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James Tynion IV

James Tynion IV
Tynion at the 2018 Phoenix Comic Fest
BornJames T. Tynion IV[1]
(1987-12-14) December 14, 1987 (age 37)
New York, New York, U.S.
Area(s)Writer
Notable works
Something Is Killing The Children
The Department of Truth
Batman
The Nice House...
The Woods

James T. Tynion IV (/ˈtaɪnən/;[2] born December 14, 1987) is an American comic book author. He is best known for his work at DC Comics including as the writer on the mainline Batman title, the Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles trilogy, and Justice League Dark volume 2.

He is also known for his creator-owned DC Black Label series The Nice House... and his independent series The Department of Truth, Something Is Killing the Children, Memetic, and The Woods.

In 2022, he won three Eisner Awards for his work. In all, he has won five Eisner Awards. He is also a ten-time nominee for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book, the most nominations of any writer, winning once in 2016.

Early life

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James Tynion IV was born December 14, 1987, and grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he attended Marquette University High School. While studying creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College, Tynion met and began studying under Scott Snyder, in the nascent years of his comic book writing career. Following school, he became an intern for the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics, working under Editor Shelly Bond, among others.[3]

Career

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After a brief stint in advertising, Tynion was asked by Scott Snyder to co-write the back-up features for the New 52 relaunch of Batman, beginning with the acclaimed "Night of the Owls" storyline. These features would lead to the launch of a spin-off comic book Talon, co-plotted with Snyder and written by Tynion.[4] In 2013, Tynion released his first original comic series, The Eighth Seal, for Mark Waid's digital comic publisher Thrillbent.[5] Tynion would go on to be one of the head writers of Batman Eternal, a weekly Batman comic series launched in 2014 that was designed to explore the full scope and cast of Gotham City.[6] That same year, he released the GLAAD Media Award-nominated comic title Memetic with artist Eryk Donovan and Award-winning The Woods with Michael Dialynas at Boom Studios.[7] Adaptations of both series are currently in development.[8][9] In 2016, Tynion's partnership with Boom continued with the PRISM Award-winning comic title The Backstagers,[10] as well as at DC via the first of three Batman/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic book crossovers with DC and IDW Publishing, the first ever meeting between the two franchises.[11]

That same year, Tynion was announced as the writer of the biweekly Detective Comics for DC's Rebirth initiative.[12] In 2018, Tynion launched an acclaimed revival of the comic Justice League Dark,[13] which led into the Wonder Woman crossover storyline "The Witching Hour."[14] The following year, he launched the Eisner-winning and Harvey-nominated comic book mini-series Something is Killing the Children, which was later upgraded to an ongoing title due to high demand.[15] A Netflix series adaptation by Mike Flanagan and Trevor Macy is currently in development.[16] In 2020, Tynion was announced as the writer of the main Batman comic title, where he would go on to co-create characters like Punchline, Ghost-Maker, Clownhunter, and Miracle Molly.[17] That July, he premiered the self-published horror magazine Razorblades.[18] and on September 30 that year, he launched the Eisner and Harvey-nominated The Department of Truth at Image,[19] The film and television rights to The Department of Truth was purchased by Sister, the production banner co-founded by Elisabeth Murdoch, Stacey Snider and Jane Featherstone, by February 2021.[20]

In 2021, Tynion launched two Eisner Award-nominated comic titles–the first volume of the graphic novel series Wynd at Boom,[21] and the Eisner-winning The Nice House on the Lake at DC Black Label.[22]

2021 also marked Tynion's first Eisner Award for Best Writer.[23] That same year, Tynion and Boom announced a spin-off comic to Something is Killing the Children titled House of Slaughter, co-written with Tate Brombal (and later with Sam Johns),[24] which launched to record numbers.[25] 2021 would also see Tynion leave his exclusive contract with DC and be offered a grant from Substack to launch a slate of original creator-owned comic titles directly on their platform, with the first being the ongoing comic Blue Book with artist Michael Avon Oeming.[26][27]

