Casting In Kevin Smith Films
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kevin Patrick Smith (born August 2, 1970) is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. He came to prominence with the low-budget
buddy comedy The buddy film is a subgenre of adventure and comedy film in which two people go on an adventure, mission, or road trip. The two typically are males with contrasting personalities. The contrast is sometimes accentuated by an ethnic difference be ...
film ''
Clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and administ ...
'' (1994), which he wrote, directed, co-produced, and acted in as the character Silent Bob of stoner duo
Jay and Silent Bob Jay and Silent Bob are fictional characters portrayed by American actors Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively. They appear in the View Askewniverse, a fictional universe used in most of the films, comics, and television programs written and ...
. These characters also appeared in Smith's later films ''
Mallrats ''Mallrats'' is a 1995 American buddy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, Priscilla Barnes and Michael Rooker. It is the second film in the View Askewnive ...
'' (1995), ''
Chasing Amy ''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams and Jason Lee. The third film in Smith's View Askewniverse series, the film is about a male comic a ...
'' (1997), ''
Dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...
'' (1999), ''
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' is a 2001 American satirical stoner buddy comedy film written, co-edited, and directed by Kevin Smith and produced and co-edited by Scott Mosier. The film is the fifth set in the View Askewniverse, a growing ...
'' (2001), ''
Clerks II ''Clerks II'' is a 2006 American black comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, the sequel to his 1994 film ''Clerks'', and his sixth feature film to be set in the View Askewniverse. The film stars Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosa ...
'' (2006), ''
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot ''Jay and Silent Bob Reboot'' is a 2019 American satirical buddy stoner comedy film written, directed, edited by, and starring Kevin Smith. A sequel to '' Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'', it is the eighth film in the View Askewniverse. The film ...
'' (2019), and ''
Clerks III ''Clerks III'' is a 2022 American black comedy-drama film written, directed, and edited by Kevin Smith and starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Austin Zajur, Jason Mewes, Rosario Dawson and Smith. It serves as a seq ...
'' (2022) which are set primarily in his home state of
New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...
. While not strictly sequential, the films have crossover plot elements, character references, and a shared
canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the material accepted as officially written by an author or an ascribed author * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western canon, th ...
known as the "
View Askewniverse The View Askewniverse is a fictional universe created by writer/director Kevin Smith, featured in several films, comics and a television series; it is named for Smith's production company, View Askew Productions. The characters Jay and Silent ...
", named after Smith's production company
View Askew Productions View Askew Productions, Inc. is an American film and television production company founded by Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier in 1994. Actors Ben Affleck, Jeff Anderson, Matt Damon, Chris Rock, Walter Flanagan, Bryan Johnson, Jason Lee, Jason ...
, which he co-founded with
Scott Mosier Scott A. Mosier (born March 5, 1971) is an American-Canadian film producer, director and editor best known for his work with director Kevin Smith, with whom he occasionally co-hosts the weekly podcast, ''SModcast''. Early life Mosier was born ...
. Other non-"View Askewniverse" film written and directed by Smith include the comedy-drama '' Jersey Girl'' (2004), the sex comedy ''
Zack and Miri Make a Porno ''Zack and Miri Make a Porno'' (also known simply as ''Zack and Miri'') is a 2008 American sex comedy film written, directed and edited by Kevin Smith and starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. It was released on October 31, 2008. The film f ...
'' (2008), the horror ''
Red State Starting with the 2000 United States presidential election, the terms "red state" and "blue state" have referred to US states whose voters vote predominantly for one party—the Republican Party in red states and the Democratic Party in blue ...
'' (2011), and the comedy horror ''
Tusk Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine tooth, canine teeth, as with Narwhal, narwhals, chevrotains, musk deer, water deer, muntjac, pigs, ...
'' (2014). He has directed numerous episodes of television for series such as ''
The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...
'' (2016–2018), ''
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
'' (2017–2018), and '' The Goldbergs'' (2017–2019), and created the animated television series '' Clerks: The Animated Series'' (2000) and
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
's ''
Masters of the Universe ''Masters of the Universe'' (sometimes referred to as the ''He-Man'' or ''She-Ra'' series) is a sword and planet-themed media franchise created by Mattel. The main premise revolves around the conflict between He-Man (the alter ego of Prince A ...
'' (2021–2024). Smith owns
Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash (sometimes shortened to simply The StashMcLauchlin, Jim (June 1999). "Comic 'Clerks'", '' Wizard'' #94. pp. 30 - 33) is a comic book store owned by filmmaker Kevin Smith, and named after the fictional duo portra ...
in
Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Incorporated in 1908, the community is on the Navesink River, the area's original transportation route to the ocean and other ports. Red Bank is in the New York metro ...
, a comic book store which became the setting for the
reality television Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 1990s ...
show '' Comic Book Men'' (2012–2018). As a podcaster, Smith co-hosts several shows on his
SModcast Podcast Network SModcast Podcast Network is a podcast network owned by Kevin Smith. The network was started in January 2010 to host the podcast '' SModcast'' alongside the popular '' Tell 'Em Steve-Dave!'' and ''Highlands: A Peephole History''. Current podcast ...
, including ''
SModcast ''SModcast'' is a podcast featuring filmmaker Kevin Smith. The show was initially co-hosted with Smith's long-time producing partner Scott Mosier, although over the years, Mosier's appearances have been sporadic with a series of guest hosts taki ...
'', '' Fatman Beyond'', and the live show ''
Hollywood Babble-On ''Hollywood Babble-On'' is a weekly podcast featuring filmmaker Kevin Smith and radio personality Ralph Garman. The show features Smith and Garman discussing the week's celebrity, movie, and other pop culture news. Show history Kevin Smith was ...
''. He is known for participating in long, humorous Q&A sessions that are often filmed for release, beginning with the DVD release of ''
An Evening with Kevin Smith ''An Evening with Kevin Smith'' is a DVD featuring question and answer sessions that the comedian and filmmaker Kevin Smith held with his fans at various American colleges in 2001/2002. The colleges were: Clark University, Cornell University, Ind ...
'' (2002).


Early life

Kevin Patrick Smith was born on August 2, 1970, in
Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Incorporated in 1908, the community is on the Navesink River, the area's original transportation route to the ocean and other ports. Red Bank is in the New York metro ...
,Note: At least one source, Yahoo! Movies, gives birthplace as
Highlands, New Jersey :''See also New York–New Jersey Highlands for the northwestern part of New Jersey.'' Highlands is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in northern Monmouth County, New Jersey, Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. A historic waterfront ...
.
the son of Grace (née Schultz), a homemaker, and Donald E. Smith (1936–2003), a
postal worker A postal worker is one who works for a post office, such as a mail carrier. In the U.S., postal workers are represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers, AFL–CIO, National Postal Mail Handlers Union – NPMHU, the National Associ ...
. He has two siblings: an older sister, Virginia, and an older brother, Donald Jr. He was raised in a
Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
household in the nearby clamming town of
Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...
. Smith's childhood was scheduled around his father's late shifts at the post office. His father grew to despise his job, which greatly influenced Smith, who remembers his father finding it difficult on some days to get up and go to work. Smith vowed never to work at something that he did not enjoy. Smith attended
Henry Hudson Regional High School Henry Hudson Regional High School is a comprehensive regional public high school and school district for students in 7th through 12th grade from both Atlantic Highlands and Highlands in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
, where he was a B and C student, videotaped basketball games, and produced ''
Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (''SNL'') is an American Late night television in the United States, late-night live television, live sketch comedy variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Michaels and Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC. The ...
''-style
sketch comedy Sketch comedy comprises a series of short, amusing scenes or vignettes, called "sketches" or, "skits", commonly between one and ten minutes long, performed by a group of comic actors or comedians. While the form developed and became popular in ...
. An overweight teen, he developed into a comedic observer of life to socialize with friends and girls. After high school, Smith attended
The New School The New School is a Private university, private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for p ...
in New York City, but did not graduate. Smith met
Jason Mewes Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse franchise. E ...
while working at a youth center; they became friends after discovering a mutual interest in comic books.


