Peter David
Encyclopedia
Peter Allen David often abbreviated PAD, is an American
writer
of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning, 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman
, Young Justice
, Supergirl
, and Fallen Angel
.
His Star Trek
work includes both comic books and novels, such as Imzadi
, and co-creating the New Frontier
series. His other novels include film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5
, Young Justice
, Ben 10: Alien Force
and Space Cases
, the latter of which David co-created.
David often jokingly describes his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and is noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real world issues with humor and references to popular culture
, as well as elements of metafiction
and self-reference
.
David has earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award
, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award
, a 2007 Julie Award
and 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
deteriorated to the point that Martin's Berlin
shoestore became the target of antisemitic vandalism. David was born September 23, 1956 in Fort Meade, Maryland
to Gunter and Dalia, an Israel
i-born Jewish mother, to whom David credits for his sense of humor. He has two siblings, a younger brother named Wally, who works as a still life photographer and musician, and a sister named Beth.
David first became interested in comics when he was about five years old, reading copies of Harvey Comics
' Casper
and Wendy
in a barbershop. He became interested in superheroes through the Adventures of Superman
TV series. His favorite title was Superman
, and he cites John Buscema
as his favorite pre-1970's artist.
David's earliest interest in writing came through the journalism
work of his father, Gunter, who would sometimes review movies, and take young Peter along if it was age-appropriate. While Gunter would write his reviews back at the newspaper’s office, Peter would write his own, portions of which would sometimes find their way into Gunter's published reviews. David began to entertain the notion of becoming a professional writer at age twelve, buying a copy of The Guide to the Writer’s Market, and subscribing to similar-themed magazines, in the hopes of becoming a reporter.
David lived initially in Bloomfield, New Jersey
, where he attended Demarest Elementary School, but later moved to Verona, New Jersey
, where he spent his adolescence
. David's best friend in junior high and freshman year in high school, Keith, was gay
, and David has described how both of them were targets of ostracism and harassment from homophobes. Although his family eventually moved to Pennsylvania
, his experiences in Verona soured him on that town, and would shape his liberal sociopolitical positions regarding LGBT
issues. He would later make Verona the home location of villain Morgan le Fay
in his novel Knight Life
, and has often discussed his progressive
views on LGBT issues in his column and on his blog.
A seminal moment in the course of his aspirations occurred when he met writer Stephen King
at a book signing, and told him that he was an aspiring writer. King signed David's copy of Danse Macabre
with the inscription, "Good luck with your writing career.", which David now inscribes himself onto books presented to him by fans who tell him the same thing. Other authors that David cites as influences include Harlan Ellison
, Arthur Conan Doyle
, Robert B. Parker
, Neil Gaiman
, Terry Pratchett
, Robert Crais
and Edgar Rice Burroughs
. Specific books he has mentioned as favorites include To Kill a Mockingbird
, Tarzan of the Apes
, The Princess Bride
, The Essential Ellison, A Confederacy of Dunces
, Adams Versus Jefferson, and Don Quixote. David has singled out Ellison in particular as a writer whom he has tried to emulate.
David attended New York University
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
degree in journalism. His first professional assignment was covering the World Science Fiction Convention held in Washington in 1974 for the Philadelphia Bulletin
.
David eventually gravitated towards fiction after his attempts at journalism did not meet with success. His first published fiction was in Asimov's Science Fiction
. He also sold an Op-ed
piece to The New York Times
, however, his submissions overall were met with rejection that far outnumbered those accepted.
' Sales Department, first as Assistant Direct Sales Manager under Carol Kalish
, who hired him, and then succeeding Kalish as Sales Manager. During this time he made some cursory attempts to sell stories, including submission of some Moon Knight
plots to Dennis O'Neil
, but his efforts were unfruitful. Three years into his tenure as Direct Sales Manager, Jim Owsley became editor of the Spider-Man
titles. Although crossing over from sales into editorial was considered a conflict of interest in the Marvel offices, Owsley, whom David describes as a "maverick," was impressed with how David had not previously hesitated to work with him when Owsley was an assistant editor under Larry Hama
, and thus, when he became an editor, he purchased a Spider-Man
story from David, which appeared in Spectacular Spider-Man #103 in 1985. Owsley subsequently purchased from David "The Death of Jean DeWolff
", which ran in issues #107-110 of that title in 1985. Responding to charges of conflict of interest, David made a point of not discussing editorial matters with anyone during his 9 to 5 hours as Direct Sales Manager, and decided not to exploit his position as Sales Manager by promoting the title. Although David attributes the story's poor sales to this decision, such crossing over from Sales to Editorial, according to him, is now common. Nonetheless, he says he was fired from Spectacular Spider-Man by Owsley due to editorial pressure by Marvel's Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter
, and has commented that the resentment stirred by Owsley's purchase of his stories may have permanently damaged Owsley's career. Months later, after Shooter was replaced by Bob Harras
, Harras offered David The Incredible Hulk, as it was a struggling title that no one else wanted to write.
During his run on Hulk, David explored the recurring themes of the Hulk's multiple personality disorder, his periodic changes between the more rageful and less intelligent Green Hulk and the more streetwise, cerebral Gray Hulk, and of being a journeyman hero, which were inspired by Incredible Hulk #312 (October 1985), in which writer Bill Mantlo
(and possibly, according to David, Barry Windsor-Smith
) had first established that Banner had suffered childhood abuse at the hands of his father. These aspects of the character would later be used in the 2003 feature film adaptation
by screenwriter Michael France
and director Ang Lee
. Comic Book Resources
credits David with making the formerly poor-selling book "a must-read mega-hit".
It was after he had been freelancing for a year, and into his run on Hulk, that David felt that his writing career had cemented. After putting out feelers at DC Comics
, and being offered the job of writing a four-issue miniseries of The Phantom by editor Mike Gold, David quit his sales position to write full-time.
David also took over Dreadstar
during its First Comics
run, with issue #41 (March 1989) after Jim Starlin
left the title, and remained on it until issue #64 (March 1991), the final issue of that run. David’s other Marvel Comics work in the late 1980s and 1990s includes runs on Wolverine
, the New Universe
series Merc and Justice
, a run on the original X-Factor
, and the futuristic series Spider-Man 2099
, about a man in the year 2099 who takes up the mantle of Spider-Man, the title character of which David co-created.
At DC Comics
in 1990, David wrote a seven-issue Aquaman
miniseries
, The Atlantis Chronicles, about the history of Aquaman's home of Atlantis
, which David has referred to as among the written works of which he is most proud. He would later write a 1994 Aquaman miniseries, Aquaman: Time and Tide, which would lead to a relaunched monthly Aquaman series, the first 46 issues of which he would write from 1994–1998. His run on Aquaman gained notoriety, for in the book's second issue, Aquaman lost a hand, which was then replaced with a harpoon
, a feature of the character that endured for the duration of David's run on the book. He also wrote the Star Trek comic book for DC from 1988–1991, when that company held the licensing rights to the property, though he has opined that novels are better suited to Star Trek, whose stories are not highly visual. David also enjoyed considerable runs on Supergirl
and Young Justice
, the latter eventually being canceled so that DC could use that book's characters in a relaunched Teen Titans monthly.
David's work for Dark Horse Comics
has included the teen spy adventure, SpyBoy
, which appeared in a series and a number of miniseries between 1999 and 2004, and the 2007 miniseries The Scream.
Other series David worked on in the 1990s include the 1997 miniseries, Heroes Reborn
: The Return, for Marvel, and two creator-owned properties: Soulsearchers and Company, which is published by Claypool Comics
, and the Epic Comics
title Sachs and Violens
, which he produced with co-creator, artist George Pérez
.
David's early 2000s work includes runs on two volumes of Captain Marvel
, which debuted in 2000 and 2002.
David and his second wife, Kathleen, wrote the final English-language text for the first four volumes of the manga
series Negima for Del Rey Manga.
In 2003, David began writing another creator-owned comic, Fallen Angel
, for DC Comics, which he created in order to make use of plans he had devised for Supergirl after the "Many Happy Returns" storyline, but which were derailed by that series' cancellation. That same year, he also wrote a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
series for Dreamwave that tied into the animated television series broadcast that year. DC canceled Fallen Angel after 20 issues, but David re-started the title at IDW Publishing
at the end of 2005. Other IDW work included a Spike: Old Times
one-shot and the Spike vs. Dracula
mini-series, both based on the character from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
television series
.
In 2005, David briefly returned to Incredible Hulk, though he left after only 11 issues because of his workload. He also started a new series, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
, beginning with a twelve-part crossover
storyline called "The Other
", which, along with J. Michael Straczynski
's run on Amazing Spider-Man, and Reginald Hudlin
's run on Marvel Knights Spider-Man, depicted the webslinger as he discovered he was dying, lost an eye during a traumatic fight with Morlun
, underwent a metamorphosis and emerged with new abilities and insights into his powers. As tends to be the case when fundamental changes are introduced to long-standing classic comics characters, the storyline caused some controversy among readers for its introduction of retractable stingers in Spider-Man's arms, and the establishment of a "totem" from which his powers are derived. David's final issue of that title was #23.
David also wrote a MadroX miniseries that year, whose success led to a relaunch of a monthly X-Factor
(volume 3) written by him. This was a revamped version of the title starring both Madrox and other members of the former X-Factor title that David had written in the early '90s, now working as investigators in a detective agency of that name. David's work on the title garnered praise from Ain't it Cool News
, and David has stated that the opt in/opt out policy and greater planning with which Marvel now executes crossover storylines has made his second stint on the title far easier. However, his decision to explicitly establish male characters Shatterstar
and Rictor
as sharing a homosexual attraction to one another (a confirmation of clues that had been established in X-Force years earlier), drew criticism from Shatterstar's co-creator, Rob Liefeld
, though Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada
supported David's story. David would eventually win a 2011 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book for his work on the title.
On February 11, 2006, David announced at the WonderCon
convention in California
in that he had signed an exclusive contract with Marvel Comics. Fallen Angel, Soulsearchers and Company and David's Spike miniseries were "grandfathered" into the contract, so as to not be affected by it. The first new project undertaken by David after entering into the contract, which he announced on April 5, 2006, was writing the dialogue for The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born, the comic book spin-off
of Stephen King
's The Dark Tower
novels, which would be illustrated by Jae Lee
. He would also script the subsequent Dark Tower comics
as well.
David took over Marvel's She-Hulk
after writer Dan Slott
's departure, beginning with issue #22. His run, which won praise, ended with issue #38, when the series was canceled. He also wrote a 2008-09 Sir Apropos of Nothing miniseries, based on the character from his novels, which was published by IDW Publishing
.
David's other 2000s comics based on licensed or adapted properties include Halo: Helljumper, a 2009 miniseries based on the Halo
video game, a 2009 Ben 10: Alien Force
manga
book published by Del Rey, Ben Folds Four, a "Little Mermaid
" story in Jim Valentino
's Fractured Fables anthology
that was praised by Ain't It Cool News
, an adaptation of the 1982 film Tron
that was released to tie in with that film's 2010 sequel, and a John Carter of Mars prequel to the 2012 feature film.
On November 24, 2011, David was one of the balloon handlers who pulled the Spider-Man balloon during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
.
, to Ace Books
. Although the sale was made before he wrote any comic books, the novel was not published until eighteen months later, in 1987. The novel depicts about the reappearance of King Arthur
in modern-day New York City
. Another early novel of his, Howling Mad, is about a wolf that turns into a human being after being bitten by a werewolf
. Ace Books also hired David to write the Photon
and Psi-Man
novels, though they published them under the "house name" David Peters, over David's objections. David updated Knight Life years later when Penguin Putnam brought it back into print in 2003, and made it a trilogy with the sequels One Knight Only and Fall of Knight, which were published in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Penguin would also rerelease Howling Mad and the Psi-Man books under David's actual name.
David first began writing Star Trek novels at the request of Pocket Books
editor Dave Stern, who was a fan of David's Star Trek comic book work. His Star Trek novels are among those for which he is best known, including Q-in-Law
; I, Q
; Vendetta; Q-Squared
; and Imzadi
, one of the best-selling Star Trek novels of all time. He created the ongoing novel series, Star Trek: New Frontier
, a spin-off from Star Trek: The Next Generation
, with John J. Ordover
in 1997. New Frontier continued until April 2011, with the publication of Blind Man's Bluff, the final New Frontier novel on David's contract at the time, after which the series' future was unclear to David. David's other science fiction tie-in novels include written five Babylon 5
novels, three of which were originals, and two of which were adaptations of the TV movies Thirdspace
and In the Beginning
.
