Steven Murray (born December 21, 1975[1]), known by the pen-nameChip Zdarsky (/zəˈdɑːrski/[2]), is a Canadiancomic book artist andwriter, journalist, illustrator, and designer. Murray worked forNational Post for over a decade, until 2014, as an illustrator and humorist, writing and illustrating the "Extremely Bad Advice" column as well asThe Ampersand, the online edition of the newspaper'spop culture section.
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 asPrison Funnies[4] andMonster Cops (which can be read online or in print) as well as collaborating on a variety of projects, includingDark Horse Comics titlesFierce andRumble 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.[1]
From 2008 to 2014, Murray penned and illustrated a weekly advice column for theNational Post called "Extremely Bad Advice".[5] 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, andCameron Stewart, he is a co-founder of thestudio The Royal Academy of Illustration and Design, which producedRumble Royale.
In 2010, he also launched a mock campaign formayor of Toronto. He was not an officially registered candidate, launching his satirical "campaign" throughsocial networking platforms after the deadline had passed to register as a candidate in the real campaign.[6]
Chip Zdarsky (with Flash-costume) and Matt Fraction
In June 2013, Image Comics announced that Chip Zdarsky had teamed up withInvincible Iron Man andHawkeye writer, Matt Fraction, on a new creator-owned series titledSex Criminals. The first issue was released on September 23, 2013.Sex Criminals was declared number 1 onTime magazine's list of "Top 10 Comics and Graphic Novels" of 2013.[7]
Zdarsky wrote the first series arc of the relaunchedJughead comic for the 2015New 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 seriesPeter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man that would run alongside writerDan Slott's run onThe Amazing Spider-Man.[9] Zdarsky later wrote the two Spider-Man miniseriesSpider-Man: Life Story andSpider-Man: Spider's Shadow.
In November 2018, it was announced that Zdarsky would serve as the writer onDaredevil, with Marco Checchetto serving as artist. The series began publication in February 2019 and lasted until November 2021 with issue 36.[10] This lead into the eventDevil's Reign, also by Zdarsky and Checchetto.[11] A newDaredevil #1 launched in July 2022, with Zdarsky and Checchetto returning from the previous volume. The series explored the fallout ofDevil's Reign and the effect it had on both Matt and Elektra, as both were operating as Daredevil.[12] August 2023 marked the end of hisDaredevil.[13]
In 2020,DC Comics announced that Zdarsky would be among the creators of a revivedBatman: Black and White anthology series which debuted on December 8, 2020.[14]
In 2021, it was announced that Zdarsky had signed a deal withSubstack to develop exclusive comics for the service, such asPublic Domain and volume two ofKaptara with Kagan McLeod.[15]
In February 2022, it was announced that Zdarsky would serve as the new writer for the mainlineBatman book, starting with issue 125 on July 5, with Jorge Jiménez serving as the artist.[16] He concluded his run on February 5th, 2025 with the release ofBatman #157 with Jiménez andTony S. Daniel providing the art.
In March 2022, it was announced thatPublic Domain would be heading to print via Image Comics in June 2022.[17]
In July 2024, Zdarsky announced that he would be releasing a monthly physical newsletter in comic shops calledZdarsky 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 throughDiamond Comic Distributors.[18]
In February 2025, it was announced that Zdarsky would be writing a new volume ofCaptain 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 andDoctor Doom. Valerio Schiti serves as the main artist for the book. The first issue debuted in July 2025.[19]
2014 Eisner Award nominee – Best Series (Sex Criminals, with author Matt Fraction)
2017 Eisner Award nominee – Best Publication for Teens (ages 13–17) (Jughead, withRyan North,Erica Henderson and Derek Charm)
2019 Eisner Award nominee – Best Writer (Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Two-in-One)
