Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman

Kirkman at the 2011 New York Comic Con
Born November 30, 1978
Richmond, Kentucky
Nationality American
Area(s) Writer, editor, letterer, executive producer
Notable works
 The Walking Dead
Invincible
Marvel Zombies
Children 2[1]

Robert Kirkman (born November 30, 1978)[2] is an American comic book writer best known for creating The Walking Dead and Invincible for Image Comics, in addition to Ultimate X-Men and Marvel Zombies for Marvel Comics. He has also collaborated with Image Comics co-founder Todd McFarlane on the series Haunt.[3] He is one of the five partners of Image Comics, and the only one of the five who was not one of its co-founders.[4]

Early life

Robert Kirkman was born on November 30, 1978 in Richmond, Kentucky.[2]

Career

Robert Kirkman's first comic book work was the 2000 superhero parody Battle Pope,[3] which he co-created with artist Tony Moore, and self-published under the Funk-O-Tron label. Later, while pitching a new series, Science Dog, Kirkman and artist Cory Walker were hired to do a SuperPatriot miniseries for Image Comics. While working on that book, Kirkman and E. J. Su created the 2002 Image series Tech Jacket, which ran six issues.

In 2003, Kirkman and Walker created Invincible for Image's new superhero line. The story surrounded the adolescent son of the world's most powerful superhero, who develops powers and starts his own superhero career. Walker later failed to meet the monthly title's deadlines and was replaced by Ryan Ottley.[5] In 2005, Paramount Pictures announced it had bought the rights to produce an Invincible feature film, and hired Kirkman to write the screenplay.[6]

Shortly after the launch of Invincible, Kirkman began The Walking Dead (2003). At first Image didn't want to publish it because they felt zombies were too cliche, so Kirkman came up with at future plot where it was revealed that the zombies were actually created by aliens, using them to wipe out humanity before they could take over the world. After it had been accepted and the first issues were out, Kirkman admitted there would never be any aliens in the comic, it was just something he made up to get it published.[7] Artist Tony Moore was replaced by Charlie Adlard, beginning with issue #7.[8] Moore continued to draw covers until issue 24 as well as the first four volumes of the trade paperbacks for the series.

Kirkman was first hired by Marvel Comics to pen a revival of the 1990s Sleepwalker series,[9] but it was canceled before being published; the contents of its first issue were included in Epic Anthology No. 1 (2004). He soon became a mainstay at Marvel, writing the "Avengers Disassembled" issues of Captain America vol. 4, 2004's Marvel Knights 2099 one-shots event, Jubilee #1–6 and Fantastic Four: Foes #1–6, a two-year run on Ultimate X-Men and the entire Marvel Team-Up vol. 3 and the Irredeemable Ant-Man miniseries.

At Image, Kirkman and artist Jason Howard created the ongoing series The Astounding Wolf-Man, launching it on May 5, 2007, as part of Free Comic Book Day. Kirkman edited the monthly series Brit, based on the character he created for the series of one-shots, illustrated by Moore and Cliff Rathburn. It ran 12 issues. Kirkman also co-produced the spin-off to The Walking Dead, the series code-named "Cobalt".[10]

Kirkman announced in 2007 that he and artist Rob Liefeld would team on a revival of Killraven for Marvel Comics.[11] Kirkman that year also said he and Todd McFarlane would collaborate on Haunt for Image Comics.[12]

In late July 2008, Kirkman was made a partner at Image Comics, thereby ending his freelance association with Marvel.[13][14] Nonetheless, later in 2009, he and Walker produced the five-issue miniseries The Destroyer vol. 4[15] for Marvel's MAX imprint.

In 2009, Kirkman and Marc Silvestri took over the 2009–2010 Pilot Season for Top Cow Comics. The 2009/2010 Pilot Season contains a series of five one-shot pilot comics that readers will be able to vote on which becomes an ongoing series. Each series is co-created by Silvestri who also provides cover art.[16]

In 2010, he also began producing the television adaption of his comic book series The Walking Dead,[17] the pilot of which was directed by Frank Darabont.[18] Kirkman has written or co-written six episodes of the series.

In July 2010, Kirkman announced he would launch and run a new Image Comics imprint called Skybound Entertainment.[19]

On February 9, 2012, Tony Moore filed a lawsuit alleging that Kirkman, in 2005, had deceitfully engineered him into surrendering his rights to The Walking Dead comic book and eventual TV series in exchange for payments that never materialized. Kirkman said in a statement the following day that he and Moore "each had legal representation seven years ago and now he is violating the same contract he initiated and approved and he wants to misrepresent the fees he was paid and continues to be paid for the work he was hired to do."[20] Kirkman in turn sued Moore. On September 24, 2012, the two released a joint statement saying they had reached a settlement "to everyone's mutual satisfaction."[21]

In November 2013, Cinemax purchased a TV pilot based on Kirkman and artist Paul Azaceta's then-upcoming six-issue exorcism comics miniseries, Outcast.[22] The first issue of the comic was released in June 2014 to positive reviews.[23]