His other novel adaptations include those of the movies The Return of Swamp Thing
, The Rocketeer
, Batman Forever
, Spider-Man
, Spider-Man 2
, Spider-Man 3
, Hulk
, The Incredible Hulk
, Fantastic Four
, and Iron Man
. He also wrote an original Hulk novel, The Incredible Hulk: What Savage Beast, based on story ideas that he was not permitted to use in the comic book, and an adaptation of an unused Alien Nation
television script, "Body and Soul
".
David's 2009 novel Tigerheart is a re-imagining of Peter Pan
with a mix of new and old characters, told as a Victorian bedtime story, much like the classic tale. It was praised by Ain't It Cool News
, and honored by the School Library Journal
as one of 2008's Best Adult Books for High School Students. His Sir Apropos of Nothing fantasy trilogy, Sir Apropos of Nothing, The Woad to Wuin and Tong Lashing, features characters and settings completely of David’s own creation, as does his 2007 fantasy novel, Darkness of the Light, which is the first in a new trilogy of novels titled The Hidden Earth. The second installment, The Highness of the Low, was scheduled to be published in September 2009, but David has related on his blog that it has been delayed until the winter of 2012.
David's 2010 novel work includes Year of the Black Rainbow
, a novel cowritten with musician Claudio Sanchez
of the band Coheed and Cambria
, that was released with the band's album of the same name, and an Fable
original novel The Balverine Order, set between the events of Fable II and Fable III
. In April 2011, David announced that, in addition to another Fable novel, he and a number of other writers, including Glenn Hauman
, Mike Friedman
and Bob Greenberger, were assembling an electronic publishing endeavor called Crazy Eight Press, which would allow them to publish e-books directly to fans, the first of which would be David's Arthurian story, The Camelot Papers. David explained that the second book in his "Hidden Earth" trilogy would also be published through Crazy Eight.
typewriters, he writes on a Sony Vaio desktop computer, using Microsoft Word
for his comics and novel work, and Final Draft
for his screenplays. When writing novels, he sometimes outlines the story, and sometimes improvises it as he is writing it.
David previously wrote his comic book scripts using the Marvel Method
, but due to his tendency to overplot, as during his collaboration with Todd McFarlane
on The Incredible Hulk, he switched to the full script method, which he continues to use as of 2003. He has stated that he prefers to plot his comics stories in six-month arcs. He has also stated that when he works on a particular title, he always does so with a particular person or group of people in mind to which he dedicates it, explaining that he wrote Supergirl
for his daughters, Young Justice
for a son he might one day have and The Incredible Hulk for his first wife, Myra, who urged him to first accept the job of writing that book. David has further explained that the events of his own life are sometimes reflected in his work, as when, for example, following the breakup of his first marriage, the direction of The Incredible Hulk faltered, with the Hulk wandering the world aimlessly, hopelessly looking to be loved.
David has stated that his favorite female character of his own creation is Lee, the protagonist of Fallen Angel
, which he says is derived from the positive female fan reaction to that character. Characters that David has not written but which he has expressed an interest in writing for the comics medium include Batman
, Tarzan
, Doc Savage
, the Dragonriders of Pern
, the Steed
/Peel
Avengers
, and Dracula
. He has specifically mentioned interest in writing a Tarzan vs. the Phantom story.
(the second-season episodes "Soul Mates
" and "There All the Honor Lies
"), and the episode "Ruling from the Tomb" for its sequel series, Crusade
. With actor/writer Bill Mumy
, he is co-creator of the television series Space Cases
, which ran for two seasons on Nickelodeon
. He has also written and co-produced several film
s for Full Moon Entertainment and has made cameo appearances in some of the films as well.
David wrote an unproduced script for the fifth season of Babylon 5 called "Gut Reactions", which he wrote with Bill Mumy
.
David wrote "In Charm's Way", an episode of Ben 10: Alien Force
. The script was recorded in early 2009, and the episode premiered November 13, 2009. He later wrote three episodes of the spinoff Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, the first of which, "Reflected Glory", premiered October 15, 2010.
David wrote the script for the Xbox 360
video game Shadow Complex
, which debuted in August 2009.
David wrote several episodes of the Young Justice
animated TV series, which premiered in 2010, and is based on the comic book series he wrote from 1998 to 2003. The first episode he penned is episode #18. The same year, he wrote a graphic novel adaptation of the video game Epic Mickey
, and a prequel digicomic, Disney’s Epic Mickey: Tales of Wasteland.
In 2011 David wrote the video game Spider-Man: The Edge of Time.
, due to constantly having to constrain his plots to accommodate crossover events with other books. He also resigned from Spider-Man 2099
to protest the firing of editor Joey Cavalieri
, and from Aquaman
over other creative differences. When David abruptly left his first stint on The Incredible Hulk due to editorial pressures, some of the plot points of the character that David established were retcon
ned by later creative teams.
In his "But I Digress" column, which has appeared in the Comics Buyer's Guide
since July 27, 1990, and in his blog, in operation since April 2002, David has been outspoken in many of his views pertaining to the comic book industry, and numerous other subjects. He has criticized the low regard in which writers are held, the practice of bagged comics, so-called "poster covers" that showcase a character without indicating anything about the comic's content, the meaninglessness of killing off characters to be eventually revived, the poor commitment on the part of some to maintaining continuity in shared fictional universe
s, and the emphasis on gearing monthly comics series toward eventual collection into trade paperbacks. David has opined that failure on the part of consumers to purchase the monthly individual issues in favor of waiting for the trade collections hurts the sales of the monthly, and its chances of being collected at all. A father of four daughters, David has worked on a number of series that feature female leads, such as Supergirl
, Fallen Angel
and She-Hulk
, and has lamented that the American comic book market is not very supportive of such books. David has spoken out about fans who are abusive or threatening to creators, and against copyright infringement
, particularly that committed through peer-to-peer file sharing
and posting literary works in their entirety on the Internet without the permission of the copyright holder.
On many occasions, he has offered criticisms of specific publishers, as when he criticized Wizard magazine for ageism
. He has criticized companies for not sufficiently compensating the creators of their long-standing and lucrative characters, such as Marvel Comics for its treatment of Blade
creator Marv Wolfman
and Archie Comics
for its treatment of Josie and the Pussycats creator Dan DeCarlo
. He has also criticized publishers for various other business practices, including Marvel and Image Comics
. He has also defended said companies from criticism he feels is unfounded, as when he defended Marvel from a February 17, 1992 Barron’s
magazine article. He has criticized deletionists
on Wikipedia
on more than one occasion.
On occasion, he has also disagreed publicly with specific industry personalities such as Frank Miller
and Jim Shooter
. Particularly publicized were his disagreements with Spawn
creator Todd McFarlane
in 1992 and 1993, in the wake of the formation of Image Comics, the company McFarlane co-founded. This came to a head during a public debate they participated in at Philadelphia
's Comicfest convention in October 1993, which was moderated by artist George Pérez
. McFarlane claimed that Image was not being treated fairly by the media, and by David in particular. The three judges, Maggie Thompson, editor of the Comics Buyer's Guide, William Christensen of Wizard Press, and John Danovich of the magazine Hero Illustrated
, voted 2-1 in favor of David, with Danovich voting the debate a tie. David has since criticized McFarlane for other business practices, and has also engaged in public disagreements with The Comics Journal
editor Gary Groth
, Erik Larsen
, Rob Liefeld
, Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada
, writer/director Kevin Smith
, DC Comics Vice President and Executive Editor Dan DiDio
, and John Byrne. Despite his differences with Byrne, David has stated that he is still a fan of Byrne's, citing Byrne's work on X-Men
, Fantastic Four
, Next Men
, Alpha Flight
and Babe
.
Politically, David identifies himself as liberal. He was critical of the George W. Bush
administration in general, and the Iraq War in particular, as well as other Republicans
and the religious right
. He has spoken out in favor of Israel
's right to defend itself from aggressors, and has opined that certain criticisms of Israel indicate bias and double standards. He favors gun control
, and holds progressive or liberal views on LGBT
issues, including favoring gay marriage and allowing openly homosexual individuals to serve in the military
. He opposes capital punishment
. He is an advocate of freedom of speech
, having criticized various publicized instances of censorship in general, such as the targeting of comic book retailers for prosecution for selling certain comic books, and the Comics Code Authority
in particular. He is a promoter and activist for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
, which comes to the aid of such creators and retailers. He has, however, also criticized ideas associated with liberalism or political correctness
, such as certain publicized cases of alleged sexual harassment or discrimination that he deems unfounded, and has not shied away from criticizing liberals and Democrats, including Bill Clinton
, Al Gore
, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama
, Caroline Kennedy
and Barack Obama
.
in Disneyworld on September 3, 2000. They married on May 26, 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia
. Their daughter, Caroline Helen David, was born on December 5, 2002, and named after David's late friend and coworker, Carol Kalish
. David and his family live on the south shore of Long Island.
On June 27, 2010, David's wife, Kathleen, announced on his website that he had successfully undergone surgery on June 25 to relieve serious back pain. On June 30, David himself explained on his site that the pain, which he had been suffering in his hips and knees for three weeks, left him unable to function, and was eventually diagnosed as a herniated disc caused by bone fragments and fluid buildup. He underwent a three-hour discectomy
, and was told his full strength would return in six months.
David had been a conservative Jew, but as of October 2003, attends a reform
synagogue
. He has, however, expressed reservations about organized religion.
David has named Groo the Wanderer
, Liberty Meadows
, Fables
, Y: The Last Man
, Strangers in Paradise
, Runaways
, She-Hulk
, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
, Knights of the Dinner Table
, The Crossovers and J. Michael Straczynski
’s run on Spider-Man as comics that he has enjoyed.
David is an avid fan of bowling
, and a bowler himself, as is his daughter Ariel. He is also a fan of the New York Mets
. His favorite music includes The Beatles
, and his favorite albums include Harry Chapin
's Verities and Balderdash and the soundtracks to Amadeus
and Terminator 2: Judgment Day
. He is an enthusiast of movie musicals, in particular 1776
, Man of La Mancha
, Li’l Abner and Into the Woods
, with a taste for Lerner and Loewe
and Stephen Sondheim
. He also acts in local stage productions.
His favorite movies include The Adventures of Robin Hood
, That, Casablanca
, and the early Johnny Weissmuller
Tarzan
films. His favorite TV shows have included Doctor Who
, Hill Street Blues
, Charmed
, Carnivale, Boston Public
, The Practice
, Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel
, Alias
and The West Wing.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
of comic books, novels, television, movies and video games. His notable comic book work includes an award-winning, 12-year run on The Incredible Hulk, as well as runs on Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
, Young Justice
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
, Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
, and Fallen Angel
Fallen Angel (comics)
Fallen Angel is an American fictional comic book heroine created and owned by writer Peter David and artist David Lopez, who appears in her self-titled monthly series. It was published by DC Comics from July 2003 until it was canceled with issue #20 in May 2005 because of low sales. It resumed...
.
His Star Trek
Star Trek
Star Trek is an American science fiction entertainment franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. The core of Star Trek is its six television series: The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and Enterprise...
work includes both comic books and novels, such as Imzadi
Imzadi
Imzadi is a non-canon Star Trek novel by Peter David, primarily exploring William Riker's assignment to Betazed and his early relationship with Deanna Troi....
, and co-creating the New Frontier
Star Trek: New Frontier
Star Trek: New Frontier is a Star Trek novel series created by John J. Ordover and Peter David and published by Pocket Books. The idea behind it was to create a Star Trek book series with its own continuity and not one that is purely a reaction to the television shows. Nearly every story of the...
series. His other novels include film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as the Apropos of Nothing and Knight Life series. His television work includes series such as Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
, Young Justice
Young Justice (TV series)
Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
, Ben 10: Alien Force
Ben 10: Alien Force
When it recalibrated it gained a more watch-like shape, a green wristband, became smaller and sleeker, and the face dial became black and green. The inside of the hourglass shape glows in different colors at special moments; these colors signify the state that the Omnitrix is presently in...
and Space Cases
Space Cases
Space Cases is a science fiction television series that aired on Nickelodeon for two seasons. Created by Peter David and Bill Mumy, it premiered on March 2, 1996, and was cancelled a year later. It aired for a time on Nickelodeon's Saturday night block of shows known as SNICK, and on Nickelodeon...
