Michael Kelly began his career unpacking boxes in the receiving room of his local Barnes & Noble and has been hooked on the book business ever since.
With an English degree from Boston College and an MBA from Northeastern University, he has developed the unique skill set of bringing both creativity and business acumen to the industry of storytelling.
From children’s books to adult non-fiction, Michael worked in a variety of publishing positions and categories prior to joining Hasbro.
In his 18 years at Hasbro, Michael rose to the position of Vice President, Global Publishing, where he transformed a small, regional business into a global content-generating powerhouse.
By the time he left Hasbro in 2023, Michael had grown the publishing business from $20 million in annual wholesale revenues to over $200 million and was overseeing global teams and licensees responsible for publishing 1,000 new titles per year.
Michael has worked with publishers on 6 continents, and has traveled the world for conferences, trade shows, industry panels, and licensee meetings.
"As passionate as he is knowledgeable, Michael is an essential driving force to any project he takes on. As we developed the Energon Universe with the Hasbro properties Transformers and G.I.Joe, I was always impressed with his ability to quickly pivot and effortlessly enhance any off the wall idea we threw at him. He’s someone unafraid of innovation and always willing to take chances. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also one heck of a nice guy. He also looks good in a kilt."
"Michael Kelly built Hasbro's publishing business from the ground up, delivering strong revenue growth while expanding the landscapes and mythologies of the brands themselves," "What I admired most about Michael over the years was the steadfast leadership and forward thinking he brought to bravely introduce topics such as mental health, inclusivity and equality, enabling fans of My Little Pony, GI Joe and Transformers to connect through more modern and advanced storytelling.”
“Michael Kelly was my main contact at HASBRO from 2008 through 2023, while I scripted the GI Joe ARAH comic through three publishers. He actually knows what he is doing, and I have always had great respect for his management skills, his commitment to the product line, and functional diplomacy. He's also one hell of a nice guy.”
"I had a working relationship with Michael Kelly that lasted something like 15 years, and it was due to his championing of IDW’s efforts that the comics were able to attain the relative highs that they hit during our time managing them."
Michael Kelly being interviewed on stage with John Barber, Editor in Chief of IDW Publishing, at the inaugural Cybertron Con event in Shanghai, China.
Learn with Peppa, License Global - September 2023
G.I. JOE Comics SAVE.ORG For Suicide Prevention - March 2022
TRANSFORMERS Lost Light Comics IGN.com - December 2018
M.A.S.K. Comics East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, Inc. - May 2017
MY LITTLE PONY Publishing International Licensing Industry Merchandising Association - June 2015
MY LITTLE PONY Comics Diamond Comic Distribution Inc. - April 2014.
MY LITTLE PONY Comics Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. - April 2013
Michael Kelly will leverage his experience working on Hasbro's iconic franchises to provide IP development, publishing and brand licensing strategies to clients.
If comic book publishers are looking for someone to transform their business, this could be the dark horse candidate
IDW Publishing and Hasbro revealed that G.I. Joe #7, for release in September, will feature a special story to raise awareness for the mental health of veterans.
Michael Kelly, VP of Global Publishing for Hasbro. The global licensing community is powered by an incredible group of professionals whose diverse backgrounds and creative energy drive innovation and excellence.
Images on this page are for the purposes of demonstration & illustration only, and are examples and factual representations of work performed by the owner of Extensive Enterprises, LLC, while serving as a full-time employee at Hasbro, Inc. All images from comics and books are Copyright © 2008-2024 Hasbro, Inc., and may not be duplicated, copied, or used in any way without the express written permission of Hasbro, Inc. TRANSFORMERS, MY LITTLE PONY, G.I. JOE, JEM & THE HOLOGRAMS, CUBBY HILL, and CLUE are registered trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. All rights reserved.
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