Jeff Brustrom
Vice President at IDW Entertainment
Jeff Brustrom has, well how do I say this correctly? A super awesome job. Not his words, those are my words. No, no. Forget that, never mind. I mean who even cares that his first task as Vice President of Kids, Family, and Animation at IDW Entertainment (IDWE) was to familiarize himself with their catalog by reading graphic novels for a month? Not me. Not jealous at all. Sounds super terrible.
Before I keep convincing you about how not jealous I am, let’s get into the background of IDW Publishing and IDW Entertainment.
What’s IDWE, you may ask? Good question. IDW began as a comic book and graphic novel publisher, founded in 1999, in San Diego, California. (Hey, that’s where I grew up! I know you all care.) Jeff works for the entertainment division that is based in Studio City. IDW Publishing has a huge catalog of literature, so Jeff reads through these properties and determines which ones have potential for a TV adaptation. A little light bulb clicks on above his head when he reads something that has the potential for a franchise. Zombies, super heroes or robots – BING! Let’s go.
Once Jeff finds a property he likes, he reaches out to literary agents to see if they have any writer/showrunner clients that would fit the job; who would be the best fit for a comic book adaptation? In order to identify if a writer is correct for the project, Jeff wants to see a sample script that fits the general theme or genre. Most of the time, Jeff is looking for a showrunner who has experience on several successful series; finding someone like that to fit the exact project can be a big challenge. Occasionally he will work with junior writers from underrepresented backgrounds, as he did recently on a project involving an indigenous lead character.
It can be difficult to find someone who can write both a graphic novel and translate it into a script, but some people can do it, like author Joe Hill, who is featured in the IDW catalog. You may recognize his work, “Locke & Key,” an American comic book series written by Joe Hill, illustrated by Gabriel Rodríguez, and published by IDW Publishing. It then became a successful streaming show on Netflix, thanks to IDWE and it’s now ramping up for another season! Carlton Cuse is the showrunner who got that going. I’ve been reading Joe Hill for years and I will admit, I did not know that was his pen name. He is actually Stephen King’s son, which is pretty obvious if you look at any picture of him. Glasses, beard - Stephen King’s son.
©Netflix
You might be wondering, where did it all start for Jeff? When did he get that little glimmer in his eye for the entertainment industry? Well it happened to be in his youth. Jeff ran into a family friend who said she remembered that 11-year-old Jeff told her he wanted to go to UCLA and work in the entertainment industry. I picture him in school trousers and a bow tie, holding a child-size briefcase as he politely told her this very specific career dream. It’s rare to meet someone who knows what they’ve wanted to do since they were a kid. It’s very rare to meet someone who knows EXACTLY down to the specifics of what they wanted to do as a little kid. Perhaps he was a baby genius (remember that movie?).
During his time at UCLA, Jeff went abroad to Germany for six months. I asked him if he spoke German and he said, “yes.” I think if I spoke another language that would be how I introduce myself, “Hi, I am Alexia and I speak another language,” but Jeff was much more humble. At the beginning of the COVID era he decided to take online classes to brush up on his German. Very impressive. At the beginning of COVID I attempted to learn the theremin (a moog synthesizer) and I gave up after two months. Just as impressive.
Jeff isn’t just good at speaking other languages, he’s also great at networking. Jeff and many other experienced members of the entertainment industry advise, “networking is key.” He actually met Founder and President of The Creators Society, Eric Miller, at Kidscreen, a very low-key, fun event to network at and gain awesome new insights on kid’s entertainment. “Everyone is there for the purpose of meeting other people,” he said. This is how he found The Creators Society and several consulting jobs. According to Jeff, “The lobby is where it’s at.” Meaning, you’re going to meet more people and make more connections hanging out in the common area, than you are attending the actual panels. Plus, Kidscreen takes place in Miami, Fla, so there are fun (exclusive) parties to attend and hand out your card.
Brustrom worked freelance for two years with the contacts he made networking. A couple awesome connections he made were with government agencies of Northern Ireland and Jamaica. At first, I thought that meant he worked with CIA types, but that was not quite the case. Instead, he worked with these agencies on helping grow their domestic animation industries. Very similar to the CIA. Jeff consulted for the government organization, Northern Ireland Screen as well as for The Government of Jamaica. These countries have tax incentives that support their local media industries. Jeff introduced his Irish compatriots to key industry buyers in Los Angeles, who could help drive business for Northern Ireland animation companies. He also consulted for The Government of Jamaica, which has been investing in starting their own animation industry. He was able to travel to Jamaica twice, give informative presentations, and eat jerk chicken. Not such a bad day’s work.
Disney
Prior to consulting, Brustrom was an executive in development and current series at Disney Channel for 17 years. Working on the Disney Channel show “Good Luck Charlie,” was one of the most positive experiences in his career. The cast and crew got along so well it was like the living song of ‘Walking on Sunshine’. The series focused on a family adjusting to the birth of their fourth child. Oldest sister Teddy makes video messages with advice for her baby sister Charlie, ending each video with the iconic line, “Good Luck Charlie.” Jeff added, “The show was dynamic in that it appealed to both adults and kids.” This is a very fine line to walk. I suggested to Jeff that poop and fart jokes also work in that same dynamic, to which he agreed.
All this being said, Jeff Brustrom has had an astounding career, and continues to work a dream job as VP of Kids, Family, and Animation at IDWE. His advice to those fledglings who are considering a career in production, is to do an internship. “Do as many internships as you can while you’re in college. It’s a really great way to learn and figure out what you like.” He explained how it’s a good way to see if you’re more interested in working with executives, agents, or production people. You can find your niche and go for it. He also recommended, if you’re really not sure what to do, you should intern at an agency. And for those who are out of college, working as a temp is a great way to bounce around, find what you want, and get your foot in the door.
Although I think I am still young and fresh, I am no college kid, so this is great advice. I can’t wait to see what IDW Entertainment brings us next! I’m hoping something to do with witches…