, the latter of which David co-created.
David often jokingly describes his occupation as "Writer of Stuff", and is noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real world issues with humor and references to popular culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
, as well as elements of metafiction
Metafiction
Metafiction, also known as Romantic irony in the context of Romantic works of literature, is a type of fiction that self-consciously addresses the devices of fiction, exposing the fictional illusion...
and self-reference
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
.
David has earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992 Eisner Award
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
, a 1993 Wizard Fan Award, a 1996 Haxtur Award
Haxtur Award
The Haxtur Award is a Spanish award for comics published in Spain. It is awarded annually at the Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias ....
, a 2007 Julie Award
Julius Schwartz
Julius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
and 2011 GLAAD Media Award.
Early life and career
Peter David’s paternal grandparents, Martin and Hela David, and Peter's father, Gunter, came to the United States in the 1930s after the political situation in Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
deteriorated to the point that Martin's Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
shoestore became the target of antisemitic vandalism. David was born September 23, 1956 in Fort Meade, Maryland
Fort Meade, Maryland
Fort Meade is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States. The population was 9,882 at the 2000 census. It is the home to the National Security Agency, which is located on the US Army post Fort George G...
to Gunter and Dalia, an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i-born Jewish mother, to whom David credits for his sense of humor. He has two siblings, a younger brother named Wally, who works as a still life photographer and musician, and a sister named Beth.
David first became interested in comics when he was about five years old, reading copies of Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics
Harvey Comics was an American comic book publisher, founded in New York City by Alfred Harvey in 1941, after buying out the small publisher Brookwood Publications. His brothers Robert B...
' Casper
Casper the Friendly Ghost
Casper the Friendly Ghost is the protagonist of the Famous Studios theatrical animated cartoon series of the same name. As his name indicates, he is a ghost, but is quite personable...
and Wendy
Wendy the Good Little Witch
Wendy the Good Little Witch is a fictional comic book character from Harvey Comics. Wendy was introduced as a back-up feature as well as a companion for Casper in Casper the Friendly Ghost #20, May 1954. Soon, she was trialed in Harvey Hits, starting with #7. After a total of six appearances, she...
in a barbershop. He became interested in superheroes through the Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman (TV series)
Adventures of Superman is an American television series based on comic book characters and concepts created in 1938 by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The show is the first television series to feature Superman and began filming in 1951 in California...
TV series. His favorite title was Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, and he cites John Buscema
John Buscema
John Buscema, born Giovanni Natale Buscema , was an American comic-book artist and one of the mainstays of Marvel Comics during its 1960s and 1970s ascendancy into an industry leader and its subsequent expansion to a major pop culture conglomerate...
as his favorite pre-1970's artist.
David's earliest interest in writing came through the journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
work of his father, Gunter, who would sometimes review movies, and take young Peter along if it was age-appropriate. While Gunter would write his reviews back at the newspaper’s office, Peter would write his own, portions of which would sometimes find their way into Gunter's published reviews. David began to entertain the notion of becoming a professional writer at age twelve, buying a copy of The Guide to the Writer’s Market, and subscribing to similar-themed magazines, in the hopes of becoming a reporter.
David lived initially in Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield, New Jersey
Bloomfield is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 47,315. It surrounds the Bloomfield Green Historic District.-History:...
, where he attended Demarest Elementary School, but later moved to Verona, New Jersey
Verona, New Jersey
Verona is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 13,332.In 2008, New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Verona #1 in Essex County and #3 in New Jersey as "Top Places to Live in New Jersey".-History:Verona and several...
, where he spent his adolescence
Adolescence
Adolescence is a transitional stage of physical and mental human development generally occurring between puberty and legal adulthood , but largely characterized as beginning and ending with the teenage stage...
. David's best friend in junior high and freshman year in high school, Keith, was gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, and David has described how both of them were targets of ostracism and harassment from homophobes. Although his family eventually moved to Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, his experiences in Verona soured him on that town, and would shape his liberal sociopolitical positions regarding LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
issues. He would later make Verona the home location of villain Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
in his novel Knight Life
Knight Life
Knight Life , is an Arthurian fantasy novel by Peter David. The book was first published in 1987, and an expanded, updated edition of the book was published by Ace Books in 2002.-Plot summary :...
, and has often discussed his progressive
Progressivism in the United States
Progressivism in the United States is a broadly based reform movement that reached its height early in the 20th century and is generally considered to be middle class and reformist in nature. It arose as a response to the vast changes brought by modernization, such as the growth of large...
views on LGBT issues in his column and on his blog.
A seminal moment in the course of his aspirations occurred when he met writer Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
at a book signing, and told him that he was an aspiring writer. King signed David's copy of Danse Macabre
Danse Macabre (book)
Danse Macabre is a non-fiction book by Stephen King, about horror fiction in print, radio, film and comics, and the genre's influence on United States popular culture...
with the inscription, "Good luck with your writing career.", which David now inscribes himself onto books presented to him by fans who tell him the same thing. Other authors that David cites as influences include Harlan Ellison
Harlan Ellison
Harlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
, Robert B. Parker
Robert B. Parker
Robert Brown Parker was an American crime writer. His most famous works were the novels about the private detective Spenser. ABC television network developed the television series Spenser: For Hire based on the character in the late 1980s; a series of TV movies based on the character were also...
, Neil Gaiman
Neil Gaiman
Neil Richard Gaiman born 10 November 1960)is an English author of short fiction, novels, comic books, graphic novels, audio theatre and films. His notable works include the comic book series The Sandman and novels Stardust, American Gods, Coraline, and The Graveyard Book...
, Terry Pratchett
Terry Pratchett
Sir Terence David John "Terry" Pratchett, OBE is an English novelist, known for his frequently comical work in the fantasy genre. He is best known for his popular and long-running Discworld series of comic fantasy novels...
, Robert Crais
Robert Crais
Robert Crais is an American author of detective fiction. Crais began his career writing scripts for television shows such as Hill Street Blues, Cagney & Lacey, Quincy, Miami Vice and L.A. Law. He lists amongst his literary influences the authors Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Ernest...
and Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
. Specific books he has mentioned as favorites include To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird
To Kill a Mockingbird is a novel by Harper Lee published in 1960. It was instantly successful, winning the Pulitzer Prize, and has become a classic of modern American literature...
, Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan of the Apes is a novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first in a series of books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine All-Story Magazine in October, 1912; the first book edition was published in 1914. The character was so popular that Burroughs...
, The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is a 1973 fantasy novel written by William Goldman. It was originally published in the United States by Harcourt Brace, while in the UK it is/was published by Bloomsbury Publishing....
, The Essential Ellison, A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Confederacy of Dunces is a picaresque novel written by John Kennedy Toole, published by LSU Press in 1980, 11 years after the author's suicide. The book was published through the efforts of writer Walker Percy and Toole's mother Thelma Toole, quickly becoming a cult classic, and later a...
, Adams Versus Jefferson, and Don Quixote. David has singled out Ellison in particular as a writer whom he has tried to emulate.
David attended New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in journalism. His first professional assignment was covering the World Science Fiction Convention held in Washington in 1974 for the Philadelphia Bulletin
Philadelphia Bulletin
For the 2004 resurrection of the Bulletin, see The Bulletin .The Philadelphia Bulletin was a daily evening newspaper published from 1847 to 1982 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was the largest circulation newspaper in Philadelphia for 76 years and was once the largest evening newspaper in the...
.
David eventually gravitated towards fiction after his attempts at journalism did not meet with success. His first published fiction was in Asimov's Science Fiction
Asimov's Science Fiction
Asimov's Science Fiction is an American science fiction magazine which publishes science fiction and fantasy and perpetuates the name of author and biochemist Isaac Asimov...
. He also sold an Op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
piece to The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, however, his submissions overall were met with rejection that far outnumbered those accepted.
Comic book career
David eventually gave up on a career in writing, and came to work in book publishing, first for Elseviser/Nelson, and later working in sales and distribution for Playboy Paperbacks. He subsequently worked for five years in Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
' Sales Department, first as Assistant Direct Sales Manager under Carol Kalish
Carol Kalish
Carol Kalish was an American writer, editor, comic book retailer, and sales manager. She worked as Direct Sales Manager and Vice President of New Product Development at Marvel Comics from 1981 to 1991...
, who hired him, and then succeeding Kalish as Sales Manager. During this time he made some cursory attempts to sell stories, including submission of some Moon Knight
Moon Knight
Moon Knight is a fictional character, a mercenary-turned-superhero appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character exists in the Marvel Universe and was created by Doug Moench and Don Perlin...
plots to Dennis O'Neil
Dennis O'Neil
Dennis J. "Denny" O'Neil is an American comic book writer and editor, principally for Marvel Comics and DC Comics in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, and Group Editor for the Batman family of books until his retirement....
, but his efforts were unfruitful. Three years into his tenure as Direct Sales Manager, Jim Owsley became editor of the Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
titles. Although crossing over from sales into editorial was considered a conflict of interest in the Marvel offices, Owsley, whom David describes as a "maverick," was impressed with how David had not previously hesitated to work with him when Owsley was an assistant editor under Larry Hama
Larry Hama
Larry Hama is an American comic book writer, artist, actor and musician who has worked in the fields of entertainment and publishing since the 1960s....
, and thus, when he became an editor, he purchased a Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
story from David, which appeared in Spectacular Spider-Man #103 in 1985. Owsley subsequently purchased from David "The Death of Jean DeWolff
The Death of Jean DeWolff
"The Death of Jean DeWolff" is a four-part story arc featuring the popular Marvel Comics comic book superhero Spider-Man. It comprises the comics Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #107 – #110 . The story was written by Peter David, penciled by Rich Buckler, and inked by Brett Breeding,...
", which ran in issues #107-110 of that title in 1985. Responding to charges of conflict of interest, David made a point of not discussing editorial matters with anyone during his 9 to 5 hours as Direct Sales Manager, and decided not to exploit his position as Sales Manager by promoting the title. Although David attributes the story's poor sales to this decision, such crossing over from Sales to Editorial, according to him, is now common. Nonetheless, he says he was fired from Spectacular Spider-Man by Owsley due to editorial pressure by Marvel's Editor-in-Chief Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
, and has commented that the resentment stirred by Owsley's purchase of his stories may have permanently damaged Owsley's career. Months later, after Shooter was replaced by Bob Harras
Bob Harras
Robert "Bob" Harras is an American comics writer and editor, who was editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics from 1995 to 2000 and currently serves as editor-in-chief of DC Comics.-Career:...
, Harras offered David The Incredible Hulk, as it was a struggling title that no one else wanted to write.
During his run on Hulk, David explored the recurring themes of the Hulk's multiple personality disorder, his periodic changes between the more rageful and less intelligent Green Hulk and the more streetwise, cerebral Gray Hulk, and of being a journeyman hero, which were inspired by Incredible Hulk #312 (October 1985), in which writer Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo
Bill Mantlo is an American comic-book writer, primarily at Marvel Comics, best known for his work on two licensed toy properties whose adventures occurred in the Marvel Universe: the Eagle Award-winning Micronauts and the long-running Rom. An attorney, he also worked as a public defender...
(and possibly, according to David, Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith
Barry Windsor-Smith, born Barry Smith is a British comic book illustrator and painter whose best known work has been produced in the United States....
) had first established that Banner had suffered childhood abuse at the hands of his father. These aspects of the character would later be used in the 2003 feature film adaptation
Hulk (film)
Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
by screenwriter Michael France
Michael France
Michael France is a film screenwriter. He has written screenplays for the action films Cliffhanger , the James Bond film GoldenEye , and the popular comic book films Hulk , The Punisher and Fantastic Four .-Life:He attended the University of Florida in the early 1980s, working as a projectionist...
and director Ang Lee
Ang Lee
Ang Lee is a Taiwanese film director. Lee has directed a diverse set of films such as Eat Drink Man Woman , Sense and Sensibility , Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon , Hulk , and Brokeback Mountain , for which he won an Academy...
. Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
credits David with making the formerly poor-selling book "a must-read mega-hit".
It was after he had been freelancing for a year, and into his run on Hulk, that David felt that his writing career had cemented. After putting out feelers at DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
, and being offered the job of writing a four-issue miniseries of The Phantom by editor Mike Gold, David quit his sales position to write full-time.
David also took over Dreadstar
Dreadstar
Dreadstar was the first comic series published by American publisher Epic Comics, an imprint of Marvel Comics, in 1982. It was centered on Vanth Dreadstar, sole survivor of the entire Milky Way galaxy, and an ensemble cast of crewmates, including cyborg sorcerer Syzygy Darklock, and their struggle...
during its First Comics
First Comics
First Comics was an American comic-book publisher that was active from 1983–1991, known for titles like American Flagg!, Grimjack, Nexus, Badger, Dreadstar, and Jon Sable...
run, with issue #41 (March 1989) after Jim Starlin
Jim Starlin
James P. "Jim" Starlin is an American comic book writer and artist. With a career dating back to the early 1970s, he is best known for "cosmic" tales and space opera; for revamping the Marvel Comics characters Captain Marvel and Adam Warlock; and for creating or co-creating the Marvel characters...
left the title, and remained on it until issue #64 (March 1991), the final issue of that run. David’s other Marvel Comics work in the late 1980s and 1990s includes runs on Wolverine
Wolverine (comics)
Wolverine is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Born as James Howlett and commonly known as Logan, Wolverine is a mutant, possessing animal-keen senses, enhanced physical capabilities, three retracting bone claws on each hand and a healing...
, the New Universe
New Universe
The New Universe is a comic book imprint from Marvel Comics that was published in its original incarnation from 1986 to 1989. It was created by Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin, Eliot R. Brown, John Morelli, Mark Gruenwald, Tom DeFalco and edited by Michael Higgins.In 1986, in honor of Marvel Comics'...
series Merc and Justice
Justice (New Universe)
Justice is a character from the New Universe imprint of Marvel Comics, the protagonist of a 32-issue comic book series of the same name published from 1986 to 1989. The title was notable for featuring the early work of Peter David and Lee Weeks as well as rare 1980s Marvel work from Keith Giffen...
, a run on the original X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
, and the futuristic series Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099 is a fictional comic book superhero, created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for Marvel Comics' Marvel 2099 line. His secret alter ego is Miguel O'Hara, a brilliant geneticist living in New York in the year 2099 A.D...
, about a man in the year 2099 who takes up the mantle of Spider-Man, the title character of which David co-created.
At DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
in 1990, David wrote a seven-issue Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
miniseries
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
, The Atlantis Chronicles, about the history of Aquaman's home of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
, which David has referred to as among the written works of which he is most proud. He would later write a 1994 Aquaman miniseries, Aquaman: Time and Tide, which would lead to a relaunched monthly Aquaman series, the first 46 issues of which he would write from 1994–1998. His run on Aquaman gained notoriety, for in the book's second issue, Aquaman lost a hand, which was then replaced with a harpoon
Harpoon
A harpoon is a long spear-like instrument used in fishing to catch fish or large marine mammals such as whales. It accomplishes this task by impaling the target animal, allowing the fishermen to use a rope or chain attached to the butt of the projectile to catch the animal...
, a feature of the character that endured for the duration of David's run on the book. He also wrote the Star Trek comic book for DC from 1988–1991, when that company held the licensing rights to the property, though he has opined that novels are better suited to Star Trek, whose stories are not highly visual. David also enjoyed considerable runs on Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
and Young Justice
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
, the latter eventually being canceled so that DC could use that book's characters in a relaunched Teen Titans monthly.
David's work for Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics
Dark Horse Comics is the largest independent American comic book and manga publisher.Dark Horse Comics was founded in 1986 by Mike Richardson in Milwaukie, Oregon, with the concept of establishing an ideal atmosphere for creative professionals. Richardson started out by opening his first comic book...
has included the teen spy adventure, SpyBoy
SpyBoy
SpyBoy is a comic book series created in 1999 by writer Peter David and artists Pop Mhan and Norman Lee, and published by Dark Horse Comics.-Publication history:...
, which appeared in a series and a number of miniseries between 1999 and 2004, and the 2007 miniseries The Scream.
Other series David worked on in the 1990s include the 1997 miniseries, Heroes Reborn
Heroes Reborn
"Heroes Reborn" was a 1996-1997 crossover story arc among comic-book series published by the American company Marvel Comics. During this one-year, multi-title story arc, Marvel temporarily outsourced the production of several of its most famous comic books to the studios of its popular former...
: The Return, for Marvel, and two creator-owned properties: Soulsearchers and Company, which is published by Claypool Comics
Claypool Comics
Claypool Comics is an American comic book publishing company created in 1993, known for publishing such titles as Peter David's Soulsearchers and Company and Elvira, Mistress of the Dark comics, as well as Richard Howell's Deadbeats and, , Phantom of Fear City...
, and the Epic Comics
Epic Comics
Epic Comics was a creator-owned imprint of Marvel Comics started in 1982, lasting through the mid-1990s, and being briefly revived on a small scale in the mid-2000s.- Origins :...
title Sachs and Violens
Sachs and Violens
Sachs and Violens is a fictional comic book duo created by writer Peter David and co-developed with George Pérez. They first appeared in a four-issue miniseries of the same name that was published by Marvel's Epic Comics imprint from 1993 to 1994...
, which he produced with co-creator, artist George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
.
David's early 2000s work includes runs on two volumes of Captain Marvel
Captain Marvel (Marvel Comics)
Captain Marvel is the name of several fictional superheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Most of these versions exist in Marvel's main shared universe, known as the Marvel Universe.- Publication history :...
, which debuted in 2000 and 2002.
David and his second wife, Kathleen, wrote the final English-language text for the first four volumes of the manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series Negima for Del Rey Manga.
In 2003, David began writing another creator-owned comic, Fallen Angel
Fallen Angel (comics)
Fallen Angel is an American fictional comic book heroine created and owned by writer Peter David and artist David Lopez, who appears in her self-titled monthly series. It was published by DC Comics from July 2003 until it was canceled with issue #20 in May 2005 because of low sales. It resumed...
, for DC Comics, which he created in order to make use of plans he had devised for Supergirl after the "Many Happy Returns" storyline, but which were derailed by that series' cancellation. That same year, he also wrote a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are a fictional team of four teenage anthropomorphic turtles, who were trained by their anthropomorphic rat sensei in the art of ninjutsu and named after four Renaissance artists...
series for Dreamwave that tied into the animated television series broadcast that year. DC canceled Fallen Angel after 20 issues, but David re-started the title at IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
at the end of 2005. Other IDW work included a Spike: Old Times
Spike: Old Times (Angel comic)
Spike: Old Times is a comic based on the Angel television series.-Story description:Spike struggles to protect a man from Halfrek, a vengeance demon who has wronged Spike in the past; she in fact had been the object of his unrequited crush....
one-shot and the Spike vs. Dracula
Spike vs Dracula (Angel comic)
Spike vs Dracula is a comic book limited series based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel television series. Initially printed between February and June 2006 as five separate issues, the series was collected as a trade paperback in September 2006...
mini-series, both based on the character from the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
.
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man was a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The title is derived from a trademark self-referential comment often made by Spider-Man , ironic in that Spider-Man is often falsely considered by the general public to be a dangerous vigilante and/or a criminal,...
, beginning with a twelve-part crossover
Fictional crossover
A fictional crossover is the placement of two or more otherwise discrete fictional characters, settings, or universes into the context of a single story. They can arise from legal agreements between the relevant copyright holders, or because of unauthorized efforts by fans, or even amid common...
storyline called "The Other
Spider-Man: The Other
"The Other" is a comic book crossover story arc published by Marvel Comics from October 2005 to January 2006. It was the first Spider-Man crossover since 2001, and was published in Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1-4, Marvel Knights Spider-Man #19-22, The Amazing Spider-Man #525-528.-Publication...
", which, along with J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
's run on Amazing Spider-Man, and Reginald Hudlin
Reginald Hudlin
Reginald Alan Hudlin is an American writer and film director.-Biography:Hudlin is the son of Helen , a teacher, and Warrington W. Hudlin, Sr., an insurance executive and teacher...
's run on Marvel Knights Spider-Man, depicted the webslinger as he discovered he was dying, lost an eye during a traumatic fight with Morlun
Morlun
Morlun is a fictional comic book supervillain in Marvel Comics' shared universe, the Marvel Universe, and a foe of Spider-Man. Morlun first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man vol. 2, #30 , created by writer J. Michael Straczynski and penciler John Romita, Jr....
, underwent a metamorphosis and emerged with new abilities and insights into his powers. As tends to be the case when fundamental changes are introduced to long-standing classic comics characters, the storyline caused some controversy among readers for its introduction of retractable stingers in Spider-Man's arms, and the establishment of a "totem" from which his powers are derived. David's final issue of that title was #23.
David also wrote a MadroX miniseries that year, whose success led to a relaunch of a monthly X-Factor
X-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
(volume 3) written by him. This was a revamped version of the title starring both Madrox and other members of the former X-Factor title that David had written in the early '90s, now working as investigators in a detective agency of that name. David's work on the title garnered praise from Ain't it Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
, and David has stated that the opt in/opt out policy and greater planning with which Marvel now executes crossover storylines has made his second stint on the title far easier. However, his decision to explicitly establish male characters Shatterstar
Shatterstar
Shatterstar is a fictional character, a mutant superhero in the .-Publication history:Shatterstar first appeared in The New Mutants vol. 1 #99 , and was created by Fabian Nicieza and Rob Liefeld. Since his debut Shatterstar has mainly appeared in the original X-Force title, with some issues...
and Rictor
Rictor
Rictor is a fictional comic book superhero in the Marvel Universe, who appears in the X-Men family of books published by Marvel Comics. He was created by writer Louise Simonson and artist Walt Simonson and first appeared in X-Factor vol.1 #17...
as sharing a homosexual attraction to one another (a confirmation of clues that had been established in X-Force years earlier), drew criticism from Shatterstar's co-creator, Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
, though Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada
Joe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
supported David's story. David would eventually win a 2011 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book for his work on the title.
On February 11, 2006, David announced at the WonderCon
WonderCon
WonderCon is an annual comic book, science fiction, and motion picture convention, held in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1987.The convention was conceived by retailer John Barrett and originally held in the Oakland Convention Center, where it remained until 2003, when it moved to San...
convention in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in that he had signed an exclusive contract with Marvel Comics. Fallen Angel, Soulsearchers and Company and David's Spike miniseries were "grandfathered" into the contract, so as to not be affected by it. The first new project undertaken by David after entering into the contract, which he announced on April 5, 2006, was writing the dialogue for The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born, the comic book spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
of Stephen King
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King is an American author of contemporary horror, suspense, science fiction and fantasy fiction. His books have sold more than 350 million copies and have been adapted into a number of feature films, television movies and comic books...
's The Dark Tower
The Dark Tower (series)
The Dark Tower is a series of books written by American author Stephen King, which incorporates themes from multiple genres, including fantasy, science fantasy, horror and western. It describes a "Gunslinger" and his quest toward a tower, the nature of which is both physical and metaphorical. King...
novels, which would be illustrated by Jae Lee
Jae Lee
Jae Lee is an American comic book artist best known for his work on Inhumans and The Sentry, both with Paul Jenkins.-Career:Lee first rose to prominence in the industry for his work on Marvel's Namor the Sub-Mariner, Inhumans , and The Sentry, as well as his creator-owned character Hellshock at...
. He would also script the subsequent Dark Tower comics
The Dark Tower (comics)
The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born is a seven-issue comic book limited series, published in 2007 by Marvel Comics. It is the first story arc of five based on The Dark Tower series of novels by Stephen King. It is plotted by Robin Furth, scripted by Peter David, and illustrated by Jae Lee and...
as well.
David took over Marvel's She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
after writer Dan Slott
Dan Slott
Dan Slott is an American comic book writer best known for The Amazing Spider-Man, Arkham Asylum: Living Hell and She-Hulk. He is the current writer of the twice monthly The Amazing Spider-Man.-Early writing:...
