Skybound Entertainment
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Entertainment |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founder | Robert Kirkman, David Alpert |
| Headquarters | Beverly Hills, California , United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Robert Kirkman (Chairman), David Alpert (CEO), Catherine Winder (CEO of Skybound North), Jon Goldman (Managing Partner) |
| Products | Comic books, video games, literature, television productions, feature films, digital content, virtual reality experiences |
Skybound Entertainment is a U.S.-based entertainment company established in 2010 by Robert Kirkman and David Alpert. Situated in Beverly Hills, California, it maintains a close partnership with Image Comics. The firm’s operations encompass multiple entertainment sectors including comic books, video games, literature, television productions, and feature films, serving a diverse audience.
The leadership team features Robert Kirkman as chairman, David Alpert as CEO, Catherine Winder as CEO of Skybound North, and Jon Goldman as Managing Partner. Skybound’s organizational framework comprises several branches such as Skybound Animation, Skybound Books (in collaboration with Atria Publishing Group), Skybound Galactic, Skybound Games, Skybound Insiders, Skybound Japan, Skybound North, and Skybound Stories (partnered with Sky Group).
Among its subsidiaries are 5th Planet Games, GammaRay, Sagafilm EHF (a joint venture involving 5th Planet Games and BetaFilm Nordics, with acquisition pending), and Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation. This varied portfolio bolsters its worldwide presence and enhances its position within the entertainment market.
History
Founded in 2010 by Robert Kirkman alongside Tony Moore, Skybound Entertainment gained recognition primarily through the enduring comic series The Walking Dead. Over time, the company broadened its scope to include comics, gaming, television shows, films, digital content, and virtual reality experiences. In 2017, it inaugurated an internal digital studio aimed at expanding its online media offerings.
Subsidiaries
In 2016, Skybound extended its international footprint by launching Skybound North in Vancouver under the leadership of Catherine Winder, formerly of Lucasfilm Animation.
April 2018 saw the creation of Skybound Games to publish independent video game titles and license games derived from its intellectual properties. Later that year, the company introduced Skybound Stories through a joint partnership with Sky Group to produce mobile narrative-driven games.
A strategic stake acquired in 2021 positioned Skybound as the largest investor in Danish developer 5th Planet Games, strengthening its foothold in the European gaming sector. By 2023, it had secured majority ownership, further solidifying its competitive edge in this arena.
Comics
Skybound’s comic catalog features Eisner Award-winning works like The Walking Dead alongside other creator-owned series such as Invincible, Outcast, Super Dinosaur, Oblivion Song, and Fire Power.
The company also nurtures emerging talent with titles including Josh Williamson’s fantasy saga Birthright and Chris Dingess’s historical narrative Manifest Destiny. In 2017, Skybound diversified its genres by introducing Daniel Warren Johnson’s Extremity and Donny Cates’s vampire horror Redneck. That same year marked the release of the miniseries Kill the Minotaur.
April 2021 commemorated ten years of growth with the launch of Skybound X, a five-issue miniseries presenting multiple storylines such as Rick Grimes: 2000 by Kirkman and Ryan Ottley.
In February 2023, Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici revealed Void Rivals, marking the start of a new interconnected comic universe. By June 2023, this initiative evolved into the Energon Universe, which includes licensed comics from major franchises like Transformers and G.I. Joe. Notable releases encompass Kirkman and De Felici’s Void Rivals, Daniel Warren Johnson’s October 2023 debut of Transformers, Joshua Williamson and Tom Reilly’s December 2023 launch of Duke, and Williamson teamed with Andrea Milana for January 2024’s release of Cobra Commander.
Skybound Comet
In 2021, Skybound introduced Skybound Comet, a fresh line of graphic novels aimed at Young Adult and Middle Grade audiences. The debut releases featured titles such as Clementine: Book One by Tillie Walden (July 2022), Everyday Hero Machine Boy by Tri Vuong and Irma Kniivila (September 2022), and Sea Serpent's Heir Book One by Mairghread Scott and Pablo Tunica (October 2022).
