Kyle Starks

Last updated
Kyle Starks
BornKyle Starks
Area(s)Writer, Artist
Notable works
Sexcastle, Rick and Morty, Kill Them All, Assassin Nation, Rock Candy Mountain, Peacemaker Tries Hard!
www.kylestarks.com

Kyle Starks is an American comic book writer and artist who has been nominated for multiple Eisner Awards. He is best known for his work on the Rick and Morty comics from Oni Press, as well as his creator-owned comics Sexcastle, Kill Them All, and Assassin Nation.

Contents

Career

Starks's first comic was the 2012 webcomic The Legend of Ricky Thunder, about a pro-wrestler who learns that wrestling is fake, which Starks ran a successful 2013 Kickstarter to put out a "director's cut" version. [1] ComicsAlliance called the book "quite possibly the best wrestling comic book ever made." [2] After that, he ran a Kickstarter in 2014 to fund his graphic novel Sexcastle, an homage to '80s action films, which was then published through Image Comics. [3] It was nominated for the Eisner Award for Best Humor Publication in 2016 [4] and was optioned for a movie by the Russo Brothers, [5] [6] although, as of 2025, nothing has gone forward with the film. In 2015, he wrote a story for the Marvel Comics one-shot Secret Wars Too , which resurrected the character of D-Man, a favorite character of Starks. [7]

In 2016, he launched another Kickstarter for Kill Them All, [8] an action-comedy which also was optioned to become a film. [9] He wrote an issue of Oni Press's Invader Zim comic before becoming the new writer for their Rick and Morty series. [10] He would end up writing 48 issues of Rick and Morty for Oni. [7] In 2017, he would publish Rock Candy Mountain, about "the world's toughest hobo," through Image Comics, [11] which was also nominated for Best Humor Publication at the 2018 Eisner Awards. [12] He also wrote a Dead of Winter mini-series for Oni Press, based on the tabletop board game, [13] and a Mars Attacks comic for Dynamite Entertainment. [14]

In 2019, he published Assassin Nation with artist Erica Henderson through Image Comics, about a group of hitmen hired to protect the world's greatest assassin. [15] In 2021, he and artist Chris Schweizer began publishing The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton though Image, which Polygon named as one of the 10 "best comics of 2022." [16] In 2022, he and artist Artyom Topilin published the ongoing horror comic I Hate This Place also through Image. [17] The book's original title was Fuck This Place, which Image instead offered as an alternative title, marketing both "clean" and "explicit" covers to retailers. [18] The book was nominated for Outstanding Comic Book in the 34th GLAAD Media Awards. [19]

In 2023, he wrote Where Monsters Lie, about a gated community for slashers, [20] for Dark Horse and Peacemaker Tries Hard! for DC Black Label. [21] [22] In May 2023, it was announced that he would be writing a four-issue mini-series for Marvel called Marvel Unleashed, about the various pets and animals of the Marvel Universe, which introduced D-Man's pet, D-Dog. [23] [24]

In 2024, he wrote the detective comic Pine and Merrimac for Boom! Studios [25] [26] and Karate Prom, an OGN through First Second Books. [27] It was also announced that he would write a spin-off of Patton Oswalt and Jordan Blum's comic Minor Threats called From the World of Minor Threats: Barfly with artist Ryan Browne. [28] He also wrote the one-shot Lobo Cancellation Special, which was touted by DC as "the scummiest comic book this side of Uranus." [29] [30] In September 2024, it was announed that he would write a four-issue horror comic Those Not Afraid for Dark Horse, about two serial killers who begin competing to see who can reach the state record for kills first. [31] [32]

Personal life

Starks lives in Evansville, Indiana. [33] He has stated that he got his interest in comics from his uncle, Tony Starks (not to be confused with Tony Stark), who sold Golden and Silver Age Comics and used to write for one of the price guides. [7]

Bibliography

Marvel Comics

DC Comics

Other Comics

Boom! Studios

  • Pine and Merrimac #1-5 (writer) (2024)

Dynamite Entertainment

Dark Horse Comics

  • From the World of Minor Threats: BARFLY #1-4 (writer) (2024)
  • Those Not Afraid #1-4 (writer) (2025)
  • Where Monsters Lie #1-4 (writer) (2023)
  • Where Monsters Lie: Cull-De-Sac #1-4 (writer) (2024–2025)

First Second Books

  • Karate Prom OGN (writer/artist) (2024)

Image Comics

  • Assassin Nation #1-5 (writer) (2019)
  • Creepshow #4 (writer) (2022)
  • I Hate This Place #1-10 (2022–2023)
  • Old Head OGN (writer/artist) (2021)
  • Rock Candy Mountain #1-8 (writer/artist) (2017)
  • Sexcastle OGN (writer/artist) (2015)
  • Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton #1-6 (writer) (2021)

Oni Press

  • Dead of Winter #1-4 (writer) (2017)
  • Invader Zim #7 (writer) (2016)
  • Kill Them All OGN (writer/artist) (2017)
  • Rick and Morty #16-28, 30–31, 34–52, 54-60 (writer), #20, 25, 28, 34, 47, 55 (writer/artist) (2016–2020)