's departure, beginning with issue #22. His run, which won praise, ended with issue #38, when the series was canceled. He also wrote a 2008-09 Sir Apropos of Nothing miniseries, based on the character from his novels, which was published by IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing, also known as Idea + Design Works, LLC and IDW, is an American publisher of comic books and comic strip collections. The company was founded in 1999 and has been awarded the title "Publisher of the Year Under 5% Market Share" for the years 2004, 2005 and 2006 by Diamond Comic...
.
David's other 2000s comics based on licensed or adapted properties include Halo: Helljumper, a 2009 miniseries based on the Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
video game, a 2009 Ben 10: Alien Force
Ben 10: Alien Force
When it recalibrated it gained a more watch-like shape, a green wristband, became smaller and sleeker, and the face dial became black and green. The inside of the hourglass shape glows in different colors at special moments; these colors signify the state that the Omnitrix is presently in...
manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
book published by Del Rey, Ben Folds Four, a "Little Mermaid
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" is a popular fairy tale by the Danish poet and author Hans Christian Andersen about a young mermaid willing to give up her life in the sea and her identity as a mermaid to gain a human soul and the love of a human prince...
" story in Jim Valentino
Jim Valentino
Jim Valentino is an American writer, penciler, editor and publisher of comic books.-1970s - 1992:Valentino began his career in the late 1970s creating small press and mostly autobiographical comics. The early-mid 1980s saw normalman which first appeared as a back-up story in Aardvark-Vanaheim's...
's Fractured Fables anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
that was praised by Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
, an adaptation of the 1982 film Tron
Tron
-Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner...
that was released to tie in with that film's 2010 sequel, and a John Carter of Mars prequel to the 2012 feature film.
On November 24, 2011, David was one of the balloon handlers who pulled the Spider-Man balloon during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, often shortened to Macy's Day Parade, is an annual parade presented by Macy's. The tradition started in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States along with America's Thanksgiving Parade in Detroit, and four years younger than...
.
Novels
David's career as a novelist developed concurrently with his comic book writing career. David had been working at a publisher that went out of business, and a former coworker from that publisher became his agent, through whom he sold his first novel, Knight LifeKnight Life
Knight Life , is an Arthurian fantasy novel by Peter David. The book was first published in 1987, and an expanded, updated edition of the book was published by Ace Books in 2002.-Plot summary :...
, to Ace Books
Ace Books
Ace Books is the oldest active specialty publisher of science fiction and fantasy books. The company was founded in New York City in 1952 by Aaron A. Wyn, and began as a genre publisher of mysteries and westerns...
. Although the sale was made before he wrote any comic books, the novel was not published until eighteen months later, in 1987. The novel depicts about the reappearance of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
in modern-day New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. Another early novel of his, Howling Mad, is about a wolf that turns into a human being after being bitten by a werewolf
Werewolf
A werewolf, also known as a lycanthrope , is a mythological or folkloric human with the ability to shapeshift into a wolf or an anthropomorphic wolf-like creature, either purposely or after being placed under a curse...
. Ace Books also hired David to write the Photon
Photon (TV show)
Photon was a live action television show in the mid 1980s, which was tied in to the Photon lasertag arenas and home game.-Hook:Photon followed the adventures of a young high school student, Christopher Jarvis with the alias of "Bhodi Li"...
and Psi-Man
Psi-Man
Psi-Man is a series of six novels written by Peter David . The books were published starting in 1990 by Diamond Books, and the series was re-released by Ace Books in 2000 ....
novels, though they published them under the "house name" David Peters, over David's objections. David updated Knight Life years later when Penguin Putnam brought it back into print in 2003, and made it a trilogy with the sequels One Knight Only and Fall of Knight, which were published in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Penguin would also rerelease Howling Mad and the Psi-Man books under David's actual name.
David first began writing Star Trek novels at the request of Pocket Books
Pocket Books
Pocket Books is a division of Simon & Schuster that primarily publishes paperback books.- History :Pocket produced the first mass-market, pocket-sized paperback books in America in early 1939 and revolutionized the publishing industry...
editor Dave Stern, who was a fan of David's Star Trek comic book work. His Star Trek novels are among those for which he is best known, including Q-in-Law
Q-in-Law
-Plot:The Enterprise is assigned to diplomatic duty to host the wedding between two houses of the Tizarin, a race that lives only in space and engages in commerce. One of the guests is Lwaxana Troi, to represent Betazed. The time setting places it after the events of "Deja Q" and before "Q-Pid"...
; I, Q
I, Q
I, Q may also refer to the popular children's book series by Roland Smith.I, Q is a 2000 Star Trek novel by John de Lancie and Peter David, set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fictional universe...
; Vendetta; Q-Squared
Q-Squared
Q-Squared is a non-canon Star Trek novel by acclaimed author Peter David. It spent two weeks on the New York Times bestseller list in 1994....
; and Imzadi
Imzadi
Imzadi is a non-canon Star Trek novel by Peter David, primarily exploring William Riker's assignment to Betazed and his early relationship with Deanna Troi....
, one of the best-selling Star Trek novels of all time. He created the ongoing novel series, Star Trek: New Frontier
Star Trek: New Frontier
Star Trek: New Frontier is a Star Trek novel series created by John J. Ordover and Peter David and published by Pocket Books. The idea behind it was to create a Star Trek book series with its own continuity and not one that is purely a reaction to the television shows. Nearly every story of the...
, a spin-off from Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry as part of the Star Trek franchise. Roddenberry, Rick Berman, and Michael Piller served as executive producers at different times throughout the production...
, with John J. Ordover
John J. Ordover
John J. Ordover is the founder and CEO of JJO MARKETING and was previously an editor at Pocket Books responsible for overseeing the licensed novels of the Star Trek franchise. He is the co-creator of such spin-off series as Star Trek: New Frontier , Star Trek: Starfleet Corps of Engineers and Star...
in 1997. New Frontier continued until April 2011, with the publication of Blind Man's Bluff, the final New Frontier novel on David's contract at the time, after which the series' future was unclear to David. David's other science fiction tie-in novels include written five Babylon 5
Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
novels, three of which were originals, and two of which were adaptations of the TV movies Thirdspace
Thirdspace
Thirdspace may refer to:* Babylon 5: Thirdspace, a television movie* Thirdspace , a book by geographer Edward Soja* Thirdspace , an online academic journal for feminism scholars...
and In the Beginning
Babylon 5: In the Beginning
Babylon 5: In the Beginning is a science fiction television movie set in the Babylon 5 fictional universe. It was written by J. Michael Straczynski and directed by Michael Vejar....
.
His other novel adaptations include those of the movies The Return of Swamp Thing
The Return of Swamp Thing
The Return of Swamp Thing is a sci-fi-comedy film released in 1989, and directed by Jim Wynorski. It is based on the DC Comics title Swamp Thing and is a sequel to the 1982 horror film Swamp Thing directed by Wes Craven; however, it had a lighter tone than the previous film...
, The Rocketeer
The Rocketeer (film)
The Rocketeer is a 1991 period superhero adventure film produced by Walt Disney Pictures and based on the character of the same name created by comic book writer/artist Dave Stevens. Directed by Joe Johnston, the film stars Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, Paul Sorvino...
, Batman Forever
Batman Forever
Batman Forever is a 1995 American superhero film directed by Joel Schumacher and produced by Tim Burton. Based on the DC Comics character Batman, the film is a sequel to Batman Returns , with Val Kilmer replacing Michael Keaton as Batman...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man (film)
Spider-Man is a 2002 American superhero film, the first in the Spider-Man film series based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man. It was directed by Sam Raimi and written by David Koepp...
, Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2
Spider-Man 2 is a 2004 American superhero film directed by Sam Raimi, written by Alvin Sargent and developed by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar, and Michael Chabon. It is the second film in the Spider-Man film franchise based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
, Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3
Spider-Man 3 is a 2007 American superhero film written and directed by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Ivan Raimi and Alvin Sargent. It is the third film in the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Spider-Man...
, Hulk
Hulk (film)
Hulk is a 2003 American superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character of the same name. Ang Lee directed the film, which stars Eric Bana as Dr. Bruce Banner, as well as Jennifer Connelly, Sam Elliott, Josh Lucas, and Nick Nolte...
, The Incredible Hulk
The Incredible Hulk (film)
The Incredible Hulk is a 2008 superhero action film based on the Marvel Comics character the Hulk. It is directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Edward Norton as Dr. Bruce Banner. It is the second film to be released in the Marvel Cinematic Universe...
, Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four (film)
Fantastic Four is a 2005 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics comic Fantastic Four. It was directed by Tim Story, and released by 20th Century Fox. It is the second live-action Fantastic Four film to be filmed. The previous attempt, a B-movie produced by Roger Corman only for the...
, and Iron Man
Iron Man (film)
Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron...
. He also wrote an original Hulk novel, The Incredible Hulk: What Savage Beast, based on story ideas that he was not permitted to use in the comic book, and an adaptation of an unused Alien Nation
Alien Nation (TV series)
Alien Nation is a science fiction television series, loosely based on the movie of the same name. Gary Graham starred as Detective Matthew Sikes, a Los Angeles police officer reluctantly working with "Newcomer" alien George Francisco , played by Eric Pierpoint...
television script, "Body and Soul
Body and Soul
Body and Soul or Body & Soul may refer to:*The Mind-body dichotomyIn film:* Body and Soul , the best-known silent film of pioneer African-American filmmaker Oscar B...
".
David's 2009 novel Tigerheart is a re-imagining of Peter Pan
Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie . A mischievous boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with...
with a mix of new and old characters, told as a Victorian bedtime story, much like the classic tale. It was praised by Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News
Ain't It Cool News is a website founded and run by Harry Knowles, dedicated to news, rumors and reviews of upcoming and currently playing films and television projects, with an emphasis on science fiction, fantasy, horror, comic-book and action genres...
, and honored by the School Library Journal
School Library Journal
The School Library Journal is a monthly magazine with articles and reviews for school librarians, media specialists, and public librarians who work with young people. Articles cover a wide variety of topics, with a focus on technology and multimedia. Reviews are included for preschool to 4th grade,...
as one of 2008's Best Adult Books for High School Students. His Sir Apropos of Nothing fantasy trilogy, Sir Apropos of Nothing, The Woad to Wuin and Tong Lashing, features characters and settings completely of David’s own creation, as does his 2007 fantasy novel, Darkness of the Light, which is the first in a new trilogy of novels titled The Hidden Earth. The second installment, The Highness of the Low, was scheduled to be published in September 2009, but David has related on his blog that it has been delayed until the winter of 2012.
David's 2010 novel work includes Year of the Black Rainbow
Year of the Black Rainbow
Year of the Black Rainbow is the fifth studio album by American progressive rock band Coheed and Cambria, released on April 13, 2010 on Columbia. The album is a prequel to the band's previous four concept albums, which comprise The Amory Wars narrative. Year of the Black Rainbow marks drummer Chris...
, a novel cowritten with musician Claudio Sanchez
Claudio Sanchez
Claudio Paul Sanchez is an American writer and musician best known for being the lead singer and guitarist for the alternative/progressive rock group Coheed and Cambria. He is also the creator of the comic book series, The Amory Wars and Kill Audio, co-written with wife Chondra Echert...
of the band Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria
Coheed and Cambria is an American progressive rock band from Nyack, New York. Formed in 1995, the group incorporates aspects of progressive rock, punk rock, metal and post-hardcore....
, that was released with the band's album of the same name, and an Fable
Fable (video game)
Fable is an action role-playing video game in the Fable series. It was developed for Xbox, Mac OS X, and Windows platforms, by Big Blue Box, a satellite developer of Lionhead Studios, and was published by Microsoft. The game shipped for Xbox on October 14, 2003...
original novel The Balverine Order, set between the events of Fable II and Fable III
Fable III
Fable III is the third video game in the Fable series of action role-playing games . The game was developed by Lionhead Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Microsoft Windows and Xbox 360. The story focuses on the player character's struggle to overthrow the King of Albion by...
. In April 2011, David announced that, in addition to another Fable novel, he and a number of other writers, including Glenn Hauman
Glenn Hauman
Glenn Hauman is an American writer, editor, publisher and comic book colorist. He has worked in a variety of roles in print and electronic publishing, including software and website development, as well as for his TV and novel work within the Star Trek and X-Men franchises.-Career:Hauman worked was...
