Avi Arad facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Avi Arad
אבי ארד
Arad at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con
Born	(1948-08-01) August 1, 1948 (age 77) Ramat Gan, Israel
Occupation	Film producer Television producer Studio executive
Years active	1990–present
Spouse(s)	Joyce Arad
Children	3
Military career
Allegiance	Israel
Service/branch	Israel Defense Forces
Years of service	1965–1968
Battles/wars	Six-Day War (WIA)

Avi Arad (born August 1, 1948) is an Israeli-American film and television producer. He is also a studio executive, which means he helps run movie and TV studios. He is well-known for his work with Marvel Entertainment and Marvel Studios.

Arad was the CEO of a toy company called Toy Biz in the 1990s. Later, he became the chief creative officer of Marvel Entertainment. He also founded and led Marvel Studios, which makes many of the Marvel superhero movies you know. Since then, he has produced many movies and TV shows based on comic books.

Early Life and Education

Avi Arad was born in 1948 in Ramat Gan, Israel. His parents had survived a very difficult time in Poland. Growing up, he enjoyed reading Superman and Spider-Man comics that were translated into Hebrew.

In 1965, he joined the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as a soldier. He fought in the 1967 Six-Day War and was injured. He spent 15 months recovering before finishing his military service in 1968.

In 1970, Arad moved to the United States. He went to Hofstra University to study industrial management. This is a field about how to manage businesses and factories. He worked as a truck driver and a Hebrew teacher to pay for college. He earned his business degree in 1972.

Career Highlights

Working with Marvel Comics

Avi Arad, along with Toy Biz co-owner Isaac Perlmutter, played a big part in the future of Marvel Comics. In 1996, Marvel Comics faced financial trouble. Arad and Perlmutter helped Toy Biz take over Marvel Comics. This deal also helped Marvel get back the rights to characters like Spider-Man that they had sold earlier.

Arad was important in helping Marvel recover from its financial problems. He also helped the company grow by allowing other companies to use Marvel characters for toys and movies. This is called "licensing."

Starting Arad Productions

Logo used since 2007

On May 31, 2006, Avi Arad left his jobs at Marvel, including his role at Marvel Studios. He wanted to start his own company called Arad Productions. This company also goes by Arad Animation.

Arad Productions mainly makes films based on Marvel characters, but these movies are separate from the main Marvel Cinematic Universe. His first movie not based on Marvel was Bratz in 2007. He has also worked on movies based on video games like Uncharted, Metal Gear Solid, and The Legend of Zelda.

Working with Production I.G

In August 2010, it was announced that Avi Arad joined the American branch of Production I.G. This is an animation studio located in Los Angeles, California.

Film and Television Work

Avi Arad has produced many movies and TV shows. He often works as an executive producer or a producer. An executive producer helps get the money for a project and oversees it. A producer is more involved in the day-to-day making of the film or show.

Feature Films

Direct-to-Video Films

Television Shows

See also

In Spanish: Avi Arad para niños