Kieron Gillen, a British author of comic-books, previously worked as a journalist covering video games and music.
Perhaps most notably, Kieron Gillen co-founded Rock Paper Shotgun and penned the "New Game Journalism manifesto" during his time as a video game journalist.
The Image Comics series Phonogram, which he created in 2006 with frequent collaborator Jamie McKelvie on art duties, marked Gillen's debut in comic books. Gillen began writing for Marvel Comics in 2009, contributing to titles such as Thor (volume 3), Uncanny X-Men (volumes 1 and 2), and Iron Man (volume 5). His run on Journey into Mystery, which centered on Kid Loki's escapades, and the subsequent Young Avengers (volume 2), illustrated by McKelvie, are considered his most acclaimed works for Marvel. Currently, Gillen and McKelvie are collaborating on The Wicked + The Divine, another creator-owned comic published by Image.
Gillen has stated that seeing Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back in the cinema for the first time had a similar impact on him as the works of Tolkien. As a journalist, he wrote a very positive review of Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, stating that it had renewed his love for the franchise after playing mediocre Star Wars games that received positive reviews simply because they were Star Wars, or fans who were "cursing George Lucas' name only to—a handful of months later—go out and buy the DVD anyway 'for the extras.'" He later stated, "Star Wars is great because it is Great, not because it's Star Wars. A Star Wars that isn't Great isn't Star Wars in any meaningful way."
Gillen announced on January 9, 2019 that he would be leaving the Star Wars universe after the sixty-seventh issue of the Star Wars comic-book series was released in May 2019, in order to pursue other projects, as he felt he had already told all the Star Wars stories he wanted to tell.
- SDCC 2014: Inside Marvel's New Star Wars Comics – Exclusive on StarWars.com (backup link)
- " Launch Pad " — Star Wars Insider 152
- " Blaster " · — Star Wars Insider 155
- " Marvel Comics 2015: A Marvel Galaxy " — Star Wars Insider 158
- " Blaster " · — Star Wars Insider 158
- Marvel's Star Wars and Darth Vader Annual Covers – Exclusive Reveal on StarWars.com (backup link)
- " Breathing New Life Into a Dark Lord " — Star Wars Insider Special Edition 2016
- " Launch Pad " — Star Wars Insider 167
- " Blaster " · — Star Wars Insider 167
- The Circle Is Now Complete: Kieron Gillen Looks Back at Marvel's Darth Vader Series, Part 1 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- The Circle Is Now Complete: Kieron Gillen Looks Back at Marvel's Darth Vader Series, Part 2 on StarWars.com (backup link)
- " Sith Star " — Star Wars Insider 169
- Marvel's Star Wars Gets a New Creative Team on StarWars.com (backup link)
- Doctor Aphra Creator Kieron Gillen, Co-writer Si Spurrier Discuss What's Next for the Fan Favorite Rogue on StarWars.com (backup link)
- 8 Star Wars Characters to Celebrate Pride Month on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "It's a Big Galaxy": Kieron Gillen and Alyssa Wong Discuss Doctor Aphra and More for Pride Month on StarWars.com (backup link)
- This Week! in Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi Props, LEGO Star Wars Summer Vacation, and More! on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link)
- As His 100th Star Wars Comic Hits Shelves, Charles Soule Looks Back on StarWars.com (backup link)
- " Launchpad " — Star Wars Insider 224
- Marvel Comics Celebrates Their History of Star Wars Comic Book Storytelling in 'Star Wars: A New Legacy' #1 on Marvel Comics' official website (backup link)
- " Launchpad " — Star Wars Insider 229
- Kieron Gillen ( @kierongillen ) on Twitter (backup link (kierongillen) not verified!)
- Kieron Gillen on Wikipedia