Cullen Bunn is an American comics writer, novelist, and short story writer, best known for his work on comic books such as a number of series published by Marvel Comics, and his creator-owned series The Damned and The Sixth Gun for Oni Press and Harrow County for Dark Horse Comics, as well as his middle grade horror novel Crooked Hills, and his short story collection Creeping Stones & Other Stories.
Early life Cullen Bunn grew up in rural North Carolina. He lived there until he was 19, when his parents moved to Thayer, Missouri to run a cattle farm. After a couple years, his parents moved back to North Carolina, but Bunn remained in Missouri. He attended Missouri State University.
Career Bunn's noir/horror comic, and first collaboration with Brian Hurtt, The Damned, was published in 2007 by Oni Press. The sequel, The Damned: Prodigal Sons, was released in 2008. In 2010 Oni Press premiered Bunn's series, The Sixth Gun, which ran from May 2010 to June 2016.
In 2011, Oni Press published Bunn's original hardcover graphic novel, The Tooth. That same year, Earwig Press/Evileye Books published Bunn's middle-reader horror prose series Crooked Hills. He also was one of the writers in Marvel Comics' crossover storyline that year, "Fear Itself". He wrote the tie-in book Fear Itself: The Black Widow, which received mostly positive reviews,"Fear Itself: Black Widow" . Comic Book Roundup. Retrieved October 2, 2014.Thompson, Kelly (July 2, 2011). "Review of Fear Itself: The Black Widow #1". Comic Book Resources.Tate, Ray (July 1, 2011). "Fear Itself: Black Widow #1" . Comics Bulletin.Schedeen, Jesse (June 29, 2011). "Fear Itself: Black Widow #1 Review". IGN. and later wrote two issues of The Fearless, a spinoff published after the conclusion of "Fear Itself" that also received positive reviews."Fear Itself: The Fearless" . Comic Book Roundup. Retrieved October 2, 2014. In November of that year, Lion Forge Comics published Bunn's digital comic, Night Trap.Armitage, Hugh (November 1, 2013). "Cullen Bunn tackles 'Night Trap' for Lion Forge Comics". Digital Spy.
In 2013 Bunn wrote Deadpool Kills Deadpool for Marvel, which received positive reviews."Deadpool Kills Deadpool" . Comic Book Roundup. Retrieved October 2, 2014.Eddieman, Robert (November 4, 2013). "Review – Deadpool Kills Deadpool" , PanelsOnPages.com; accessed April 30, 2017.
In December 2013, Marvel announced the then-new ongoing Magneto, a series following the solo adventures of Magneto and penned by Bunn, with art by Gabriel Hernández Walta. The series debuted in March 2014 and ran for 21 issues, ending in August 2015.
Bunn's Harrow County, an ongoing creator-owned horror series with art by Tyler Crook, published by Dark Horse Comics, was announced in San Diego Comic-Con 2014. The first issue debuted in May 2015 and sold out a distributor level, with a second printing commissioned by Dark Horse.
In September 2014, Bunn's six-issue limited series Wolf Moon, with art by Jeremy Haun and covers by Jae Lee, was announced as the newest miniseries from Vertigo. The series, which sought to re-imagine the werewolf mythos, was released in December 2014.
After Brian Wood, Bunn was announced as the new writer of Moon Knight for Marvel, teaming up with artist Ron Ackins for a five-issue run beginning with issue #13 in March 2015.
A new creator-owned limited series from Bunn and Terrible Lizard artist Drew Moss, titled Blood Feud, was announced by Oni Press in March 2015, with the first issue debuting in October of that same year and the last issue being released in February 2016 .
For DC Comics' company-wide storyline "Divergence", which followed "Convergence", Bunn was announced as the writer of Aquaman, with art by Trevor McCarthy, and Green Lantern: The Lost Army, with art by Jesús Saiz, launching in June, as well as continuing his work on Lobo and Sinestro. In September 2015, DC announced the cancellation of both Lobo, ending the series with issue 13, and Green Lantern: The Lost Army, after six issues. Bunn left Aquaman after eight issues, citing negative fan reaction as the deciding factor. He was replaced by writer Dan Abnett, who took over the series with issue 49 in February 2016. Bunn announced on his Tumblr account that Sinestro would end after issue 23, and that he would not be writing for DC after the company's Rebirth event for the foreseeable future.
