Anyone who reads comics invariably becomes interested in the stories behind them. Whether it be how a comicbook company started, the development of a favorite character or the difficulties of a particular artist or writer when breaking into the industry, the stories behind the books can be as exciting as the comics themselves. And, last fall, Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics began sharing some of those stories with the world. 

Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead, is executive producer on this six-part documentary series on AMC. Each episode focuses on a different aspect of the comicbook industry. The first three episodes cover some of the mainstays of the industry that many fans have heard about – the start of Marvel Comics, the creation of Wonder Woman and the troubles faced by the creators of Superman. The fourth episode delves into how the industry reacted to 9/11 and the fifth looks at race, focusing on Milestone Comics. The final episode of the season gets into creator-owned comics and the rise of Image.

The series is filled with a who’s who of the comicbook and pop culture world. There are interviews with industry icons, writers and artists, as well as actors, musicians and even major cable news reporters. It was surprising at times to see who is part of the comicbook geek gang! And even if you think you know a lot about comics, there is so much to learn in this series. You can watch episodes on the AMC website. Though it’s only six episodes, they are (so far) listed as “season one”, so hopefully we can look forward to more deep diving into the industry in the near future.