Anime pioneer Fred 'Ladd' Laderman passed away on Aug. 3. He was 94.
Laderman was one of the most influential and important members of the early anime industry in North America. According to the Anime News Network, he was responsible for the localization of North America's first anime, Astro Boy. In 1963, Laderman re-edited and dubbed the series Tetsuwan Atom to create the English version of the classic show.
He was also the producer behind 1964's Gigantor (Iron Man 28) and 1966's Kimba the White Lion (Jungle Emperor Leo). He worked as a creative consultant for DiC Entertainment's initial English dub of Sailor Moon as well.
Born in Toledo, Ohio in 1927, Laderman graduated from Ohio State in 1949. He used his degrees in radio and speech to dub European cartoons before transitioning to dubbing anime. In 2008, he wrote the book Astro Boy and Anime Come to the Americas: An Insider's View of the Birth of a Pop Culture Phenomenon.
Members of the North American anime industry have spoken about the loss of Laderman. Shawne Kleckner -- CEO and co-founder of The Right Stuff International, a video publisher and distributor that specializes in Asian media -- said, "Fred Ladd was a true pioneer. His early work with Dr. Tezuka brought anime to North America, as well as popularized a budding industry in Japan. I think you could safely say, without his efforts, we wouldn't have anime as we do today."
Fred 'Ladd' Laderman helped shape nerd culture, and his work has brought many people joy. He will be missed.
Source: Anime News Network
