Talk:Zodiac Entertainment

Person who helped create the company

http://www.worldscreen.com/articles/display/25737

NEW YORK: It is with great sadness that we report that Peter Keefe, 58, animation executive, creator and producer, most noted as the creative force behind the iconic children’s animated TV series Voltron, passed away on May 27. He succumbed to throat cancer at the home of his sister Mollie in Rochester, New York, the city of his birth.

A master pitchman, Keefe distinguished himself not only for his creative and marketing savvy, but also for his trademark black handlebar mustache, long blond hair and cowboy boots. His masterful use of the English language—with his rich vocabulary and extravagant expressions—made him larger than life, even at a young age.

“I have known Peter for nearly all of my professional life,” says Ricardo Guise, the president and publisher of World Screen. “He was one of a kind, with a unique ability to entrance those around him with his brilliant personality. I vividly remember my early days in the business, sitting at the bar of the Martinez, mesmerized by Peter’s command of the English language, by his capacity to weave fantastic tales, by his sharp wit, and by his curious mind. Peter was a great guy and I carry with me fond memories of the moments we shared.”

Keefe’s accomplishments in the children’s television business are numerous. In the mid-1980s, he creatively adapted two distinct Japanese animated series, Go Lion and Dierugger, into a single seamless story line that became a kids’ entertainment phenomenon—Voltron: Defender of the Universe. The series premiered in the U.S. on September 10, 1984, and quickly rose to become the number one nationally ranked series in kids’ syndication during the 1984 and 1985 broadcast seasons and remains widely recognized as among the world’s top Japanese-originated children’s franchises of all time. Voltron is also considered the first Japanese anime series to be creatively adapted for the U.S. as well as for the global marketplace, to be followed by other mega hits such as Power Rangers and Pokémon.

Voltron also burgeoned into one of the leading kids’ merchandise licensing franchises of the decade, driving retail sales for licensed products into the hundreds of millions of dollars. The series was broadcast in more than 100 countries worldwide.

Following his groundbreaking work with Voltron, Keefe fostered what many industry analysts regard as the first successful co-production on an animated series between France and the U.S. with Denver the Last Dinosaur, and set a trend for French-American animation co-productions that continues to this day. Created entirely by Keefe, the animated series made its successful premiere in U.S. syndication in 1988 and was then sold in more than 90 countries.

In 1989, Keefe and long-time associate Brian Lacey formed Zodiac Entertainment, a joint venture with Central Independent Television in the U.K. Under the Zodiac Entertainment banner, Keefe created and produced three multi-award-winning and critically acclaimed animated series, including Widget, The Mr. Bogus Show and Twinkle. Widget has been hailed as the first animated series to blend entertainment with pro-social and environmental messages aimed at children viewers. All three of the Zodiac animated series were covered by major media, including TV Guide, Forbes, Time, The New York Times, USA Today and CNN, and have earned awards from such distinguished organizations as the National Educational Association.

Keefe also served as producer and marketer of Nine Dog Christmas, a 2005 animated holiday special that was broadcast on Cartoon Network in the U.S., and on the Disney Channel in Europe and Asia. Warner Home Video released the special worldwide to the home-entertainment market.

His most recent creation, currently in development, is Z~Force (Zodiac Force), an animated series that features 12 action heroes based on the thousands of years old Oriental Zodiac.

Over the past two decades, Keefe has created, produced and sold over 600 half-hours of award-winning children's and family entertainment programming watched by hundreds of millions the world over, which have generated hundreds of millions of dollars in commercial business.

“One of my first conversations with Peter was in the mid-1990s and it was no routine interview,” says Anna Carugati, the group editorial director of World Screen. “I was immediately taken not only by his depth of knowledge about the intricacies of the children’s business, but more so, by his astounding ability to explain—he had such a way with words. In less than 20 minutes I was brought up to date on all the major issues in children’s television. It was not just an interview; it was a valuable tutorial. And since then, Peter was always most generous with his time, answering my questions and providing valuable context.”

Keefe began his career in television entertainment as an on-camera movie critic for the public television outlet in St. Louis. He switched gears from talent to producer in 1983 as VP and executive producer for World Events Productions, which was also based in St. Louis.

Keefe is survived by his wife, Pamela Mills Keefe; his mother Anne Keefe, former KMOX St. Louis radio talk-show host; his stepson, James; and five siblings—sisters Lisa, Kittie and Mollie and brothers Tony and Chris.

As Keefe’s close friend Brian Lacey said, “The world lost a valiant, proud Celtic warrior.”

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