Peter David

For the politician, seePeter David (politician).For the journalist, seePeter David (journalist).

Peter Allen David(born September 23, 1956),often abbreviatedPAD,is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films, and video games.His notable comic book work includes an award-winning 12-year run onThe Incredible Hulk,as well as runs onAquaman,Young Justice,SpyBoy,Supergirl,Fallen Angel,Spider-Man,Spider-Man 2099,Captain Marvel,andX-Factor.

Peter David
David in 2017
Born	Peter Allen David (1956-09-23)September 23, 1956 Fort Meade, Maryland,U.S.
Area(s)	Superhero fantasy,science fiction,fantasy
Pseudonym(s)	David Peters
Notable works	The Incredible Hulk,X-Factor,Young Justice,Star Trek: New Frontier,Fallen Angel
Awards	1992Eisner Award 1993WizardFan Award 1996Haxtur Award 2007Julie Award 2011GLAAD Media Award 2016Inkpot Award
Spouse(s)	Myra Kasman ​ ​ (m.1977;div.1998)​ Kathleen O'Shea ​ (m.2001)​
Children	4
Signature
Alma mater	New York University(BA)
Occupations	Novelist short story writer screenwriter comic book writer
Years active	1985–present
Official website

HisStar Trekwork includes comic books and novels such as theNew Frontierbook series. His other novels include film adaptations, media tie-ins, and original works, such as theApropos of NothingandKnight Lifeseries. His television work includes series such asBabylon 5,Young Justice,Ben 10: Alien ForceandNickelodeon'sSpace Cases,which he co-created withBill Mumy.

David often jokingly describes his occupation as "Writer of Stuff",and he is noted for his prolific writing, characterized by its mingling of real-world issues with humorand references to popular culture, as well as elements ofmetafictionandself-reference.

David has earned multiple awards for his work, including a 1992Eisner Award,a 1993WizardFan Award, a 1996Haxtur Award,a 2007Julie Awardand a 2011GLAAD Media Award.

Early life

Peter David's paternal grandparents, Martin and Hela David, and his father, Gunter, emigrated to the United States in the 1930s after theantisemitisminNazi Germanyprogressed to the point that Martin'sBerlinshoestore became the target of vandalism.David was born September 23, 1956, inFort Meade, Maryland,to Gunter and Dalia David (née Rojansky),anIsraeli Jewishmotherwho had worked with DNA mappersJames WatsonandFrancis Crickand to whom David credits his sense of humor.He has two siblings,a brother Wally,seven years his junior,who works as an IT Systems Administrator in the financial sector, and a younger sister named Beth.

David first became interested in comics when he was about five years old, reading copies ofHarvey Comics'CasperandWendyin a barbershop. He became interested insuperheroesthrough theAdventures of SupermanTV series.Although David's parents approved of his readingHarvey Comicsandcomics featuring Disney characters,they did not approve of superhero books,especially those published byMarvel Comics,feeling that characters that looked like monsters, such as theThingor theHulk,or who wore bug-eyed costumes, likeSpider-Man,did not appear heroic. As a result, David read those comics in secret,beginning with his first Marvel book,Fantastic Four Annual#3 (November 1965), which saw the wedding ofMister Fantasticand theInvisible Woman.His parents eventually allowed him to start reading superhero titles,his favorite of which wasSuperman.He citesJohn Buscemaas his favorite pre-1970s artist.David attended his first comic book convention around the time thatJack Kirby'sNew Godspremiered, after asking his father to take him to one ofPhil Seuling's shows in New York, where David obtained Kirby's autograph, his first encounter with a comics professional.

David's earliest interest in writing came through the journalism work of his father, Gunter, who sometimes reviewed movies and took young Peter along (if it was age-appropriate). While Gunter wrote his reviews back at the newspaper's office, David wrote his own, portions of which sometimes found their way into Gunter's published reviews.David began to entertain the notion of becoming a professional writer at age twelve, buying a copy ofThe Guide to the Writer's Market,and subscribing to similar-themed magazines,in the hopes of becoming a reporter.

David lived inBloomfield, New Jersey,in a small house at 11 Albert Terrace,and attendedDemarest Elementary School.His family later moved toVerona, New Jersey,where he spent his adolescence.By the time he entered his teens, he had lost interest in comic books, feeling he had outgrown them.David's best friend in junior high and first year in high school, Keith, was gay, and David has described how both of them were targets ofostracismand harassment fromhomophobes.

