Chip Zdarsky


Steven Murray, known by the pen-name Chip Zdarsky, is a Canadian comic book artist and writer, journalist, illustrator, and designer. Murray worked for National Post for over a decade, until 2014, as an illustrator and humorist, writing and illustrating the "Extremely Bad Advice" column as well as The Ampersand, the online edition of the newspaper's pop culture section.
He uses the Zdarsky pseudonym for comics-related work, including Prison Funnies, Monster Cops, and as artist and co-creator of Sex Criminals with writer Matt Fraction. He has written comics such as Howard the Duck, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Daredevil, ''Spider-Man: Life Story, and Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow for Marvel Comics, Batman for DC Comics, and Jughead'' for Archie Comics.
He has also used the pseudonym Todd Diamond.

Early life

Steve Murray was born in Edmonton, Alberta and raised in Barrie, Ontario.

Career

Murray has illustrated for such clients as The Globe and Mail, New York magazine, CBC and Canadian Business.
In 2000, Murray created Chip Zdarsky as a pseudonym and alter ego for his persona as a comic book writer and illustrator, developing his own independent projects, such as Prison Funnies and Monster Cops as well as collaborating on a variety of projects, including Dark Horse Comics titles Fierce and Rumble Royale. About his alter ego, Murray said "I wanted to have a sad-sack cartoonist persona that lives in his mom's basement, paints figurines for money, has restraining orders against him. And that became a character." He describes the character as "an idiot who doesn't know what I'm doing. I've had no success in my life. No matter what, I'm going to mess things up." Murray initially attempted to keep the identities separate and secret.
From 2008 to 2014, Murray penned and illustrated a weekly advice column for the National Post called "Extremely Bad Advice". He also wrote another column in that paper, Tear Jerk, in which he reviewed films to see if they could actually make him "weep like a baby".
Along with Kagan McLeod, Ben Shannon, and Cameron Stewart, he is a co-founder of the studio The Royal Academy of Illustration and Design, which produced Rumble Royale.
In 2010, he also launched a mock campaign for mayor of Toronto. He was not an officially registered candidate, launching his satirical "campaign" through social networking platforms after the deadline had passed to register as a candidate in the real campaign.
In June 2013, Image Comics announced that Chip Zdarsky had teamed up with Invincible Iron Man and Hawkeye writer, Matt Fraction, on a new creator-owned series titled Sex Criminals. The first issue was released on September 23, 2013. Sex Criminals was declared number 1 on Time magazine's list of "Top 10 Comics and Graphic Novels" of 2013.
In 2014, Murray won a Will Eisner Award for Best New Series for Sex Criminals.
Zdarsky wrote the first series arc of the relaunched Jughead comic for the 2015 New Riverdale relaunch.
On February 15, 2017, it was announced that beginning that June, Zdarsky would be writing a brand new "back-to-basics" Spider-Man series Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man that would run alongside writer Dan Slott's run on The Amazing Spider-Man. Zdarsky later wrote the two Spider-Man miniseries Spider-Man: Life Story and Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow.
In November 2018, it was announced that Zdarsky would serve as the writer on Daredevil, with Marco Checchetto serving as artist. The series began publication in February 2019 and lasted until November 2021 with issue 36. This lead into the event Devil's Reign, also by Zdarsky and Checchetto. A new Daredevil #1 launched in July 2022, with Zdarsky and Checchetto returning from the previous volume. The series explored the fallout of Devil's Reign and the effect it had on both Matt and Elektra, as both were operating as Daredevil. August 2023 marked the end of his Daredevil.
In 2020, DC Comics announced that Zdarsky would be among the creators of a revived Batman: Black and White anthology series which debuted on December 8, 2020.
In 2021, it was announced that Zdarsky had signed a deal with Substack to develop exclusive comics for the service, such as Public Domain and volume two of Kaptara with Kagan McLeod.
In February 2022, it was announced that Zdarsky would serve as the new writer for the mainline Batman book, starting with issue 125 on July 5, with Jorge Jiménez serving as the artist. He concluded his run on February 5th, 2025 with the release of Batman #157 with Jiménez and Tony S. Daniel providing the art.
In March 2022, it was announced that Public Domain would be heading to print via Image Comics in June 2022.
In July 2024, Zdarsky announced that he would be releasing a monthly physical newsletter in comic shops called Zdarsky Comic News. The newsletter included content such as interviews, news on upcoming comic releases, games, humorous columns, and promos of his upcoming work. In the first month, Zdarsky released 50,000 copies of the newsletter to comic ships distributed through Diamond Comic Distributors.
In February 2025, it was announced that Zdarsky would be writing a new volume of Captain America for Marvel. The opening arc of the series follows Steve shortly after he is freed from the ice and tells the untold first encounter between him and Doctor Doom. Valerio Schiti serves as the main artist for the book. The first issue debuted in July 2025.

