‘The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman Makes More Money Off the Comics Than the Show

The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman says he gets a bigger cut of his ongoing comic book series than he earns from AMC's hit television adaptation of his works.

Published through Image Comics — which doesn't require its creators to relinquish copyrights to their works, unlike Marvel Comics or DC Comics — the monthly Walking Dead comic book has Kirkman "doing quite well," he told SModcast hosts Scott Mosier and Kevin Smith.

"Because of the Image Comics deal, because of what the Image founders — Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Jim Valentino, Erik Larsen, Jim Lee, Marc Silvestri, Whilce Portacio — because of the company that those guys set up, again, me, [The Walking Dead artist] Charlie Adlard, Tony [Moore, original artist on The Walking Dead], the profits from that book, the lion's share go to us."

Kirkman said when doing a large bit of business at Image, where Kirkman serves as COO, "you pay the same fee as if you do a small bit of business for Image Comics. The fee doesn't go up."

"So when you have a monumental success, it would be as if all of the money that Scholastic gave — I shouldn't say this [laughs] — but all of the money Scholastic keeps from the Harry Potter books, they gave to [Harry Potter author] J.K. Rowling instead," he explained. "So the publishing on Walking Dead has generated more for me than the show."

Kirkman has also found success with since-ended mature superhero comic Invincible — now in development as a violent hour-long animated series at Amazon, with a live-action film adaptation now in-the-works at Universal Pictures from writer-directors Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen — and advocates for creators to publish through more creator-friendly publishers like Image.

"I sometimes will be like, 'Do your own comics, guys.' Like I get real snotty and annoying, and some people hate me because I do that, where I'll be like, 'Why are you working for Marvel or DC? Create your own stuff, do an Image comic, what the heck?'" Kirkman said.

"It's because I know how the economics work. And then people will be like, 'Well, Walking Dead is like a one in a billion thing.' And it's like, yeah, yeah, cool, but if you did a tenth of The Walking Dead, you'd be making more than I ever thought I could have made in my entire life. Doing a creator-owned comic is like buying a lottery ticket where the odds are somewhat reasonable."

When Smith admitted he wondered why Kirkman stuck with the comic even as the show found worldwide success, Kirkman said the book was both more lucrative and fulfills a lifelong dream.

"I still do the comic because it's what I wanted to do as a child. It's my life's dream," he said. "The fact that I fulfilled my life's dream with doing the Walking Dead comic, the child inside me would die if I were ever like, 'Meh, not worth it.'"

Kirkman and Walking Dead series producers Gale Anne Hurd, Glen Mazzara, and David Alpert are currently battling AMC in a profit-sharing lawsuit which could reach as high as a billion in damages. He inked an overall deal bringing his Skybound Entertainment from AMC to Amazon Studios in 2017.

The Walking Dead celebrates its 15th anniversary this October with the first-ever Walking Dead Day. The series releases its 184th issue October 3.

Season Nine of the AMC television series returns Sunday, October 7.