In August 2021, Tynion was among a group of creators with whom fellow comics writer Nick Spencer formed a deal with the subscription-based newsletter platform Substack to publish creator-owned comics stories, essays, and instructional guides. Tynion indicated that he would end his tenure on the Batman books in order to concentrate his time on his Substack newsletter, which would include Blue Book, a nonfiction series illustrated by Michael Avon Oeming, and based on accounts of alien encounters[27] and the supernatural, to premiere in February 2023.[28] The series would be released in ten page chapters, twice a month, on Fridays. The first chapter would depict the 1961 Barney and Betty Hill incident, in which the Hills stated that they were abducted from the White Mountains in New Hampshire by aliens.[29] In October 2023, it was announced that a second chapter, titled Blue Book: 1947, which focuses on new characters, was scheduled to be published in February 2024.[30]

In February 2022, Tynion launched on Substack two ongoing comics series: The Oddly Pedestrian Life of Christopher Chaos, which is written by Tate Brombal, and based on an idea by Tynion; True Weird,[31][32] and the limited comic series The Closet, which would later be re-published by Image Comics.[33] That April, Tynion launched The Sandman Universe: Nightmare Country, a spin-off of the Vertigo comic book The Sandman.[34] That November, it was reported that Tynion had partnered with Dark Horse Comics to release print versions of Tiny Onion's Substack books, as well as original stories.[35]

Tynion contributed to the comic anthology The Devil's Cut, which was published by the publishing startup DSTLRY in 2023.[36] He also began a new horror series for Image, entitled W0rldtr33, with artist Fernando Blanco, with publication beginning in April 2023.[37][38]

On February 16, 2024, Tynion announced that he was creating a new production studio called Tiny Onion in collaboration with Lyrical Media who had invested seven figures in the studio. The purpose of the new studio as outlined by Tynion will be to aid in "the development, packaging, marketing and cross-platform promotion of new creator-owned work" as well as "be a springboard for new creator-owned IP to spread beyond comics into film, gaming and even animation."[39]

Personal life

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James Tynion IV is openly gay.[40]

