Legendary Fred Ladd of American Anime Industry Passes Away at 94

Fred Laderman also referred to as Fred Ladd was one of the best film writers and producers. He was famously known for widening anime’s reach to the American audience and was the pioneer of the American anime industry.

Fred Ladd, who played a pivotal role in the American anime industry passed away at the age of 94 on August 3, 2021. 

He has produced key anime such as Astro Boy and completed numerous original projects like Pinocchio in Outer Space and Journey Back to Oz.

The anime Tetsuwan Atom was originally written and illustrated by Dr. Osamu Tezuka. The anime adaptation was actually the first-ever animated work that was acknowledged as anime because of its rising popularity and aesthetic. 

Fred Ladd, later re-dubbed, re-edited, and finally converted it into the famous Astro Boy in 1963 which people still remember today.

It was the first anime that aired in North America and that’s how he played an elemental role in bringing the Japanese anime to the American audience.

Aside from these, he’s produced several anime such as Kimba the White Lion in the 60s which again secured a monumental success. 

The animation projects including the Incredible Hulk and Ghostbusters are some of the prominent names attached to him as well. Here, he worked as a writer. Through his projects, one thing that stands out is his desire to get involved with anything related to animation, right from writing to production. 

The multifarious personality was also a creative consultant for the popular anime Sailor Moon English Dub of DiC Entertainment.

Ladd’s dear friend and co-worker, Shawne Kleckner who is the CEO of The Right Stuf International acknowledged the perspicuous fact of how the anime industry in America wouldn’t have been the way it is now had it not been for the late producer and writer.

He was in search of something new and different most of the time which was reflected in his wide-ranging work. 

It is indeed a great loss and extremely saddening that the legend is no more. He and his prolific work will live on forever.

About Astro Boy (2003)

Astro Boy, known in Japan by its original name Mighty Atom, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka. It was serialized in Kobunsha’s Shōnen from 1952 to 1968. The 112 chapters were collected into 23 tankōbon volumes by Akita Shoten.

The story follows Astro Boy, an android young boy with human emotions who is created by Umataro Tenma after the recent death of his son Tobio.

Eventually, Astro is sold to a robot circus run by Hamegg, but is saved from his servitude by Professor Ochanomizu. Astro becomes a surrogate son to Ochanomizu who creates a robotic family for Astro and helps him to live a normal life like an average human boy, while accompanying him on adventures.

Source: Neptune Society

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