Kirkman is executive producing his first film, the science fiction thriller AIR, starring The Walking Dead‍ '​s Norman Reedus and Djimon Hounsou, to be released in early 2015. It is the first feature film to produced by Skybound Entertainment.[24][25]

Personal life

Kirkman and his wife live in Kentucky.[26][27] He named his son Peter Parker Kirkman after Spider-Man's civilian identity, Peter Parker.[28][29]

Bibliography

Funk-O-Tron

Image Comics

Marvel Comics

Other publishers

Novels

Kirkman has also written a series of non-graphic The Walking Dead novels:

  1. The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, with Jay Bonansinga, Thomas Dunne Books, 2011.
  2. The Walking Dead: The Road to Woodbury, with Jay Bonansinga, Thomas Dunne Books, 2012.
  3. The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor, with Jay Bonansinga, Thomas Dunne Books, 2013 & 2014.

The Walking Dead (TV series)

References

  1. ↑ Made Man (14 October 2013). "The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman Tells His Story". YouTube. Retrieved 6 January 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Löchel, Ingo. "The Walking Dead: Die Comic-Serie - Robert Kirkman". Zauberspiegel. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "WonderCon Special Guests"; Comic-Con magazine; Winter 2010; Page 19
  4. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions". ImageComics.com. Archived from the original on July 18, 2011. Retrieved October 25, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Robert Kirkman on Invincible", IGN, 2007-12-10. Retrieved on March 15, 2008.
  6. ↑ "Feeling 'Invincible'", Variety, 2005-03-01. Retrieved on March 15, 2008.
  7. ↑ Rich Johnston. "The Walking Dead Alien Invasion That Never Was - Robert Kirkman At Image Comics Expo". Bleeding Cool Comic Book, Movie, TV News.
  8. ↑ "Interview with Charlie Adlard". Comicgate.com. August 25, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  9. ↑ Weiland, Jonah (October 22, 2003). "Kirkman revives Sleepwalker for Marvel this February". Comic Book Resources.
  10. ↑ Ross, Dalton (January 16, 2015). "Robert Kirkman says 'Walking Dead' spinoff will be 'startlingly different'". Entertainment Weekly.
  11. ↑ "Wizard World Chicago 2007: Rob Liefeld and Robert Kirkman to Breathe New Life into Killraven". Marvel.com. August 14, 2007. Archived from the original on October 7, 2008. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  12. ↑ "Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman Announce 'Haunt'". Spawn.com. August 3, 2007. Archived from the original on October 11, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  13. ↑ Writer of the Undead Is Reborn as a Partner at Image Comics, The New York Times, July 22, 2008
  14. ↑ Robert Kirkman: Image Partner, Done at Marvel, Newsarama, July 22, 2008
  15. ↑ Per The Unofficial Handbook of Marvel Comics Creators, the earlier volumes star an unrelated character adapted from The Destroyer  series of novels: The Destroyer (1989–1990), The Destroyer vol. 2 (1991) and The Destroyer vol. 3 (1991–1992)
  16. ↑ Wigler, Josh (November 25, 2009). "Robert Kirkman Takes Over 'Pilot Season'". Comic Book Resources.
  17. ↑ "Dispatches From the Set – Comic Creator and Series Executive Producer Robert Kirkman". AMC. June 21, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  18. ↑ "Dispatches From the Set – Writer, Director and Executive Producer Frank Darabont". AMC. June 9, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Robert Kirkman Announces Skybound, a New Division of Image Comics". Skybound Entertainment press release via DreadCentral.com. July 19, 2010. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
  20. ↑ Molloy, Tim (February 10, 2012). "'Walking Dead's' Robert Kirkman Joked About Tricking Illustrators —- Then Got Sued by His". TheWrap.com. Archived from the original on February 10, 2012.
  21. ↑ Molloy, Tim (September 24, 2012). "'Walking Dead' Writer, Artist Settle Lawsuits". TheWrap. Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  22. ↑ Goldberg, Lesley (November 11, 2013). "Robert Kirkman's Exorcism Drama 'Outcast' Lands at Cinemax (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter.
  23. ↑ "Outcast By Kirkman & Azaceta". Comic Book Roundup. Retrieved February 20, 2015.
  24. ↑ Ross, Dalton (July 23, 2014). "New photo of Norman Reedus in 'AIR' (with intel from Robert Kirkman)". Entertainment Weekly.
  25. ↑ Feloni, Richard (October 9, 2014). "Watch Out Marvel & DC: 'The Walking Dead' Company Has A Plan To Steal Your Thunder". Business Insider.
  26. ↑ "A Time to Kill Time". Conan. Season 3. Episode 58. March 7, 2013. TBS.
  27. ↑ Truitt, Brian. "'The Infinite' teams Image's past and present". USA Today. March 7, 2011
  28. ↑ "Buy My Books". Comic Book Resources. June 14, 2006. Retrieved March 15, 2008.
  29. ↑ The Comics Journal No. 289 (April 2008)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robert Kirkman.
Preceded by
Robert Morales		 Captain America writer
2004 		Succeeded by
Ed Brubaker