Norman Grossfeld, a veteran producer and former president of 4Kids Productions, has joined Seoul-based Aanaxion Studio to lead its kids subsidiary Konfetti Studios. 

Grossfeld, who produced the English-language versions of early Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh seasons back in the ’90s and early ’00s, is credited with helping launch the Pokémon brand worldwide. He’s also the one who came up with the brand’s iconic tagline, “Gotta Catch ‘Em All,” according to Aanaxion. He has produced more than 2,000 episodes of TV, including Sonic the Hedgehog and Winx Club. 

Based in LA, Grossfeld has been with Aanaxion since summer 2024, quietly developing a slate of multiplatform kids projects that the studio can turn into a new generation of popular franchises, he says.

Konfetti’s initial slate of projects includes Nanopop, a tween/teen-skewing concept about pop stars; Sumomojo, about collectible creatures in over-the-top adventures; and Hugglebobs, a preschool property about characters who go on musical adventures. 

Grossfeld says he has plans to expand these ideas into TV series, feature films and musical albums. Konfetti is also looking for L&M partners, as well as broadcasters, co-producers and distributors, to come on board and help turn these concepts into franchises, he says. 

“I’ll never forget the joy on [kids’] faces coming out of the Pokémon movies and live shows,” Grossfeld told Kidscreen. “With Konfetti, I want to recreate that magic for a new generation. That’s the opportunity, and the promise, I hope to fulfill.” 

Before launching Konfetti, Aanaxion was focused on making adult-skewing live-action fare, including the upcoming film Protector. That action-thriller is planned for a worldwide release sometime this year.