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Jeff Kinney (writer)
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey "Jeff" Kinney is an American game designer, cartoonist
, producer, and author
of children's books including the Diary of a Wimpy Kid
book series. He is also attributed to be the creator of the children-oriented website Poptropica
. Jeff also has been in a movie about his book, Rodrick Rules
, United States
. He had attended the University of Maryland at College Park in the early 1990s. It was in college that Kinney created the popular comic strip Igdoof that ran in the campus newspaper, The Diamondback
. While there, he knew that he wanted to be a cartoonist
.
s. According to his website, he also created the kid-friendly website Poptropica
. Poptropica is known by many children around the world. Most notably is his work Diary Of a Wimpy Kid. The series has 42 million copies in print world wide as of 2010 and was developed into a feature film. Kinney has also served as an executive producer.
He also finished a commercial for the Play-Doh
Dr. Fill 'N Drill Playset in 2009.
To date, five Wimpy Kid books have been released, plus a do-it-yourself book
and a movie diary. In 2009, Kinney was named one of Time magazine's 100 "Most Influential People" in the world.
in Forestville, Maryland
and currently lives in Plainville, Massachusetts
with his wife, Julie, and two sons, Will and Grant.
announced that Zachary Gordon
would star in a film adaptation of Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books. The original release date was April 2, 2010, but the release was moved up to a March 19, 2010 U.S. release. While the film was given mixed reviews by critics, it did well in the box office.
A second film, based on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, was released on March 25, 2011.
In an interview, co-star Devon Bostick said that Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3 could be in the works and is "90% sure it will happen" depending on the success of Rodrick Rules. Gordon said on his Facebook page that The Last Straw will begin filming in August (like the previous two films), and will possibly be released in March or April 2012.
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
, producer, and author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
of children's books including the Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a series of fiction books written by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney. The books are the journals of the main character, whose name is Greg Heffley. Befitting a child's diary, they are filled with hand written notes and simple drawings of his daily adventures...
book series. He is also attributed to be the creator of the children-oriented website Poptropica
Poptropica
Poptropica is an online game, role-playing game made by Jeff Kinney targeted at children ages 6 to 15, where players can travel, play games, compete in head-to-head competition, and communicate safely with each other...
. Jeff also has been in a movie about his book, Rodrick Rules
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (film)
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a 2011 comedy film based on Jeff Kinney's book of the same name. The film stars Zachary Gordon and Devon Bostick. Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, and Peyton List also have prominent roles...
Childhood and early life
Jeffrey Kinney was born and grew up in Fort Washington, MarylandFort Washington, Maryland
Fort Washington, Maryland is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland in the suburbs of the capital city of the United States of America, Washington, D.C., south of the downtown district. It is a prosperous community with an African American majority...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He had attended the University of Maryland at College Park in the early 1990s. It was in college that Kinney created the popular comic strip Igdoof that ran in the campus newspaper, The Diamondback
The Diamondback
The Diamondback is the independent student newspaper of the University of Maryland, College Park. It was founded in 1910 as The Triangle and renamed in 1921 in honor of a local reptile, the Diamondback terrapin...
. While there, he knew that he wanted to be a cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
.
Professional work
Kinney works full-time as a writer and designer of online gameOnline game
An online game is a game played over some form of computer network. This almost always means the Internet or equivalent technology, but games have always used whatever technology was current: modems before the Internet, and hard wired terminals before modems...
s. According to his website, he also created the kid-friendly website Poptropica
Poptropica
Poptropica is an online game, role-playing game made by Jeff Kinney targeted at children ages 6 to 15, where players can travel, play games, compete in head-to-head competition, and communicate safely with each other...
. Poptropica is known by many children around the world. Most notably is his work Diary Of a Wimpy Kid. The series has 42 million copies in print world wide as of 2010 and was developed into a feature film. Kinney has also served as an executive producer.
Play-Doh
Play-Doh is a modeling compound used by young children for art and craft projects at home and in school. Composed of flour, water, salt, boric acid, and mineral oil, the product was first manufactured in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA as a wallpaper cleaner in the 1930s...