Awards and nominations

Awards

  • 2014 Eisner Award – Best New Series
  • 2014 Harvey Award – Most Promising New Talent
  • 2014 Harvey Award – Best New Series
  • 2015 Harvey Award – Special Award For Humor
  • 2016 Harvey Award – Special Award For Humor
  • 2017 Eisner Award – Best Humor Publication
  • 2017 War Rocket Ajax Intercontinental Championship
  • 2019 Eisner Award – Best Single Issue/One-Shot
  • 2019 Shuster Award – Best Writer
  • 2020 Eisner Award – Best Digital Comic
  • 2021 GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comic Book — Empyre, Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling / Empyre: Aftermath Avengers
  • 2023 Eisner Award – Best New Series
  • 2025 Tripwire Award – Best Comic-Related Publication

    Nominations

  • 2014 Eisner Award nominee – Best Series
  • 2017 Eisner Award nominee – Best Publication for Teens
  • 2019 Eisner Award nominee – Best Writer
  • 2020 Eisner Award nominee – Best Writer, Best Continuing Series
  • 2021 Eisner Award nominee – Best Writer
  • 2021 Eisner Award nominee – Best Continuing Series '
  • 2021 Eisner Award nominee – Best Continuing Series '
  • 2023 Eisner Award nominee – Best Continuing Series
  • 2023 Eisner Award nominee – Best Writer
  • 2023 Harvey Award nominee – Book of the Year
  • 2025 Eisner Award nominee – Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

    Archie Comics

  • Jughead #1–8
  • *Volume 1
  • * #7–8, collected in ''Volume 2''

    Comixology Originals

  • Afterlift
  • The All-Nighter
  • * #1-5
  • * #6-10
  • * #11-15

    DC Comics

  • Harley Quinn 25th Anniversary Special: "Bird Psychology"
  • Harley Quinn story in Dark Nights: Death Metal Guidebook collected in Dark Nights: Death Metal: The Darkest Knight
  • Detective Comics #1027: "Many Happy Returns" collected as Batman: Detective Comics #1027 Deluxe Edition
  • Red Hood: Cheer in Batman: Urban Legends #1–6 Collected as:
  • *Batman: Urban Legends Vol 1
  • Batman: Black and White vol. 5 #4: "The Green Deal"
  • Justice League: Last Ride #1–7 Collected as
  • * Justice League: Last Ride
  • Batman: The Knight #1–10 collected as
  • *Compendium Edition #1
  • *Batman: The Knight
  • Batman vol. 3 #125–157 Collected as
  • *Batman Vol 1. Failsafe
  • *Batman Vol 2. The Bat-Man of Gotham
  • *Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War
  • *Batman Vol 3. Joker Year One
  • *Batman Vol. 4: Dark Prisons
  • *Batman Vol. 5: The Dying City
  • Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #1: "The Man of Steal!"
  • The Penguin #0
  • Titans: Beast World Tour: Gotham: "The Good Boy"

    Image Comics

  • Sex Criminals
  • *Volume 1: One Weird Trick
  • * Volume 2: Two Worlds, One Cop
  • * Volume 3: Three the Hard Way
  • * Volume 4: Fourgy!
  • * Volume 5: Five-Fingered Discount
  • * Volume 6: Six Criminals
  • * Big Hard Sex Criminals
  • * Big Hard Sex Criminals Volume 2 Deluxxxe
  • *Big Hard Sex Criminals Volume 3 Deluxxxe
  • *Sex Criminals: The Complete Edition
  • Sex Criminals: Just the Tips
  • Kaptara continued online
  • *Volume 1: Fear Not, Tiny Alien
  • The White Trees #1–2
  • Stillwater #1–18
  • * Volume 1: Rage, Rage
  • *Volume 2: Allways Loyal
  • *Volume 3: Border Crossing
  • The Silver Coin #1 collected in The Silver Coin, Volume 1
  • Crossover #7 collected in Crossover Vol. 2: The Ten Cent Plague
  • Newburn #1–16
  • *Volume 1
  • *Volume 2
  • Public Domain #1–current
  • *Volume 1
  • *Volume 2
  • Kaptara: Universal Truths #1–6
  • *Volume 2: Universal Truths
  • The Domain #1-5 collected in The Domain