Television and film
Building on the popularity of AMC’s The Walking Dead, Skybound broadened its television slate with the announcement of Outcast in 2013, which Cinemax later picked up in 2015. Starring Patrick Fugit, the show follows a man confronting a demonic force in Virginia. It debuted in June 2016 and was subsequently renewed for a second season.
Collaborating with Viki, Skybound developed the Korean pre-apocalyptic drama Five Year, based on an original concept by Kirkman, targeting audiences in Korea and Latin America through a partnership with 360 Powwow.
The company also produced the six-episode documentary series Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics, which premiered on AMC in November 2017.
Regarding film ventures, Universal Pictures adapted Kirkman’s comic Invincible, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg attached as writers, directors, and producers, while Kirkman served as executive producer. The adult animated series premiered on Amazon Prime Video in March 2021, featuring voices like Steven Yeun and J.K. Simmons. Executive producers included Kirkman among others, and the show has garnered critical praise along with multiple season renewals extending through 2025.
Skybound’s cinematic projects further include the feature film AIR (2015), starring Norman Reedus and Djimon Hounsou. Additionally, an animated adaptation of Kirkman’s comic Super Dinosaur launched in 2018 via Spin Master Entertainment and Atomic Cartoons.
In 2019, Universal Pictures revealed plans for Renfield, a horror-comedy inspired by Kirkman’s pitch, directed by Chris McKay and produced in collaboration with Skybound. The film was released on April 14, 2023.
In November 2023, Skybound acquired the renowned animation showcase Spike and Mike's Festival of Animation, intending to revitalize it and expand its reach into new markets.
Digital
Skybound debuted Gone in 2015 as the first narrative virtual reality series on Samsung's Milk VR platform. Directed by J.T. Petty, this immersive 360-degree experience places viewers inside a family's quest to find a missing girl, utilizing interactive "hotspots" to uncover clues.
By 2016, Skybound was developing a horror VR series titled Lies Within through collaboration with interactive theater company Delusion.
In 2017, the company established an internal studio dedicated to expanding original digital content. Among its productions were a Live.me series focused on diversity hosted by Yvette Nicole Brown, as well as the weekly program Skybound’s Happy Hour, featuring guests such as Ross Marquand and Michael Traynor crafting cocktails inspired by The Walking Dead.
Skybound Games
In April 2018, Skybound unveiled Skybound Games, a publishing branch concentrating on indie game markets alongside its mobile-focused division Howyaknow, LLC. Early partnerships included console editions of titles like Slime Rancher and The Long Dark.
Following Telltale Games’ shutdown in October 2018, Skybound Games assumed responsibility for completing the last two episodes of The Walking Dead: The Final Season, subsequently releasing physical versions for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
In February 2019, the company announced plans to publish remastered console versions of six classic Dungeons & Dragons games from Beamdog: Baldur's Gate, Baldur's Gate II, Baldur's Gate: Siege of Dragonspear, Icewind Dale, Planescape: Torment, and Neverwinter Nights.
In 2020, Skybound Entertainment secured investment from gaming firm Com2uS Studios, forming a strategic alliance to create a new mobile game based on The Walking Dead.
Licensing and Product Lines
Skybound introduced its social card game, Superfight, through a Kickstarter campaign in 2013. This title engages players in amusing debates over hypothetical battles between invented superheroes. The following year, Darin Ross joined forces with Skybound to publish Superfight, which has since expanded to include 19 additional expansion sets.
In 2017, Skybound collaborated with Druid City Games to bring The Grimm Forest to market, successfully securing more than $400,000 via Kickstarter funding.
Published Works
- The Astounding Wolf-Man
- Battle Pope
- Battle Beast
- Before Your Eyes
- Birthright
- Brit
- Clone
- Cobra Commander
- Dark Ride
- Dead Body Road
- Destro
- Demonic (originating from Pilot Season)
- Die!Die!Die!