Although his family eventually moved toPennsylvania,his experiences in Verona soured him on that town and shaped his liberal sociopolitical positions regardingLGBTissues. He later made Verona the home location of villainMorgan le Fayin his novelKnight Life,and has often discussed hisprogressiveviews on LGBT issues in his column and on his blog.

David's interest in comics was rekindled when he saw a copy ofSuperman vs. Muhammad Ali(1978) while passing a newsstand,and later,X-Men#95 (October 1975), and discovered in that latter book the "All-New, All-Different" team that had first appeared inGiant-Size X-Men#1 (May 1975). These two books were the first comics he had purchased in years.

A seminal moment in the course of his aspirations occurred when he met writerStephen Kingat a book signing, and told him that he was an aspiring writer. King signed David's copy ofDanse Macabrewith 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 includeHarlan Ellison,Arthur Conan Doyle,Robert B. Parker,Neil Gaiman,Terry Pratchett,Robert CraisandEdgar Rice Burroughs.Specific books he has mentioned as favorites includeTo Kill a Mockingbird,Tarzan of the Apes,The Princess Bride,The Essential Ellison,A Confederacy of Dunces,Adams Versus Jefferson,andDon Quixote.David has singled out Ellison in particular as a writer whom he has tried to emulate.

David attendedNew York University,where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism.

Career

Early work

David's first professional assignment was covering theWorld Science Fiction Conventionheld in Washington in 1974 for thePhiladelphia Bulletin.

David eventually gravitated towards fiction after his attempts at journalism did not meet with success.His first published fiction appeared inAsimov's Science Fictionin 1980. He sold anop-edpiece toThe New York Times,but overall his submissions that met with rejection far outnumbered those accepted.

Comics career

1980s

Peter David andLarry Stromanat a comic book signing forX-Factorin the early 1990s

David eventually gave up on a career in writing and came to work in book publishing. His first publishing job was for theE.P. Duttonimprint Elsevier/Nelson, where he worked mainly as an assistant to the editor-in-chief.He later worked in sales and distribution for Playboy Paperbacks. He subsequently worked for five years inMarvel Comics' Sales Department, first as Assistant Direct Sales Manager underCarol 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 someMoon Knightplots toDennis O'Neil,but his efforts were unfruitful.

Three years into David's tenure as Direct Sales Manager,Jim Owsleybecame editor of theSpider-Mantitles. 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 underLarry Hama.When Owsley became an editor, he purchased a Spider-Man story from David, which appeared inThe Spectacular Spider-Man#103 (June 1985).Owsley subsequently purchased from David "The Death of Jean DeWolff",a violent murder mystery darker in tone than the usually lighter Spider-Man stories that ran in issues #107–110 (October 1985 – January 1986) of that title.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, he asserts that such crossing over from Sales to Editorial is now common.In the Marvel offices, a rumor circulated that it was actually Owsley who was writing the stories attributed to David.Nonetheless, David says he was fired fromSpectacular Spider-Manby Owsley due to editorial pressure by Marvel's Editor-in-ChiefJim Shooter,and he has commented that the resentment stirred by Owsley's purchase of his stories may have permanently damaged Owsley's career.Months later,Bob Harrasoffered DavidThe Incredible Hulk,as it was a struggling title that no one else wanted to write,which gave David free rein to do whatever he wanted with the character.

During his 12-year run onHulk,David explored the recurring themes of the Hulk'smultiple 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 byThe Incredible Hulk#312 (October 1985), in which writerBill 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 were later used in the2003 feature film adaptationby screenwriterMichael Franceand directorAng Lee.Comic Book Resourcescredits David with making the formerly poor-selling book "a must-read mega-hit".David collaborated with a number of artists who became fan-favorites on the series, includingTodd McFarlane,Dale KeownandGary Frank.Among the new characters he created during his run on the series were theRiot Squadand thePantheon.David wrote the first appearance of theThunderbolts,a team created byKurt BusiekandMark Bagley,inThe Incredible Hulk#449 (January 1997).

It was after he had been freelancing for a year, and into his run onHulk,that David felt that his writing career had cemented.After putting out feelers atDC Comics,and being offered the job of writing a four-issue miniseries ofThe Phantomby editorMike Gold,David quit his sales position to write full-time.David had a brief tenure writingGreen Lanternwhen the character was exclusive to the short-lived anthology seriesAction ComicsWeeklyfrom issues #608–620 in 1988.