Dr. Fill 'N Drill Playset in 2009.
To date, five Wimpy Kid books have been released, plus a do-it-yourself book
Activity book
An activity book is a type of book, generally aimed at children, which contains interactive content such as games, puzzles, quizzes, pictures to colour and other elements which involve writing or drawing in the book itself. The book may, or may not, have a loose narrative or contain other...
and a movie diary. In 2009, Kinney was named one of Time magazine's 100 "Most Influential People" in the world.
Personal life
Kinney attended Bishop McNamara High SchoolBishop McNamara High School
Bishop McNamara High School, a college preparatory school in the Holy Cross tradition, is in Forestville, Maryland. It is part of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington.-History:...
in Forestville, Maryland
Forestville, Maryland
Forestville is an unincorporated area and census-designated place in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,707 at the 2000 census...
and currently lives in Plainville, Massachusetts
Plainville, Massachusetts
Plainville is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. The population as of the 2010 census was 8,264. Plainville is part of the Providence metropolitan area.- History :Plainville was originally a part of the town of Wrentham, Massachusetts...
with his wife, Julie, and two sons, Will and Grant.
Books
- Diary of a Wimpy KidDiary of a Wimpy KidDiary of a Wimpy Kid is a realistic fiction novel by Jeff Kinney. It is the first book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The book is about a middle-school child named Greg Heffley and his struggles in middle school. Greg also had problems with his best friend, Rowley Jefferson. The books focuses...
(2007) - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick RulesDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick RulesDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a realistic fiction novel by Jeff Kinney. It is the second book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series released on February 1, 2008, and a film of the same name released March 25, 2011...
(2008) - Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book (2008, revised and expanded in 2011)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last StrawDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last StrawDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw is a novel written by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney, the third book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. The book acts as a journal and follows the adventures of Greg Heffley, the narrator of the book, who is in the second half of his seventh grade...
(2009) - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog DaysDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days is a realistic fiction novel written by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney, the fourth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series It was released on October 12, 2009 in the USA and October 13, 2009 in Canada....
(2009) - The Wimpy Kid Movie DiaryThe Wimpy Kid Movie DiaryThe Wimpy Kid Movie Diary is a movie tie-in book by Jeff Kinney about the making of the 2010 movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid, which stars Zachary Gordon as Greg and Robert Capron as Rowley. Unlike the other books, it is non-fiction.-Background:...
(2010) - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly TruthDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly TruthDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth, written by American author and cartoonist Jeff Kinney, is the fifth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. It was released on November 9, 2010.-Plot:...
(2010) - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin FeverDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin FeverDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever is the sixth book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, written by American author Jeff Kinney. It was first announced in The Ugly Truth as "More Diary of a Wimpy Kid", then it was announced in The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book as "Diary of a Wimpy Kid 6". The title...
(2011)
Filmography
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick RulesDiary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (film)Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules is a 2011 comedy film based on Jeff Kinney's book of the same name. The film stars Zachary Gordon and Devon Bostick. Robert Capron, Rachael Harris, Steve Zahn, and Peyton List also have prominent roles...
: Holly Hills' dad
Films
On July 22, 2009, 20th Century Fox20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
announced that Zachary Gordon
Zachary Gordon
Zachary Adam Gordon is an American film and television actor, best known for playing Greg Heffley in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid films which are based on Jeff Kinney's #1 New York Times best seller Diary of a Wimpy Kid....
would star in a film adaptation of Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid series of books. The original release date was April 2, 2010, but the release was moved up to a March 19, 2010 U.S. release. While the film was given mixed reviews by critics, it did well in the box office.
A second film, based on Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, was released on March 25, 2011.
In an interview, co-star Devon Bostick said that Diary of a Wimpy Kid 3 could be in the works and is "90% sure it will happen" depending on the success of Rodrick Rules. Gordon said on his Facebook page that The Last Straw will begin filming in August (like the previous two films), and will possibly be released in March or April 2012.