Career


As a filmmaker

On his 21st birthday, Smith saw
Richard Linklater Richard Linklater (; born July 30, 1960) is an American filmmaker. He is known for making films that deal thematically with suburban culture and the effects of the passage of time. In 2015, Linklater was included on the annual ''Time'' 100 li ...
's comedy ''
Slacker A slacker is someone who habitually work aversion, avoids work or lacks work ethic. Origin According to different sources, the term "slacker" dates back to about 1790 or 1898. "Slacker" gained some recognition during the UK, British Gezira Sche ...
''. Impressed that Linklater set and shot the film in his hometown of
Austin, Texas Austin ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is the county seat and most populous city of Travis County, Texas, Travis County, with portions extending into Hays County, Texas, Hays and W ...
, rather than on a soundstage in a major city, Smith was inspired to become a filmmaker, and to set films where he lived. He has said: "It was the movie that got me off my ass; it was the movie that lit a fire under me, the movie that made me think, 'Hey, I could be a filmmaker.' And I had never seen a movie like that before ever in my life." He assembled a library of independent filmmakers like Linklater,
Jim Jarmusch James Robert Jarmusch ( ; born January 22, 1953) is an American film director, screenwriter and musician. He has been a major proponent of independent film, independent cinema since the 1980s, directing films such as ''Stranger Than Paradise'' ...
,
Spike Lee Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee (born March 20, 1957) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and author. His work has continually explored race relations, issues within the black community, the role of media in contemporary ...
and
Hal Hartley Hal Hartley (born November 3, 1959) is an American film director, screenwriter, producer and composer who became a key figure in the American independent film movement of the 1980s and '90s. His films include '' The Unbelievable Truth'' (1989), ...
to draw from. Smith attended
Vancouver Film School Vancouver Film School (VFS) is a private entertainment arts school located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1987, it has achieved international recognition. The Vancouver Film School has campus locations around Downtown Vancouve ...
for four months, where he met longtime collaborators
Scott Mosier Scott A. Mosier (born March 5, 1971) is an American-Canadian film producer, director and editor best known for his work with director Kevin Smith, with whom he occasionally co-hosts the weekly podcast, ''SModcast''. Early life Mosier was born ...
and Dave Klein. Unlike them, Smith left halfway through the course, figuring he knew enough to proceed and wanting to save money for his first film. Smith moved back to New Jersey and got his old job back at a convenience store in Leonardo. He decided to set his film, ''
Clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and administ ...
'', at the store, borrowing the a-day-in-the-life structure from the Spike Lee film ''
Do the Right Thing ''Do the Right Thing'' is a 1989 American comedy-drama film produced, written and directed by Spike Lee. It stars Lee, Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Bill Nunn, John Turturro and Samuel L. Jackson an ...
''. Smith maxed out more than a dozen credit cards, and sold his much-treasured comic book collection, to raise $27,575 to make the film, while saving money by casting friends and acquaintances in most roles. ''Clerks'' was screened at the
Sundance Film Festival The Sundance Film Festival is an annual film festival organized by the Sundance Institute. It is the largest independent film festival in the United States, with 423,234 combined in-person and online viewership in 2023. The festival has acted ...
in 1994, where it won the Filmmaker's Trophy. At a restaurant following the screening,
Miramax Films Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...
executive
Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...
invited Smith to join him at his table, where he offered to buy the film. In May 1994, it went to the
Cannes International Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival (; ), until 2003 called the International Film Festival ('), is the most prestigious film festival in the world. Held in Cannes, France, it previews new films of all genres, including documentaries, from all around t ...
, where it won both the Prix de la Jeunesse and the International Critics' Week Prize. Released in October 1994 in two cities, the film went on to play in 50 markets, never playing on more than 50 screens at any given time. Despite the limited release, it was a critical and financial success, earning $3.1 million. Initially, the film received an
NC-17 The Motion Picture Association film rating system is used in the United States and its territories to rate a motion picture's suitability for certain audiences based on its content. The system and the ratings applied to individual motion picture ...
rating from the
MPAA The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the five major film studios of the United States, the mini-major Amazon MGM Studios, as well as the video streaming services Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. F ...
for sexually graphic language. Miramax hired
Alan Dershowitz Alan Morton Dershowitz ( ; born September 1, 1938) is an American lawyer and law professor known for his work in U.S. constitutional law, U.S. constitutional and American criminal law, criminal law. From 1964 to 2013, he taught at Harvard Law Sc ...
to sue the MPAA. At an appeals screening, a jury of members of the National Association of Theatre Owners reversed the MPAA's decision, and the film was given an R rating. The movie had a profound effect on the independent film community. According to producer and author John Pierson, it is considered one of the two most influential film debuts in the 1990s, along with ''
The Brothers McMullen ''The Brothers McMullen'' is a 1995 American comedy-drama film written, directed, produced by, and starring Edward Burns. It deals with the lives of the three Irish Catholic McMullen brothers from Long Island, New York, over three months, as ...
''. Smith's second film, ''
Mallrats ''Mallrats'' is a 1995 American buddy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, Priscilla Barnes and Michael Rooker. It is the second film in the View Askewnive ...
'',
Jason Lee Jason Michael Lee (born April 25, 1970) is an American actor, filmmaker, photographer and former professional skateboarder. He is known for playing Earl Hickey in the television comedy series ''My Name Is Earl'', for which he was nominated for ...
's debut as a leading man, did not fare as well as expected. It received a critical drubbing and earned only $2.2 million at the box office despite playing on more than 500 screens. ''Mallrats'' was more successful in the home video market. Widely hailed as Smith's best film, 1997's ''
Chasing Amy ''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams and Jason Lee. The third film in Smith's View Askewniverse series, the film is about a male comic a ...
'' marked what
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...
called "a quantum leap forward" for Smith. Starring ''Mallrats'' alumni Jason Lee,
Joey Lauren Adams Joey Lauren Adams (born January 9, 1968) is an American actress and director. Adams starred in ''Chasing Amy'', for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and played smaller role ...
and
Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
, the $250,000 film earned $12 million at the box office, wound up on a number of critics' year-end best lists, and won two
Independent Spirit Award The Independent Spirit Awards, originally known as the FINDIE or Friends of Independents Awards, and later as the Film Independent Spirit Awards, are awards presented annually in Santa Monica, California, to independent filmmakers. Founded in ...
s (for Screenplay and Supporting Actor for Lee). The film received some criticism from members of the lesbian community, who felt that it reinforced the perception that lesbians merely need to find the right man. Smith, whose brother Donald is
gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late ...
, found this accusation frustrating, as he has endeavored to be a pro-
LGBT LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
filmmaker, believing that sexuality is more fluid, with social taboos, not sexual desire, preventing more people from expressing
bisexuality Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, ...
. Smith's fourth film, ''
Dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...
'' (1999), featured an all-star cast and was mired in controversy. A religious-themed comedy that starred a post-''
Good Will Hunting ''Good Will Hunting'' is a 1997 American drama film directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It stars Robin Williams, Damon, Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård and Minnie Driver. The film tells the story of janitor Will Hunt ...
'' Ben Affleck and
Matt Damon Matthew Paige Damon ( ; born October 8, 1970) is an American actor, film producer, and screenwriter. He was ranked among ''Forbes'' most bankable stars in 2007, and in 2010 was one of the highest-grossing actors of all time. He has received va ...
, as well as
Chris Rock Christopher Julius Rock (born February 7, 1965) is an American comedian, actor, and filmmaker. He first gained prominence for his stand-up routines in the 1980s in which he tackled subjects including race relations, human sexuality, and obse ...
,
Salma Hayek Salma Valgarma Hayek Pinault ( , ; ; born September 2, 1966) is a Mexican and American actress and film producer. She began her career in Mexico with starring roles in the telenovela ''Teresa (1989 TV series), Teresa'' (1989–1991) as well a ...
,
George Carlin George Denis Patrick Carlin (May 12, 1937 – June 22, 2008) was an American stand-up comedian, social critic, actor and author. Regarded as one of the greatest and most influential comedians of all time, he was dubbed "the dean of countercultur ...
,
Alan Rickman Alan Sidney Patrick Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016) was an English actor and director. Known for his distinctive deep, wikt:languid#Etymology 1, languid voice, he trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London and b ...
,
Linda Fiorentino Clorinda "Linda" Fiorentino (born March 9, 1958) is an American actress. Fiorentino made her screen debut with a leading role in the 1985 coming-of-age drama film ''Vision Quest'', followed that same year with another lead role in the action fil ...
, and Lee and Mewes, it was criticized by the Catholic League. The film debuted at the
1999 Cannes Film Festival The 52nd Cannes Film Festival took place from 12 to 23 May 1999. Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg served as jury president for the main competition. Kristin Scott Thomas was the host for the opening and closing ceremonies. Belgian filmmakers ...
, out of competition. Released on 800 screens in November 1999, the $10 million film earned $30 million. Smith then focused the spotlight on the two characters who had appeared in supporting roles in his previous four films. ''
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' is a 2001 American satirical stoner buddy comedy film written, co-edited, and directed by Kevin Smith and produced and co-edited by Scott Mosier. The film is the fifth set in the View Askewniverse, a growing ...
'' featured an all-star cast, with many familiar faces returning from those four films. Affleck and Damon appear as themselves filming a mock sequel to ''Good Will Hunting''. The $20 million film earned $30 million at the box office and received mixed reviews from critics. '' Jersey Girl'', with Affleck,
Liv Tyler Liv Rundgren Tyler (born Liv Rundgren; July 1, 1977) is an American actress. She began her career as a model before making her film debut in '' Silent Fall'' (1994). She went on to receive critical recognition and attention after her starring ...
, George Carlin, and
Raquel Castro Raquel Castro (born November 17, 1994) is an American actress and singer. She is known for starring in the 2004 film '' Jersey Girl'' as Gertie Trinké, the daughter of Ollie Trinké (Ben Affleck) and Gertrude Steiney (Jennifer Lopez), for which ...
, Smith's first film outside the View Askewniverse, marked a new direction in Smith's career. The film took a critical beating as it was seen as, in Smith's own words, "''
Gigli ''Gigli'' ( ) is a 2003 American romantic comedy crime film written, co-produced, and directed by Martin Brest, and starring Ben Affleck, Jennifer Lopez, Justin Bartha, Al Pacino, Christopher Walken, and Lainie Kazan. Brest and producers di ...
2''", because it co-starred Affleck and his then girlfriend,
Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Lopez (born July 24, 1969), also known by her nickname J.Lo, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, dancer and businesswoman. Lopez is regarded as one of the most influential entertainers of her time, credited with breaking ...
. Smith heavily reedited the film to reduce Lopez's role to just a few scenes, but the film did poorly at the box office. Budgeted at $35 million, it earned $36 million. In the 2006 sequel ''
Clerks II ''Clerks II'' is a 2006 American black comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, the sequel to his 1994 film ''Clerks'', and his sixth feature film to be set in the View Askewniverse. The film stars Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosa ...
'', Smith revisited the Dante and Randal characters from his first film. Roundly criticized before its release, the film won favorable reviews as well as two awards (the Audience Award at the
Edinburgh Film Festival The Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF), established in 1947, is the world's oldest continually running film festival. EIFF presents both UK and international films (all titles are World, international, European or UK Premieres), in al ...
and the Orbit Dirtiest Mouth Award at the
MTV Movie Awards The MTV Movie & TV Awards is a film and television awards show previously presented annually on MTV. It began as the MTV Movie Awards in 1992, when its 1992 MTV Movie Awards, first edition was held, and adopted its current name in 2017, beginnin ...
). It marked Smith's third trip to the Cannes International Film Festival, where it received an eight-minute standing ovation. The $5 million film, starring Jeff Anderson, Brian O'Halloran,
Rosario Dawson Rosario Isabel Dawson (born May 9, 1979) is an American actress. She made her feature-film debut in the 1995 independent drama '' Kids''. Her subsequent film roles include '' He Got Game'' (1998), '' Josie and the Pussycats'' (2001), ''Men in B ...
, Mewes, Jennifer Schwalbach and Smith reprising his role as Silent Bob, earned $25 million. ''
Zack and Miri Make a Porno ''Zack and Miri Make a Porno'' (also known simply as ''Zack and Miri'') is a 2008 American sex comedy film written, directed and edited by Kevin Smith and starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. It was released on October 31, 2008. The film f ...
'' was originally announced in March 2006 as Smith's second non-Askewniverse film. The film began shooting on January 18, 2008, in
Monroeville, Pennsylvania Monroeville is a Home rule municipality (Pennsylvania), home rule municipality in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is a suburb with mixed residential and commercial developments located about east of Pittsburgh. As of the 202 ...
, and wrapped on March 15, 2008. It stars
Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...
and
Elizabeth Banks Elizabeth Irene Banks (; February 10, 1974) is an American actress, director, and producer. She is known for playing chaperone Effie Trinket in ''The Hunger Games'' film series (2012–2015) and an ICCA commentator in the ''Pitch Perfect'' ...
as the title characters who decide to make a low-budget pornographic film to solve their money problems. It was released on October 31, 2008, and ran into many conflicts getting an "R" rating. Rogen said: Smith took the film through the MPAA's appeals process and received an R rating without having to make any edits. ''Zack and Miri Make a Porno'' was considered a box-office "flop". It was hurt by "tepid media advertising for a movie with the title PORNO". In the aftermath of the film's performance, Smith's and Weinstein's business relationship became "frayed". ''Zack and Miri'' opened #2 behind '' High School Musical 3: Senior Year'' with $10,682,000 from 2,735 theaters, an average of $3,906. The "bankable" Rogen experienced his "worst box-office opening ever". In an interview with Katla McGlynn of the ''
Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers ...
'', Smith said: It was announced in 2009 that Smith had signed on to direct ''A Couple of Dicks'', a buddy-cop comedy written by the Cullen Brothers and starring
Bruce Willis Walter Bruce Willis (born March 19, 1955) is a retired American actor. He achieved fame with a leading role on the comedy-drama series ''Moonlighting (TV series), Moonlighting'' (1985–1989) and has appeared in over one hundred films, gaining ...
and
Tracy Morgan Tracy Jamal Morgan (born November 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He was a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy television series ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1996 to 2003, and played Tracy Jordan in the NBC sitcom ''30 Ro ...
. Due to controversy surrounding the original title, it was changed to ''A Couple of Cops'', then reverted to its original title due to negative reaction, before finally settling on the title '' Cop Out''. The film, shot from June to August 2009, involves a pair of veteran cops tracking down a stolen vintage baseball card, and was released on February 26, 2010, to poor reviews; it was the first film Smith directed but did not write. ''Cop Out'' opened at number two at the box office and was mired in controversy, mostly over reported conflicts on the set between Smith and Willis. It was the last time Smith worked with a major studio, leading him to return to his independent film roots. In September 2010, Smith started work on ''
Red State Starting with the 2000 United States presidential election, the terms "red state" and "blue state" have referred to US states whose voters vote predominantly for one party—the Republican Party in red states and the Democratic Party in blue ...
'', an independently financed horror film loosely inspired by the
Westboro Baptist Church The Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) is an American unaffiliated Primitive Baptists, Primitive Baptist church in Topeka, Kansas, that was founded in 1955 by pastor Fred Phelps. It is widely considered a hate group and a cult, and is known for Prot ...
and its pastor,
Fred Phelps Fred Waldron Phelps Sr. (November 13, 1929 – March 19, 2014) was an American Minister (Christianity), minister and Disbarment, disbarred lawyer who served as the pastor of the Westboro Baptist Church, worked as a civil rights attorney, ...
. Weinstein and his brother
Bob Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Bob (surname) * Bob (dog), a dog that received the Dickin Medal for bravery in World War II * Bob t ...
, who had been involved in the distribution of Smith's films except ''Mallrats'' and ''Cop Out'', declined to support ''Red State''. The film stars
Michael Parks Michael Parks (born Harry Samuel Parks; April 24, 1940 – May 9, 2017) was an American singer and actor who made numerous film and television appearances, notably starring in the 1969–1970 series '' Then Came Bronson.'' He was widely known ...
,
John Goodman John Stephen Goodman (born June 20, 1952) is an American actor. He rose to prominence in television before becoming an acclaimed and popular film actor. Goodman has received List of awards and nominations received by John Goodman, various acc ...
and
Melissa Leo Melissa Chessington Leo (born September 14, 1960) is an American actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and two Critics' Choice A ...
. Smith had said he would auction off rights to the $4 million film at a controversial event following its debut screening at
Sundance A Sun Dance is a Native American ceremony. Sun dance or Sundance may also refer to: Places ;Canada * Sundance, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood * Sundance, Manitoba, a ghost town ;United States * Sundance, New Mexico, a census-designated pl ...
but instead kept the rights to the film himself and self-distributed it under the
SModcast Pictures SModcast Pictures is an American film distribution company and a film and television production company founded by Kevin Smith in 2011. Kevin Smith announced at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival that he would release his latest movie '' Red State'' ...
banner. The January 2011 premiere drew protests from a half-dozen members of the church, along with many more who counter-protested Westboro members. Smith explained his decision as a way to return to an era when marketing a film did not cost four times as much as the film itself, a situation he called "decadent and deadening".''Red State'' was a box office bomb, earning just $1,104,682, and opened to poor reviews; the critical consensus (according to
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
) was "''Red State'' is an audacious and brash affair that ultimately fails to provide competent scares or thrills." In April 2011, Smith said that ''Red State'' had made its budget back by making $1 million on the first leg of the tour, $1.5 million from a handful of foreign sales and $3 million from a domestic distribution deal for VOD. Smith had said before ''Red State'' that he would soon retire from directing, and announced that his last movie would be ''
Clerks III ''Clerks III'' is a 2022 American black comedy-drama film written, directed, and edited by Kevin Smith and starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Austin Zajur, Jason Mewes, Rosario Dawson and Smith. It serves as a seq ...
''. In December 2013, he said he would continue to make films, but only ones that were uniquely his, as opposed to generic ones "anybody could make". In 2013, Smith directed ''
Tusk Tusks are elongated, continuously growing front teeth that protrude well beyond the mouth of certain mammal species. They are most commonly canine tooth, canine teeth, as with Narwhal, narwhals, chevrotains, musk deer, water deer, muntjac, pigs, ...
'', a horror film inspired by a story Smith and Mosier read about a
Gumtree Gumtree.com, known as Gumtree, is a British-based online classified advertisement and community website based at Hotham House, in Richmond, London. Classified ads are either free or paid for depending on the product category and the geograph ...
ad for a man who rents out a room in his house for free on the condition that the respondent dresses as a walrus for two hours per day. The project began pre-production in September 2013, and was shot in November of that year. Released September 19, 2014, it received mixed reviews. Before ''Tusk'' release, Smith wrote the script for a spin-off of the film, which he titled ''
Yoga Hosers ''Yoga Hosers'' is a 2016 American comedy horror film written and directed by Kevin Smith. It is a spin-off of Smith's 2014 horror film ''Tusk'' and stars Smith's daughter Harley Quinn Smith, Lily-Rose Depp, and her father Johnny Depp while Justi ...
''. The film began filming in August 2014, and was released in 2016. It stars Smith's daughter,
Harley Quinn Smith Harley Quinn Smith (born June 26, 1999) is an American actress and musician. Smith is most known for her role as a convenience store clerk in the film ''Tusk'' and starred in its spin-off '' Yoga Hosers'', both written and directed by her father ...
, and
Lily-Rose Depp Lily-Rose Melody Depp (born 27 May 1999) is a French and American actress. Born to actors Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, she began her acting career in film with a minor role in ''Tusk'' (2014) and pursued a career as a fashion model. She ap ...
, reprising their two minor characters from ''Tusk'', with
Johnny Depp John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for ...
playing his inspector character from the earlier film. Smith revealed at the 2014
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
that he had written the script for a film called ''
Moose Jaws The ''True North'' trilogy is a series of horror comedy films written and directed by Kevin Smith. It consists of the films ''Tusk'' (2014), ''Yoga Hosers'' (2016), and the in-development ''Moose Jaws''. Films ''Tusk'' is based on a story from Ke ...
'', which he described as "'' Jaws'' with a moose", and which is planned to be the third film in his ''True North'' trilogy. Smith wrote and directed one segment, ''Halloween'', of the 2016 horror
anthology film An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film or a portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of three or more shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme, premise ...
''
Holidays A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
'', in which each segment takes place during a different holiday. In June 2017, Smith started shooting '' KillRoy Was Here'', a horror film based on the graffiti phenomenon. Directed by Smith, the script was co-written with Andrew McElfresh, marking the first time he shared writing credit. It represents a retooling of their ''Anti-Claus'' film, which was initially canceled after the release of ''
Krampus The Krampus () is a horned anthropomorphic figure who, in the Central and Eastern Alpine folkloric tradition, is said to accompany Saint Nicholas on visits to children during the night of 5 December (''Krampusnacht''; "Krampus Night"), imme ...
'', due to the two stories' similarity. The film crew was mostly made up of students of the
Ringling College of Art and Design Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD; stylized as Ringling College of Art + Design) is a private art and design school in Sarasota, Florida. It was founded by Ludd M. Spivey as an art school in 1931 as a remote branch of Southern College b ...
, with shooting continuing over every semester break. In 2017, due to obstacles getting ''Clerks 3'' or ''Mallrats 2'' produced, Smith decided to write and direct a ''
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' is a 2001 American satirical stoner buddy comedy film written, co-edited, and directed by Kevin Smith and produced and co-edited by Scott Mosier. The film is the fifth set in the View Askewniverse, a growing ...
'' sequel instead, ''
Jay and Silent Bob Reboot ''Jay and Silent Bob Reboot'' is a 2019 American satirical buddy stoner comedy film written, directed, edited by, and starring Kevin Smith. A sequel to '' Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'', it is the eighth film in the View Askewniverse. The film ...
''. It was scheduled to be filmed in September 2017, but shooting was postponed to February and March 2019. The first trailer for the film was released on July 18, 2019. Smith announced a tour to accompany the film. On October 1, 2019, Smith announced on
Instagram Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
that ''
Clerks III ''Clerks III'' is a 2022 American black comedy-drama film written, directed, and edited by Kevin Smith and starring Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Trevor Fehrman, Austin Zajur, Jason Mewes, Rosario Dawson and Smith. It serves as a seq ...
'' was happening and that
Jeff Anderson Jeffrey Allan Anderson (born April 21, 1970) is an American film and television actor, director, and screenwriter best known for starring as Randal Graves in ''Clerks,'' ''Clerks II,'' and ''Clerks III''. In between, he has appeared in other Kevi ...
, who had retired, had agreed to reprise his role as Randal. The film released on September 13, 2022. In 2024, Smith released '' The 4:30 Movie'', focusing on a group of teenagers in the 1980s who spent a day "theatre-hopping", in Monmouth County, New Jersey.