David took overDreadstarduring itsFirst Comicsrun, with issue #41 (March 1989) afterJim Starlinleft 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 onWolverine,theNew UniverseseriesMark Hazzard: MercandJustice,a run on the originalX-Factor,and the futuristic seriesSpider-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. David leftX-Factorafter 19 issues, and he wrote the first 44 issues ofSpider-Man 2099before quitting that book to protest the firing of editorJoey Cavalieri.The book was cancelled two issues later, along with the entire 2099 line.

1990s

Peter David at a comics convention in the early 1990s

In 1990, David wrote a seven-issueAquamanminiseries,The Atlantis Chronicles,forDC Comics,about the history of Aquaman's home ofAtlantis,which David has referred to as among the written works of which he is most proud,and his first time writing in thefull scriptformat.He later wrote a 1994Aquamanminiseries,Aquaman: Time and Tide,which led to a relaunched monthlyAquamanseries,the first 46 issues of which he wrote from 1994 to 1998. His run onAquamangained notoriety, for in the book's second issue, Aquaman lost a hand, which was then replaced with aharpoon,a feature of the character that endured for the duration of David's run on the book. More broadly, his run recast the character as an aggressive man of action, one deserving of greater respect, in contrast to the "fish-talking punch line" into which the TV seriesSuper Friendshad rendered him.David quit that book over creative differences.

David wrote theStar Trekcomic book for DC from 1988 to 1991, when that company held the licensing rights to the property, though he has opined that novels are better suited toStar Trek,whose stories are not highly visual.He andRon Marzcowrote theDC vs. Marvelintercompany crossoverin 1996.David enjoyed considerable runs onSupergirlandYoung Justice,the latter eventually being canceled so that DC could use that book's characters in a relaunchedTeen Titansmonthly.

David's work forDark Horse Comicshas included the teen spy adventureSpyBoy,which appeared in a series and a number of miniseries between 1999 and 2004, and the 2007 miniseriesThe Scream.

Other 1990s work includes the 1997 miniseriesHeroes Reborn:The Return,for Marvel, and two creator-owned properties:Soulsearchers and Company,published byClaypool Comics,and theEpic ComicstitleSachs and Violens,which he produced with co-creator/artistGeorge Pérez.

2000s

David's early 2000s work includes runs on two volumes ofCaptain Marvelas well as theBefore the Fantastic Four: Reed Richardslimited series.

David and his second wife, Kathleen, wrote the final English-language text for the first four volumes of themangaseriesNegimaforDel 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 wrote aTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesseries forDreamwavethat tied into theanimated television seriesbroadcast that year.

DC canceledFallen Angelafter 20 issues, but David restarted the title atIDW Publishingat the end of 2005. Other IDW work included aSpike: Old Timesone-shot and theSpike vs. Draculamini-series, both based on the character from theBuffy the Vampire SlayerandAngeltelevision series.

David with writerDan Slottat Jim Hanley's Universe inManhattan,October 25, 2007, promoting the beginning of David's tenure as writer onShe-Hulk

In 2005, David briefly returned toThe Incredible Hulk,though he left after only 11 issues because of his workload.He started a new series,Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,beginning with a twelve-partcrossoverstoryline called "The Other",which, along withJ. Michael Straczynski's run onThe Amazing Spider-Man,andReginald Hudlin's run onMarvel Knights Spider-Man,depicted the webslinger as he discovered he was dying, lost an eye during a traumatic fight withMorlun,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 wrote aMadroXminiseries that year, whose success led to a relaunch of a monthlyX-Factorvolume 3 written by him.This was a revamped version of the title starring both Madrox and other members of the formerX-Factortitle that David had written in the early 1990s, now working as investigators in a detective agency of that name. David's work on the title garnered praise fromAin'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.His decision to explicitly establish male charactersShatterstarandRictoras sharing a sexual attraction to one another (a confirmation of clues that had been established inX-Forceyears earlier in issues such asX-Force#25, 34, 43, 49, 56 andX-Force '99 Annual), drew criticism from Shatterstar's co-creator,Rob Liefeld,though Editor-in-ChiefJoe Quesadasupported David's story.David eventually won a 2011GLAAD Media Awardfor Outstanding Comic Book for his work on the title.

On February 11, 2006, David announced at theWonderConconvention in California in that he had signed an exclusive contract with Marvel Comics.Fallen Angel,Soulsearchers and Companyand David'sSpikeminiseries 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 forThe Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born,the comic book spin-off ofStephen King'sThe Dark Towernovels, which was to be illustrated byJae Lee,as well as scripting thesubsequentDark Towercomics.

David took over Marvel'sShe-Hulkafter writerDan Slott's departure, beginning with issue #22.His run, which won praise,ended with issue #38, when the series was canceled.He wrote a 2008–09Sir Apropos of Nothingminiseries, based on the character from his novels, which was published by IDW Publishing.

