Robert Kirkman has been bitten with a second The Walking Dead lawsuit from his former collaborator Michael Anthony Moore. In a nine-page complaint (Read it here) filed Tuesday, Moore says he wants a jury trial and “a declaratory judgment that he is a joint author” of the comic on which the post-apocalyptic AMC series is based. Moore also wants co-ownership of other properties such as Battle Pope, Brit, Dead Planet and My Name is Abraham that he says he and Kirkman “jointly created.” Moore filed this latest suit in federal court even as the first suit he filed in February is in the discovery process in California Superior Court. AMC is not named as a defendant in either suit. In this week’s filing, which claims it is necessary so the state court can “properly award the correct amount of money due and owing to Moore,” the plaintiff says if it is decided his way he will “pursue his rights as a co-owner to proceeds generated from the Works.” In his suit earlier this year,
Moore sought rights and royalties on The Walking Dead that he says Kirkman promised him. Moore claims he was persuaded in 2005 by Kirkman to give his rights to a limited company that Kirkman controlled in exchange for assured payments. Moore says he never got the money and that the TV deal Kirkman told him could be jeopardized if he didn’t hand over his rights didn’t actually exist at the time. The Walking Dead debuted on AMC on October 31, 2010 and has become one of the most successful shows on cable. Kirkman is an Executive Producer on the show. Moore is credited on the first six issues of The Walking Dead comics as “penciler, inker grey tones.” In March, Kirkman counterclaimed against Moore, saying he had overpaid him and that Moore had violated their confidentiality agreement. The third season of The Walking Dead debuts on October 14, 2012.
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Kirkman I wouldn’t trust with a 20 foot pole.
Frank Darabont (long gone) I wouldn’t trust with a 30 foot pole.
Dave Alpert who reps Kirkman I wouldn’t touch with your 7 inch pole.
I guess what we have here is “You roll with slime you get slimed.”
@Sperky, are you afraid they’d hit you you, or is it simply a judgement on their pole-handling abilities?
If Moore’s payments were only assured (no official documentation) I don’t think he had a leg to stand on. It does make Kirkman a douche though
Tracks with everything I have experienced with Robert fireman.
@Anonymous Tracks with everything I have experienced with Robert fireman.
Same here. Used to work with Image and when WD first came out Kirkman was approachable and excited to be in the comic industry. Soon as he got the first award, his head pretty much exploded.
This is typical shit when something blows up. They were probably both eating ramen noodles making comics in the basement for no money with their wives/girlfriends yelling at the to get real jobs, before The Walking Dead took off, now Kirkman is off to the races.
It does beg the question why Moore only lasted 6 issues. In my experience some lazy artist blows deadlines and keeps people waiting for pages until he’s kicked off the book out of frustration. Probably happened here, now Moore thinks he’s got something coming.
All this success should have been Deadworld anyway. You wouldn’t see this kind of nonsense between Gary Reed and Vince Locke.
You don’t sue for that. Think we all know what happened here.
Moore is a lazy artist. He says he has trouble meeting deadlines in his own website. He lasted 6 issues only because he can’t get his work done. Like many artist he drifts off to other interest and back again. I am afraid Mr. Moore may have some lawyer telling him he is entitled to things he had no part in creating. From what I have seen he has never been long term in any project.
Love the counter suit that he actually over paid him. Genius. Nasty but genius. Sad thing is you can’t take on people once they get power.
Amazing…that KIRKMAN would go outa his way to offer this and that to his former co-creator; only to steal back at the last moment?
Kirkman doesn’t come across like this on AMC.
Guess it’s hard as hell to be simply honest in Hollywood
because no one’s making enough money on their own. Wow.
And I though the homeless had it rough.
This, Mark, is why its always best to sue the homeless before they sue you.
Apparently only Moore thinks he is a co-creator. If in the actual comic he is listed as a penciler and inker he didn’t create squat! Based on that, all he did was fill in and shade the already existing artwork. Hardly a “Co-creator”. Now that the Walking Dead is big bucks the cockaroachs come out of the woodwork!
You don’t know what a penciler and inker does, do you? He DREW the fricking first six issues you moron!
as a childhood friend of both of them, and as a roommate of tony during the research and development phase of the walking dead, and as someone who was with tony during all of the extensive reference photography sessions that were done for the art of walking dead, i can say that tony is indeed a co creator. i can also say that tony’s character is impeccable, whereas robert kirkman has, since middle school, exuded the sleeze and pomp of a used car salesman.
With a book like Walking Dead i figure the writer is the creator. It’s not like the artist had to come up with fancy costumes for the characters. They are all average people wearing average clothes. What exactly is Moore’s big part in it? drawing Rick with a beard?
If you don’t know what you’re talking about, you shouldn’t post a comment. Tony worked on the series longer than just Issue #6. Tony did the first 24 covers to the comic and several covers to the trade paperback books. The Walking Dead TV show clearly states that this series was created by Robert Kirkman AND Tony Moore on the opening credits. Look at the covers of the Walking Dead comics. Tony’s covers destroy Adlard’s covers. No comparison. The later issues are very very plain. Very little artwork on any cover after Issue #24. Look at Issue #9, then compare that to any Adlard cover and there’s just no comparison. Kirkman seems to be a pompous ass when being interviewed since this series took off. The power of money and fame comes along and he bags his childhood friend. Get real Robert Kirkman. I enjoy your books and some of your material, but not a personal fan of your character. There’s plenty of money being generated by the Walking Dead and Tony isn’t asking for anything in which he does not deserve or is entitled to.