Joel Bradley Takes Over As President Of Canada’s ‘Young Love,’ ‘Super Team Canada’ Animation Studio Atomic Cartoons

Thunderbird Entertainment Group Inc. has announced the promotion of Joel Bradley to president of its animation division, Atomic Cartoons.

Founded in 1999, Atomic Cartoons is one of Canada’s leading animation studios. Founded with an artist-driven ethos, the studio does commercial work for major clients – such as Marvel, Netflix, Disney, and Lego – and produces its own original content. The company’s best-known brands include Atomic Betty, Rocket Monkeys, Hilda, and The Last Kids on Earth. Owned by Thunderbird Entertainment since 2015, Atomic operates studios in Vancouver, Ottawa, and Los Angeles.

In his new role, Bradley will oversee business development and production, reporting directly to Jennifer Twiner McCarron, who remains CEO of both Atomic and Thunderbird, as well as chair of Thunderbird’s Board.

Bradley will continue to manage Atomic’s day-to-day operations, guiding a team of nearly 1,000 creatives and production staff. He is also tasked with shaping the company’s strategic direction and maintaining a robust production pipeline.

“Joel is a highly respected leader who brings a great mix of creativity, production expertise, and unwavering dedication to our teams,” said Twiner McCarron. “He’s been instrumental in growing our kids and family business, and his passion for supporting and uplifting team members is an invaluable asset. Joel embodies all of the key attributes we value at Atomic, including leading with kindness, compassion, and empathy. Over the years, he has helped elevate our studio creatively to build the artist-friendly, collaborative culture we are proud to be known for. This is a well-deserved promotion, and I’m excited to see what the future holds for our Company as a result of Joel’s promotion.”

Bradley, who joined Atomic in 2013 from Pixar Canada, has risen through the ranks, earning producing credits on award-winning series like Hilda and The Last Kids on Earth.

“I’m lucky to work with an extremely talented group of artists, creators, and producers, all of whom inspire me every day,” said Bradley. “It is a true privilege to take on the role of President of Atomic, and I look forward to building on its already great legacy. Atomic’s people-first culture and drive to make excellent cartoons is what originally attracted me to the studio. I want to continue to help our teams learn, gro,w and be curious, and am very excited to be part of what’s to come.”