John Ledford

John Ledford
Born	John R. Ledford II August 19, 1968 Houston, Texas, U.S.
Occupation	Businessman and Producer
Known for	Founding Sentai Filmworks, A.D. Vision, Anime Network, and Newtype USA

John R. Ledford II (born August 19, 1968 in Houston, Texas) is an American entrepreneur and producer in the anime industry. Most known for founding A.D. Vision, Anime Network, Newtype USA and Sentai Filmworks, Ledford has been an executive producer for hundreds of anime titles including, Halo Legends, Appleseed Alpha, Short Peace, Sailor Moon, Hello Kitty, and the live-action spinoff of Neon Genesis Evangelion.

An avid fan of video games, Ledford began his career in 1990 by founding Gametronix. The business grew to become America’s second largest importer of Japanese video games and consoles such as Mega Drive, Famicom, Super Famicom and PC Engine. John’s interest in anime began after being introduced to My Neighbor Totoro. In 1992, he and his business partner Matt Greenfield turned their attention to the anime industry and founded A.D. Vision.

A.D. Vision (aka ADV Films or ADV) became a global leader of anime entertainment, innovation, media diversity, branded consumer products, licensing and publishing. By its tenth year, ADV was the largest employer of actors in the Southwest United States and expanded to include Tokyo and UK branches. Within a decade, ADV cemented its status as a major distributor of anime in North America, releasing titles such as Neon Genesis Evangelion, Sailor Moon, and Hello Kitty. The company also released live-action films on DVD, such as Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda (TV Series) and Earth Final Conflict as well as the Sci-Fi Channel and Jim Henson hit series Farscape, promoted original film releases and ventured into extreme wrestling with Combat Zone Wrestling.

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