The Walking Dead is an American monthly black and white comic published by Image Comics beginning in 2003. The comic was created by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore (replaced by Charlie Adlard from issue #7 onward) and chronicles the travels of a group of people trying to survive in a world stricken by a zombie apocalypse. Robert Kirkman is a comic book writer best known for his work on The Walking Dead, Invincible and Marvel Zombies.Kirkman's first comic book work was self published, through the publisher Funk-O-Tron. This series was Battle Pope (2000) produced with artist Tony Moore, an intentionally offensive super-hero parody.
While pitching a new series that would be titled Science Dog, Kirkman and artist Cory Walker were hired to do a SuperPatriot miniseries for Image Comics. While working on that book, a pitch was made by Kirkman and co-creator E.J. Su for a new ongoing monthly series named Tech Jacket (2002). The pitch was accepted by Image, but was canceled after only 6 issues, due to low sales.
In 2003, at the request of Image Comics, Kirkman and SuperPatriot artist Cory Walker created Invincible for a new "superhero" line. The story surrounded the adolescent son of the world's most powerful super-hero, who develops super-powers and starts his own career as a super-hero.
Walker later failed to meet the grueling deadlines of a monthly title and was replaced by Ryan Ottley. Shortly after the launch of Invincible, Kirkman and Tony Moore began The Walking Dead (2003), an ongoing series set in a world inspired by George A. Romero's zombie movies. Moore, struggling to keep deadlines on interior art was replaced by Charlie Adlard, beginning with issue #7. Moore continued to do covers for the book, however, and eventually became one of the most popular cover artists in comics, even being nominated for an Eisner Award.
These two series have met with critical and commercial success, with Kirkman's work on Invincible especially opening the door to more mainstream super-hero work at Marvel Comics. His work for that publisher has included work on a new Sleepwalker series that was cancelled before being published, the first issue eventually included in Epic Anthology #1 (2004). He soon became a mainstay at Marvel, writing, amongst others, Captain America (vol. 4) #29-32 (2004), Marvel Knights 2099 (2004), Jubilee #1-6 (2004), Marvel Team-Up (vol. 3) #1-25 (2005), Fantastic Four: Foes #1-6 (2005), Marvel Zombies #1-5 (2005-2006), Ultimate X-Men (starting with issue #66), and the canceled Irredeemable Ant-Man #1-12.
Paramount Pictures has announced that they have bought the rights to produce an Invincible feature film, and that they have hired Kirkman to write the screenplay.
Kirkman and artist Jason Howard launched their new ongoing series for Image, The Astounding Wolf-Man, on May 5, 2007 as part of Free Comic Book Day.
Kirkman edited the monthly ongoing title, Brit, based on the character he created for the series of one-shots, illustrated by Tony Moore and Cliff Rathburn. This series ended with #12.
Kirkman has two projects he's working on with Image co-founders. He's announced that he's working with Rob Liefeld on Killraven for Marvel Comics, and with Todd McFarlane on Haunt for Image Comics.
In late July 2008 it was announced that he would be made a partner at Image Comics and would wind up his Marvel work. He launched his own website, www.kirkmania.com, for updates, previews, and other Kirkman related news. He has attributed his habitually late shipping of comics to an unhealthy obsession with Mario Galaxy on the site.citation needed
Kirkman claims to have named his newborn son Peter Parker Kirkman, and confirmed his son's name in an interview printed in the Comics Journal #289.
The Walking Dead is centered around Rick, a small-town police officer from Cynthiana, Kentucky, his family, and a number of other survivors who have banded together in order to survive after the world is overrun with zombies. As the series progresses, the characters become more developed, and their personalities shift under the stress of a zombie apocalypse. Fighting growing despair — and sometimes each other — the group searches for a secure location which they can finally call home.
Link: The Walking Dead - 1 to 30 (English)
