Robert Venditti
Encyclopedia
Robert Venditti is a comic book creator
. Venditti is most notably known for his work on the Top Shelf Productions
title The Surrogates
, which was adapted to a major motion picture starring Bruce Willis
directed by Jonathan Mostow for Disney.
where he received a B.A.
in Political Science
and later went on to earn an M.A. in Creative Writing
from the University of Central Florida
.
While there, he also worked at the book store chain Borders Books in Winter Park, where his interest in the comic book industry was encouraged by a regular customer of the store. Writing off the customer's encouragement of comic books as beneath him, Venditti is quoted in an interview with the comic book website Project Fanboy
as saying,
Finally succumbing to the customer's encouragement, Venditti read Kurt Busiek
's Astro City
, liked it, and decided to pursue a career in comic books.
After meeting publisher Chris Staros
in 2002, Venditti eventually began working packing boxes for Top Shelf Productions trying to work his way up in the company. In December 2002 Venditti submitted his title The Surrogates
, to Staros in hopes that it would be passed along to someone interested in publishing the work. Instead of passing the work along, Top Shelf decided to keep the title and published the first book in July 2005. Venditti currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia and his prequel to The Surrogates, Surrogates: Flesh & Bone was released in July 2009.
Comic book creator
A comic book creator is someone who creates a comic book or graphic novel.The production of a comic book by one of the major comic book companies in the U.S...
. Venditti is most notably known for his work on the Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions
Top Shelf Productions is an American publishing company founded in 1997, owned and operated by Chris Staros and Brett Warnock and a small staff. The company is based in Marietta, Georgia, Portland, Oregon, and New York City, New York....
title The Surrogates
The Surrogates
The Surrogates is a five-issue comic book limited series written by Robert Venditti, drawn by Brett Weldele, and published by Top Shelf Productions from 2005 to 2006...
, which was adapted to a major motion picture starring Bruce Willis
Bruce Willis
Walter Bruce Willis , better known as Bruce Willis, is an American actor, producer, and musician. His career began in television in the 1980s and has continued both in television and film since, including comedic, dramatic, and action roles...
directed by Jonathan Mostow for Disney.
Education
Robert Venditti attended the University of FloridaUniversity of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
where he received a B.A.
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...
in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
and later went on to earn an M.A. in Creative Writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
from the University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida
The University of Central Florida, commonly referred to as UCF, is a metropolitan public research university located in Orlando, Florida, United States...
.
History
Venditti was born in Memorial Hospital and raised in Hollywood, and Pembroke Pines, Florida. At eighteen years old he moved to Gainsvelle to attend college, undergraduate; after which he worked as a clerk at a law firm in southern Florida with aspirations to practice law. Later, deciding against a career in law, he worked as a fuel truck operator until he went back to college at the University of Central Florida.While there, he also worked at the book store chain Borders Books in Winter Park, where his interest in the comic book industry was encouraged by a regular customer of the store. Writing off the customer's encouragement of comic books as beneath him, Venditti is quoted in an interview with the comic book website Project Fanboy
Project Fanboy
Project Fanboy is an American website that publishes news, interviews and reviews about the American comic book industry. In addition, the site is host to comic-book fan voted awards...
as saying,
I thought, erroneously, what everybody thinks, “comics are for little kids,” because I was in Grad school and I was gonna be the next Hemingway.
Finally succumbing to the customer's encouragement, Venditti read Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek
Kurt Busiek is an American comic book writer notable for his work on the Marvels limited series, his own title Astro City, and his four-year run on Avengers.-Early life:...
's Astro City
Astro City
Kurt Busiek's Astro City is a comic book series centered on a fictional American city of that name. Written by Kurt Busiek, the series is co-created and illustrated by Brent Anderson with character designs and painted covers by Alex Ross...
, liked it, and decided to pursue a career in comic books.
After meeting publisher Chris Staros
Chris Staros
Chris Staros is the publisher of the graphic novel publisher Top Shelf Productions, as well as the president of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund . He is also the author of Yearbook Stories, 1976–1978, published by Top Shelf....
in 2002, Venditti eventually began working packing boxes for Top Shelf Productions trying to work his way up in the company. In December 2002 Venditti submitted his title The Surrogates
The Surrogates
The Surrogates is a five-issue comic book limited series written by Robert Venditti, drawn by Brett Weldele, and published by Top Shelf Productions from 2005 to 2006...
, to Staros in hopes that it would be passed along to someone interested in publishing the work. Instead of passing the work along, Top Shelf decided to keep the title and published the first book in July 2005. Venditti currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia and his prequel to The Surrogates, Surrogates: Flesh & Bone was released in July 2009.