David's other 2000s comics based on licensed or adapted properties includeHalo: Helljumper,a 2009 miniseries based on theHalovideo game, a 2009Ben 10: Alien Forcemangabook published by Del Rey,Ben Folds Four,a "Little Mermaid"story inJim Valentino'sFractured Fablesanthology that was praised byAin't It Cool News,an adaptation of the 1982 filmTronthat was released to tie in with that film's2010 sequel,and aJohn Carter of Marsprequel to the2012 feature film.In 2010, he co-wroteThe Spider-Man Vault: A Museum-in-a-Book with Rare Collectibles Spun from Marvel's WebwithRobert Greenberger.David wrote the script forAvengers: Season One,anoriginal graphic novelpublished to promote the DVD release ofThe Avengers.

2010s

On November 24, 2011, David was one of the balloon handlers who pulled the Spider-Man balloon during theMacy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

David at the 2017Phoenix Comicon

In October 2013,X-Factorended its run with issue #262, concluding the X-Factor Investigations incarnation of the series. The book was then relaunched asAll-New X-Factor,a new series with artistCarmine Di Giandomenico,as a part of theAll-New Marvel NOW!initiative announced at the 2013New York Comic Con.The opening storyline, which continues events from issue #260 of the previous series, establishes the new corporate-sponsored version of the team, and includesPolaris,Quicksilver,andGambit.

In July 2014, David returned to Spider-Man 2099, writing the second volume ofSpider-Man 2099with artistWill Sliney.With this series, David was again writing two series,X-FactorandSpider-Man 2099,after having previously done so decades prior, a coincidence that prompted him to joke at the June 2014 Special Edition NYC convention, "I don't know whether to be proud of that or if I'm in a rut!"

In 2014 David wrote a six-part story-arc forThe Phantomfor publishing companyHermes Press,a story that David, reportedly had wanted to write for many years.

In 2015, Simon and Schuster publishedStan Lee's autobiographical graphic novel,Amazing Fantastic Incredible,which David co-wrote, and which became aNew York Timesbestsellerin its first week of release.

In April 2017, following the conclusion of the Spider-Man storyline "Dead No More: The Clone Conspiracy",which saw the return ofBen Reilly,Marvel premiered the monthly seriesBen Reilly: The Scarlet Spider,with David as writer.David explained toSyfy Wirethat when Marvel offered him the job, he was initially ambivalent, as Ben Reilly had never been his favorite incarnation of Spider-Man, and given Reilly's recent emergence as the villainousJackal.However, David gave further consideration to the fact that a book whose main character had a skewed, villainous worldview was not something Marvel had historically done much of, and decided that the premise presented itself with opportunities that intrigued him enough to accept the job.His other Spider-Man work during this decade included a 2019 five-issue miniseriesSymbiote Spider-Man,which holds a 7.5 out of 10 rating at the review aggregator Comic Book Roundup,and the 2020 follow-up miniseriesSymbiote Spider-Man: Alien Reality,which holds a 7.6 rating at Comic Book Roundup.

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 Life,toAce 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 the reappearance ofKing Arthurin 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 awerewolf.Ace Books hired David to write thePhotonandPsi-Mannovels, though they published them under the "house name" David Peters, over David's objections.David updatedKnight Lifeyears later whenPenguin Putnambrought it back into print in 2003, and made it a trilogy with the sequelsOne Knight OnlyandFall of Knight,which were published in 2004 and 2007, respectively.Penguin rereleasedHowling Madand thePsi-Man booksunder David's actual name.

David first began writingStar Treknovels at the request ofPocket Bookseditor Dave Stern, who was a fan of David'sStar Trekcomic book work.HisStar Treknovels are among those for which he is best known, includingQ-in-Law;I, Q;Vendetta;Q-Squared;andImzadi,one of the best-selling Star Trek novels of all time. He created the ongoing novel series,Star Trek: New Frontier,a spin-off fromStar Trek: The Next Generation,withJohn J. Ordoverin 1997.New Frontiercontinued until September 2015, with the publication of the third part of the digital novel,The Returned,the finalNew Frontiernovel to date. David's other science fiction tie-in novels include writing fiveBabylon 5novels, three of which were originals, and two of which were adaptations of the TV moviesThirdspaceandIn the Beginning.

