'The Walking Dead' creator Robert Kirkman calls out Marvel over unfair agreements

Comic book writer Robert Kirkman known for 'The Walking Dead' has expressed his lack of trust in Marvel after a negative experience during his work-for-hire tenure with the publisher. 

In a recent podcast interview with Todd MacFarlane, Kirkman revealed that his Sleepwalker-based mini-series, which he had worked on extensively, was abruptly shelved by Marvel. 

He recounted how a Marvel executive informed him that the project was canceled, he was fired, and he wouldn't be compensated for the work done on subsequent issues. 

Marvel executive called him and said "Hey, so we shut the whole thing down, you're fired, I know you did a lot of work on issues 2 and 3, but we're not gonna pay you for that, because we're never putting it out."

Kirkman discovered a contract clause that allowed Marvel to dismiss artists without cause, leading him to view the publisher as unreliable and unstable. This incident has influenced his overall trust in Marvel, despite having worked on other projects for them. 

Kirkman's experience adds to a recurring issue regarding Marvel's payment practices, with creators often expressing dissatisfaction, such as the case of Yelena Belova creators Devin Grayson and JG Jones, who received a significantly lower payment than expected after the character's appearance in Black Widow.