JAX + Generate = new Imagine Artist Management

It wouldn’t be Just For Laughs week without some major news involving the industry. For 2019, those honors go to Imagine Artist Management, a newly formed talent firm announced Monday via The Hollywood Reporter.

IAM is an independent extension of Imagine, the TV/movie studio run by Ron Howard and Brian Grazer.

Imagine founders Brian Grazer and Ron Howard said: “Imagine Artist Management will offer artists with unique voices — directors, producers, actors, writers and comedians — access to a wealth of knowledge, relationships and experience, while maintaining its independence. We are confident in Tony, Kara and their team, and in their ability to harness their collective areas of expertise to create fresh and global opportunities for their clients.”

Tony Hernandez will serve as CEO.

Imagine acquired Hernandez’s Jax Media last year (Jax Media produces Full Frontal with Samantha Bee for TBS, Desus and Mero for Showtime, Younger for TV Land and The Other Two for Comedy Central. Its previous TV credits include Colin Quinn’s new CNN special, Netflix’s Russian Doll, Comedy Central’s Broad City and Inside Amy Schumer, and FX’s Louie.)

Kara Welker will serve as president of IAM. Joining her is David Rath. Which means the party’s over at Generate, the management firm they were founding partners in back in 2006. Also joining IAM: DC Wade and Raj Raghavan, formerly agents at WME and CAA.

IAM will have offices in both Los Angeles and New York.

Congrats to all on the new gigs and digs!

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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