Relationship with Harvey Weinstein

With the exception of ''Mallrats'', all of Smith's films until 2008 were financed and/or distributed by
Harvey Weinstein Harvey Weinstein (, ; born March 19, 1952) is an American film producer and convicted sex offender. In 1979, Weinstein and his brother, Bob Weinstein, co-founded the entertainment company Miramax, which produced several successful independent ...
and his brother
Bob Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters * Bob (surname) * Bob (dog), a dog that received the Dickin Medal for bravery in World War II * Bob t ...
, via their companies
Miramax Miramax, LLC, formerly known as Miramax Films, is an American independent film and television production and distribution company owned by beIN Media Group and Paramount Global. Based in Los Angeles, California, it was founded on December 19, ...
,
Dimension Films Dimension Films was an American independent film and television production and distribution label founded in 1992, and currently owned by independent studio Lantern Entertainment. Formally one of the American " mini-majors" (i.e., small to m ...
, and
The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company, LLC (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein on March 10, 2005. TWC was one of the larg ...
. In 2008 Smith's relationship with Harvey Weinstein soured due to the financial failure of ''Zack and Miri Make a Porno'', which Smith blamed on a lack of marketing. Nonetheless, they continued to discuss potential funding for other Smith projects, and The Weinstein Company co-produced Smith's 2016 talk show '' Geeking Out''. Smith named the independent production company he created for the 2011 film ''Red State'' "The Harvey Boys" in Weinstein's honor. Smith is considered one of the writer-directors whose career Weinstein nurtured, a group that also includes
Quentin Tarantino Quentin Jerome Tarantino (; born March 27, 1963) is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. Quentin Tarantino filmography, His films are characterized by graphic violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to ...
and
David O. Russell David Owen Russell (born August 20, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He has earned numerous accolades including two British Academy Film Awards, and a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for five Academy Aw ...
. Smith severed professional ties with Weinstein when he was informed of his assault on
Rose McGowan Rósa Arianna McGowan (born September 5, 1973) is an American actress and activist. After her film debut in a brief role in the comedy ''Encino Man'' (1992), she achieved recognition for her performance in the dark comedy ''The Doom Generation' ...
. Soon after allegations of rape and sexual assault by Weinstein publicly surfaced in October 2017, Smith said on Twitter that he was "ashamed" of his relationship with Weinstein. On his ''Hollywood Babble-On'' podcast, he said: "My entire career is tied up with the man", adding: "No fucking movie is worth all this." He lamented that in addition to working with Weinstein, "I sat out there talking about this man like he was a hero, like he was my friend, like he was my father." He pledged to donate all his future residuals from his Weinstein-produced films to the nonprofit organization
Women in Film Women are involved in the film industry in all roles, including as film directors, actor, actresses, cinematographers, film producers, film criticism, film critics, and other film industry professions, though women have been underrepresented in ...
, which advocates for the inclusion of more women in film production. Smith later announced that, due to the declining appeal of his earlier films, the residuals from Weinstein-funded films may be lower than expected; he decided that he would instead donate $2,000 a month to Women in Film.


Frequent collaborators

Smith regularly casts the same actors in his film projects.
Jason Mewes Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse franchise. E ...
has been in nine of his films, his wife
Jennifer Schwalbach Smith Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, sometimes credited as Jennifer Schwalbach, is an American actress, podcaster and former reporter for ''USA Today''. Career While a ''USA Today'' reporter, Schwalbach met film director Kevin Smith while interviewing him ...
in eight and
Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
in seven.


Writer

In 1997,
New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...
hired Smith to rewrite ''
Overnight Delivery ''Overnight Delivery'' is a 1998 American romantic comedy film directed by Jason Bloom. It stars Paul Rudd and Reese Witherspoon as a college student and a stripper who take a road trip across America to retrieve a package that had been impulsi ...
'', which was expected to be a blockbuster teen film. Smith's then-girlfriend
Joey Lauren Adams Joey Lauren Adams (born January 9, 1968) is an American actress and director. Adams starred in ''Chasing Amy'', for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and played smaller role ...
almost took the role of Ivy in the movie, instead of the female lead in ''
Chasing Amy ''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams and Jason Lee. The third film in Smith's View Askewniverse series, the film is about a male comic a ...
''. Eventually, she lost out to
Reese Witherspoon Laura Jeanne Reese Witherspoon (born March 22, 1976) is an American actress and producer. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Reese Witherspoon, various accolades, including an Academy Award, a Primetime Emmy Aw ...
, and ''Overnight Delivery'' was quietly released directly to video in April 1998. Smith was not credited for his contributions. He has said that the only scene that really used his dialogue was the opening scene, which includes a reference to longtime Smith friend
Bryan Johnson Bryan Johnson (born August 22, 1977) is an American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, writer and author. He is the founder and former CEO of Kernel, a company creating devices that monitor and record brain activity, and OS Fund, a venture ca ...
. Smith was an uncredited screenwriter on the 2000 comedy-drama film '' Coyote Ugly''.


