Jay's Bio

Jay Fukuto began his career in the television industry in September 1982, working in the current programming department of Paramount Pictures Network Television.  For the next three years, he supervised such classic primetime series as Happy Days (ABC), Laverne & Shirley (ABC), and Family Ties (NBC).  In October 1985, Jay was hired by Gary David Goldberg to oversee development and current production for Mr. Goldberg’s UBU Productions.  During Jay’s five and a half years with UBU, he worked on such primetime series as Duet (FOX), Day By Day (NBC), and The Bronx Zoo (NBC).  

In August 1992, Jay was hired as Director, Current Programming for Walt Disney Television Animation, his first position in the animation industry.  He was promoted to Vice President, current programming in August 1995.  During his initial tenure at Disney, Jay was responsible for such animated series as Gargoyles and The Lion King’s Timon and Pumbaa.  In March 1997, Jay was named Senior Vice President of MGM Animation. At MGM, he was in charge of animated series (including All Dogs Go To Heaven: The Series and Robocop: Alpha Commando), and direct-to-video movies (including The Secret of NIMH II and Tom Sawyer).  Jay returned to Walt Disney Television Animation in April 2001 as Vice President, Creative Affairs, followed by two years at MGA Entertainment as Vice President, Entertainment. In August 2006, Jay was named Head of Production for Film Roman, the Starz TV animation division.   He was promoted to Head of Studio in August 2008.  Under Jay’s watch, Film Roman produced the animation for such noteworthy series as The Simpsons (FOX), King of the Hill (FOX), Beavis & Butthead (MTV), and The Avengers (Marvel/Disney XD).

In July 2011 Jay stepped down from Film Roman to start his own production company, Hinklemeyer Productions, specializing in quality family entertainment.

Jay attended the University of California, San Diego, graduating with a BA in Communications.  He did his graduate work at the USC School of Cinema/Television, where he received an MFA in Production.  He and his wife Abby live with their two sons, Kyle and Ethan, in Tarzana, California.