Dangit! Cinemax is Developing a New Robert Kirkman Series. The Horrors!

Warning: incredibly ignorant and biased fanboy rant to follow:

I am scared.  I’m not “scared of the dark” scared; I’m “zombie invasion and your entire world is decimated” scared.  Cinemax just announced they are planning to create a show based on Robert Kirkman’s upcoming comic Outcast.  Nooooooooooooo!  Kirkman is taking over the universe!  I can never leave my house again, and even my Facebook and Twitter feed are not safe.

Ever since The Walking Dead first hit the air, all my quasi-friends talk about is freakin’ zombies.  I had to cut off numerous previous associates because whenever I went to a comic convention they would ask me if I could get them an autograph from Norman Grevious. (I know I butchered his name, but I do not care to spend time looking up what his real name is.  You take that Grevious!)  At conventions, the lines for Walking Dead actors are bigger than the lines for the freakin’ legends who created the comic artform.  Worst of all, Norman Grevious charges $500 for his autograph!

And I hate that the number one comic selling graphic novel is only because of some stinkin’ TV show.  Sure, it is bringing in a new audience to the comic market, but I was perfectly happy with the old audience.  I know, I know, comic companies need money to survive, but this is dirty money.  It is worse than drug money- it is “cool” people’s money!  And as long as our comic industry is controlled by the money of the “cool” masses, our art-form will always be their slave!  I still feel uncomfortable with comics being “cool,” and I hate that being a nerd is a fancy trend now.  I miss the good old days of getting my @$$ kicked for wearing the same Venom t-shirt every day for a month.  I blame you Kirkman!  I blame you!

I actually enjoy Kirkman’s writing.  I especially loved his run on Ultimate X-Men.  Also, Kirkman also has one of my favorite beards in all of comics.  But even though he has a magnificently lovely beard, I despise the pedestal the man is placed upon in our society.  Oh, and the fact that all my social media is filled with people talking about his dang TV show!   All I want to do is waste hours looking at ridiculous selfies and pictures of cute, fluffy dogs doing stupid crap in my Facebook feed, but instead it is loaded with everyone and their grandmothers discussing the latest episode of Kirkman’s stankin’ show.

I am scared, because if this show is anywhere near as well done as The Walking Dead then people will never shut up about zombies and exorcisms!

Here is the press release:

FOX International Channels (FIC) today announced that Cinemax has acquired the U.S. rights for The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman’s exorcism drama, Outcast.

Outcast was shopped as a spec after it was developed internally at FIC and is Kirkman’s first time penning a pilot. It was pursued by a number of leading cable networks before landing at Cinemax. The TV adaptation is based on Kirkman/Skybound’s recently announced comic book by the same name. Kirkman will serve as Executive Producer alongside David Alpert of Circle of Confusion.

Outcast follows Kyle Barnes, a young man who has been plagued by possession since he was a child.  Now an adult, he embarks on a journey to find answers but what he uncovers could mean the end of life on Earth as we know it.

“Despite the success of The Walking Dead, Outcast is only my second foray into the horror genre.  I think Kyle Barnes is every bit as compelling as Rick Grimes and demonic possession is way scarier than zombies–so this is going to be fun,” said Robert Kirkman. “Starting a new project is like setting off on an long journey and I couldn’t ask for better travel companions than David Alpert and Sharon Tal Yguado and I’m thrilled to be a part of what Cinemax has planned for the next few years.”

“At FIC, we’re committed to creating compelling, innovative television with A-List writers like Robert Kirkman, and with Cinemax we have a partner that is as passionate as we are about this very unique project,” said Sharon Tal Yguado, Executive Vice President of Original Development and Scripted Programming at FIC. “Outcast is unlike anything on television and has the potential to become another global phenomenon.”

FIC’s long-standing partnership with Kirkman began on the record-breaking, global hit series, The Walking Dead, on which FIC is the international partner and global broadcaster in 125 countries. Outcast is the latest example of FIC’s mission to develop breakthrough character-driven dramas in the U.S. that can translate into global tentpole franchises. FIC pioneered its global day-and-date release strategy with the hit series The Walking Dead, and replicated it with key properties, including Da Vinci’s Demons and The Bridge. The group most recently announced a development deal for the espionage thriller, False Flag, in partnership with Keshet International and Peter Landesman, the writer and director of Parkland.

Cinemax’sfirst original primetime series, Strike Back, was recently renewed for a fourth and final season. Banshee will launch its second season in January 2014, and The Knick, directed by Steven Soderbergh and starring Clive Owen, is currently in production for a 2014 debut.

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Jay Deitcher, LMSW(@mrdeitcher) is an educator on comic history and runs successful Free Comic Book Day events yearly.  You can see a listing of his incredible articles at JayDeitcher.com.