Comics and magazines

Smith has been a regular contributor to ''
Arena An arena is a large enclosed venue, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, Music, musical performances or Sport, sporting events. It comprises a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for specta ...
'' magazine. In 2005,
Miramax Books Miramax Books was an American publishing company started by Bob and Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Films to publish movie tie-ins. Between 2000 and 2005, while Jonathan Burnham was its president and editor-in-chief, the imprint published the memoir ...
released Smith's first book, '' Silent Bob Speaks'', a collection of previously published essays (most from ''Arena'') dissecting pop culture, the film business, and Smith's personal life. His second book, ''My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith'', published by
Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of the British entertainment company Titan Entertainment, which was established as Titan Books in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cine ...
, was another collection of previously published essays (this time blogs from Smith's website silentbobspeaks.com) and reached No. 32 on ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' Best Sellers List. Titan released Smith's third book, ''Shootin' the Sh*t with Kevin Smith: The Best of the SModcast'', on September 29, 2009. A lifelong comic book fan, Smith's early forays into comic books dealt with previously established View Askew characters, and were published by
Oni Press Oni Press is an American independent comic book and graphic novel publisher based in Portland, Oregon, best known for publishing such series as '' Scott Pilgrim'' and ''Rick and Morty''. In 2019, it became an imprint label following the company's ...
. He wrote a short
Jay and Silent Bob Jay and Silent Bob are fictional characters portrayed by American actors Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively. They appear in the View Askewniverse, a fictional universe used in most of the films, comics, and television programs written and ...
story about Walt Flanagan's dog in ''Oni Double Feature'' No. 1, and followed it with a
Bluntman and Chronic Bluntman and Chronic are characters appearing in a fictional eponymous comic book series seen in the movies ''Chasing Amy,'' '' Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,'' and ''Jay and Silent Bob Reboot''. Actual ''Bluntman and Chronic'' comic books based ...
story in ''Oni Double Feature'' #12. He followed these with a series of ''Clerks'' comics. The first was ''Clerks: The Comic Book'', which told of Randal's attempts to corner the market on ''Star Wars'' toys. The second was ''Clerks: Holiday Special'', where Dante and Randal discover that Santa Claus lives in an apartment between the Quick Stop and RST Video. Third was ''Clerks: The Lost Scene'', showing what happened inside Poston's Funeral Parlor. This story was later animated in the TV series style and included as an extra on the 10th Anniversary ''
Clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and administ ...
'' DVD. Smith wrote the miniseries '' Chasing Dogma'', which tells the story of Jay and Silent Bob between the films ''
Chasing Amy ''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams and Jason Lee. The third film in Smith's View Askewniverse series, the film is about a male comic a ...
'' and ''
Dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...
''. He has written the trade paperback ''
Bluntman and Chronic Bluntman and Chronic are characters appearing in a fictional eponymous comic book series seen in the movies ''Chasing Amy,'' '' Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,'' and ''Jay and Silent Bob Reboot''. Actual ''Bluntman and Chronic'' comic books based ...
'', published by
Image An image or picture is a visual representation. An image can be Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, or Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional, such as a carving or sculpture. Images may be di ...
, which purports to be a collection of the three issues of the series done by Holden McNeil and Banky Edwards (of ''Chasing Amy''). It includes a color reprinting of the story from ''Oni Double Feature'' No. 12, purported to be an early appearance by McNeil and Edwards. These stories have been collected in ''Tales From the Clerks'' (Graphitti Designs, ), which includes a new ''Clerks'' story tying into the ''Clerks 2'' material, and the story from ''Oni Double Feature'' #1. They were previously collected by Image Comics in three separate volumes, one each for ''Clerks'', ''Chasing Dogma'' and ''Bluntman and Chronic''. In 1999, Smith won a
Harvey Award The Harvey Awards are given for achievement in comic books. Named for writer-artist Harvey Kurtzman, the Harvey Awards were founded by Gary Groth in 1988, president of the publisher Fantagraphics, to be a successor to the Kirby Awards, which were ...
, for Best New Talent in comic books. In 1999, Smith wrote " Guardian Devil", an eight-issue story arc of '' Daredevil'' for
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
illustrated by
Joe Quesada Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, ...
. He produced a 15-issue tenure on ''
Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...
'' for
DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...
that saw the return of
Oliver Queen Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...
from the dead and the introduction of
Mia Dearden Mia Dearden is a DC Comics superheroine, the second character to take up the mantle of Green Arrow's sidekick Speedy (comics), Speedy. Created by writer Kevin Smith and artist Phil Hester (comics), Phil Hester, she first appeared in ''Green Arrow' ...
, a teenage girl who would become Speedy after Smith's run had ended. Smith returned to Marvel for two miniseries, '' Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do'' and '' Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target'', both of which debuted in 2002. The former was six issues long, but problems arose when the third issue was published two months after the initially scheduled release date. As a result, the final issues were delayed for at least three years, prompting Marvel to release an "in case you missed it" reprinting of the first three issues as one book before the remaining issues were released. The delay in part was due to Smith's work on ''Jersey Girl'' and ''Clerks II'', causing him to shelve completion of the miniseries until the films were completed. He was announced as the writer of an ongoing ''
Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...
'' series and ''
The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American superhero American comic book, comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its title character and main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of t ...
'' in 2002, but because of the delays on ''Evil That Men Do'' and ''The Target'', the plan was changed so that Smith would start a third Spider-Man title, launched in 2004 by
Mark Millar Mark Millar (; born 24 December 1969) is a Scottish comic book writer who first came to prominence with a run on the superhero series ''The Authority (comics), The Authority'', published by DC Comics' Wildstorm imprint. Millar has written ext ...
instead. ''Spider-Man/Black Cat'' was completed in 2005, but ''Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target'' remains unfinished, with one issue published. Smith wrote the limited series '' Batman: Cacophony'', with art by friend
Walt Flanagan Walter Flanagan is a former comic book store manager, reality television personality, podcaster, and comic book artist. Flanagan is a long-time friend of Kevin Smith, and (according to Smith's book '' Silent Bob Speaks'') it was Flanagan who tur ...
, which ran from November 2008 to January 2009. The series featured the villains
Onomatopoeia Onomatopoeia (or rarely echoism) is a type of word, or the process of creating a word, that phonetics, phonetically imitates, resembles, or suggests the sound that it describes. Common onomatopoeias in English include animal noises such as Oin ...
(a character created by Smith during his run at Green Arrow),
The Joker The Joker is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson, the character first appeared in the debut issue of the comic book ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' on ...
,
Maxie Zeus Maximilian "Maxie" Zeus is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, primarily as a minor enemy of Batman. He is depicted as a mentally ill former history professor who is obsessed with Greek mythology and believes ...
, and
Victor Zsasz Victor Zsasz ( or or ), also known as Mr. Zsasz or simply Zsasz, is a villain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics.'' Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' #1. The character first appeared in '' Batman: Shadow of the Bat'' #1 (June 1992). He is ...
. The trade paperback of ''Batman: Cacophony'' became a ''New York Times'' Bestseller in their Hardcover Graphic Books section. In 2010, Smith wrote a six-issue
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
miniseries, '' The Widening Gyre'', for DC, drawn by Walt Flanagan. The series was initially planned as 12 issues, with a long break planned between issues six and seven. After issue six was published, Smith and Flanagan's work on their reality show, '' Comic Book Men'', extended this planned break longer than expected. It was decided in the interim to release the remaining issues as a separate series, '' Batman: Bellicosity'', scheduled for 2016, but it remains unreleased. Also in 2010, Smith published a
Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of me ...
story for
Dynamite Entertainment Dynamite Entertainment is an American comic book publisher founded in 2004 by Nick Barrucci in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, known for publishing comic book adaptations of licensed feature film properties, such as ''Army of Darkness'', '' Terminator ...
based on an unused script he wrote for a ''Green Hornet'' film that never came to fruition. In August 2011, Dynamite Entertainment debuted Smith's '' The Bionic Man'', which was based on a 1998 script he wrote that Universal rejected for being "more like a comic book than a movie." In 2014, Smith and
Ralph Garman Ralph Garman (born November 17, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, musician and radio host best known as the host of ''The Joe Schmo Show'', for his voice work on the Fox animated series ''Family Guy'', former entertainment reporter and impress ...
released a six-issue ''
Batman '66 ''Batman '66'' is an American superhero comic book series published by DC Comics featuring Batman as a continuation of the 1966–1968 television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin. The series was written primarily by ...
'' crossover featuring Batman and Green Hornet, ''Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet''. On March 7, 2022, it was announced that Dark Horse and Smith would be teaming up to publish the books of Secret Stash Press, a new publishing line by Smith. The first two books of the line include ''Maskerade'', written by Smith and Andy Mcelfresh and ''Quick Stops'', written by Smith and set within the
View Askewniverse The View Askewniverse is a fictional universe created by writer/director Kevin Smith, featured in several films, comics and a television series; it is named for Smith's production company, View Askew Productions. The characters Jay and Silent ...
.


Television

In 1998, Smith shot two TV commercials for
Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a cola soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. In 2013, Coke products were sold in over 200 countries and territories worldwide, with consumers drinking more than 1.8 billion company beverage servings ...
in New Jersey. In 2000, Smith and Mosier teamed up with television writer
David Mandel David Mandel (born ) is a writer, actor, director, and producer. He was an executive producer and showrunner of '' Veep'', and also an executive producer and director of ''Curb Your Enthusiasm'' and ''Seinfeld''. He is also a comedian, and one ...
to develop an animated television show based on ''Clerks'' called '' Clerks: The Animated Series''. Only the first two episodes aired, on
ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
in May 2000, before the series was canceled due to poor ratings. The six produced episodes were released on DVD in 2001. During the mid-1990s, Smith directed and starred in a series of commercials for MTV, alongside
Jason Mewes Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse franchise. E ...
, in which they reprised their roles as
Jay and Silent Bob Jay and Silent Bob are fictional characters portrayed by American actors Jason Mewes and Kevin Smith, respectively. They appear in the View Askewniverse, a fictional universe used in most of the films, comics, and television programs written and ...
. In 1998, he directed Mewes as "Gary Lamb – Ground Activist" in a series of
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine giv ...
commercials. That same year, he shot commercials for Diet Coke. Two years later, he directed ''Star Wars'' toy commercials for Hasbro. He has directed and starred in commercials for
Panasonic is a Japanese multinational electronics manufacturer, headquartered in Kadoma, Osaka, Kadoma, Japan. It was founded in 1918 as in Fukushima-ku, Osaka, Fukushima by Kōnosuke Matsushita. The company was incorporated in 1935 and renamed and c ...
. In 2004, he shot a
public service announcement A public service announcement (PSA) is a message in the public interest disseminated by the media without charge to raise public awareness and change behavior. Oftentimes these messages feature unsettling imagery, ideas or behaviors that are des ...
for the
Declare Yourself Declare Yourself was an American campaign that aimed to encourage young people to register to vote. The campaign was founded by philanthropist, Norman Lear in 2004 and was led by former American presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald Ford. The 2004 ca ...
organization, which promotes youth voter registration. These advertisements brought Jay and Silent Bob out of their "semi-retirement." On February 27, 2002, Smith released a short film for ''
The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...
'', '' The Flying Car''. Smith directed the pilot for
The CW The CW Network, LLC (commonly referred to as The CW or simply CW) is an American commercial broadcast television network which is controlled by Nexstar Media Group through a 75% ownership interest. The network's name is derived from the firs ...
supernatural comedy series ''
Reaper A reaper is a farm implement that reaps (cuts and often also gathers) crops at harvest when they are ripe. Usually the crop involved is a cereal grass, especially wheat. The first documented reaping machines were Gallic reapers that were used ...
''. He described it as "less '' Brimstone'' or ''
Dead Like Me ''Dead Like Me'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Ellen Muth and Mandy Patinkin as grim reapers who reside and work in Seattle, Washington. Filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, the show was created by Bryan Fuller for ...
'' and more like ''
Shaun of the Dead ''Shaun of the Dead'' is a 2004 zombie comedy film directed by Edgar Wright and written by Wright and Simon Pegg. Pegg stars as Shaun, a downtrodden London salesman who is caught alongside his loved ones in a zombie apocalypse. It also star ...
'' than anything else". He added that he took the job because he had always wanted to direct something he did not write, but never had an interest in doing it on the big screen. Smith produced and appeared in the
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...
reality television series '' Comic Book Men'', which is set inside Smith's comic book shop,
Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash (sometimes shortened to simply The StashMcLauchlin, Jim (June 1999). "Comic 'Clerks'", '' Wizard'' #94. pp. 30 - 33) is a comic book store owned by filmmaker Kevin Smith, and named after the fictional duo portra ...
, in
Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Incorporated in 1908, the community is on the Navesink River, the area's original transportation route to the ocean and other ports. Red Bank is in the New York metro ...
. The show ran for seven seasons, from 2012Seidman, Robert (January 14, 2012)
"AMC's New Unscripted Series, 'Comic Book Men' Debuts February 12 at 10pm"
TV by the Numbers.
to 2018. A second series of ''Spoilers'' aired on
The Comedy Network CTV Comedy Channel (often shortened to CTV Comedy) is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by BCE Inc. subsidiary Bell Media which focuses primarily on comedy programming and operates two time-shifted feeds, runni ...
in Canada. Smith has directed three episodes of ''
The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...
'' ("The Runaway Dinosaur", "Killer Frost", and "Null and Annoyed"), four episodes of ''
Supergirl Supergirl is the name of several fictional superheroines appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original, current, and most well known Supergirl is Supergirl (Kara Zor-El), Kara Zor-El, the cousin of superhero Superman. Th ...
'' ("Supergirl Lives", "Distant Sun", "Damage" and "Bunker Hill") and three episodes of '' The Goldbergs'' ("The Dynamic Duo", "Graduation Day" and "Our Perfect Strangers"). In February 2017, Smith was announced to write, direct, and executive produce a TV series based on the Image Comics title ''
Sam and Twitch Sam Burke and Maximilian "Twitch" Williams are two fictional NYPD homicide detectives created by Todd McFarlane. Sam and Twitch were originally featured in McFarlane's hit comic series ''Spawn''. Due to their popularity, they were later given the ...
'' for
BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is owned by AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary series). Unlike the BBC's ...
. In February 2019, Smith was announced to cowrite, with
Dave Willis Dave Willis (born May 1, 1970) is an American voice actor, screenwriter, and producer. He is the co-creator of the Adult Swim animated series ''Aqua Teen Hunger Force'', '' Squidbillies'', and '' Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell''. Willis also ...
, an animated web series based on
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is a New York City–based comic book publishing, publisher, a property of the Walt Disney Company since December 31, 2009, and a subsidiary of Disney Publishing Worldwide since March 2023. Marvel was founded in 1939 by Martin G ...
' ''
Howard the Duck Howard the Duck is a character appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character was created by writer Steve Gerber, based very loosely on his college friend Howard Tockman, and artist Val Mayerik. Howard the Duck firs ...
'' for
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
. In January 2020, it was announced that the ''Howard the Duck'' series was scrapped. In 2022, Smith guest starred as himself on the
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
sitcom ''
Warped! ''Warped!'' is an American buddy comedy television series created by Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert that aired on Nickelodeon from January 16 to March 31, 2022. The series stars Kate Godfrey, Anton Starkman, Ariana Molkara, and Christopher ...
'', in the episode "Plagiarized!"; in the episode, Smith announces to the lead characters what his new film would be, and the two leads believe Smith stole their similar idea and try to stop him.


