Toronto, Canada-based publishing, branded content and new media incubator TITAN1STUDIOS has hired Kids’ CBC’s former creative head, Kim Wilson, and ex-Guru production exec, Christina Rotsaert, to help adapt its kids, teen and mature graphic novel slate into live-action and animation content across TV, film, digital, VR and location-based entertainment.
As the company’s head of scripted entertainment, Wilson will lead the development of cross-platform content that complements TITAN1’s existing slate, while new animation-focused executive producer Rotsaert will dive into development work on the studio’s all-ages hit comic book series Zomben (pictured), as well as other IP.
Since leaving Kids’ CBC in April 2015, Wilson has worked as a freelance executive producer in the kids space and became co-director of the Children’s Media Lab at her alma mater, Ryerson University, this past June.
As creative head at Canada’s public broadcaster from 2005 to 2015, Wilson led all programming decisions for Kids’ CBC, including its linear morning block, website and other digital platforms. Some of her commissions before she exited included Chirp (Sinking Ship Entertainment), The Moblees (Shaftesbury) and The Adventures of Napkin Man (Breakthrough Entertainment/Little Tugboat/Little Airplane). Prior to her tenure at the CBC, Wilson held several roles at provincial pubcaster TVO.
Rotsaert, meanwhile, was most recently supervising producer at Toronto’s Guru Studio, after serving nearly two years as the prodco’s director of operations and technology. She joined Guru as a producer in 2014. Prior to Guru, she was a supervising producer at DHX Media and the head of production at Cookie Jar Entertainment.
Across her 25-year career, Rotsaert’s credits include more than 200 eps from hit 2D- and 3D-animated TV series including Paw Patrol, Arthur, Caillou, Busytown Mysteries, Backyardigans, Babar, Franklin, Magic School Bus and Johnny Test.
Wilson and Rotsaert join a senior creative team at TITAN1STUDIOS that includes Emmy-winning producer Raj Dias (Zink Studios), former CBC Digital and marblemedia interactive executive Perry Voulgaris, and former senior Rogers Media VP and Sportsnet executive, Navaid Mansuri.
TITAN1STUDIOS offers agency-level services for brands and rights holders looking to monetize content via graphic publishing, interactive gaming, immersive mobile, and location-based entertainment.
Along with Zomben, its graphic novel library includes Knight Guardians of Relativity, New Humanz and Weathered Spirit.
The company’s move into live-action and animation comes as the kids comics and graphic novels segment grew by 24% in 2016 to US$4.87 million, according to NPD Book.