The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman criticized creator cameos that do not add value to viewer experience, aiming at M. Night Shyamalan and Todd McFarlan
Summary
- Creator cameos in film/TV are distracting to viewers according to The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman.
- Kirkman calls out M. Night Shyamalan and Stephen King for cameos. Spike Lee and Ed Burns are exceptions.
- Kirkman believe cameos should add to the narrative, not serve personal egos.
Robert Kirkman, the mind behind The Walking Dead and Invincible, has criticized the trend of creator cameos in film and television. Kirkman voiced his dissatisfaction with directors appearing in their own works, directly calling out M. Night Shyamalan for his habitual cameos.
According to Screen Rant, Kirkman addressed what he perceives as a distraction in storytelling in the letters section of Walking Dead #88. He said:
My main gripe with it is that it always takes me out of the thing I'm watching. Peter Jackson is on the boat? Stephen King is the guy at the ATM? Stan Lee is Larry King (well, that one was AWESOME and hilarious).
He singled out Shyamalan, known for his brief on-screen appearances in films like The Sixth Sense, stating these roles pull viewers out of the immersive experience he aims to preserve in his series.
As much as I like something like Bill Murray playing himself in Zombieland, I really hate seeing M. Night Shyamalan playing characters in his movies. It seems self-serving .
Kirkman's criticism isn’t just limited to Shyamalan; he also mentioned Stephen King, another creator known for popping up in film adaptations of his books. Despite acknowledging some successful instances where creator cameos have worked, Kirkman emphasized that the effectiveness of such appearances often hinges on genuine acting chops—a subtle jab suggesting that not all creators possess the necessary skill to justify their screen time.
While he conceded that there are exceptions to his distaste—pointing to individuals like Spike Lee and Ed Burns, who are skilled actors in their own right—the overall sentiment was clear: inserting oneself into a film or show should be more than an exercise in vanity.
"If you're a good actor, like Spike Lee in Do the Right Thing, or Ed Burns in most anything (I like Ed Burns) that makes sense...but just popping yourself in something for no real reason other than you like to be seen on screen *cough* McFarlaneintheSpawnmovie *cough* is something that's always annoyed me.
For Kirkman, a cameo should add value to the narrative or bring something substantial to the table, which he felt was rarely the case. He took a swipe at Todd McFarlane's appearance in the Spawn movie adaptation as an instance of cameo that serves more to satisfy personal ego than to enhance the story.
Kirkman Dreams of True-to-Comic Animated Version of The Walking Dead
Kirkman revealed that he wanted to see The Walking Dead in an animated version that stays true to the original comic in The Walking Dead Deluxe #85. The comic series ran for 193 issues that eventually led to the sprawling franchise on AMC. In the Letter Hacks column (via ComicBook), Kirkman wrote:
I'd love to see it happen someday, but I don't think it'll be possible until I get the rights back from AMC.
Amanda LaFranco, editor for Skybound's The Walking Dead, echoed this sentiment, acknowledging ongoing interest and sporadic developments over the years aimed at bringing the animated concept to fruition.
"There's definitely been developments over the years for something like this, and there's a lot of fans over here that would still very much love to make that happen."