Abandoned and stalled TV and film projects

In 1996, Smith worked on a script for a planned
Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...
film tentatively titled '' Superman Lives''. He wrote several drafts but was dropped from the project when
Tim Burton Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and producer. Known for popularizing Goth subculture, Goth culture in the American film industry, Burton is famous for his Gothic film, gothic horror and dark fantasy films. ...
was hired to direct and brought his own team to write the script; Burton's attempt was later abandoned as well. Smith publicly discussed his experience working on the script at a Q&A session at
Clark University Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1887 with a large endowment from its namesake Jonas Gilman Clark, a prominent businessman, Clark was one of the first modern research uni ...
shown on the 2002 DVD ''
An Evening with Kevin Smith ''An Evening with Kevin Smith'' is a DVD featuring question and answer sessions that the comedian and filmmaker Kevin Smith held with his fans at various American colleges in 2001/2002. The colleges were: Clark University, Cornell University, Ind ...
''. In the Q&A, he said the experience was positive overall, since he loves Superman and was paid well. But he listed a number of unusual demands that producer
Jon Peters John H. Peters (born June 2, 1945) is an American film producer and former hairdresser. Early life Peters was born on June 2, 1945, in Van Nuys, California. Peters is of Cherokee (father) and Italian (mother) descent. While growing up in a ro ...
made, including that Superman not be shown flying or wearing tights, and that he should battle a giant spider at the end of the film. Smith noted that he went to see the 1999 film ''
Wild Wild West ''Wild Wild West'' is a 1999 American steampunk Western film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and written by S. S. Wilson and Brent Maddock alongside Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman, based on a story conceived by Jim and John Thomas. Loosely ...
'', which Peters produced, and was surprised to see a giant mechanical spider at the end of the film, presumably Peters's handiwork. Smith's description of his experience gained a life of its own, with film critic
A.O. Scott Anthony Oliver Scott (born July 10, 1966) is an American journalist and cultural critic, known for his film and literary criticism. After starting his career at ''The New York Review of Books'', ''Variety'', and ''Slate'', he began writing film ...
of ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' calling it "extraordinary". In the 2007 direct-to-DVD animated film '' Superman: Doomsday'', Smith has a cameo as an onlooker in a crowd that alludes to this anecdote: after Superman defeats The Toyman's giant mechanical robot, Smith scoffs, "Yeah, like we really needed him to defeat that giant spider. Heh. ''Lame!''" In the early '00s, Smith was said to be writing '' Fletch Won'', a prequel to the
Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...
film '' Fletch'', and was set to direct with Jason Lee in the lead role, but the plans ultimately came to nothing. Smith cited Miramax not seeing Lee's box-office appeal (in an ''Entertainment Weekly'' article covering the delays, Smith claimed Harvey Weinstein continually refused it personally or suggested he focus more on the disguises of the character in a matter similar to ''
Austin Powers ''Austin Powers'' is a series of American satirical spy comedy films created by Mike Myers, who stars as the British spy Austin Powers as well as his arch-nemesis, Dr. Evil. The series consists of '' International Man of Mystery'' (1997), ' ...
'', Smith admitting incredulity that Harvey refused even after Lee was frequently seen in billboards and posters in the city at the time, to promote his new show ''
My Name is Earl ''My Name Is Earl'' is an American television sitcom created by Greg Garcia (producer), Greg Garcia for NBC. It aired for four seasons from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, with a total of List of My Name Is Earl episodes, 96 episodes. It wa ...
'', but admitting that Harvey's vision for the film clearly did not include Lee) as a reason for its abandonment. For a time, Ben Affleck was considered for the role, with Chase framing the action as the narrator, looking back on his early adventures. In 2004, Smith wrote a screenplay for a film adaptation of ''
The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell (director), James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas i ...
'', and announced that he intended to direct it. The project died after the poor box office of '' Jersey Girl''; the screenplay was later turned into a ''Green Hornet'' comic book miniseries. (A live-action film adaptation, ''
The Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell (director), James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas i ...
'', was released in 2011, with no involvement from Smith.) At the 2007
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
, it was announced that Smith would write and direct an episode of the ''
Heroes Heroes or Héroes may refer to: * Hero, one who displays courage and self-sacrifice for the greater good Film * ''Heroes'' (1977 film), an American drama * ''Heroes'' (2008 film), an Indian Hindi film Gaming * ''Heroes of Might and Magic'' ...
'' spin-off '' Heroes: Origins'', but the project was canceled because of the
2007 Writers Guild of America strike 7 (seven) is the natural number following 6 and preceding 8. It is the only prime number preceding a cube. As an early prime number in the series of positive integers, the number seven has symbolic associations in religion, mythology, supers ...
. Smith planned to direct a hockey drama-comedy based on
Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer and songwriter. His most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", "Lawyers, Guns and Money" and "Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner". All t ...
's song " Hit Somebody (The Hockey Song)". The song, about a hockey player famous for fighting in the rink, was co-written by
Mitch Albom Mitchell David Albom (born May 23, 1958) is an American author, journalist, and musician. As of 2021, he has sold 40 million books worldwide. Having achieved national recognition for sports writing in his early career, he turned to writing inspi ...
, who worked with Smith on the project. Smith announced at the 2011 Sundance premiere of ''
Red State Starting with the 2000 United States presidential election, the terms "red state" and "blue state" have referred to US states whose voters vote predominantly for one party—the Republican Party in red states and the Democratic Party in blue ...
'' that ''Hit Somebody'' would be the last film he directed, but that he would continue to tell stories in other media.Stewart, Sara (March 3, 2011)
"Kevin can wait"
. ''
New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is an American Conservatism in the United States, conservative daily Tabloid (newspaper format), tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates three online sites: NYPost. ...
''.
In August 2011, ''Hit Somebody'' was announced as a two-part film titled ''Hit Somebody: Home'' and ''Hit Somebody: Away'', with part one rated PG-13 and part two rated R, but later it became one film again. In December 2012, Smith announced that, due to difficulties finding funding, ''Hit Somebody'' would be a six-part miniseries on an as-yet unknown network. Smith announced in March 2015 that ''Hit Somebody'' would film from September to Christmas 2015, but this did not happen. On March 12, 2015, Smith said he would film ''Clerks III'' in May 2015, followed in early 2016 by ''Moose Jaws'' and ''Anti-Claus'' (a story inspired by the
Krampus The Krampus () is a horned anthropomorphic figure who, in the Central and Eastern Alpine folkloric tradition, is said to accompany Saint Nicholas on visits to children during the night of 5 December (''Krampusnacht''; "Krampus Night"), imme ...
tradition), which he confirmed the next day. On April 8, 2015, Smith said that ''Mallrats 2'' would instead be his next film. Most of the original film's cast (16 of the 18) signed on to appear in the sequel. In June 2016, Smith revealed that because
Universal Universal is the adjective for universe. Universal may also refer to: Companies * NBCUniversal, a media and entertainment company that is a subsidiary of Comcast ** Universal Animation Studios, an American Animation studio, and a subsidiary of N ...
owns the rights to the ''Mallrats'' title a sequel would not be made; instead, it would be turned into a ten-episode TV series produced by
Universal Television Universal Television LLC (abbreviated as UTV) is an American television production company that is a division of NBCUniversal Television and Streaming#Universal Studio Group, Universal Studio Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which, in turn, is ...
. He also confirmed that the film's entire cast would reprise their roles in the series. Toward the end of the month, Smith announced that he had closed a deal with Universal Television to pitch the series to networks and streaming services in August. In January 2016, Smith wrapped production on a pilot episode for a planned half-hour comedy series, ''Hollyweed''. He wrote and directed the pilot, which starred Smith and
Donnell Rawlings Donnell M. Rawlings (born December 6, 1968) is an American comedian, actor, and radio host. He is best known as a cast member on the Comedy Central sketch comedy TV series ''Chappelle's Show'' and the HBO drama ''The Wire''. Early life Donnell ...
, along with
Kristin Bauer van Straten Kristin Bauer van Straten ( Neubauer) is an American film and television actress, notable for her roles as vampire Pamela Swynford De Beaufort on the HBO television series ''True Blood'', Jerry's girlfriend Gillian ("man hands") on ''Seinfeld'' ...
,
Frankie Shaw Rachel Frances Shaw (born ) is an American actress, writer and director. She is best known for playing Bridgette Bird on the Showtime (TV network), Showtime series ''SMILF,'' based on the 2015 short film of the same title, which she wrote, dire ...
,
Jason Mewes Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse franchise. E ...
,
Ralph Garman Ralph Garman (born November 17, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, musician and radio host best known as the host of ''The Joe Schmo Show'', for his voice work on the Fox animated series ''Family Guy'', former entertainment reporter and impress ...
,
Adam Brody Adam Jared Brody (born December 15, 1979) is an American actor. His breakout role was as Seth Cohen on the Fox television series '' The O.C.'' (2003–2007). For his performance as Noah in the Netflix romantic comedy series '' Nobody Wants T ...
, Hina Abdullah, Pete Pietrangeliand and
Harley Quinn Smith Harley Quinn Smith (born June 26, 1999) is an American actress and musician. Smith is most known for her role as a convenience store clerk in the film ''Tusk'' and starred in its spin-off '' Yoga Hosers'', both written and directed by her father ...
. The pilot was not picked up. In July 2018, it was released as the inaugural pilot on the new TV crowdsourcing site Rivit TV, in hopes of getting funded as a web series. In May 2016, Smith announced that he was adapting the 1984 film ''
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension ''The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension'', often shortened to ''Buckaroo Banzai'', is a 1984 American Adventure film, adventure Science fiction comedy, science fiction comedy film produced and directed by W. D. Richter and w ...
'' for television through
MGM Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. (also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, commonly shortened to MGM or MGM Studios) is an American Film production, film and television production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered ...
and said he and the company were shopping it around to networks. In July 2016, it was revealed that
Amazon Studios Amazon MGM Studios is an American film and television production and distribution company owned by Amazon, and headquartered at the Culver Studios complex in Culver City, California. Launched on November 16, 2010, it took its current name on O ...
was close to closing a deal to produce the series, but in November 2016, during a Facebook Live Stream, Smith said he would walk away from the series after MGM filed a lawsuit against the original creators, but would be willing to come back on board if they wanted him.