2020 Eisner Award nominee – Best Writer (White Trees, Daredevil, Spider-Man: Life Story, Afterlift), Best Continuing Series (Daredevil with Marco Checchetto)
2021 Eisner Award nominee – Best Writer (Stillwater,Daredevil, Fantastic Four/X-Men)
2021 Eisner Award nominee – Best Continuing Series(Daredevil)
2021 Eisner Award nominee – Best Continuing Series(Stillwater)
2023 Eisner Award nominee – Best Continuing Series (Daredevil with Marco Checchetto and Rafael de Latorre)
2023 Eisner Award nominee – Best Writer (Stillwater,Daredevil)
2023 Harvey Award nominee – Book of the Year (Public Domain)
2025 Eisner Award nominee – Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism (Zdarsky Comic News)
Batman Vol 1. Failsafe (collects #125–130, HC, 176 pages, 2023,ISBN978-1779519931)
Batman Vol 2. The Bat-Man of Gotham (collects #131-135, HC, 224 pages, 2023,ISBN978-1779520425)
Batman/Catwoman: The Gotham War (collectsBatman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Battle Lines,Batman #137-138,Catwoman #57-58, andBatman/Catwoman: The Gotham War: Scorched Earth, co-writer, with Tini Howard and various, HC, 272 pages, 2024ISBN978-1779525987)
Batman Vol 3. Joker Year One (collects #139-144, HC, TP)
Batman Vol. 4: Dark Prisons (collects #145-152, HC, TP)
Batman Vol. 5: The Dying City (collects #153-157 and the lead story fromBatman #150, HC, TP)
Harley Quinn: Black + White + Redder #1: "The Man of Steal!" (writer, with Kevin Maguire, September 2023)
The Penguin #0 (reprints backup stories fromBatman #125-127, writer, with Belén Ortega, October 2023)
Titans: Beast World Tour: Gotham: "The Good Boy" (writer, one-shot with Miguel Mendonça, December 2023)
Volume 1: Know Fear (collects #1–5, writer/artist, tpb, w/ Marco Checchetto, 120 pages, 2019,ISBN978-1302914981)
Volume 2: No Devils, Only God (collects #6–10, writer, tpb, w/ Lalit Kumar Sharma and Jorge Fornés, 112 pages, 2019,ISBN978-1302914998
Volume 3: Through Hell (collects #11–15, writer, tpb, w/ Marco Checchetto and Francesco Mobili 112 pages, 2020,ISBN978-1302920180)
Volume 4: End of Hell (collects #16–20, writer, tpb, with Jorge Fornés and Marco Checchetto, 112 pages, 2020,ISBN978-1302925802)
Volume 5: Truth/Dare (collects #21–25, Annual #1, writer, tpb, w/ Marco Checchetto, Francesco Mobili, and Mike Hawthorne, 144 pages, 2021,ISBN978-1302925819)
Volume 6: Doing Time (collects #26–30, writer, tpb, w/ Marco Checchetto and Mike Hawthorne, 120 pages, 2021,ISBN978-1302926090)
Volume 7: Lockdown (collects #31–36, writer, tpb, w/ Marco Checchetto, Mike Hawthorne, Stefano Landini, and Manuel Garcia, 2022,ISBN978-1302926106)
Collected in Oversized Hardcovers as:
Volume 1: To Heaven Through Hell (collects #1–10, hc, 232 pages, 2021,ISBN978-1302928247)
Volume 2: To Heaven Through Hell Vol. 2 (collects #11–20, hc, 224 pages, 2022,ISBN978-1302931995)
Volume 3: To Heaven Through Hell Vol. 3 (collects #21–30 andAnnual #1, hc, 264 pages, 2022,ISBN978-1302945114)
Volume 4: To Heaven Through Hell Vol. 4 (collects #31-36,Daredevil: Woman Without Fear #1-3, hc, 232 pages, 2023,ISBN978-1302950057)
Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus Vol. 1 (collects #1-30 and Annual 1, ohc, 696 pages, 2024,ISBN978-1302956219)
Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus Vol. 2 (collects #31-31, ohc, 786 pages, 2024,ISBN978-1302956264)
Devil's Reign(writer, 6-issue limited series, with Marco Checchetto, December 2021 – April 2022) collected in
Daredevil vol. 7 (writer, with Marco Checchetto, Rafeal De Latorre, and Manuel Garcia, July 2022-August 2023)[12]
Volume 1: The Red Fist Saga Part One (collects #1-5, writer/artist, withAnn Nocenti and various, tpb, 2023,ISBN978-1302926113)
Volume 2: The Red Fist Saga Part Two (collects #6-10, writer, with Marco Checchetto, Rafael De Latorre, and Manuel Garcia, tpb, 2023,ISBN978-1302932510)
Volume 3: The Red Fist Saga Part Three (collects #11-14, writer, with Marco Checchetto and Rafael De Latorre, tpb, 2023,ISBN978-1302947712)
Daredevil by Chip Zdarsky Omnibus Vol. 2 (collects #1-14, ohc, 786 pages, 2024,ISBN978-1302956264)
War of the Realms: War Scrolls #1: "Waugh of the Realms" (writer, with Joe Quinones, June 2019) collected in