Bibliography

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Boom Studios

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DC Comics

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DSTLRY

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IDW Publishing

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Image Comics

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Marvel Comics

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Thrillbent

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Tiny Onion Studios

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Awards and nominations

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Wins

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Nominations

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References

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  1. ^ "James T. Tynion IV Interview: 'Talon' Soars In Its Third Issue". MTV.com. November 29, 2012.[dead link‍]
  2. ^ "Scott Snyder & James Tynion IV – DC in Conversation"
  3. ^ Renaud, Jeffrey (February 29, 2012). "James Tynion IV Freezes "Batman" after "Night of Owls"". Comic Book Resources.
  4. ^ Betancourt, David (October 25, 2012). "TALON". Washington Post. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  5. ^ Phegley, Kiel (April 30, 2013). "Tynion Taps The Horror of "The Eighth Seal"". CBR. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  6. ^ Truitt, Brian. "Batman springs 'Eternal' in 2014 with new weekly series". USA TODAY. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  7. ^ Nadler, Lonnie (February 5, 2014). "James Tynion IV Takes You Into 'The Woods'!". Bloody Disgusting!. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  8. ^ Gelman, Samuel (January 29, 2020). "Memetic: BOOM! Studios Horror Graphic Novel Rights Purchased By Legendary". CBR. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 2, 2016). "'The Woods' TV Series Based On Boom! Comic In Works At Syfy With Brad Peyton". Deadline. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  10. ^ Clement, Olivia (August 8, 2016). "New Comic Book The Backstagers About High School Stage Crew". Playbill. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  11. ^ "THE DARK KNIGHT MEETS THE HEROES IN A HALF SHELL". DC. July 10, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  12. ^ "James Tynion IV on the Rebirth of Detective Comics". DC. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  13. ^ Wade, Jessie (July 18, 2018). "DC's Witching Hour Event Stars Wonder Woman and the Justice League Dark". IGN. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  14. ^ Adams, Tim (March 24, 2018). "Two Justice League Series Announced from Tynion, Martinez, Williamson & Sejic". CBR. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  15. ^ McMillan, Graeme (August 19, 2019). "Horror Comic 'Something Is Killing the Children' Upped to Ongoing Series". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  16. ^ Kit, Borys (July 9, 2021). "'Doctor Sleep' Filmmakers Tackling Hot Comic 'Something is Killing the Children' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  17. ^ "New Batman Writer Revealed for 2020". Den of Geek. September 21, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  18. ^ Adams, Tim (July 30, 2020). "James Tynion IV Announces Digital Horror Anthology, Razorblades - And You Choose Your Price". CBR. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  19. ^ Weiss, Josh. "You'll Want To Believe With A First Look At Image's 'Department Of Truth' Conspiracy Comic Series". Forbes. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  20. ^ Kit, Borys (February 19, 2021). "James Tynion Comic 'Department of Truth' Picked Up by Elisabeth Murdoch, Stacey Snider's Sister (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  21. ^ Puc, Samantha (January 21, 2020). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  22. ^ Kit, Borys (March 11, 2021). "'Batman' Writer James Tynion IV Sets Creator-Owned Horror Comic 'The Nice House on the Lake' for DC Black Label (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  23. ^ "Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen, James Tynion IV, and more lead 2021 Eisner Awards". SyFy. July 24, 2021. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  24. ^ Grunenwald, Joe (July 26, 2021). "Syndicated Comics". The Beat. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  25. ^ Johnston, Rich (September 21, 2021). "House Of Slaughter #1 Gets Almost Half A Million Orders". Bleeding Cool News And Rumors. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  26. ^ Chris Arrant (August 9, 2021). "Batman writer James Tynion IV quits DC for creator-owned comics". GamesRadar. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  27. ^ a b Gustines, George Gene (August 9, 2021). "Comic Book Writers and Artists Follow Other Creators to Substack". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
  28. ^ Couch, Aaron (November 14, 2022). "James Tynion IV Launches Dark Horse Comic Book Line (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  29. ^ Allen, Brendan M. (September 10, 2021). "James Tynion IV's 'Blue Book' #1 Now Available On Substack". Comicon.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  30. ^ Club, Comic Book (October 19, 2023). "Raina Telgemeier Teases New Graphic Novel Online". Comic Book Club. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  31. ^ Johnston, Rich (February 11, 2022). "James Tynion IV Shows You Teenage Mad Scientist Christopher Chaos". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  32. ^ Schedeen, Jesse (May 9, 2022). "True Weird: Substack Celebrates Digital Free Comic Book Day With New Horror Anthology". IGN. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  33. ^ Morris, Jeff (July 9, 2022). "The Dark Side of Nostalgia in James Tynion IV's The Closet". CBR.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  34. ^ Jackson, Matthew (April 12, 2022). "James Tynion Iv Teases Return Of The Corinthian In 'Sandman' Spinoff Comic 'Nightmare Country". SyFy. Archived from the original on January 26, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  35. ^ Couch, Aaron (November 14, 2022). "James Tynion IV Launches Dark Horse Comic Book Line (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 5, 2023. Retrieved November 5, 2023.
  36. ^ "REVIEW: DSTLRY's The Devil's Cut". CBR. June 28, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  37. ^ "W0RLDTR33 Creator James Tynion IV Goes For The Gross-Out". FANGORIA. April 28, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  38. ^ "Tynion IV and Blanco Expose the Internet's Secrets in New Image Series (Exclusive Preview)". CBR. March 17, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
  39. ^ "Bestselling Writer James Tynion IV Announces New Production Studio 'Tiny Onion'". Forbes. February 16, 2024. Retrieved March 9, 2024.
  40. ^ Tynion IV, James (February 15, 2023). "W0RLDTR33: Want To See Some Pretty Comic Book Covers?". Substack. Retrieved February 15, 2023.
  41. ^ IV, James Tynion (October 17, 2022). "Kicking Off A VERY Exciting Week. One Big Announcement, With Another Around The Corner". jamestynioniv.substack.com. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  42. ^ Grunenwald, Joe (July 24, 2021). "Syndicated Comics". Comics Beat.
  43. ^ "Diamond Announces 2017 Gem Award Winners".
  44. ^ "Newsarama | GamesRadar+". August 4, 2023.
  45. ^ "GLAAD Media Awards: Winners List". Billboard. April 2, 2017.
  46. ^ "Harvey Awards Reveal 2020 Nominees".
  47. ^ "2020 Eisner Awards Nominations". June 2, 2020. Archived from the original on January 22, 2022. Retrieved September 11, 2020.
  48. ^ "Ringo Awards – The Mike Wieringo Comic Book Industry Awards".
  49. ^ "GLAAD Media Awards Nominees #glaadawards | GLAAD". Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved February 6, 2018.
  50. ^ "Syndicated Comics". January 19, 2018.
  51. ^ "GLAAD Media Awards 2015: All the Nominees!". January 21, 2015.
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Preceded by Detective Comics writer
2015–2016 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Batman writer
2020–2021 		Succeeded by