Zombie Research Society
Roughly six months after show creator Frank Darabont was forced to step aside from The Walking Dead, the wildly successful franchise took another hit this week with the announcement that graphic novel creator Robert Kirkman is being sued by his lifelong friend and former illustrator Tony Moore.
In a 2011 interview Kirkman said that comic book writers should find artists to draw their stories by using, “trickery and deceit.” Not such a wise comment, considering the newly filed suit.
Moore illustrated the first six issues of “The Walking Dead” and drew covers for 18 more. He claims that in 2005 Kirkman tricked him into surrendering his rights in exchange for a payment that was never made. In a Friday statement, Kirkman called the charges ridiculous.
“We 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.”
Moore insists that he signed over his rights in exchange for a cut of future earnings, but has not seen his fair share. He has also not been allowed to see any earning statements for more than seven years, so he has no way of calculating what is actually owed.
Looks like now it’s up to the courts to decide.
Anything that is successful, especially wildly successful as the WD gets sued. It’s inevitable. I hope Kirkland isn’t on the wrong in this.
It’s ugly to see this at all but between to childhood friends is especially bad.
I am a fan of Kirkman and hope this is a missunderstanding and not my favorite writer abusing his creative team. He has a dry sense of humor and I think that quote is just an unfortunate joke. I hope.