His other novel adaptations include those of the moviesThe Return of Swamp Thing,The Rocketeer,Batman Forever,Spider-Man,Spider-Man 2,Spider-Man 3,Hulk,The Incredible Hulk,Fantastic Four,andIron Man.He wrote an original Hulk novel,The Incredible Hulk: What Savage Beast,and an adaptation of an unusedAlien Nationtelevision script, "Body and Soul".

David's 2009 novelTigerheartis a re-imagining ofPeter Panwith a mix of new and old characters, told as a Victorian bedtime story, much like the classic tale. It was praised byAin't It Cool News,and honored by theSchool Library Journalas one of 2008's Best Adult Books for High School Students.HisSir Apropos of Nothingfantasy trilogy,Sir Apropos of Nothing,The Woad to WuinandTong 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 titledThe 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 includesYear of the Black Rainbow,a novel cowritten with musicianClaudio Sanchezof the bandCoheed and Cambria,that was released with the band's album of the same name,and aFableoriginal novelThe Balverine Order,set between the events ofFable IIandFable III.In April 2011, David announced that, in addition to anotherFablenovel, he and a number of other writers, includingGlenn Hauman,Mike FriedmanandBob Greenberger,were assembling an electronic publishing endeavor called Crazy Eight Press 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 be published through Crazy Eight.In September 2013, David acknowledged that books published through Crazy Eight are not as lucrative for him as those for publishers that pay him advances, and announced that his then-impending novel,ARTFUL: Being the Heretofore Secret History of that Unique Individual, The Artful Dodger, Hunter of Vampyres (Amongst Other Things.),would be published byAmazon.

Writing habits and approach

David (at far right) on a panel on comic book writing at the 2009Brooklyn Book Festival.Beside him (left to right) areJim McCann,Dan SlottandFred Van Lente.

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 usedSmith Coronatypewriters, he writes on aSony Vaiodesktop computer, usingMicrosoft Wordfor his comics and novel work, andFinal Draftfor his screenplays.When writing novels, he sometimes outlines the story, and sometimes improvises as he is writing.Following his stroke in December 2012, David began usingDragonDictateto write.Todd McFarlane's original art for the cover ofThe Incredible Hulk#340, featuringWolverine,which McFarlane gave to David as a gift, hangs in David's office.

David previously wrote his comic book scripts using theMarvel Method,but due to his tendency to overplot, as during his collaboration with McFarlane onThe Incredible Hulk,he switched to thefull scriptmethod,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 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 wroteSupergirlfor his daughters,Young Justicefor a son he might one day have andThe Incredible Hulkfor his first wife, Myra, who first urged him to 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 ofThe Incredible Hulkfaltered, 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 ofFallen 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 includeBatman,Tarzan,Doc Savage,theDragonriders of Pern,theSteed/PeelAvengers,andDracula.He has specifically mentioned interest in writing aTarzan vs. the Phantomstory.

Other published work

• Before David became a professional writer, he wrotefan fiction,examples of which includeThe TARDIS at Pooh Corner.
• David began writing his weekly opinion column, "But I Digress...", inComics Buyer's Guide,since July 27, 1990, agreeing to do the column on the suggestion of an anonymous fan toComics Buyer's Guideeditors Don and Maggie Thompson,David credits the existence of the column toHarlan Ellison,whom he has attempted to emulate with the column, and who wrote the introduction to the 1994But I Digresscollection.David donates his earnings from the column to theComic Book Legal Defense Fund.David continued the column followingCBG's switch to a monthly magazine format in 2004, until the magazine ceased publication in March 2013.A second collection,More Digressions,was published by Mad Norwegian Press in June 2009.
• David assisted Star Trek actorJames Doohanwith Doohan's 1996 autobiography,Beam Me Up, Scotty.
• An interview with David appeared in the first volume ofWriters on Comic Scriptwritingin 2002.
• 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 inTales of Zorro,the first collection of originalZorroshort fiction ever authorized byZorro Productions, Inc.The anthology, edited byRichard Dean Starr,was published byMoonstone Booksin 2008.
• In 2009 David organized a satiricalround-robin storycalled "Potato Noon", organized by David and hosted on his website.which was inspired by the announcement ofRusset Noon,an unauthorized fan fiction novel based onStephenie Meyer'sTwilightseries.Authors including Hugh Casey,Keith R.A. DeCandido,andKevin Killianyparticipated in the story, with characters such asMichael Dukakis,Dan Quayle,andErnest Hemingwayappearing 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 theComic Book Legal Defense Fund.
• In 2022, David curated an anthology entitledThe Fans are Buried Tales,which, in his own words, combinedChaucer'sCanterbury Taleswith an event at a Farpoint convention in which everyone was snowed in "and created the concept of a large, general SF convention in which the attendees are snowed in and wind up exchanging stories of their characters/genres in the hotel bar." When he discovered that organizers of the 2022 Farpoint convention would not be requiring attendees to show proof of vaccination or negative test results, he resorted to using aKickstarterto pay those involved. Many of the stories were from fellow Crazy 8 authors, while others were submitted by other professional writers and even fans.

