Heroes And Villains: The History Of Comic Books Heading To AMC From The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman

AMC announced Tuesday that it has greenlit the documentary series, "Heroes and Villains: The History of Comic Books,"(Working Title) to be executive produced by Robert Kirkman and David Alpert ("The Walking Dead") through Skybound Entertainment. The series is slated to premiere in 2017.

The six-part one-hour documentary series will explore the stories, people, and events that have transformed the world of comic books. Using a distinctive filmmaker approach, the series takes a deep dive into the most accessible and often subversive modern popular art form. From origin stories to the untold history behind iconic characters, "Heroes and Villains" will explore a wide range of topics including: pop culture, politics, race, gender and sexuality.

"We are incredibly excited to continue our partnership with Robert, David and Skybound. Beyond The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead, they are prolific producers and publishers who have an amazing knowledge of comic book history and genre storytelling," said Joel Stillerman, president of programming, AMC and SundanceTV. "We believe going deep into the history behind some of the greatest comic books will be of great interest to this audience."

"At the end of the day I am a comic fan first and foremost. I am a lover of the medium and the stories it enables people to tell," said Robert Kirkman, CEO, Skybound Entertainment. "I'm excited to partner with AMC once again to bring the stories of some the most influential people in comics to a television audience."

Co-president's of Skybound's Film and TV division, Bryan and Sean Furst ("Dice"), also serve as executive producers. Overseeing "Heroes and Villains: The History of Comics from AMC are Eliot Goldberg, senior vice president of non-fiction and alternative programming, and Kelly Nash, director of non-fiction and alternative programming.

The network's growing non-fiction slates includes "Talking Dead," the #1 talk show on television, and the upcoming summer premieres of the travel docu-series "Ride with Norman Reedus," the Robert Redford produced event miniseries "The American West," historical mafia docu-drama "The Making of the Mob: Chicago" and Kevin Smith's late-night talk show "Geeking Out." Smith also serves as executive producer on the recently renewed "Comic Book Men" and rounds out the network's non-fiction programming slate.