, Mike Friedman
Michael Jan Friedman
Michael Jan Friedman is an author of nearly sixty books of fiction and nonfiction, more than half of which are in the Star Trek universe. Ten of his titles have appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list...
and Bob Greenberger, were assembling an electronic publishing endeavor called Crazy Eight Press, which would allow them to publish e-books directly to fans, the first of which would be David's Arthurian story, The Camelot Papers. David explained that the second book in his "Hidden Earth" trilogy would also be published through Crazy Eight.
Writing habits and approach
David has stated that he tries to block out different days and different times to work on different projects. He usually works in the morning, for example, on novels, and does comics-related work in the afternoon. Having previously used Smith CoronaSmith Corona
Smith Corona or the SCM Corporation is a US typewriter and calculator company. Once a large U.S. manufacturer, the company experienced sales declines in typewriters in the mid-1980s due to the introduction of PC-based word processing...
typewriters, he writes on a Sony Vaio desktop computer, using Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
for his comics and novel work, and Final Draft
Final Draft
Final Draft is screenwriting software for writing and formatting a screenplay to meet the screenplay submission standards set by theater, television and film industries. The program is developed and owned by Final Draft, Inc., headquartered in Calabasas, CA; the company also owns Script magazine...
for his screenplays. When writing novels, he sometimes outlines the story, and sometimes improvises it as he is writing it.
David previously wrote his comic book scripts using the Marvel Method
Marvel Method
The Marvel Method is a form of comic book writer-artist collaboration in which the artist works from a story synopsis, rather than a full script, creating page-by-page plot details on his or her own...
, but due to his tendency to overplot, as during his collaboration with Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
on The Incredible Hulk, he switched to the full script method, which he continues to use as of 2003. He has stated that he prefers to plot his comics stories in six-month arcs. He has also stated that when he works on a particular title, he always does so with a particular person or group of people in mind to which he dedicates it, explaining that he wrote Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
for his daughters, Young Justice
Young Justice
Young Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
for a son he might one day have and The Incredible Hulk for his first wife, Myra, who urged him to first accept the job of writing that book. David has further explained that the events of his own life are sometimes reflected in his work, as when, for example, following the breakup of his first marriage, the direction of The Incredible Hulk faltered, with the Hulk wandering the world aimlessly, hopelessly looking to be loved.
David has stated that his favorite female character of his own creation is Lee, the protagonist of Fallen Angel
Fallen Angel (comics)
Fallen Angel is an American fictional comic book heroine created and owned by writer Peter David and artist David Lopez, who appears in her self-titled monthly series. It was published by DC Comics from July 2003 until it was canceled with issue #20 in May 2005 because of low sales. It resumed...
, which he says is derived from the positive female fan reaction to that character. Characters that David has not written but which he has expressed an interest in writing for the comics medium include Batman
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
, Doc Savage
Doc Savage
Doc Savage is a fictional character originally published in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. He was created by publisher Henry W. Ralston and editor John L...
, the Dragonriders of Pern
Dragonriders of Pern
Dragonriders of Pern is a science fiction series written primarily by the late American-Irish author Anne McCaffrey, who initiated it in 1967. Beginning 2003, her middle child Todd McCaffrey has written Pern novels, both solo and jointly with Anne. The series comprises 22 novels and several short...
, the Steed
John Steed
John Steed is a fictional character and the central protagonist on the popular British series The Avengers and The New Avengers, played by Patrick Macnee and Ralph Fiennes in the movie....
/Peel
Emma Peel
Emma Peel was a fictional spy played by Diana Rigg in the British 1960s adventure television series The Avengers. She was born Emma Knight, the daughter of an industrialist, Sir John Knight.-Casting:...
Avengers
The Avengers (TV series)
The Avengers is a spy-fi British television series set in the 1960s Britain. The Avengers initially focused on Dr. David Keel and his assistant John Steed . Hendry left after the first series and Steed became the main character, partnered with a succession of assistants...
, and Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...
. He has specifically mentioned interest in writing a Tarzan vs. the Phantom story.
Other published work
- Before David became a professional writer, he was a prolific author of fan fictionFan fictionFan fiction is a broadly-defined term for fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator...
, including The TARDIS at Pooh Corner. - David began writing his weekly opinion column, "But I Digress...", in Comics Buyer's GuideComics Buyer's GuideComics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
, since July 27, 1990, agreeing to do the column on the suggestion of an anonymous fan to Comics Buyer’s Guide editors Don and Maggie Thompson, David credits the existence of the column to Harlan EllisonHarlan EllisonHarlan Jay Ellison is an American writer. His principal genre is speculative fiction.His published works include over 1,700 short stories, novellas, screenplays, teleplays, essays, a wide range of criticism covering literature, film, television, and print media...
, whom he has attempted to emulate with the column, and who wrote the introduction to the 1994 But I Digress collection. David donates his earnings from the column to the Comic Book Legal Defense FundComic Book Legal Defense FundThe Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a United States non-profit organization created in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses....
. David continued the column following CBGs switch to a monthly magazine format in 2004. A second collection, More Digressions, was published by Mad Norwegian Press in June 2009. - David assisted Star Trek actor James DoohanJames DoohanJames Montgomery "Jimmy" Doohan was a Canadian character and voice actor best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series Star Trek...
with Doohan's 1996 autobiographyAutobiographyAn autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
, Beam Me Up, Scotty. - David's instructional book, Writing for Comics with Peter David, was published by Impact Books in June 2006. A second edition, Writing for Comics and Graphic Novels with Peter David, was published in August 2009.
- David's short story, "Colors Seen by Candlelight", appeared in Tales of ZorroTales of ZorroTales of Zorro is a 2008 anthology of Zorro stories and is the first collection of original short fiction featuring pulp hero Zorro, edited by United States author, editor and copywriter Richard Dean Starr and published by Moonstone Books in 2008...
, the first collection of original ZorroZorroZorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
short fiction ever authorized by Zorro Productions, Inc. The anthologyAnthologyAn anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
, edited by Richard Dean StarrRichard Dean Starr*Richard Starr redirects here, not to be confused with Richard StarkeyRichard Dean Starr is an American entrepreneur, editor, and author of fiction and graphic novels whose work has featured characters including Hellboy, Zorro, The Phantom, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, The Avenger, The Green...
, was published by Moonstone BooksMoonstone BooksMoonstone Books is an American comic book, graphic novel, and prose fiction publisher based in Chicago focused on pulp fiction comic books and prose anthologies as well as horror and western tales....
in 2008. - In 2009 David organized a satirical round-robin storyRound-robin storyA round-robin story, or simply "round robin," is a type of collaborative fiction or storytelling in which a number of authors each write chapters of a novel or pieces of a story, in rounds. Round-robin novels were invented in the 19th century, and later became a tradition particularly in science...
called "Potato Noon", organized by David and hosted on his website. which was inspired by the announcement of Russet Noon, an unauthorized fan fiction novel based on Stephenie MeyerStephenie MeyerStephenie Meyer is an American author known for her vampire romance series Twilight. The Twilight novels have gained worldwide recognition and sold over 100 million copies globally, with translations into 37 different languages...
's Twilight series. Authors including Hugh Casey, Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Kevin Killiany participated in the story, with characters such as Michael DukakisMichael DukakisMichael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
, Dan QuayleDan QuayleJames Danforth "Dan" Quayle served as the 44th Vice President of the United States, serving with President George H. W. Bush . He served as a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Indiana....
, and Ernest HemingwayErnest HemingwayErnest Miller Hemingway was an American author and journalist. His economic and understated style had a strong influence on 20th-century fiction, while his life of adventure and his public image influenced later generations. Hemingway produced most of his work between the mid-1920s and the...
appearing alongside satirical versions of Meyer's characters. David conceived the satire as a not-for-profit venture, and while he has no plans to publish the completed "Potato Moon", he has allowed for the possibility of a future charity release to benefit the Comic Book Legal Defense FundComic Book Legal Defense FundThe Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a United States non-profit organization created in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses....
.
Other media
David has written for several television series and video games. He wrote two scripts for Babylon 5Babylon 5
Babylon 5 is an American science fiction television series created, produced and largely written by J. Michael Straczynski. The show centers on a space station named Babylon 5: a focal point for politics, diplomacy, and conflict during the years 2257–2262...
(the second-season episodes "Soul Mates
Soul Mates
"Soul Mates" is a second season episode of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:Londo Mollari brings his three wives, all of whom barely tolerate him, to the station for the purpose of divorcing two of them as part of a special boon granted by the Centauri Emperor...
" and "There All the Honor Lies
There All the Honor Lies
"There All the Honor Lies" is an episode from the second season of the science fiction television series Babylon 5.-Synopsis:A Babylon 5 merchandise shop opens up on the station, to help increase the station's operating budget. Sheridan believes in the necessity of the store, and places Ivanova in...
"), and the episode "Ruling from the Tomb" for its sequel series, Crusade
Crusade (TV series)
Crusade is a spin-off TV show from J. Michael Straczynski's Babylon 5. Its plot is set in AD 2267, five years after the events of Babylon 5, and just after the movie A Call to Arms. A race called the Drakh have released a nanovirus plague on Earth, which will destroy all life on Earth within five...
. With actor/writer Bill Mumy
Bill Mumy
Charles William "Bill" Mumy, Jr. is an American actor, musician, pitchman, instrumentalist, voice-over artist and a figure in the science-fiction community. He is known primarily for his work as a child television actor....
, he is co-creator of the television series Space Cases
Space Cases
Space Cases is a science fiction television series that aired on Nickelodeon for two seasons. Created by Peter David and Bill Mumy, it premiered on March 2, 1996, and was cancelled a year later. It aired for a time on Nickelodeon's Saturday night block of shows known as SNICK, and on Nickelodeon...
, which ran for two seasons on Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
. He has also written and co-produced several film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
s for Full Moon Entertainment and has made cameo appearances in some of the films as well.
David wrote an unproduced script for the fifth season of Babylon 5 called "Gut Reactions", which he wrote with Bill Mumy
Bill Mumy
Charles William "Bill" Mumy, Jr. is an American actor, musician, pitchman, instrumentalist, voice-over artist and a figure in the science-fiction community. He is known primarily for his work as a child television actor....
.
David wrote "In Charm's Way", an episode of Ben 10: Alien Force
Ben 10: Alien Force
When it recalibrated it gained a more watch-like shape, a green wristband, became smaller and sleeker, and the face dial became black and green. The inside of the hourglass shape glows in different colors at special moments; these colors signify the state that the Omnitrix is presently in...
. The script was recorded in early 2009, and the episode premiered November 13, 2009. He later wrote three episodes of the spinoff Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, the first of which, "Reflected Glory", premiered October 15, 2010.
David wrote the script for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
video game Shadow Complex
Shadow Complex
Shadow Complex is a platform-adventure video game developed by Chair Entertainment in association with Epic Games and published by Microsoft Game Studios for Xbox Live Arcade, and is powered by Unreal Engine 3...
, which debuted in August 2009.
David wrote several episodes of the Young Justice
Young Justice (TV series)
Young Justice is an American animated television series created by Greg Weisman and Brandon Vietti for Cartoon Network. Despite its title, it is not an adaptation of Todd Dezago and Todd Nauck's Young Justice comic series, but rather an adaptation of the entire DC Universe with a focus on young...
animated TV series, which premiered in 2010, and is based on the comic book series he wrote from 1998 to 2003. The first episode he penned is episode #18. The same year, he wrote a graphic novel adaptation of the video game Epic Mickey
Epic Mickey
Epic Mickey is a 2010 Mickey Mouse action-adventure platforming video game designed by Warren Spector and developed by Junction Point Studios for the Wii console...
, and a prequel digicomic, Disney’s Epic Mickey: Tales of Wasteland.
In 2011 David wrote the video game Spider-Man: The Edge of Time.