Other media

David withWarren Spectorat the November 30, 2010 Times SquareDisney Storelaunch party forEpic Mickey,which Spector designed, and for which David wrote two tie-in products

David has written for several television series and video games. He wrote two scripts forBabylon 5(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/writerBill Mumy,he is co-creator of the television seriesSpace Cases,which ran for two seasons onNickelodeon,and which proved to be his most lucrative work.David himself appeared as Ben, the father of series regular Bova, in the second-season episode "Long Distance Calls".David's oldest daughter, Shana, later appeared as Pezu, the emotionally disturbed sentient computer in the series finale "A Friend in Need".David has written and co-produced several films forFull Moon Entertainmentand has madecameo appearancesin some of the films as well.

David wrote an unproduced script for the fifth season ofBabylon 5called "Gut Reactions", which he wrote with Bill Mumy.

David wrote "In Charm's Way", an episode ofBen 10: Alien Force.The script was recorded in early 2009, and the episode premiered November 13, 2009.He later wrote three episodes of the spinoffBen 10: Ultimate Alien,the first of which, "Reflected Glory", premiered October 15, 2010.

David wrote the script for theXbox 360video gameShadow Complex,which debuted in August 2009.

David wrote several episodes of theYoung Justiceanimated 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 gameEpic Mickey,and a prequel digicomic,Disney's Epic Mickey: Tales of Wasteland.

In 2011 David wrote the video gameSpider-Man: Edge of Time.

At the 2012San Diego Comic-Con,Stan Leeannounced his new YouTube channel,Stan Lee's World of Heroes,which airs several programs created by Lee and other creators. One of them,Head Cases,is a superhero sitcom created by David and his wife Kathleen and produced by David M. Uslan. The series centers on Thunderhead, a would-be hero whose inability to utilize his ability to produce loud thunderblasts without injury to himself leads him to become a source of comedic derision in the superhero community. The series, which explores events that occur in between the battles typically seen in comic books, was based on a concept originated by Uslan, and partly inspired byIt's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.David describesHead Casesas a 75-minute movie divided into 5-minute webisodes. The series will feature guest appearances by other industry personalities, includingStan Lee,who appears as himself, functioning in a similar manner toNorm PetersonfromCheers.

Awards and nominations

Awards

• 1992Eisner Awardfor Best Writer/Artist or Writer/Artist Team (shared withDale KeownforThe Incredible Hulk)
• 1993WizardFan Award
• 1993UK Comic Art Award
• 1994 Golden Duck Award for Young Adult Series (forStar Trek: Starfleet Academy)
• 1995 Australian OZCon 1995 Award for Favorite International Writer
• 1996Haxtur Awardfor Best Script (forPara que la oscuridad no nos alcance[ "So That the Dark Does Not Reach Us" ], inHulk La caída del Panteón[Hulk: The Fall of the Pantheon])
• 2007Julie Awardfor achievements in multiple genres
• 2011GLAAD Media Awardfor Outstanding Comic Book (X-Factorvol. 3)
• 2011 International Association of Media Tie-In Writers Grandmaster Award (aka Faust Award)

Nominations

• 1992 Haxtur Award for Best Script (forCrónicas de Atlantis)
• 1992Prometheus Awardfor (Star Trek: The Rift)
• 1992Eisner Awardfor Best Continuing Series (shared withDale KeownforThe Incredible Hulk)
• 1994 Eisner Award for Best Writer (forThe Incredible Hulk)
• 1995 Haxtur Award for Best Long Story (shared withGeorge PérezforSachs & Violens)
• 1997Cable Ace Awardfor Best Children's Series (shared withBill MumyforSpace Cases)
• 1998Harvey Awardfor Best Single Issue or Story (shared withAdam KubertandBobbie ChaseforThe Incredible Hulk#-1)
• 1999 Eisner Award for Best New Series (shared withTodd Nauckand Larry Stucker forYoung Justice)
• 1999 Eisner Award for Best Title for a Younger Audience (forYoung Justice)

Public image

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'sX-Factor,due to constantly having to constrain his plots to accommodate crossover events with other books.He resigned fromSpider-Man 2099to protest the firing of editorJoey Cavalieriand fromAquamanover other creative differences.When David abruptly left his first stint onThe Incredible Hulkdue to editorial pressures,some of the plot points of the character that David established wereretconnedby later creative teams.

