Award-winning TV writer-story editor, non-fiction writer & branded entertainment specialist
Greater New York City Area
- Current
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- Author, "The Essential Superman Encyclopedia" at (i.e., to be published by) Del Rey / Ballantine Books
- Author, "The DC Vault" at (i.e., published by) Running Press and available October, 2008
- Owner at Martin Pasko Creative Development (Sole Proprietorship)
- Writer, Story Editor, Creative Consultant at freelance
- Past
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- Creative Development - Media (director level) at Warner Bros. - DC Comics unit
- writer, SUPERMAN RETURNS comics adaptation at DC Comics
- Group Editor, Special Projects / Creative Services at DC Comics
- series developer at freelance at Saban Entertainment
- Story Editor and Staff Writer at Warner Bros. Animation
- Senior Editor, new project development at Walt Disney Comics
- contract writer at DC Comics
- Education
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- Northwestern University
- Recommended
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2 people have recommended Martin - Connections
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connections
- Industry
- Entertainment
Martin Pasko’s Summary
Creative services manager (managing freelance writers and copywriting staff); client service-oriented creative writer-for-hire; copywriter; Emmy® Award–winning screenwriter (TV animation); story editor, episodic television and comics.
Extensive background in graphic novels / comics; non-fiction; media tie-ins. Deep understanding of licensing. Strong proofreader. 20+ yrs. experience in the creation and development of branded entertainment properties, as a writer and/or story editor for such companies as Disney, Warner Bros. Animation, Marvel Enterprises, Cartoon Network, DC Comics, and many others.
Available for staff positions, full-time with benefits / 1099 / telecommute / open to "creative" arrangements. At freelance, am currently doing non-fiction about popular culture, with one book due out in October '08 and another in '09. Am bi-coastal, and love working in LA. Willing to relocate for right position.
Proficient in Word, Excel, FileMaker, PowerPoint; working familiarity with Photoshop CS3, Quark, Frontpage. Complete print and screen credits available at http://www.mpasko.blogspot.com/.
Martin Pasko’s Specialties:
Brand extension by expanding creative content with new characters, “props,” storylines, etc., creating greater opportunities both for adaptations to other media and for licensed-out consumer products in all categories.
Martin Pasko’s Experience
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Author, "The Essential Superman Encyclopedia"
(i.e., to be published by) Del Rey / Ballantine Books
(Publishing industry)
April 2008 — Present (5 months)
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Author, "The DC Vault"
(i.e., published by) Running Press and available October, 2008
(Publishing industry)
April 2007 — Present (1 year 5 months)
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Owner
Martin Pasko Creative Development (Sole Proprietorship)
(Sole Proprietorship; Entertainment industry)
July 2006 — Present (2 years 2 months)
Pasko has frequently been hired as a “script doctor” by producers, networks, licensing agents, and intellectual property owners, to address costly missteps in developing entertainment brands into story-based product. Now his consultancy, Martin Pasko Creative Development, leverages his deep knowledge base and broad skill set to add value to clients' intellectual properties while faithfully serving the QC and brand assurance concerns of all stakeholders.
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Writer, Story Editor, Creative Consultant
freelance
(Writing and Editing industry)
May 1984 — Present (24 years 4 months)
Animation credits include: MEGA MAN, EXO-SQUAD, THE TICK, SPIDER-MAN, CADILLACS & DINOSAURS, BATMAN, TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES, SUPERMAN, MY LITTLE PONY 'N' FRIENDS, TRANSFORMERS, THE BERENSTAIN BEARS, G.I. JOE, THUNDARR THE BARBARIAN. Live-action television credits include ROSEANNE, SIMON & SIMON, MAX HEADROOM, THE TWILIGHT ZONE. Comics credits include DC COMICS PRESENTS GREEN LANTERN, IMPULSE, THE BATMAN ADVENTURES, BLACKHAWK, STAR TREK, SUPERMAN, WONDER WOMAN and many others, comprising over 500 comics scripts to date.
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Creative Development - Media (director level)
Warner Bros. - DC Comics unit
(Public Company; 201-500 employees; Entertainment industry)
January 2002 — December 2006 (5 years)
Responsible for: Pitching to WB studio “takes” on properties from DC Comics library, in form of written proposals describing source material and proposing creative strategies for adaptation to feature films & TV series; researching history of editorial content, previous media adaptations, & consumer product licenses, supporting WB’s adaptation of same to film and TV; Reading all TV and feature scripts for consistency with comics creative and brand assurance clearance; Consulting with producers of animated programming based on DC characters and resolving branding and creative difference issues; supplying data and archival materials to other dept.s re. DC properties in other media; maintaining comprehensive catalog of company's properties & updating it to reflect revisions and new creative; creative consultant to producers of theatrical and theme park attractions based on company's properties
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writer, SUPERMAN RETURNS comics adaptation
DC Comics
(Public Company; Publishing industry)
October 2005 — January 2006 (4 months)
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Group Editor, Special Projects / Creative Services
DC Comics
(Public Company; 201-500 employees; Publishing industry)
February 1995 — January 2002 (7 years)
Oversaw internal development of new kids' line & licensed-in & custom comics -- trade-loaders, promotional & educational pubs, pack-ins -- for corporate & government clients incl. Hasbro, Black & Decker, Claritin, the US Postal Service, GM On*Star, many others. Storyboarded, wrote & oversaw build of Flash animation “webisodes” for online promotions with Cartoon Network & On*Star. Edited 10-volume “Celebrate The Century Stamp Album” series for USPS -- aggregate paid circ: over 20 million units. Oversaw production of SUPERMAN landmine safety comics distributed in Bosnia-Herzegovina and El Salvador by UNICEF and the US DoD. Edited initial run of BIONICLE comics considered by Lego the single most effective promotion in increasing brand awareness in boys 8 – 12. Accompanied sales calls, improvising creative strategies with prospective clients on the spot -- a new strategy that increased custom comic sales by more than 40% over previous year.
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series developer at freelance
Saban Entertainment
(Entertainment industry)
1994 — 1994 (less than a year)
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Story Editor and Staff Writer
Warner Bros. Animation
(Public Company; 201-500 employees; Animation industry)
October 1991 — April 1993 (1 year 7 months)
Primary assignment was "Batman: The Animated Series." Responsibilities included rewriting scripts to make them produceable and approvable by network.
By introducing producers to an alternative talent pool, Pasko spearheaded repositioning of show from kids' demo to "tween" and teen, helping resolve creative differences that had been impeding production. The change in direction significantly expanded licenses by broadening the show's appeal across several demos. Was awarded Daytime Emmy, Best Writing In an Animated Series (shared credit) -
Senior Editor, new project development
Walt Disney Comics
(Public Company; 11-50 employees; Publishing industry)
March 1991 — October 1991 (8 months)
Staff writer for comics line based on Disney classic animation (humor) and developer of line of action-adventure features based on Disney and Touchstone feature films
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contract writer
DC Comics
(Public Company; 201-500 employees; Publishing industry)
1987 — 1990 (3 years)
Additional Information
Martin Pasko’s Groups:
Pasko is a member of the Writers’ Guild of America, Freelancer's Union, and LIMA
Martin Pasko’s Honors:
Daytime Emmy(R) Award, best writing in an animated series (as writer/story editor for series), "Batman: The Animated Series," 1993