Awards
- 1992 Eisner AwardEisner AwardThe Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
for Best Writer/Artist or Writer/Artist Team (shared with Dale KeownDale KeownDale Keown is a Canadian comic book artist from Grande Prairie, Alberta who currently resides in Toronto.-Career:Keown started working in comics in 1986 drawing several series for Aircel Comics, including Samurai, Elflord, Dragon Ring , and Warlock 5.Keown moved to Marvel Comics in 1989, where he...
for The Incredible Hulk) - 1993 Wizard Fan Award
- 1993 UK Comic Art Award
- 1994 Golden Duck Award for Young Adult Series (for Star Trek: Starfleet Academy)
- 1995 Australian OZCon 1995 Award for Favorite International Writer
- 1995 Comic Buyers Guide Fan Award for Favorite Writer
- 1996 Haxtur AwardHaxtur AwardThe Haxtur Award is a Spanish award for comics published in Spain. It is awarded annually at the Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias ....
for Best Script (for Para que la oscuridad no nos alcance ["So That the Dark Does Not Reach Us"], in Hulk La caída del Panteón [Hulk: The Fall of the Pantheon]) - 2007 Julie AwardJulius SchwartzJulius "Julie" Schwartz was a comic book and pulp magazine editor, and a science fiction agent and prominent fan. He was born in the Bronx, New York...
for achievements in multiple genres - 2011 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book (X-FactorX-Factor (comics)X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
vol. 3) - 2011 International Association of Media Tie-In Writers Grandmaster Award (aka Faust Award)
Nominations
- 1992 Haxtur Award for Best Script (for Crónicas de Atlantis)
- 1992 Prometheus AwardPrometheus AwardThe Prometheus Award is an award for libertarian science fiction novels given annually by the Libertarian Futurist Society, which also publishes a quarterly journal Prometheus. L. Neil Smith established the award in 1979, but it was not awarded regularly until the newly founded Libertarian Futurist...
for (Star Trek: The Rift) - 1992 Eisner AwardEisner AwardThe Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, and sometimes referred to as the Oscar Awards of the Comics Industry, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books. The Eisner Awards were first conferred in 1988, created in response to the...
for Best Continuing Series (shared with Dale KeownDale KeownDale Keown is a Canadian comic book artist from Grande Prairie, Alberta who currently resides in Toronto.-Career:Keown started working in comics in 1986 drawing several series for Aircel Comics, including Samurai, Elflord, Dragon Ring , and Warlock 5.Keown moved to Marvel Comics in 1989, where he...
for The Incredible Hulk) - 1994 Eisner Award for Best Writer (for The Incredible Hulk)
- 1995 Haxtur Award for Best Long Story (shared with George PérezGeorge PérezGeorge Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
for Sachs & Violens) - 1997 Cable Ace Award for Best Children's Series (shared with Bill MumyBill MumyCharles William "Bill" Mumy, Jr. is an American actor, musician, pitchman, instrumentalist, voice-over artist and a figure in the science-fiction community. He is known primarily for his work as a child television actor....
for Space CasesSpace CasesSpace Cases is a science fiction television series that aired on Nickelodeon for two seasons. Created by Peter David and Bill Mumy, it premiered on March 2, 1996, and was cancelled a year later. It aired for a time on Nickelodeon's Saturday night block of shows known as SNICK, and on Nickelodeon...
) - 1998 Harvey AwardHarvey AwardThe Harvey Awards, named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman and founded by Gary Groth, President of the publisher Fantagraphics, are given for achievement in comic books. The Harveys were created as part of a successor to the Kirby Awards which were discontinued after 1987.The Harvey Awards are...
for Best Single Issue or Story (shared with Adam KubertAdam KubertAdam Kubert is an American comic book artist known for his work for publishers such as Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and DC Comics, including work on Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Incredible Hulk, Wolverine, Spider-Man, Superman and Ghost Rider.Kubert has established himself as one...
and Bobbie Chase for The Incredible Hulk #-1) - 1999 Eisner Award for Best New Series (shared with Todd NauckTodd NauckTodd Nauck is an American comic book artist and writer. Nauck is most notable for his work on Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Young Justice and his own creation, Wildguard.-Career:...
and Larry Stucker for Young JusticeYoung JusticeYoung Justice is a fictional DC Comics superhero team consisting of teenaged heroes. The team first appeared in Young Justice: The Secret , before graduating to their ongoing monthly series...
) - 1999 Eisner Award for Best Title for a Younger Audience (for Young Justice)
Public persona
On more than one occasion, editorial problems or corporate pressure to modify or re-script his plotlines have prompted David to leave books, particularly his decision to terminate his first run on Marvel's X-FactorX-Factor (comics)
X-Factor is an American comic book series published by Marvel Comics. It is a spin-off of the popular X-Men franchise, featuring characters from X-Men stories. The series has been relaunched several times with different team rosters, most recently as X-Factor Investigations.X-Factor launched in...
, due to constantly having to constrain his plots to accommodate crossover events with other books. He also resigned from Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099
Spider-Man 2099 is a fictional comic book superhero, created by Peter David and Rick Leonardi in 1992 for Marvel Comics' Marvel 2099 line. His secret alter ego is Miguel O'Hara, a brilliant geneticist living in New York in the year 2099 A.D...
to protest the firing of editor Joey Cavalieri
Joey Cavalieri
Joey Cavalieri is a writer who has also served as an editor in the comic book field.His writing credits for DC Comics include the Green Arrow back-up feature in Detective Comics; both the pre-Crisis version of the Huntress in a back-up feature in Wonder Woman and the post-Crisis version of the...
, and from Aquaman
Aquaman
Aquaman is a fictional superhero who appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Paul Norris and Mort Weisinger, the character debuted in More Fun Comics #73 . Initially a backup feature in DC's anthology titles, Aquaman later starred in several volumes of a solo title...
over other creative differences. When David abruptly left his first stint on The Incredible Hulk due to editorial pressures, some of the plot points of the character that David established were retcon
Retcon
Retroactive continuity is the alteration of previously established facts in a fictional work. Retcons are done for many reasons, including the accommodation of sequels or further derivative works in a series, wherein newer authors or creators want to revise the in-story history to allow a course...
ned by later creative teams.
In his "But I Digress" column, which has appeared in the Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide
Comics Buyer's Guide , established in 1971, is the longest-running English-language periodical reporting on the American comic book industry...
since July 27, 1990, and in his blog, in operation since April 2002, David has been outspoken in many of his views pertaining to the comic book industry, and numerous other subjects. He has criticized the low regard in which writers are held, the practice of bagged comics, so-called "poster covers" that showcase a character without indicating anything about the comic's content, the meaninglessness of killing off characters to be eventually revived, the poor commitment on the part of some to maintaining continuity in shared fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
s, and the emphasis on gearing monthly comics series toward eventual collection into trade paperbacks. David has opined that failure on the part of consumers to purchase the monthly individual issues in favor of waiting for the trade collections hurts the sales of the monthly, and its chances of being collected at all. A father of four daughters, David has worked on a number of series that feature female leads, such as Supergirl
Supergirl
Supergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
, Fallen Angel
Fallen Angel (comics)
Fallen Angel is an American fictional comic book heroine created and owned by writer Peter David and artist David Lopez, who appears in her self-titled monthly series. It was published by DC Comics from July 2003 until it was canceled with issue #20 in May 2005 because of low sales. It resumed...
and She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
, and has lamented that the American comic book market is not very supportive of such books. David has spoken out about fans who are abusive or threatening to creators, and against copyright infringement
Copyright infringement
Copyright infringement is the unauthorized or prohibited use of works under copyright, infringing the copyright holder's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works.- "Piracy" :...
, particularly that committed through peer-to-peer file sharing
Peer-to-peer file sharing
P2P or Peer-to-peer file sharing allows users to download files such as music, movies, and games using a P2P software client that searches for other connected computers. The "peers" are computer systems connected to each other through internet. Thus, the only requirements for a computer to join...
and posting literary works in their entirety on the Internet without the permission of the copyright holder.
On many occasions, he has offered criticisms of specific publishers, as when he criticized Wizard magazine for ageism
Ageism
Ageism, also called age discrimination is stereotyping of and discrimination against individuals or groups because of their age. It is a set of beliefs, attitudes, norms, and values used to justify age based prejudice, discrimination, and subordination...
. He has criticized companies for not sufficiently compensating the creators of their long-standing and lucrative characters, such as Marvel Comics for its treatment of Blade
Blade (comics)
Blade is a fictional character, a superhero/vampire hunter in the Marvel Comics universe. Created by writer Marv Wolfman and penciller Gene Colan, his first appearance was in the comic book The Tomb of Dracula #10 as a supporting character.The character went on to alternatively star and co-star...
creator Marv Wolfman
Marv Wolfman
Marvin A. "Marv" Wolfman is an award-winning American comic book writer. He is best known for lengthy runs on The Tomb of Dracula, creating Blade for Marvel Comics, and The New Teen Titans for DC Comics.-1960s:...
and Archie Comics
Archie Comics
Archie Comics is an American comic book publisher headquartered in the Village of Mamaroneck, Town of Mamaroneck, New York, known for its many series featuring the fictional teenagers Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Reggie Mantle and Jughead Jones. The characters were created by...
for its treatment of Josie and the Pussycats creator Dan DeCarlo
Dan DeCarlo
Daniel S. DeCarlo was an American cartoonist best known as the artist who developed the look of Archie Comics in the late 1950s and early 1960s, modernizing the characters to their contemporary appearance and establishing the publisher's house style...
. He has also criticized publishers for various other business practices, including Marvel and Image Comics
Image Comics
Image Comics is a United States comic book publisher. It was founded in 1992 by high-profile illustrators as a venue where creators could publish their material without giving up the copyrights to the characters they created, as creator-owned properties. It was immediately successful, and remains...
. He has also defended said companies from criticism he feels is unfounded, as when he defended Marvel from a February 17, 1992 Barron’s
Barron's Magazine
Barron's is an American weekly newspaper covering U.S. financial information, market developments, and relevant statistics. Each issue provides a wrap-up of the previous week's market activity, news reports, and an informative outlook on the week to come....
magazine article. He has criticized deletionists
Deletionism and inclusionism in Wikipedia
Deletionism and inclusionism are opposing philosophies that largely developed and came to public notice within the context of the community of editors of the online encyclopedia Wikipedia...
on Wikipedia
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is a free, web-based, collaborative, multilingual encyclopedia project supported by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Its 20 million articles have been written collaboratively by volunteers around the world. Almost all of its articles can be edited by anyone with access to the site,...
on more than one occasion.
On occasion, he has also disagreed publicly with specific industry personalities such as Frank Miller
Frank Miller (comics)
Frank Miller is an American comic book artist, writer and film director best known for his dark, film noir-style comic book stories and graphic novels Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City and 300...
and Jim Shooter
Jim Shooter
James Shooter is an American writer, occasional fill-in artist, editor, and publisher for various comic books. Although he started professionally in the medium at the extraordinarily young age of 14, he is most notable for his successful and controversial run as Marvel Comics' ninth...
. Particularly publicized were his disagreements with Spawn
Spawn (comics)
Spawn is a fictional comic book superhero who appears in a monthly comic book of the same name published by Image Comics. Created by writer/artist Todd McFarlane, Spawn first appeared in Spawn #1...
creator Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane is a Canadian cartoonist, writer, toy designer and entrepreneur, best known for his work in comic books, such as the fantasy series Spawn....
in 1992 and 1993, in the wake of the formation of Image Comics, the company McFarlane co-founded. This came to a head during a public debate they participated in at Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
's Comicfest convention in October 1993, which was moderated by artist George Pérez
George Pérez
George Pérez is a Puerto Rican-American writer and illustrator of comic books, known for his work on various titles, including Avengers, Teen Titans and Wonder Woman.-Biography:...
. McFarlane claimed that Image was not being treated fairly by the media, and by David in particular. The three judges, Maggie Thompson, editor of the Comics Buyer's Guide, William Christensen of Wizard Press, and John Danovich of the magazine Hero Illustrated
Hero Illustrated
Hero Illustrated was a comic book-themed magazine published in the early to mid 1990s in the United States. Columnists included Andy Mangels, and Frank Kurtz was at one time a managing editor. The journal won the 1995 Eisner Award for Best Comics-Related Periodical/Publication.- History :Hero...
, voted 2-1 in favor of David, with Danovich voting the debate a tie. David has since criticized McFarlane for other business practices, and has also engaged in public disagreements with The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal
The Comics Journal, often abbreviated TCJ, is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels...
editor Gary Groth
Gary Groth
Gary Groth is an American comic book editor, publisher and critic. He is editor-in-chief of The Comics Journal and a co-founder of Fantagraphics Books.-Early life:...