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References

  1. ↑ Truitt, Brian. "'Ricky Thunder' puts figure-four leglock on Kickstarter". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  2. ↑ Shiach, Kieran (2016-04-05). "If You Loved WrestleMania, Read These Comics Next". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  3. ↑ Truitt, Brian. "'Sexcastle' a tribute to '80s action films". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  4. ↑ Brown, Luke (2016-07-23). "28th Eisner Awards: The Complete Winners and Nominees". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  5. ↑ White, James (2016-01-13). "Joe and Anthony Russo producing action comedy Sexcastle". Empire. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  6. ↑ Jr, Mike Fleming (2016-01-14). "'Sexcastle' Graphic Novel Grabbed By Fox; 'Workaholics' Duo Teams With Russo Brothers". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  7. 1 2 3 Newsome, Robert (2022-11-14). ""You Can't Have Me Talking About D-Man": An Interview With Kyle Starks". The Comics Journal. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  8. ↑ Collins, Elle (2016-08-31). "The Glamour of Revenge: Kyle Starks Kickstarts 'Kill Them All'". ComicsAlliance. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  9. ↑ Kit, Borys (2019-02-11). "Paramount Tackling 'Kill Them All' Graphic Novel (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  10. ↑ Brown, Tracy (2016-04-14). "'Rick and Morty' comic book series taps Kyle Starks as new writer". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  11. ↑ Brooke, David (2017-03-07). "Talking Hobos With 'Rock Candy Mountain' & 'Rick and Morty' Writer Kyle Starks". AiPT. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  12. ↑ Schedeen, Jesse (2018-07-21). "The 2018 Eisner Award Winners Revealed - Comic-Con 2018". IGN. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  13. ↑ Reed, Jim (2017-06-04). "Dead of Winter board game comes alive in new comic series! - An interview with the creative team from Oni Press". TheGWW. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  14. ↑ Ledger, Matthew (2018-10-01). "Kyle Starks Talks Injecting Heart Into "Mars Attacks"". Multiversity Comics. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  15. ↑ Estrella, Ernie (2019-01-23). "Image Comics takes aim with killer new series 'Assassin Nation': Check out our 'chat' with the characters". SYFY. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  16. ↑ Polo, Susana (2022-12-06). "The best comics of 2022". Polygon. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  17. ↑ Scott, Ryan (2022-05-24). "I HATE THIS PLACE Creators On Bringing A House Of Many Horrors To Life". Fangoria. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  18. ↑ "DO YOU WANT TO HATE THIS PLACE OR F*CK THIS PLACE?". Image Comics. February 17, 2022. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  19. ↑ Complex, Valerie (2023-01-18). "GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 34th Annual GLAAD Media Awards". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  20. ↑ James, Jonathan (2022-11-17). "Exclusive: Kyle Starks Explores a Gated Community for Slashers in New Comic Book Series WHERE MONSTERS LIE". Daily Dead. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  21. ↑ Knox, Kelly (May 5, 2023). "Bringing the Peace: Kyle Starks and Steve Pugh Try Hard with Peacemaker". DC. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  22. ↑ Quaintance, Zack (2023-04-07). "INTERVIEW: Kyle Starks talks new Black Label comic, PEACEMAKER TRIES HARD". The Beat. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  23. ↑ Damore, Meagan (May 19, 2023). "'Marvel Unleashed' Introduces a New Canine Super Hero to the Marvel Universe". Marvel Entertainment. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  24. ↑ Kaplan, Avery (2023-05-19). "MARVEL UNLEASHED to cry havoc; let slip D-Dog of war". The Beat. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  25. ↑ "PINE AND MERRIMAC Series Announcement". Boom! Studios. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  26. ↑ Simons, Dean (2023-12-08). "Exclusive Preview: Kyle Starks & Fran Galán's new BOOM! detective thriller PINE AND MERRIMAC #1 coming January 2024". The Beat. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  27. ↑ Jennings, Jordan (2024-12-30). "Graphic Novel Review: Kyle Starks invites you to a KARATE PROM". The Beat. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  28. ↑ Coplan, Chris (2024-07-09). "'Minor Threats' team take a shot at goofy, potent new spinoff 'Barfly'". AiPT. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  29. ↑ Burdette, Chad (2024-09-24). "DC Comics Ambushes Readers With Lobo Cancellation Special #1 The Scummiest Comic This Side of Uranus". Comic Watch. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  30. ↑ Sava, Oliver (August 28, 2024). "September comics preview: a new Charles Burns book and Image's ambitious The Horizon Experiment". AV Club. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  31. ↑ McAndrews, Mary Beth (2025-01-07). "'Those Not Afraid' Exclusive Excerpt Teases Two Disturbing Serial Killers". Dread Central. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  32. ↑ Brooke, David (2024-09-18). "'Those Not Afraid' focuses on competitive serial killers, out January 2025". AiPT. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
  33. ↑ Holden, Meghan. "Meet the Indiana-based comic writer of 'Rick and Morty' at Von's Shops". Journal and Courier. Retrieved 2025-01-25.
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