In his "But I Digress" column, which began appearing in theComics Buyer's Guideon 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 selling polybagged 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 sharedfictional universes,and the emphasis on gearing monthly comics series toward eventual collection intotrade 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 asSupergirl,Fallen AngelandShe-Hulk,and he 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 againstcopyright infringement,particularly that which is committed throughpeer-to-peer file sharingand 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 criticizedWizardmagazine forageism.He has criticized companies for not sufficiently compensating the creators of their long-standing and lucrative characters, such as Marvel Comics for its treatment ofBladecreatorMarv WolfmanandArchie Comicsfor its treatment ofJosie and the PussycatscreatorDan DeCarlo.He has criticized publishers for various other business practices,including MarvelandImage Comics.He has defended said companies from criticism he feels is unfounded, as when he defended Marvel from a February 17, 1992,Barron'smagazine article.He has criticizeddeletionistson Wikipedia on more than one occasion.

On occasion, he has disagreed publicly with specific industry personalities such asFrank MillerandJim Shooter.Particularly publicized were his disagreements withSpawncreatorTodd McFarlanein 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 atPhiladelphia's Comicfest convention in October 1993, which was moderated by artistGeorge 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 theComics Buyer's Guide,William Christensen ofWizard Press,and John Danovich of the magazineHero 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 engaged in public disagreements withThe Comics JournaleditorGary Groth,Erik Larsen,Rob Liefeld,Marvel Editor-In-ChiefJoe Quesada,writer/directorKevin Smith,DC Comics Vice President and Executive EditorDan DiDio,andJohn Byrne.Despite his differences with Byrne, David has stated that he is still a fan of Byrne's, citing Byrne's work onX-Men,Fantastic Four,Next Men,Alpha FlightandBabe.

Politically, David identifies himself asliberal.He was critical of theGeorge W. Bushadministration in general,and theIraq Warin particular,as well as otherRepublicansand thereligious right.He also became a staunch critic of PresidentDonald Trumpand hisadministration,criticizing his policies on a weekly basis.He has spoken out in favor ofIsrael's right to defend itself from aggressors, and has opined that certain criticisms of Israel indicate bias and double standards.He favorsgun control,and holds progressive or liberal views onLGBTissues, including favoringgay marriageand allowingopenly homosexual individuals to serve in the military.He opposes capital punishment.He is an advocate offreedom 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 theComics Code Authorityin particular.He is a promoter and activist for theComic Book Legal Defense Fund,which comes to the aid of such creators and retailers.He has criticized ideas associated withliberalismorpolitical correctness,such as certain publicized cases of alleged sexual harassment or discrimination that he deems unfounded,and has not shied away from criticizing liberals andDemocrats,includingBill Clinton,Al Gore,Hillary Clinton,Michelle Obama,Caroline Kennedy,andBarack Obama.

In October 2016, David generated controversy for remarks he made during a panel discussion at theNew York Comic Conto Vicente Rodriguez, a fan and the founder of Roma Pop, an organization that seeks to promote more positive representation of the Romani in comics. Rodriguez had asked speakers at multiple panels at the convention about greaterRomanirepresentation in comics, in light of what he said werestereotypical depictions of that group.When he asked David about what the public could do about Marvel's editorial policies regarding this, David related an anecdote from a 1993 trip toBucharest,where he was told by his guide that the crippled children he saw had been maimed by their parents to improve their success as beggars. David then angrily rebuffed further interjections by Rodriguez before moving onto the next question.David would later defend these beliefs on his blog, insisting that he had written Romani characters likeQuicksilverin a positive manner, and was angered by the crippling of children.HoweverComics Beat,in reporting on the incident, stated that David's claim about the children is anurban mythcommonly circulated in Romania, and that the malformed limbs seen in such children more likely resulted from lack of medical care, owing to the Romani distrust of the medical establishment that resulted from theforcible sterilizationprograms imposed upon them in many European nations until the 2000s.Two days after his first blog post, and the day after the Comics Beat article, David published a second blog post in which he apologized for his conduct, stating that after researching the matter, he concluded that the children he saw likely suffered from genetic conditions, and that he had no right to speak as he had to Rodriguez. David also related that he had apologized to Rodriguez in person in subsequent encounters at the convention, and resolved to treat Romani characters with respect.

