62). Stamford, Connecticut: Fantagraphics Books. Archived from the original on November 8, 2013. Retrieved February 10, 2014.
- ^ "Comic Books: Swamp Thing's Quagmire". Time. July 10, 1989. Archived from the original on February 10, 2014.
- ^ Weiland, Jonah (February 6, 2002). "DC Comics President Jenette Kahn to step down". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on February 11, 2014.
- ^ Levitz (2010) p. 638
- ^ "Living Legend: Jenette Kahn". Library of Congress. n.d. Archived from the original on May 25, 2010.
- ^ Wahl, Andrew (July 24, 2010). "CCI: Jenette Kahn Earns Her Inkpot Award". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 11, 2013.
- ^ Mangels, Andy (July 2012). "A Heroine History of the Wonder Woman Foundation". Back Issue! (57). Raleigh, North Carolina: TwoMorrows Publishing: 48–55.
External links
- Jenette Kahn at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original)
- Jenette Kahn at the Grand Comics Database
- Jenette Kahn at IMDb
- Kimball, Kirk. "Explosion and Implosion," part one of "Secret Origins of the DC Implosion," Dial B for Blog Archived October 4, 2018, at the Wayback Machine
- Interview with Jenette Kahn on YouTube at the Chicago Humanities Festival, December 4, 2013
- Jenette Kahn Video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America