Acting roles

As an actor, Smith is best known for his role as Silent Bob in ''
Clerks A clerk is someone who works in an office. A retail clerk works in a store. Office holder Clerk(s) may also refer to a person who holds an office, most commonly in a local unit of government, or a court. *Barristers' clerk, a manager and administ ...
'', ''
Mallrats ''Mallrats'' is a 1995 American buddy comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Jason Lee, Jeremy London, Shannen Doherty, Claire Forlani, Priscilla Barnes and Michael Rooker. It is the second film in the View Askewnive ...
'', ''
Chasing Amy ''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams and Jason Lee. The third film in Smith's View Askewniverse series, the film is about a male comic a ...
'', ''
Dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...
'', ''
Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' is a 2001 American satirical stoner buddy comedy film written, co-edited, and directed by Kevin Smith and produced and co-edited by Scott Mosier. The film is the fifth set in the View Askewniverse, a growing ...
'', and ''
Clerks II ''Clerks II'' is a 2006 American black comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, the sequel to his 1994 film ''Clerks'', and his sixth feature film to be set in the View Askewniverse. The film stars Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosa ...
''. He made a cameo appearance in the horror film ''
Scream 3 ''Scream 3'' is a 2000 American slasher film directed by Wes Craven and written by Ehren Kruger. It stars David Arquette, Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox Arquette, Parker Posey, Patrick Dempsey, Scott Foley, Lance Henriksen, Matt Keeslar, ...
'', and was featured along with
Jason Mewes Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse franchise. E ...
in several '' Degrassi: The Next Generation'' episodes, including a special, "Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi" (also as a fictional version of himself). Smith played the role of Paul, a cynical divorced man, in a
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
television series pilot, ''Manchild'', filmed in December 2006. It was not picked up by the network. From 1995 to 1999, Smith played small roles in the View Askew films ''
Drawing Flies ''Drawing Flies'' is a 1996 comedy film from Kevin Smith's View Askew Productions. It was written, directed, and edited by filmmakers Malcolm Ingram and Matt Gissing, with financial backing from Smith and Scott Mosier. This was Jason Lee's first ...
'', '' Vulgar'', and ''
Big Helium Dog ''Big Helium Dog'' is a 1999 comedy film. It is produced by Kevin Smith's View Askew production company and also features the Broken Lizard comedy troupe in starring ( Kevin Heffernan) and supporting (Jay Chandrasekhar, Steve Lemme, and Erik S ...
''. In 2001, he appeared in friend Jeff Anderson's film '' Now You Know''. In 2003, Smith appeared in a cameo role as coroner Jack Kirby in the film '' Daredevil''. In 2006, he voiced the Moose in the CGI cartoon ''
Doogal ''The Magic Roundabout'' (also known as ''Sprung! The Magic Roundabout''; ) is a 2005 animated adventure fantasy comedy film based on the television series of the same name. Unlike the show, which was presented with stop-motion animation, the ...
''. In early 2005, Smith appeared in three episodes of the Canadian-made teen drama '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''. He wrote his own dialogue for the episodes. An avid fan of the original ''
Degrassi ''Degrassi'' is a Canadian teen drama television franchise created by Kit Hood and Linda Schuyler, that follows the lives of youths attending the eponymous secondary school in Toronto. Each entry since 1987 has taken place in the same contin ...
'' series ''
Degrassi Junior High ''Degrassi Junior High'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood. It is the second entry of the '' Degrassi'' television franchise after ''The Kids of Degrassi Street'' and aired on the CBC from 18 Jan ...
'' and ''
Degrassi High ''Degrassi High'' is a Canadian teen drama television series created by Linda Schuyler and Kit Hood. It is the third entry in the '' Degrassi'' franchise and the direct continuation of '' Degrassi Junior High'', and was broadcast on the CBC fro ...
'', Smith references them in some of his early films. In the episodes, portraying a fictionalized version of himself, he visited the school to work on the fictional film ''Jay and Silent Bob Go Canadian, Eh!'' All three episodes were collected on the DVD ''Jay and Silent Bob Do Degrassi''. Smith and Mewes reappeared in two episodes the following season, in which they returned to Degrassi for the Toronto premiere of the movie. Smith also appeared in the 2009 made-for-TV movie ''
Degrassi Goes Hollywood ''Degrassi Goes Hollywood'', known in syndication as "Paradise City", is a 2009 Canadian television film based on the teen drama series '' Degrassi: The Next Generation,'' the fourth entry of the '' Degrassi'' television franchise''.'' Directed ...
''. In 2007, Smith appeared in a number of films, co-starring as Sam in ''
Catch and Release Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing where after capture the fish is Fish hook, unhooked and returned live to the water. Originally adopted in the United Kingdom by Coarse fishing, coarse fishermen to Overfishing, preser ...
'', starring
Jennifer Garner Jennifer Anne Garner (born April 17, 1972) is an American actress. Born in Houston, Texas and raised in Charleston, West Virginia, Garner studied theater at Denison University and began acting as an understudy for the Roundabout Theatre Company ...
, and appearing as The Warlock, a hacker, in the fourth installment of the ''
Die Hard ''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan and written by Jeb Stuart (writer), Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza, based on the 1979 novel ''Nothing Lasts Forever (Thorp novel), Nothing Lasts Forever'' by Roderick ...
'' franchise, ''
Live Free or Die Hard ''Live Free or Die Hard'' (released as ''Die Hard 4.0'' outside North America) is a 2007 American action thriller film directed by Len Wiseman, the fourth installment in the Die Hard (franchise), ''Die Hard'' film series. It is based on the 199 ...
''. At year's end, he appeared briefly in friend and fellow writer-director Richard Kelly's '' Southland Tales'', in which he played the legless conspiracy theorist General Simon Theory. The same year, Smith did voicework for the CGI film ''
TMNT ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' (''TMNT'') is an American media franchise created by comic book artists Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird. It follows Leonardo, Donatello, Raphael and Michelangelo, four anthropomorphic turtle brothers trained i ...
'' as a diner chef and was seen as Rusty (a friend of lead Jason Mewes) in '' Bottoms Up'' with co-star Paris Hilton. Smith cameoed in the second-season premiere of the sitcom ''
Joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horace ...
'', playing himself, on an episode of ''
Law & Order ''Law & Order'' is an American police procedural and legal drama television series created by Dick Wolf and produced by Wolf Entertainment and Universal Television, launching the ''Law & Order'' franchise. ''Law & Order'' aired its entire ...
'' (2000, episode " Black, White and Blue"), ''
Duck Dodgers Duck Dodgers is the star of a series of cartoons produced by Warner Bros., featuring Daffy Duck in the role of a science fiction hero. He first appeared in the 1953 cartoon short '' Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century'', directed by Chuck Jone ...
'' (2003 as
Hal Jordan Harold "Hal" Jordan, one of the characters known as Green Lantern, is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created in 1959 by writer John Broome (writer), John Broome and artist Gil Kane, and f ...
, voice only) and ''
Yes, Dear ''Yes, Dear'' is an American sitcom created by Alan Kirschenbaum and Gregory Garcia that originally ran on CBS for six seasons, from October 2, 2000, to February 15, 2006, with a total of 122 episodes. It starred Anthony Clark, Jean Louisa K ...
'' (2004, as himself and as Silent Bob behind the end credits). He appeared in the second episode of season two of ''
Veronica Mars ''Veronica Mars'' is an American teen neo-noir Mystery fiction, mystery Drama (film and television), drama television series created by screenwriter Rob Thomas (writer), Rob Thomas. The series is set in the fictional city, fictional town of Ne ...
'', playing a store clerk. Before it aired, Smith watched the show's first season and raved about it in his "online diary", calling it one of the best shows in the history of television. Smith does a voice cameo in '' Superman: Doomsday'' as a bystander. He had a cameo appearance as "Bob the Security Guard" alongside
Jason Mewes Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse franchise. E ...
as "Jay the Security Guard" on ''
The Flash The Flash is the name of several superheroes appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (cover date, cover-dated Jan ...
'' episode, "Null and Annoyed", which he also directed. Smith played himself in the video game '' Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham'' as a playable character. Smith appears as himself in '' Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare'', as a cameo and a playable character in the map Rave in the Redwoods. In 2017, he appeared as himself in the animated film '' Teen Titans: The Judas Contract'' from the
DC Universe Animated Original Movies The DC Universe Animated Original Movies (DCUAOM; also known as DC Universe Original Movies or DC Universe Movies or DC Animated Movies) are a series of American direct-to-video superhero animated films based on DC Comics characters and stories. ...
series. Smith had a voice cameo in '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', and an on-screen cameo in '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker''.


Q&A documentaries and other specials

Smith has appeared in five Q&A documentaries: ''
An Evening with Kevin Smith ''An Evening with Kevin Smith'' is a DVD featuring question and answer sessions that the comedian and filmmaker Kevin Smith held with his fans at various American colleges in 2001/2002. The colleges were: Clark University, Cornell University, Ind ...
'' (2002), '' An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder'' (2006), '' Sold Out: A Threevening with Kevin Smith'' (2007), '' Kevin Smith: Too Fat for 40'' (2010) and '' Kevin Smith: Burn in Hell'' (2012). All five have been released on DVD, and the last two were broadcast on the cable channel
Epix MGM+ (formerly known as Epix; pronounced ''epics'' and stylized as eᴘix), is an American premium cable and satellite television network owned by the MGMPlus Entertainment subsidiary of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), which is itself a subsidiary ...
. The first is a collection of filmed appearances at American colleges, while the sequel was shot at two Q&A shows held in
Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and London. The third and fourth were filmed in Red Bank, New Jersey at the Count Basie Theater on Smith's 37th and 40th birthdays, respectively. The fifth was filmed in Austin, Texas at the Paramount Theater. The first two DVD sets were released by Sony Home Video, while the third was put out by the Weinstein Company. A stand-up special, entitled ''Kevin Smith: Silent But Deadly'', filmed a mere hour before Smith's heart attack, premiered in 2018 on the cable channel
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
and was later released to DVD. Smith appears with Marvel Comics'
Stan Lee Stan Lee (born Stanley Martin Lieber ; December 28, 1922 – November 12, 2018) was an American comic book author, writer, editor, publisher, and producer. He rose through the ranks of a family-run business called Timely Comics which later bec ...
in ''Marvel Then & Now: An Evening With Stan Lee and Joe Quesada, hosted by Kevin Smith''. The film is similar in tone to the ''Evening with Kevin Smith'' series. Proceeds from the film benefit
The Hero Initiative The Hero Initiative, formerly known as A Commitment to Our Roots, or ACTOR, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping comic book creators, writers, and artists in need. Founded in late 2000 by a consortium of comic book and trade pu ...
, a charitable organization that aids ill or aging comic book creators.


