Jack Chojnacki

Jack Chojnacki^{[nb 1]} (born c. 1941)^[1] served as the co-president of Those Characters from Cleveland Inc., a division of U.S. greeting card company American Greetings (AGC), in the 1980s. He assisted in the creation of several AGC franchises, including Strawberry Shortcake and the Care Bears.

Career

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin,^[2] Chojnacki graduated from the city's Marquette University High School in 1958.^[2] During the 1970s, he was among the staff of American Greetings, a card company based in Cleveland, Ohio;^[5] he licensed the Holly Hobbie character early in his tenure there.^[6] Later that decade, he set up the company's licensing branch^[5] Those Characters from Cleveland^[7][8] with another AGC employee, Tim Wilson (the creator of the comic strip Ziggy).^[9] Its first franchise, Strawberry Shortcake, made its public debut in 1980.^[5]

Beginning in the early 1980s, Chojnacki served as co-president of Those Characters from Cleveland^[8] along with Wilson,^[10] and vice-president of AGC's licensing operations.^[11] Starting in February 1981, he assisted in the creation of another American Greetings franchise, the Care Bears.^[12] He served as executive producer of 1985's The Care Bears Movie,^[13][14] along with its 1986 prequel A New Generation;^[15] he also was a creative consultant for the 1987 follow-up, Adventure in Wonderland.^[16] After the Care Bears, Chojnacki helped out with another two AGC properties, Madballs^[17] and Popples.^[18][19] In 1989, the Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA) inducted him into the Murray Altchuler Licensing Industry Hall of Fame, as a charter member.^[20]

Notes

References

External links

• Jack Chojnacki at the Internet Movie Database