In New York Comic-Con 2015, IDW Publishing announced Bunn along with artist David Baldeon as the creative team behind Micronauts, a new ongoing series launching in April 2016 that would follow the team from the classic Marvel series from the '80s.
Marvel Comics announced Bunn as the writer of the new Uncanny X-Men series relaunching as part of their All-New All-Different publishing initiative, with art by Greg Land. Along with wrestler CM Punk, Bunn is also the co-writer of Drax, with art by Scott Hepburn, also for Marvel.
Harrow County, written by Bunn with art by Tyler Crook, was optioned by SyFy in December 2015 for development as a television series, with Becky Kirsch attached to write the adaptation.
Dark Horse Comics announced Death Follows, a print collection of Bunn's and A. C. Zamudio's Monkey Brain limited series The Remains. The collection, featuring the original short story written by Bunn that inspired the series, was published in May 2016.
Bunn's and Vannesa R. Del Rey's limited series The Empty Man was optioned by 20th Century Fox in February 2016. David Prior was attached to write and direct the film adaptation of the Boom! Studios comic. It was released in 2020.
During the ComicsPRO 2016 annual meeting, Dark Horse Comics announced a new Conan comic book series titled Conan the Slayer, written by Bunn and illustrated by Sergio Dávila, launching in July 2016.
Civil War 2: X-Men, a four-issue limited series written by Bunn that ties into the Marvel event Civil War 2, was announced during the In-Store Convention Kick-Off 2016. Featuring art by Andrea Broccardo, the series would pit the teams behind Uncanny X-Men and Extraordinary X-Men against each other after a mutant takes action against the Inhumans.
In 2017 and 2018, Cullen published several books with Aftershock comics, including Unholy Grail with art by Mirko Colak. Dark Ark, with art by Juan Doe Brothers Dracul, teaming up again with Mirko Colak, and Witch Hammer with art by Dalibor Talajic.
Personal life While in college Bunn had lived in the Springfield, Missouri area. As of July 2015, he was living in Valley Park, Missouri. By December 2018 he was described in an interview with 417 Magazine as having returned to live in Springfield. He and his wife Cindy have a son.
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominated work Result2011Ghastly AwardsBest WriterThe Sixth GunBroken Frontier AwardsBest Writer – IndependentThe Sixth Gun2012Bram Stoker AwardBest Graphic NovelThe Sixth Gun Volume 3Eisner AwardBest WriterThe Sixth Gun2014GLADD AwardOutstanding Comic BookFearless Defenders2016Ghastly AwardBest WriterHarrow County, The Sixth Gun, Blood Feud, Death Follows Best Ongoing TitleHarrow CountyBram Stoker AwardBest Graphic NovelBlood FeudEisner AwardBest New SeriesHarrow County
Bibliography Oni Press The Damned The Damned (5-issue miniseries, with Brian Hurtt, October 2006–February 2007) Three Days Dead (collects #1–5, TPB, 160 pages, 2007, ) Three Days Dead (color edition, collects #1–5, TPB, 152 pages, 2017 ) The Damned: Prodigal Sons (3-issue miniseries, with Brian Hurtt, April 2008–August 2008) The Damned (ongoing series, with Brian Hurtt, May 2017–present) Ill-Gotten (collects #1–5, TPB, 136 pages, 2018 ) Prodigal Sons (collects #6–9, TPB, 136 pages, 2019 ) The Sixth Gun The Sixth Gun #1–50 (May 2010–June 2016) Cold Dead Fingers (TPB, 160 pages, 2011, ) collects: "Cold Dead Fingers" (with Brian Hurtt, in #1–6, 2010) Crossroads (TPB, 160 pages, 2011, ) collects: "Crossroads" (with Brian Hurtt, in #7–11, 2010–2011) Bound (TPB, 120 pages, 2012, ) collects: "Bound" (with Brian Hurt and Tyler Crook, in #12–17, 2011) A Town Called Penance (TPB, 120 pages, 2012, ) collects: "A Town Called Penance" (with Brian Hurt and Tyler Crook, in #18–23, 2012) Winter Wolves (TPB, 160 pages, 2013, ) collects: "Winter Wolves" (with Brian Hurtt, in #24–29, 2012–2013) Ghost Dance (TPB, 140 pages, 2014, ) collects: "Ghost Dance" (with Brian Hurtt, in #30–35, 2013) Not the Bullet, But the Fall (TPB, 160 pages, 2014, ) collects: "Not the Bullet, But the Fall" (with Brian Hurtt, in #37–40, 2013–2014) "The Grey Witch" (with Tyler Crook, in #41, 2014) Hell and High Water (TPB, 160 pages, 2015, ) collects: "Hell and High Water" (with Brian Hurtt, in #42–47, 2014–2015) Boot Hill (TPB, 128 pages, 2016, ) collects: "Boot Hill" (with Brian Hurtt, in #48-50, 2016) The Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun (TPB, 136 pages, 2013, ) The Sixth Gun: Sons of the Gun (5-issue miniseries with Brian Hurtt and Brian Churilla, February–July 2013) The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead (TPB, 136 pages, 2015, ) The Sixth Gun: Days of the Dead (5-issue miniseries with Brian Hurtt and Mike Norton, August 2014–February 2015) The Sixth Gun: Dust to Death (TPB, 184 pages, 2015, ) The Sixth Gun: Dust to Dust (3-issue miniseries with Tyler Crook, March–May 2015) The Tooth (graphic novel, with Shawn Lee and Matt Kindt, hc, 200 pages, June, 2011, ) Helheim (March 2013–June 2015) Volume 1: The Witch War (with Joëlle Jones, TPB, 136 pages, 2014, ) Volume 2: Brides of Helheim (with Joëlle Jones, TPB, 152 pages, 2015, ) Terrible Lizard (5-issue miniseries with Drew Moss, November 2014–March 2015, collected in Terrible Lizard, TPB, 136 pages, 2015, ) Hellbreak #1–11 (with Brian Churilla, March 2015–March 2016) Volume 1 #1–6 (TPB, 168 pages, 2015, ) Blood Feud (5-issue miniseries with Drew Moss, October 2015–February 2016, collected in Blood Feud, TPB, 144 pages, 2016, ) Shadow Roads (ongoing series, with Brian Hurtt and A.C. Zamudio, May 2018 – September 2020) Volume One (collects #1–5, TPB, 128 pages, 2019, ) Volume Two (collects #6–10, TPB, 136 pages, 2020, )
Marvel Comics Immortal Weapons #2, "The Spider's Song" (with Dan Brereton, September, 2009) collected in Immortal Weapons (TPB, 184 pages, 2010, ) Deadpool Deadpool vol. 2 #1000, "Mouth of the Border" (with Matteo Scalera, August, 2010) Deadpool Team-Up #888 (with Tom Fowler, October, 2010) collected in Volume 3: BFFs (TPB, 168 pages, 2011, ) Deadpool Family (one-shot), "Show and Raise Hell" (with Dominik Stanton, April, 2011) collected in Deadpool: All in the Family (TPB, 120 pages, 2011, ) Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe (4-issue limited series with Dalibor Talajic, August 2012, collected in Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, TPB, 96 pages, 2012, ) Deadpool: Killustrated (limited series) (January 2013–April 2013): Deadpool: Killustrated (TPB, 96 pages, 2013, ) collects: "Untitled" (with Matteo Lolli, in #1, 2013) "Strong Temptations-Strategic Movements-the Innocents Beguiled" (with Matteo Lolli, in #2, 2013) "Stave 3: The Second of the Three Spirits" (with Matteo Lolli, in #3, 2013) "Chapter IV: What John Watson Had to Tell" (with Matteo Lolli, in #4, 2013) Deadpool Kills Deadpool (4-issue limited series with Salvador Espin, July–October 2013, collected in Deadpool Kills Deadpool, TPB, 96 pages, 2013, ) Night of the Living Deadpool (4-issue limited series with Ramon Rosanas, January–March 2014, collected in Night of the Living Deadpool, TPB, 96 pages, 2014, ) Deadpool vs. Carnage (limited series, April 2014–June 2014) Deadpool vs. Carnage (TPB, 120 pages, 2014, ) collects: "Deadpool vs. Carnage" (with Salvador Espin, in #1–4, 2014) "Superior Carnage Annual #1" (with Kim Jacinto and Mike Henderson, 2014) Return of the Living Deadpool (4-issue limited series, with Nik Virella, February–May 2015, collected in Return of the Living Deadpool, TPB, 112 pages, 2015, )