Other film and television appearances

After an August 2001 appearance on ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American television talk show broadcast by NBC. The show is the fourth and sixth installment of ''The Tonight Show''. Hosted by Jay Leno, it aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009, replacing ''The Ton ...
'' to promote ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'', Smith returned to the show for monthly segments as a correspondent. The "Roadside Attractions" segments featured him traveling to places around the country, including
Howe Caverns Howe Caverns is a limestone solutional cave, operated as a show cave, in the hamlet of Howes Cave, Schoharie County, New York. Howe Caverns is a popular tourist attraction, providing visitors with a sense of caving or spelunking, without needin ...
in upstate New York and the Pike Place Fish Market in
Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
. At least 12 of these segments were aired, and Smith regularly appeared on the program to introduce the pre-taped pieces. Five of the segments were also included on the '' Jersey Girl'' DVD. Smith appeared in the 2006
mtvU MTVU (formerly stylized as MtvU and mtvU) is an American digital cable TV channel owned by the MTV Entertainment Group, a unit of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. MTVU programming initially served 750 college and univ ...
show ''
Sucks Less with Kevin Smith ''Sucks Less with Kevin Smith'' is a show done in partnership with MTVu, an MTV channel aimed at college students. The show aired weekly on MTVu, on Amp'd Mobile phones, and oMTVu.com It is "the show for people who have way better things to do wit ...
''. The show gives college students ideas for things to do on the weekends. In 2006, Smith guest reviewed on '' Ebert & Roeper'', in place of
Roger Ebert Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
, who was recovering from
thyroid cancer Thyroid cancer is cancer that develops from the tissues of the thyroid gland. It is a disease in which cells grow abnormally and have the potential to spread to other parts of the body. Symptoms can include swelling or a lump in the neck, ...
treatment. These spots were notable for the arguments between Smith and
Richard Roeper Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American writer. He is a former columnist and film critic for the '' Chicago Sun-Times'', where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television s ...
over certain films, with Smith often citing Roeper's negative review of ''Jersey Girl'' to discredit his review of the film at hand. On one appearance, Smith compared
Craig Brewer Craig Houston Brewer (born December 6, 1971) is an American filmmaker. His 2005 movie '' Hustle & Flow'' won the Audience Award at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and achieved commercial success, along with an Academy Award for Best Original So ...
's '' Black Snake Moan'' to the works of
William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer. He is best known for William Faulkner bibliography, his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi, a stand-in fo ...
. Smith was featured as one of the interview subjects in ''
This Film Is Not Yet Rated ''This Film Is Not Yet Rated'' is a 2006 American documentary film about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and its effect on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Eddie Schmidt. It premiered at the ...
'', a 2006 documentary about the
Motion Picture Association of America The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is an American trade association representing the Major film studios, five major film studios of the Cinema of the United States, United States, the Major film studios#Mini-majors, mini-major Amazon MGM Stud ...
's process of rating films. Smith discussed how '' Jersey Girl'' receiving an R rating, on the basis of a conversation two characters in that film have about masturbation, which MPAA head Joan Graves told Smith she would not feel comfortable having her 16-year-old daughter watching. Smith's response was to question whether Graves' daughter had not already masturbated or learned about masturbation, arguing that his film was not teaching 16-year-olds anything they did not already know. Smith teamed with
AMC AMC may refer to: Film and television * AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain * AMC Networks, an American entertainment company ** AMC (TV channel) ** AMC+, streaming service ** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company *** ...
and
The Weinstein Company The Weinstein Company, LLC (usually credited or abbreviated as TWC) was an American independent film production and distribution company, which was founded in New York City by Bob and Harvey Weinstein on March 10, 2005. TWC was one of the larg ...
to co-host a late night talk show with
Greg Grunberg Gregory Phillip Grunberg (born July 11, 1966) is an American film and television actor known for starring as Eric Weiss in the ABC series '' Alias'', Matt Parkman in the NBC series '' Heroes'', Temmin "Snap" Wexley in '' Star Wars: The Force ...
, '' Geeking Out'', which premiered in July 2016, covering
San Diego Comic-Con San Diego Comic-Con is a comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, at the San Diego Convention Center. Founded in 1970, originally showcasing primarily comic books and science fiction/fant ...
with 8 subsequent episodes running weekly. In February 2019, he made his second appearance on ''
The Big Bang Theory ''The Big Bang Theory'' is an American television sitcom created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady for CBS. It aired from September 24, 2007, to May 16, 2019, running for 12 seasons and 279 episodes. The show originally centered on five charact ...
'' in season 12 episode 16, "The D&D Vortex", alongside other guests stars,
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Kareem Abdul-Jabbar ( ; born Ferdinand Lewis Alcindor Jr. , April 16, 1947) is an American former basketball player. He played professionally for 20 seasons for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Associatio ...
,
William Shatner William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1966 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
, and
Joe Manganiello Joseph Michael Manganiello ( ; , ; born December 28, 1976) is an American actor. His professional film career began when he played Flash Thompson in Sam Raimi's ''Spider-Man''. His breakout role was as werewolf Alcide Herveaux in five seasons ...
in a storyline where they get together at the home of recurring star
Wil Wheaton Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor and writer. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film ''Stand by Me (film), Stand by Me'', ...
, to play ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
''. His first appearance was in season 8 episode 20, "The Fortification Implementation", when he joins
Wil Wheaton Richard William "Wil" Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor and writer. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film ''Stand by Me (film), Stand by Me'', ...
on a podcast, voice only. On November 16, 2019,
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime (styled as prime) is a paid subscription service of Amazon which is available in many countries and gives users access to additional services otherwise unavailable or available at a premium to other Amazon customers. Services inclu ...
published "Bonus: Kevin Smith Explains ''The Expanse''" as a forerunner to series 4 of ''
The Expanse Expanse or The Expanse may refer to: Media and entertainment ''The Expanse'' franchise * ''The Expanse'' (novel series), a series of science fiction novels by James S. A. Corey * ''The Expanse'' (TV series), a television adaptation of the ...
'', in which Smith helps explain the action that unfolded during the first three seasons. Two days later, it was published on YouTube.


Public appearances

Smith's longest Q&A session took place April 2, 2005, at the
Count Basie Theatre The Count Basie Center for the Arts, originally Count Basie Theatre, is a landmarked performing arts center in Red Bank, New Jersey. The building first opened in 1926 as the Carlton Theater and later, in 1973, became known as the Monmouth Arts ...
in Red Bank, New Jersey. The sold-out event was over seven hours long, took place from 8 pm through 3 am (which due to
daylight saving time Daylight saving time (DST), also referred to as daylight savings time, daylight time (Daylight saving time in the United States, United States and Daylight saving time in Canada, Canada), or summer time (British Summer Time, United Kingdom, ...
, was actually 4 am). Following the Q&A, he opened
Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash (sometimes shortened to simply The StashMcLauchlin, Jim (June 1999). "Comic 'Clerks'", '' Wizard'' #94. pp. 30 - 33) is a comic book store owned by filmmaker Kevin Smith, and named after the fictional duo portra ...
for a meet-and-greet with the numerous remaining audience members, which ended around 6:30 am. Smith then hopped on a plane and did another Q&A at the Raue Center for the Arts in Crystal Lake, Illinois, that night. Planned for two hours, it lasted just over five hours, ending a little after 1 am Central time. Smith made sold-out appearances at
Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...
in 2009 and the
Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...
in 2010.


On the Internet

Smith has a website, The View Askewniverse, which went online in late 1995. He has an online blog, "My Boring-Ass Life", the contents of which were published in a book by the same name. ''
Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back ''Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back'' is a 2001 American satirical stoner buddy comedy film written, co-edited, and directed by Kevin Smith and produced and co-edited by Scott Mosier. The film is the fifth set in the View Askewniverse, a growing ...
'' fictional website MoviePoopShoot.com became real in 2002. It became
Quick Stop Entertainment Fred Entertainment (formerly Movie Poop Shoot and later Quick Stop Entertainment) is a pop-culture website. The site was founded as Movie Poop Shoot by director Kevin Smith to promote the 2001 movie '' Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back''. The site se ...
and was the home of SModcast until it was sold and SModcast moved to a dedicated website SModcast.com, which carries the other SModcast network
podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...
s in early 2010. On February 5, 2007, Smith and
Scott Mosier Scott A. Mosier (born March 5, 1971) is an American-Canadian film producer, director and editor best known for his work with director Kevin Smith, with whom he occasionally co-hosts the weekly podcast, ''SModcast''. Early life Mosier was born ...
began
SModcast ''SModcast'' is a podcast featuring filmmaker Kevin Smith. The show was initially co-hosted with Smith's long-time producing partner Scott Mosier, although over the years, Mosier's appearances have been sporadic with a series of guest hosts taki ...
, a regular comedy podcast. SModcast has since spawned into a podcast network called the SModcast podcast network which began in 2010, its own
digital radio Digital radio is the use of digital technology to transmit or receive across the radio spectrum. Digital transmission by radio waves includes digital broadcasting, and especially digital audio radio services. This should not be confused with In ...
station called SModcast Internet Radio (S.I.R) in 2011 and an internet television channel SModCo Internet Television (S.I.T.) in 2012. On June 4, 2012, Smith premiered his
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
weekly series '' Spoilers'', described as an "anti-movie review" series, where Smith takes a group of people to a new film and has them comment on what they have seen. Other segments on the show include interviews with celebrities, and the "Criterion Lounge", where Smith discusses a
Criterion Collection The Criterion Collection, Inc. (or simply Criterion) is an American home-video distribution company that focuses on licensing, restoring and distributing "important classic and contemporary films". A "sister company" of arthouse film distributo ...
film available on DVD and the Hulu Plus service. On December 14, 2015, Smith began posting his ''Fatman on Batman'' series on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. In late 2015, Smith and Jason Mewes began the web series ''What's in the Box?'' on the ''
Screen Junkies Screen Junkies is an online movie magazine and YouTube channel, owned and operated by Fandom, that focuses primarily on movies and television. Screen Junkies produce numerous shows now spread across two YouTube channels, including ''The Screen J ...
'' website, through the site's streaming service.


Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash

Smith owns and operates
Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash (sometimes shortened to simply The StashMcLauchlin, Jim (June 1999). "Comic 'Clerks'", '' Wizard'' #94. pp. 30 - 33) is a comic book store owned by filmmaker Kevin Smith, and named after the fictional duo portra ...
in Red Bank, New Jersey, a comic book store largely dedicated to merchandise related to his films and comics. He purchased the original store in January 1997 for $30,000, using the money he earned from ''Clerks''. The current location is its third. The original store was moved to a defunct ice cream parlor at 35 Broad St. after Smith sold the Monmouth Street property. The New Jersey location was managed by Smith's long-time friend
Walt Flanagan Walter Flanagan is a former comic book store manager, reality television personality, podcaster, and comic book artist. Flanagan is a long-time friend of Kevin Smith, and (according to Smith's book '' Silent Bob Speaks'') it was Flanagan who tur ...
, who appears frequently in Smith's films. On November 25, 2020, Smith announced on his Twitter account that he was closing the Red Bank store at 35 Broad Street on December 28, and moving the store down the block to a long-vacant corner location at 65 Broad Street. The new location opened on February 22, 2021. A second Secret Stash in the Westwood section of Los Angeles was opened in September 2004 and was managed by long-time friend and associate Bryan Johnson, who has appeared in Smith's films as Steve-Dave.Smith, Kevin (September 12, 2007)
"Some pity-oral, who is and isn't 'Zack', and the shuttering of a comic book emporium"
. My Boring Ass Life.
Smith had announced that he would close after his lease expired and Johnson wanted to resign, but eventually relocated to Laser Blazer, a now-defunct laserdisc and DVD store in Los Angeles. In January 2009, the Los Angeles store closed, leaving the Red Bank store as Smith's only operating store.


Personal life

After the success of his first films, Smith moved to
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, though he felt homesick due to being away from
Red Bank, New Jersey Red Bank is a borough in Monmouth County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Incorporated in 1908, the community is on the Navesink River, the area's original transportation route to the ocean and other ports. Red Bank is in the New York metro ...
. He dated actress
Joey Lauren Adams Joey Lauren Adams (born January 9, 1968) is an American actress and director. Adams starred in ''Chasing Amy'', for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, and played smaller role ...
, and declared his desire to marry her in ''
Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...
'' magazine. Smith and Adams' relationship was tested by their working together on ''
Chasing Amy ''Chasing Amy'' is a 1997 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Kevin Smith and starring Ben Affleck, Joey Lauren Adams and Jason Lee. The third film in Smith's View Askewniverse series, the film is about a male comic a ...
'', and the two had a heated argument while on the film's set. They broke up in June 1997. Smith is married to
Jennifer Schwalbach Smith Jennifer Schwalbach Smith, sometimes credited as Jennifer Schwalbach, is an American actress, podcaster and former reporter for ''USA Today''. Career While a ''USA Today'' reporter, Schwalbach met film director Kevin Smith while interviewing him ...
, whom he met while she was interviewing him for ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
''.Plus One, podcast, smodcast.com, retrieved April 2013 They got married at
Skywalker Ranch Skywalker Ranch is a movie ranch and the workplace of film director, writer and producer George Lucas located in a secluded area near Nicasio, California, in Marin County. The ranch is located on Lucas Valley Road, named after an early-20th-c ...
on April 25, 1999. He photographed her for a nude pictorial in ''
Playboy ''Playboy'' (stylized in all caps) is an American men's Lifestyle journalism, lifestyle and entertainment magazine, available both online and in print. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, funded in part by a $ ...
''. Their daughter,
Harley Quinn Smith Harley Quinn Smith (born June 26, 1999) is an American actress and musician. Smith is most known for her role as a convenience store clerk in the film ''Tusk'' and starred in its spin-off '' Yoga Hosers'', both written and directed by her father ...
, was born June 26, 1999, and was named after the character from '' Batman: The Animated Series''. They live in the
Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills is a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California. It borders Studio City, Universal City and Burbank on the north, Griffith Park on the north and east, Los Feliz on the southeast, Hollyw ...
in a house Smith purchased from his longtime friend
Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
in 2003. Smith is an avid hockey fan and supports the
New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...
. He is also a fan of the
Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...
.


