James Zahn – The Rock Father™
A natural storyteller that seeks to enlighten and entertain, James Zahn is best-known as The Rock Father™, a media personality, commentator, adventurer, and raconteur. He is the Owner, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of THE ROCK FATHER™ Magazine. In January 2019, after nearly a decade as Publisher of The Rock Father Magazine, James joined Adventure Media and Events as Senior Editor of The Toy Book—the leading trade publication for the toy industry since 1984, as well as The Pop Insider — a destination for all things pop culture, and The Toy Insider — the leading consumer guide for toys and games. He was named Deputy Editor of the Toy Book in 2021 and also serves as editor of The Toy Report, a weekly newsletter published by The Toy Book each Thursday. Zahn has over 25 years of experience in the entertainment, retail, and publishing industries.
James is frequently called upon for expert commentary on the toy industry and has been seen on or quoted in Yahoo! Finance, CNN, FOX Business, MarketWatch, Forbes, NBC, ABC, CBS, The CW, WGN, CGTN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The NY Post, The Chicago Tribune, USA TODAY, G4, and more. He’s appeared as a music expert on CNN’s AC360 alongside Anderson Cooper, and has been interviewed by the late Larry King. In the past, he served as a member of The Toy Insider’s Parent Advisory Board and as a writer for the Netflix Stream Team, Fandango Family, and PBS KIDS. He penned articles for Sprout Parents (now Universal Kids) and PopSugar and was a contributor to Chicago Parent. Additionally, he served as the Director of New Media Development for FANGORIA Entertainment and Starlog Magazine.
He has served as a Brand Ambassador and spokesperson for several globally recognized pop culture and lifestyle brands in addition to consulting for a number of toy and consumer products manufacturers. In 2018, he made his first panel appearance at Comic-Con International (SDCC) in San Diego, where he spoke on the future of toy retailing in the wake of the Toys “R” Us closure. He made a second panel appearance at SDCC in 2019.
Creatively, James has directed/edited music videos, lyric videos, and album trailers for bands such as FEAR FACTORY, has appeared as an actor in feature films and commercials, written comic books, and performed in bands. He currently serves as an artist manager and video director for PRODUCT OF HATE, whose debut album was released by Napalm Records in 2016, distributed by ADA/Warner Music in the U.S. with Universal Music handling global. The band released its second album, You Brought This War on Feb. 5, 2021, via POH Metalworks. The album peaked at No. 10 on the NACC Loud Rock/Metal Top 30 and at No. 16 on the Metal Contraband U.S. Top 50 Metal Chart.
James Zahn resides in Northern Illinois with his wife and daughters, with frequent travel to New York City and Los Angeles.
Connect with James: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | IMDb
