Includes a conversation with comic book and television creator Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead comics series, and the AMC series phenom that bears its name, joins us for the latest edition of the Film Independent at LACMA An Evening With… series, in which creators and actors discuss their influences and careers to date; and has so included writer / actress / producer Mindy Kaling (The Mindy Project), TV series showrunner Greg Berlanti (The Flash, Arrow), comedian and actress Sarah Silverman, and the flamboyant screenwriter and director James Toback. It’s an apt time for Kirkman to look back on his works so far, now that he’s making the move from basic cable to premium cable with his newest effort, Outcast, an adaptation of the 2014 series he invented for Image Comics with artist Paul Azaceta.

As he did with Dead, Kirkman demystifies genre by making plot a real life concern—that is to say, by following people who are by no means heroic and simply out to survive, rather proudly save the world. The notion, which comes from Richard Matheson’s novella I Am Legend, is still a radical idea in comics. But Kirkman has employed it from the beginning of his career, which started with the intense self-published superhero parody Battle Pope and extended to his Invincible, which was a meta-look at the lineage of the superhuman, taking as its center the scion of a beloved hero beginning his own career and the scrutiny under which he operates. This all led to Walking Dead, the zombie opus which details the unraveling of society and the struggles of regular folks to keep their wits about them—and their brains in their heads. Kirkman will chat about the comics and series for which he’s best known, as well as other stories that examine the perquisites of heroism.

Ticketing Information

$15 for Film Independent, LACMA Film Club and the New York Times Film Club members. Members of these three groups can purchase tickets starting at 12 pm on Thursday, April 14. Limit two tickets per membership. Proof of member status is required to reserve tickets during advance reservation period.

$20 for LACMA members, students with valid ID and seniors (65+); $25 for the general public. Members of these four groups can purchase tickets starting at 12 pm on Thursday, April 21. Two ticket limit.

PLEASE NOTE: Pre-reserved tickets for this event can be picked up at LACMA’s Ticket Office, located in the Hammer Building, on the day of the event—as early as 11 am. Tickets are for general, unreserved Bing Theater seating. Ticketed guests must be in their Bing Theater seat 15 minutes prior to the advertised start time or seat(s) may be released. Reservations do not guarantee entry, even with a ticket in hand. Entry is first come, first served, so please arrive early. Program and guest participation subject to change or cancellation without prior notice. Tickets are nontransferable and can only be picked up by the individual who purchased or reserved them.