, Erik Larsen
Erik Larsen
Erik J. Larsen is an American comic book writer, artist and publisher. He is best known for his work on Savage Dragon, as one of the founders of Image Comics, and for his work on Spider-Man for Marvel Comics.-Early life:...
, Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld
Rob Liefeld is an American comic book writer, illustrator, and publisher. A prominent artist in the 1990s, he has since become a controversial figure in the medium....
, Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada
Joe Quesada
Joseph "Joe" Quesada is an American comic book editor, writer and artist. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, such as Ninjak and Solar, Man of the Atom...
, writer/director Kevin Smith
Kevin Smith
Kevin Patrick Smith is an American screenwriter, actor, film producer, and director, as well as a popular comic book writer, author, comedian/raconteur, and internet radio personality best recognized by viewers as Silent Bob...
, DC Comics Vice President and Executive Editor Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio
Dan DiDio is an American writer, editor and publisher who has worked in the television and comic book industries. He is currently the Co-Publisher of DC Comics, along with Jim Lee...
, and John Byrne. Despite his differences with Byrne, David has stated that he is still a fan of Byrne's, citing Byrne's work on X-Men
X-Men
The X-Men are a superhero team in the . They were created by writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby, and first appeared in The X-Men #1...
, Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, Next Men
Next Men
John Byrne's Next Men is a comic book series written and drawn by John Byrne. The first volume of the series was published by Dark Horse Comics between 1991 and 1995...
, Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight
Alpha Flight is a fictional superhero team published by Marvel Comics, noteworthy for being one of the few Canadian superhero teams. Created by John Byrne, the team first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #120 ....
and Babe
Babe (comics)
Babe was a four-issue comic book mini-series published by Dark Horse Comics under their Legend imprint from July 1994 - October 1994. It was written by John Byrne, with pencils and inks by Byrne, and covers by Gary Cody....
.
Politically, David identifies himself as liberal. He was critical of the George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
administration in general, and the Iraq War in particular, as well as other Republicans
and the religious right
Religious right
The term religious right may refer to religiously motivated right wing movements such as:*Christian right*Hindu nationalism *Islamism*Jewish right*Theravada...
. He has spoken out in favor of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's right to defend itself from aggressors, and has opined that certain criticisms of Israel indicate bias and double standards. He favors gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
, and holds progressive or liberal views on LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
issues, including favoring gay marriage and allowing openly homosexual individuals to serve in the military
Sexual orientation and military service
The military forces of the world have differing approaches to the enlistment of homosexual and bisexual individuals. The armed forces of most developed countries have now removed policies excluding non-heterosexual individuals...
. He opposes capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
. He is an advocate of freedom of speech
Freedom of speech
Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
, having criticized various publicized instances of censorship in general, such as the targeting of comic book retailers for prosecution for selling certain comic books, and the Comics Code Authority
Comics Code Authority
The Comics Code Authority was a body created as part of the Comics Magazine Association of America, as a tool for the comics-publishing industry to self-regulate the content of comic books in the United States. Member publishers submitted comic books to the CCA, which screened them for adherence to...
in particular. He is a promoter and activist for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a United States non-profit organization created in 1986 to protect the First Amendment rights of comics creators, publishers, and retailers covering legal expenses....
, which comes to the aid of such creators and retailers. He has, however, also criticized ideas associated with liberalism or political correctness
Political correctness
Political correctness is a term which denotes language, ideas, policies, and behavior seen as seeking to minimize social and institutional offense in occupational, gender, racial, cultural, sexual orientation, certain other religions, beliefs or ideologies, disability, and age-related contexts,...
, such as certain publicized cases of alleged sexual harassment or discrimination that he deems unfounded, and has not shied away from criticizing liberals and Democrats, including Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
, Hillary Clinton, Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
, Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy is an American author and attorney. She is a member of the influential Kennedy family and the only surviving child of U.S. President John F...
and Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
Personal life
David met his first wife, Myra Kasman, at a Star Trek convention. They married in June 1977, with his childhood friend Keith serving as best man. Together they had three daughters, Shana, Guinevere and Ariel. They separated in late 1996, and were divorced by 1998. David began dating Kathleen O'Shea, a bookseller, puppeteer and writer/editor in 1998. After dating for three years, David proposed to O'Shea at the Adventurers ClubAdventurers Club
The Adventurers Club was a themed nightclub in Pleasure Island at the Walt Disney World Resort. It was styled after a private club for world travelers and explorers and was set in 1937. The walls of the club were covered with artifacts and photographs from various explorations...
in Disneyworld on September 3, 2000. They married on May 26, 2001 in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Their daughter, Caroline Helen David, was born on December 5, 2002, and named after David's late friend and coworker, Carol Kalish
Carol Kalish
Carol Kalish was an American writer, editor, comic book retailer, and sales manager. She worked as Direct Sales Manager and Vice President of New Product Development at Marvel Comics from 1981 to 1991...
. David and his family live on the south shore of Long Island.
On June 27, 2010, David's wife, Kathleen, announced on his website that he had successfully undergone surgery on June 25 to relieve serious back pain. On June 30, David himself explained on his site that the pain, which he had been suffering in his hips and knees for three weeks, left him unable to function, and was eventually diagnosed as a herniated disc caused by bone fragments and fluid buildup. He underwent a three-hour discectomy
Discectomy
A Discectomy is the surgical removal of herniated disc material that presses on a nerve root or the spinal cord. The procedure involves removing the central portion of an intervertebral disc, the nucleus pulposus, which causes pain by stressing the spinal cord or radiating nerves...
, and was told his full strength would return in six months.
David had been a conservative Jew, but as of October 2003, attends a reform
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
. He has, however, expressed reservations about organized religion.
David has named Groo the Wanderer
Groo the Wanderer
Groo the Wanderer is a fantasy/comedy comic book series written and drawn by Sergio Aragonés, rewritten, coplotted and edited by Mark Evanier, lettered by Stan Sakai, and colored by Tom Luth...
, Liberty Meadows
Liberty Meadows
Liberty Meadows is a comic strip and comic book created, written and illustrated by Frank Cho. It relates the comedic activities of the staff and denizens of the titular animal sanctuary/rehabilitation clinic.-Publication history:...
, Fables
Fables (comics)
Fables is a comic book series created by writer Bill Willingham, published by DC Comics's Vertigo imprint beginning in 2002. The series deals with various characters from fairy tales and folklore – referring to themselves as "Fables" – who have been forced out of their Homelands by "The...
, Y: The Last Man
Y: The Last Man
Y: The Last Man is a comic book series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra published by Vertigo beginning in 2002. The series is about the only man to survive the apparent simultaneous death of every male mammal on Earth...
, Strangers in Paradise
Strangers in Paradise
Strangers in Paradise is a long-running, mostly self-published black-and-white comic book, written and drawn by Terry Moore. The series has reached its planned conclusion, finishing off in 2007 with issue #90 of volume 3....
, Runaways
Runaways (comics)
Runaways is a comic book series published by Marvel Comics. The series features a group of teenagers who discover that their parents are part of an evil crime group called the Pride. Created by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona, the series debuted in April of 2003 as part of Marvel Comics'...
, She-Hulk
She-Hulk
She-Hulk is a Marvel Comics superheroine. Created by writer Stan Lee and artist John Buscema, she first appeared in Savage She-Hulk #1 ....
, Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane is an American comic book series focusing on a teenage Mary Jane, the love interest of superhero Spider-Man. The series, published by Marvel Comics, is a teen drama set outside the regular Marvel continuity, and aimed at teenage girls, as opposed to the traditional male...
, Knights of the Dinner Table
Knights of the Dinner Table
Knights of the Dinner Table is a comic book/strip created by Jolly R. Blackburn and published by Kenzer & Company. It primarily focuses on a group of role playing gamers and their actions at the gaming table, which often result in unfortunate, but humorous consequences in the game...
, The Crossovers and J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski , known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or JMS, is an American writer and television producer. He works in films, television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is a playwright, a former journalist,...
’s run on Spider-Man as comics that he has enjoyed.
David is an avid fan of bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, and a bowler himself, as is his daughter Ariel. He is also a fan of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
. His favorite music includes The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, and his favorite albums include Harry Chapin
Harry Chapin
Harry Forster Chapin was an American singer-songwriter best known in particular for his folk rock songs including "Taxi", "W*O*L*D", and the number-one hit "Cat's in the Cradle". Chapin was also a dedicated humanitarian who fought to end world hunger; he was a key player in the creation of the...
's Verities and Balderdash and the soundtracks to Amadeus
Amadeus (film)
Amadeus is a 1984 period drama film directed by Miloš Forman and written by Peter Shaffer. Adapted from Shaffer's stage play Amadeus, the story is based loosely on the lives of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri, two composers who lived in Vienna, Austria, during the latter half of the...
and Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
Terminator 2: Judgment Day is a 1991 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron and written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr.. It stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, and Edward Furlong...
. He is an enthusiast of movie musicals, in particular 1776
1776 (musical)
1776 is a musical with music and lyrics by Sherman Edwards and a book by Peter Stone. The story is based on the events surrounding the signing of the Declaration of Independence...
, Man of La Mancha
Man of La Mancha
Man of La Mancha is a musical with a book by Dale Wasserman, lyrics by Joe Darion and music by Mitch Leigh. It is adapted from Wasserman's non-musical 1959 teleplay I, Don Quixote, which was in turn inspired by Miguel de Cervantes's seventeenth century masterpiece Don Quixote...
, Li’l Abner and Into the Woods
Into the Woods
Into the Woods is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine. It debuted in San Diego at the Old Globe Theatre in 1986, and premiered on Broadway in 1987. Bernadette Peters' performance as the Witch and Joanna Gleason's portrayal of the Baker's Wife brought acclaim...
, with a taste for Lerner and Loewe
Lerner and Loewe
Lerner and Loewe are the duo of lyricist and librettist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick Loewe, known primarily for the music and lyrics of some of Broadway's most successful musical shows, including My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Brigadoon....
and Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
. He also acts in local stage productions.
His favorite movies include The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (film)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a 1938 American swashbuckler film directed by Michael Curtiz and William Keighley. Filmed in Technicolor, the picture stars Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, and Claude Rains.-Plot:...
, That, Casablanca
Casablanca (film)
Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid, and featuring Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on a man torn between, in...
, and the early Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller
Johnny Weissmuller was an Austro-Hungarian-born American swimmer and actor best known for playing Tarzan in movies. Weissmuller was one of the world's best swimmers in the 1920s, winning five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal. He won fifty-two US National Championships and set sixty-seven...
Tarzan
Tarzan
Tarzan is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungles by the Mangani "great apes"; he later experiences civilization only to largely reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adventurer...
films. His favorite TV shows have included Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
, Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
, Charmed
Charmed
Charmed is an American television series that originally aired from October 7, 1998, until May 21, 2006, on the now defunct The WB Television Network. The series was created in 1998 by writer Constance M...
, Carnivale, Boston Public
Boston Public
Boston Public is an American drama television series created by David E. Kelley and broadcast on Fox. It centered on Winslow High School, a fictional public high school located in Boston, Massachusetts. The show was named for the real public school district in which it takes place...
, The Practice
The Practice
The Practice is an American legal drama created by David E. Kelley centering on the partners and associates at a Boston law firm. Running for eight seasons from 1997 to 2004, the show won the Emmy in 1998 and 1999 for Best Drama Series, and spawned the successful and lighter spin-off series Boston...
, Friends, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel
Angel (TV series)
Angel is an American television series, a spin-off of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The series was created by Buffys creator, Joss Whedon, in collaboration with David Greenwalt, and first aired on October 5, 1999...
, Alias
Alias (TV series)
Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
and The West Wing.
External links
- David, Peter. But I Digress 1994 Collection. Krause PublicationsKrause PublicationsKrause Publications is a publisher of leisure-time & enthusiast magazines and books. Best known for its Standard Catalog of World Coins, a series of numismatic catalogs commonly referred to as Krause-Mishler catalogues or simply Krause catalogues. They provide information, pricing, and...
- Peter David's official site
- Peter David at the Grand Comics Database
- Fan-maintained bibliography
Interviews
- X-POSITION Week 21: Peter David, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
, October 18, 2007 - X-POSITION Week 26: Peter David, Comic Book Resources, November 20, 2007