Jack Chojnacki
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Jack Chojnacki | |
|---|---|
| Born | c. 1941 (age 83–84)[1] |
| Occupation(s) | Co-president of Those Characters from Cleveland, AGC's licensing division |
| Years active | 1970s–1980s |
| Employer | American Greetings |
| Known for | Strawberry Shortcake Care Bears Holly Hobbie |
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.
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]