Richard Citron, aka "Rusty," died Dec. 16 at the age of 68 from symptoms of Lewy Body Dementia. He was a marketing essential to the resurrection of film interest in Marvel Comics assets and a personal manager for many major celebrities.
According to lifelong friend Don Barrett, he lived at his house in Encino until September 2021, after which he moved to a memory care facility in Calabasas, Calif.
Citron began his career in New York as a page for The David Frost Show when he was 16 years old (he lied about his age to get the gig). He rose from humble beginnings to become a global leader and innovator in motion picture, television, internet digital media, consumer products, and charitable marketing.
He was part of the team that brought Marvel Comics and Stan Lee's famous character franchise back to life. He oversaw and was responsible for the theatrical promotion of more than 200 films during the course of his career. Animation masterpieces to national mall advertisements for George Lucas's Return of the Jedi, as well as the Rocky franchise, were among them. He had projects and partnerships with all of the major studios, as well as 15 networks and syndicated television series.
Citron has worked for and with companies such as 20th Century Fox, LucasFilm, Marvel, Walt Disney, MGM, Sony Pictures, and Universal Studios.
He worked as a personal manager early in his career, representing Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Dom DeLuise, Larry Gelbart, Richard Dimitri, and Sha Na Na, among others.
The Actors Hall of Fame Foundation was one of his obsessions. Citron launched a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation dedicated to reinstating dramatic arts education in schools, which he created. The Actors Hall of Fame Foundation recognizes lifetime excellence in film, television, and theater while also providing a means for students, instructors, and organizations to raise funds and resources.
Citron wrote a book called The Elephant Won't Do Cable! on his experiences in the sector. : From Zsa Zsa to Alice Cooper, my Hollywood life. He was a founding chairman of the Product Placement Council and an executive board member of the Film Information Council. He was a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
His wife of 43 years, Jill Citron; two daughters, Rachel and Stacy; son-in-law Ethan; and grandsons Ellis and Miles are among the survivors.
Citron donated his brain to the Brain Donor Project in the hopes of finding a cure for Lewy Body Dementia and receiving greater assistance. Donations to Hilarity For Charity or the Lewy Body Dementia Association can be given in Rusty's name.