Personal life

David met his first wife, Myra Kasman,at aStar Trekconvention. 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 1996and were divorcedby 1998.David began dating Kathleen O'Shea, a bookseller,puppeteerand writer/editorin 1998.After dating for three years, David proposed to O'Shea at theAdventurers ClubinDisney Worldon September 3, 2000.They married on May 26, 2001inAtlanta, 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 inSuffolk County, New York,on the south shore ofLong Island,where his favorite local comics shop is Fourth World Comics inSmithtown, New York.David's father, Gunter, died of cancer on April 20, 2015.David's mother, Dalia, died May 27, 2017.

David had been aConservative Jewbut, as of October 2003, attends aReformsynagogue.His Hebrew name inpatronymicform isJacob Ben Joachim.He has, however, expressed reservations about organized religion.

David has namedGroo 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 CrossoversandJ. Michael Straczynski's run onSpider-Manas comics that he has enjoyed.Other creators whose work he has long-admired includeJohn Romita, Sr.,John Buscema,Gene Colan,and others he has stated he presently admires or are friends that he enjoys working with includeGeorge Pérez,Andy Kubert,andRick Leonardi.He has named Pérez as his favorite artistic collaborator,and has named Pérez,Leonard KirkandDale Keownas the artists whose art has mostly closely matched the visuals he conceived when writing comic book scripts.

David is an avid fan ofbowling,and a bowler himself, as is his daughter Ariel.He is a fan of theNew York Mets,and practicestai chi.His favorite music includesThe Beatles,and his favorite albums includeHarry Chapin'sVerities and Balderdashand the soundtracks toAmadeusandTerminator 2: Judgment Day.His favorite movies include theJames Bond films,The Adventures of Robin Hood,That,Casablanca,and the earlyJohnny WeissmullerTarzanfilms.His favorite TV shows have includedDoctor Who,Hill Street Blues,Charmed,Carnivale,Boston Public,The Practice,Friends,Buffy the Vampire Slayer,Angel,AliasandThe West Wing.He is a fan of musicals,in particular1776,Man of La Mancha,Li'l AbnerandInto the Woods,with a taste forLerner and LoeweandStephen Sondheim.He acts in local stage productions.

In June 2010, David's wife announced on his website that he had successfully undergone surgery to relieve serious back pain.He later 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 aherniated disccaused by bone fragments and fluid buildup. He underwent a three-hourdiscectomyand was told his full strength would return in six months.

On December 29, 2012, David suffered astrokewhile on vacation in Florida.The stroke occurred in theponssection of David's brain, from which he lost most of the use of his right arm and his right leg, and suffered from blurred vision in his right eye. While a total recovery was indicated to be unlikely, he remained in good spirits, and underwent physical therapy in order to return to his prior routine.Two and a half months later, his condition had improved. His vision problems were gone, and he was able to navigate around his house without a wheelchair, and resume bowling and practicing tai chi. He had made slow and steady progress on his right leg and arm, and was continuing his therapy.Six months after the stroke, David had completed his physical therapy, though he still suffered some pain in his shoulder, and intended to work on improving his reduced endurance.David revealed in January 2015 that he was diagnosed withType 2 diabetesa year prior.

In March 2017, David announced on his blog that the IRS was demanding that he pay $88,000USDin unpaid taxes, penalty and interest, which began to accumulate when his divorce from his first wife used up his savings. He started aGoFundMecampaign to raise the money from friends and fans,which raised $68,000 by April 12. David announced that he would begin aPatreonaccount where he would publish new work, and which would be used to pay taxes, and asked his readers for their content requests.By May 11, having sold some original comics artwork acquired two decades earlier, the Davids' debts were paid off.

On November 27, 2022, anotherGoFundMewas launched by Graham Murphy, who explained David's health was once again in decline, following kidney failure, another series of strokes, and a mild heart attack.

Bibliography

Main article:Peter David bibliography

External links

• Official website
• Peter DavidatIMDb
• Peter Davidat the Comic Book DB (archived fromthe original)
• Peter Davidat theGrand Comics Database
• Fan-maintained bibliography
• Peter Davidat theInternet Speculative Fiction Database

Interviews

• Tramountanas, George A. (October 18, 2007)"X-Position Week 21: Peter David".CBR.
• Tramountanas, George A. (November 20, 2007)"X-Position Week 26: Peter David".CBR.
• Tramountanas, George A. (January 27, 2009)"X-Position: Peter David".CBR.
• Mitchel, Bill (June 24, 2009)."IN-DEPTH: Peter David".CBR.