    Marvel Comics

  • Original Sins #5: The No-Sin Situation collected in:
  • *Original Sins
  • Howard the Duck:
  • *Howard the Duck vol. 5 collected in:
  • **Howard the Duck by Zdarsky & Quinones Omnibus
  • ***Volume 0: What the Duck?
  • *Howard the Duck vol. 6 collected in:
  • **Howard the Duck by Zdarsky & Quinones Omnibus
  • ***Volume 1: Duck Hunt
  • ***Volume 2: Good Night, and Good Duck
  • All-New, All-Different Avengers Annual #1: "The Once and Future Marvel" collected in:
  • *All-New, All-Different Avengers Vol. 3: Civil War II
  • Civil War II: Choosing Sides #5: "Alpha Flight" collected in:
  • *Civil War II: Choosing Sides
  • Doctor Strange vol. 4 #1.MU collected in:
  • *Monsters Unleashed: Battleground
  • Star-Lord vol. 2 #1–6, Annual #1 collected as:
  • * Star-Lord: Grounded
  • Spider-Man:
  • * Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man vol. 2 Collected in:
  • ** Spider-Man by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus
  • ***Volume 1: Into The Twilight
  • *** Volume 2: Most Wanted
  • ***Volume 3: Amazing Fantasy
  • ***Volume 4: Coming Home
  • *Spider-Man: Life Story collected as
  • **Spider-Man: Life Story
  • **Spider-Man: Life Story
  • **Spider-Man by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus
  • *Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow collected in
  • **Spider-Man: Spider's Shadow
  • **Spider-Man by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus
  • *Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle collected as
  • ** Amazing Spider-Man: Full Circle
  • Not Brand Echh #14: "The Not Next Issue Page" collected in
  • * Not Brand Echh: The Complete Collection
  • Unbeatable Squirrel Girl vol. 2 #26: "A Bird in the Hand" collected in
  • * The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, Volume 7: I've Been Waiting For a Squirrel Like You
  • * The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl ''Vol. 4
  • Marvel 2-in-One vol. 2 collected in Fantastic Four: Fate of the Four
  • *Volume 1: Fate of the Four
  • *Volume 2: Next of Kin
  • Doctor Strange vol. 1 #390 collected in
  • * Doctor Strange by Donny Cates Vol. 2: City Of Sin
  • * Doctor Strange by Donny Cates
  • Merry X-Men Holiday Special: "The Gift That Keeps On Giving"
  • Namor: The Best Defense #1 collected in
  • * Defenders: The Best Defense
  • Invaders vol. 3 collected as Always an Invader
  • *Volume 1: War Ghost
  • *Volume 2: Dead in the Water
  • Daredevil:
  • *Daredevil vol. 6
  • **Collected in Trade Paperbacks as:
  • ***Volume 1: Know Fear
  • ***Volume 2: No Devils, Only God
  • ***Volume 4: End of Hell
  • ***Volume 5: Truth/Dare
  • ***Volume 6: Doing Time
  • ***Volume 7: Lockdown
  • **Collected in Oversized Hardcovers as:
  • ***Volume 1: To Heaven Through Hell
  • ***Volume 2: To Heaven Through Hell Vol. 2
  • ***Volume 3: To Heaven Through Hell Vol. 3
  • ***Volume 4: To Heaven Through Hell Vol. 4
  • ***Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus Vol. 1
  • ***Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus Vol. 2
  • *Devil's Reign collected in
  • **Devil's Reign
  • *Daredevil: Woman Without Fear collected in
  • **Daredevil: Woman Without Fear
  • *Daredevil vol. 7
  • ** Volume 1: The Red Fist Saga Part One
  • ** Volume 2: The Red Fist Saga Part Two
  • ** Volume 3: The Red Fist Saga Part Three
  • ** Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus Vol. 2
  • War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1: "Waugh of the Realms" collected in
  • * War of the Realms Omnibus
  • Marvel Comics #1000: "Armor: Disassemble": collected as
  • * Marvel Comics #1000
  • X-Men/Fantastic Four vol. 2 #1–4 collected as
  • *X-Men/Fantastic Four: 4X
  • Doom 2099 vol. 2 #1 collected in
  • *Amazing Spider-Man 2099 Companion
  • Incoming! #1: "5–8" collected in
  • * Road to Empyre
  • Lords of Empyre: Emperor Hulkling #1 collected in
  • *Empyre: Lords of Empyre
  • Carnage: Black, White & Blood #2: "My Red Hands"
  • Story in Free Comic Book Day 2021: Spider-Man/Venom
  • Howard the Duck vol. 7 #1: "Into the Multiverse"
  • Avengers: Twilight #1–6
  • Free Comic Book Day 2025: Fantastic Four/X-Men: "Popularity Contest"
  • Giant-Size Amazing Spider-Man #1
  • Captain America vol. 12 #1–current'
  • Fantastic Four Fanfare'' #3