Kay Kamen

• Born 1892-01-27 · Died 1949-10-28

Herman "Kay" Kamen (born Herman Samuel Kominetzky) was an American merchandising executive, noted primarily for his work with the Walt Disney Company. He was a hat salesman in his 20s, and was successful enough to found his own company that specialized in merchandising for movies. In 1932 he managed to set up a meeting with Walt and Roy Disney, the outcome of which was an exclusive contract to license Disney merchandise, a job he proved very adept at. Among his many licencing deals was a licence granted to Western Publishing to produce Disney books, puzzles, coloring books, magazines, and comic books. This led to a long partnership with Dell (who provided financing and distribution) to make the first long-running Disney Comics. Kamen died in a plane crash in 1949.