- Duke
- Extremity
- Fire Power
- Ghosted
- G.I. Joe
- G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero
- Gone
- Guarding the Globe
- Green Valley
- Hardcore (from Pilot Season)
- Heroes and Villains: The History of Comics
- Horizon
- Homestead Arcana
- The Infinite
- Invincible
- Invincible Universe
- Kill the Minotaur
- Kim-Joy's Magic Bakery
- Kroma
- Lies Within
- Manifest Destiny
- Murder Falcon
- Oblivion Song
- Outcast
- Oxenfree
- The Outer Darkness'
- Redneck
- Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan
- Scarlett
- Science Dog
- Skybound X
- Skyward
- Stellar (from Pilot Season)
- Stillwater
- Tech Jacket
- Thief of Thieves
- Transformers
- Ultramega
- Void Rivals
- The Walking Dead
- Witch Doctor
- Downward
Motion Pictures
| Release Year | Title | Information | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Director(s) | Production Company(ies) | Distributor(s) | Budget | Box Office | ||
| 2015 | Air | Christian Cantamessa | Automatik Entertainment | Stage 6 Films Vertical Entertainment |
Template:N/A | Template:N/A |
| 2023 | Renfield | Chris McKay | Giant Wildcat | Universal Pictures | $65 million | $26.7 million |
| 2025 | The Electric State | Anthony Russo Joe Russo |
AGBO | Netflix | $320 million | Template:N/A |
Television Productions
2022| Years Active | Series Title | Details | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Creator(s) | Production Company(ies) | Network(s) | Seasons | Episodes | ||
| 2010–2022 | The Walking Dead | Adapted from the comic book by Robert Kirkman et al. Developed by: Frank Darabont |
Idiot Box Productions Circle of Confusion Valhalla Entertainment AMC Studios |
AMC | 11 | 177 |
| 2015–2023 | Fear the Walking Dead | Based on Robert Kirkman's work Developed by: Robert Kirkman and Dave Erickson |
Square Head Pictures Circle of Confusion Valhalla Entertainment AMC Studios |
8 | 113 | |
| 2016 | Scare PewDiePie | PewDiePie | Maker Studios | YouTube Red | 1 | 10 |
| 2016–2019 | Outcast | Adapted from Robert Kirkman and Paul Azaceta's comic Developed by: Robert Kirkman |
Circle of Confusion Fox International Channels |
Cinemax | 2 | 20 |
| 2018–2019 | Super Dinosaur | Based on the comic by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard | Spin Master Entertainment Atomic Cartoons Corus Entertainment |
Teletoon (Canada) | 1 | 26 |
| 2020–2021 | The Walking Dead: World Beyond | 'Adapted from Robert Kirkman's universe Developed by: Scott M. Gimple, Matthew Negrete |
Idiot Box Productions Circle of Confusion Valhalla Entertainment AMC Studios |
AMC | 2 | 20 |
| 2021–present | Invincible | 'Based on the comic by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, Ryan Ottley Developed by Robert Kirkman, Simon Racioppa |
Skybound North Wind Sun Sky Entertainment Point Grey Pictures Skybound Animation Amazon MGM Studios |
Amazon Prime Video | 3 | 25 |
| ‘‘Tales of the Walking Dead’’
'Adapted from Robert Kirkman's universe | ||||||
See also
External links
| Year | Show | Creator(s) | Production Company(ies) | Network(s) | Seasons | Episodes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ‘‘The Walking Dead: Dead City’’
'Adapted from Robert Kirkman's work | ||||||
| ‘‘Psi Cops’’
Bart Batchelor, Chris Nielsen
Corus Entertainment | ||||||
| ‘‘The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon’’
'Based on Robert Kirkman's work | ||||||
| ‘‘The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live’’
'Based on Robert Kirkman's universe | ||||||
| ‘‘Classified’’
Kagiso Lediga
Diprente Films | ||||||
| ‘‘Stillwater’’
—
Berlanti Productions |
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