Health

Smith never smoked until his debut film, ''Clerks'', in which he used the
cigarette A cigarette is a narrow cylinder containing a combustible material, typically tobacco, that is rolled into Rolling paper, thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end, causing it to smolder; the resulting smoke is orally inhale ...
s as a prop, but did not inhale. He quit smoking cigarettes in 2008, when he took up smoking
cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...
after working with
Seth Rogen Seth Aaron Rogen (; born April 15, 1982) is a Canadian actor, comedian, and filmmaker. Known primarily for his comedic Leading actor, leading man roles in films, the accolades he has received include nominations for three Golden Globe Awards, ...
on ''
Zack and Miri Make a Porno ''Zack and Miri Make a Porno'' (also known simply as ''Zack and Miri'') is a 2008 American sex comedy film written, directed and edited by Kevin Smith and starring Seth Rogen and Elizabeth Banks. It was released on October 31, 2008. The film f ...
''. Smith has had a history of
yo-yo dieting Weight cycling, also known as yo-yo dieting, is the repeated loss and gain of weight, resembling the up-down motion of a yo-yo. The temporary weight loss of yo-yo dieting is often caused by quick yet unsustainable success of strict diets. The di ...
. He lost upon meeting his wife. During production of ''
Clerks II ''Clerks II'' is a 2006 American black comedy film written and directed by Kevin Smith, the sequel to his 1994 film ''Clerks'', and his sixth feature film to be set in the View Askewniverse. The film stars Brian O'Halloran, Jeff Anderson, Rosa ...
'' in 2005, he went from to . After watching '' Fed Up'', he eliminated sugar from his diet and took up juice fasts in 2014, lowering his weight from to . On February 25, 2018, after performing a stand-up comedy show at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, California, Smith suffered a severe Myocardial infarction, heart attack caused by a total blockage of the Anterior interventricular branch of left coronary artery, left anterior descending artery. An ambulance rushed him to the nearby Glendale Adventist Medical Center for emergency surgery, from which he recovered. Following the episode, his doctor told him he needed to lose another . He adopted a vegan diet, also joining WW International, Weight Watchers and becoming a paid spokesperson for the brand. On the fifth anniversary of his heart attack, Smith confirmed that he had quit using marijuana in early 2023 and had experienced a mental health crisis earlier in the year that led him to reassess his livelihood and identify as co-dependent.


Religious beliefs

Though raised Catholic Church, Catholic, Smith began to become disillusioned about his beliefs in his early 20s, and came to see Mass in the Catholic Church, Catholic Mass as "dry and lip-servicey". Seeking out advice, Smith spoke to a priest, who analogized faith to liquid filling a shot glass, and explained that the glass grows in size as a person grows older, and thus the same knowledge that satisfies a person as a child can be insufficient as an adult. Smith researched Christianity thoroughly, explored other religions, read the Biblical apocrypha, and tried joining a Pentecostalism, Pentecostal congregation. The thoughts and ideas he explored during this time formed the inspiration for his film ''
Dogma Dogma, in its broadest sense, is any belief held definitively and without the possibility of reform. It may be in the form of an official system of principles or doctrines of a religion, such as Judaism, Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, or Islam ...
'', the beginning of which features characters using the shot glass metaphor used by the priest. Though Smith still regularly attended Mass as late as 1998, he stated on "Back to the Well", a feature on the ''Clerks II'' documentary, that he only goes to Mass on the day before he starts production of a film, and the day before it premieres. In September 2014, Smith said that he believed in God, stating: "Proof of God is that I have a career." In a 2015 interview, Smith said that he had left both Catholicism and theism behind, citing the death of his dog. He said that upon the dog's death, he realized that dogs do not have religious beliefs. This in turn made him decide that religion was something meant to comfort children who were afraid of death. As an adult, Smith decided he no longer needed religion if his dog did not. When asked about his religious beliefs in 2017, Smith said that he "believes in people".


Philanthropy

Smith co-founded "The Wayne Foundation", a charity supporting women affected by human trafficking and exploitation in 2010; as of 2025 it had its tax exempt status revoked by the IRS due to failure to file for 3 consecutive years. In February 2019, he donated some of his previously worn jerseys to be auctioned off for the charity. In 2018,
Vancouver Film School Vancouver Film School (VFS) is a private entertainment arts school located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1987, it has achieved international recognition. The Vancouver Film School has campus locations around Downtown Vancouve ...
announced three "Kevin Smith Scholarships" in Acting, Writing and Film Production covering full-tuition. Thirteen partial scholarships were awarded, funded by Smith. He personally selected the recipients from over nine hundred applications.


Filmography

Smith has directed sixteen feature films since 1994; he was the screenwriter for all but one of them, '' Cop Out'' (2010). He has created and executive produced the TV series '' Clerks: The Animated Series'' (2000–2001), ''
Sucks Less with Kevin Smith ''Sucks Less with Kevin Smith'' is a show done in partnership with MTVu, an MTV channel aimed at college students. The show aired weekly on MTVu, on Amp'd Mobile phones, and oMTVu.com It is "the show for people who have way better things to do wit ...
'' (2006), '' Comic Book Men'' (2012–2018) and '' Geeking Out'' (2016). Since 2016, he has regularly directed episodes for a number of television shows. Smith has had many small acting roles in films and television, often playing himself or otherwise making a cameo appearance.


Recognition

In 2019, ''Clerks'' was selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the United States National Film Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".


Bibliography


''View Askewniverse''

*
Oni Press Oni Press is an American independent comic book and graphic novel publisher based in Portland, Oregon, best known for publishing such series as '' Scott Pilgrim'' and ''Rick and Morty''. In 2019, it became an imprint label following the company's ...
: **''Oni Double Feature'' (anthology): *** "Walt Flanagan's Dog" (with Matt Wagner, in #1, 1998) *** "Bluntman and Chronic, The Derris Affair" (with Mike Allred, in #12, 1999) **''Clerks (comics), Clerks: The Comic Books'' (tpb, 112 pages, 2000, ) collects: *** ''Clerks: The Comic Book'' (with Jim Mahfood, one-shot (comics), one-shot, 1998) *** ''Clerks Holiday Special'' (with Jim Mahfood, 1998) *** ''Clerks: The Lost Scene'' (with Phil Hester (comics), Phil Hester, one-shot, 1999) **''Chasing Dogma, Jay and Silent Bob'' #1–4 (with Duncan Fegredo, 1998–1999) collected as ''Jay and Silent Bob: Chasing Dogma'' (tpb, 112 pages, 1999, ) *''
Bluntman and Chronic Bluntman and Chronic are characters appearing in a fictional eponymous comic book series seen in the movies ''Chasing Amy,'' '' Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,'' and ''Jay and Silent Bob Reboot''. Actual ''Bluntman and Chronic'' comic books based ...
'' (with Michael Avon Oeming and Neil Vokes; includes "The Derris Affair", graphic novel, 96 pages,
Image An image or picture is a visual representation. An image can be Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, or Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional, such as a carving or sculpture. Images may be di ...
, 2001, ) *''Clerks (comics), Tales from the Clerks'': "Where's the Beef?" (with Jim Mahfood, new story for the collection, tpb, 400 pages, 2006, Graphitti Designs, ) ** In addition to the new story, this collection reprints all of the ''
View Askewniverse The View Askewniverse is a fictional universe created by writer/director Kevin Smith, featured in several films, comics and a television series; it is named for Smith's production company, View Askew Productions. The characters Jay and Silent ...
'' comics published by Oni Press and Image between 1998 and 2001. ** Graphitti Designs also released "Where's the Beef?" with some non-comics extras as a standalone, Wizard World Chicago, WWCC-exclusive one-shot titled ''Clerks II, Tales from the Clerks II'' (2006) *''Jay and Silent Bob's Blueprints for Destroying Everything'' (co-written by Smith and
Jason Mewes Jason Edward Mewes (born June 12, 1974) is an American actor, comedian, film producer, and podcaster. He is best known for playing Jay, the vocal half of the duo Jay and Silent Bob, in longtime friend Kevin Smith's View Askewniverse franchise. E ...
, illustrated by Steve Stark (artist), Steve Stark, 112 pages, Gallery Books, 2014, )


Marvel Comics

*Daredevil (Marvel Comics character), Daredevil (Marvel Knights): **
Daredevil #0
' (with
Joe Quesada Joseph Quesada (; born January 12, 1962'' Comics Buyer's Guide'' #1650; February 2009; page 107) is an American comic book artist, writer, editor, and television producer. He became known in the 1990s for his work on various Valiant Comics books, ...
, 17-panel Marvel CyberComics, cybercomic, 1998) **'' Daredevil'' vol. 2 #1–8, ½: "Guardian Devil" (with Joe Quesada, 1998–1999) collected as ''Daredevil: Guardian Devil'' (hc, 232 pages, 2008, ; tpb, 2010, ) **'' Daredevil/Bullseye: The Target'' #1 (of 4) (with Glenn Fabry — and Adam Kubert as the artist for the following issue, 2003) *''9/11, Heroes'': "A Hero's Thoughts" (short poem with an illustration by Joe Quesada, one-page segment in the magazine-sized benefit comic, 2001) *''9/11, A Moment of Silence'': "Periphery" (with John Romita, Jr., anthology one-shot, 2002) *'' Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do'' #1–6 (with Terry Dodson, 2002–2006) collected as ''Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do'' (hc, 176 pages, 2006, ; tpb, 2007, ) ** This limited series (initially announced as a one-shot) was supposed to lead in to an ongoing ''
Black Cat A black cat is a Cat, domestic cat with black fur. They may be a specific Purebred, breed, or a common domestic cat of no particular or mixed breed. Most black cats have golden iris (anatomy), irises due to their high melanin pigment content. Bl ...
'' series and a run on ''
The Amazing Spider-Man ''The Amazing Spider-Man'' is an ongoing American superhero American comic book, comic book series featuring the Marvel Comics superhero Spider-Man as its title character and main protagonist. Being in the Earth 616, mainstream continuity of t ...
'', both to be written by Smith and published concurrently. ** As a result of the three-year delay between issues #3 and 4 of ''The Evil That Men Do'' and the changes in Spider-Man's status quo during that period, neither project eventually materialized.


DC Comics

*''
Green Arrow Green Arrow is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Mort Weisinger and designed by George Papp, he first appeared in ''More Fun Comics'' No. 73 on September 19, 1941 (cover dated November 1941), th ...
'' vol. 3 (with Phil Hester, 2001–2002) collected as: **''Quiver (comics), Quiver'' (collects #1–10, hc, 232 pages, 2002, ; tpb, 2003, ) **''Sounds of Violence'' (collects #11–15, hc, 128 pages, 2003, ; tpb, 2004, ) **''Green Arrow by Kevin Smith'' (collects #1–15, ''DC Comics Absolute Edition, Absolute Edition'', 384 pages, 2015, ; tpb, 2016, ) *''The Brave and the Bold'' vol. 3 (with Phil Hester, unreleased ongoing series — initially announced in 2001) *
Batman Batman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. Batman was created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger, and debuted in Detective Comics 27, the 27th issue of the comic book ''Detective Comics'' on M ...
: **'' Batman: Cacophony'' #1–3 (with
Walt Flanagan Walter Flanagan is a former comic book store manager, reality television personality, podcaster, and comic book artist. Flanagan is a long-time friend of Kevin Smith, and (according to Smith's book '' Silent Bob Speaks'') it was Flanagan who tur ...
, 2008–2009) collected as ''Batman: Cacophony'' (hc, 144 pages, 2009, ; tpb, 2010, ) **''Batman: The Widening Gyre'' #1–6 (of 12) (with Walt Flanagan, 2009–2010) collected as ''Batman: The Widening Gyre'' (hc, 200 pages, 2010, ; tpb, 2011, ) **'' Batman: Bellicosity'' (with Walt Flanagan, unreleased 6-issue limited series repurposed from the second arc of ''Batman: The Widening Gyre'' — initially announced in 2012) **''Detective Comics'' #1000: "Manufacture for Use" (with Jim Lee, co-feature, 2019) collected in ''Batman: 80 Years of the Bat Family'' (tpb, 400 pages, 2020, )


Dynamite Entertainment

*
Green Hornet The Green Hornet is a superhero created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell. Since his 1930s radio debut, the character has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of me ...
: **''The Green Hornet (comics), Green Hornet'' vol. 3 (with Jonathan Lau, 2010) collected as: *** ''Sins of the Father'' (collects #1–5, hc, 144 pages, 2010, ; tpb, 2010, ) *** ''Wearing o' the Green'' (collects #6–10, hc, 144 pages, 2010, ; tpb, 2011, ) **''Batman '66, Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet'' #1–12 (co-written by Smith and
Ralph Garman Ralph Garman (born November 17, 1964) is an American actor, comedian, musician and radio host best known as the host of ''The Joe Schmo Show'', for his voice work on the Fox animated series ''Family Guy'', former entertainment reporter and impress ...
, art by Ty Templeton, digital comic, digital, 2014) *** The series was first published in print as a 6-issue limited series titled ''Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet'' (2014–2015) *** Collected as ''Batman '66 Meets the Green Hornet'' (hc, 144 pages, 2015, ; tpb, 2015, ) *''The Bionic Man (comics), The Bionic Man'' #1–10 (script by Phil Hester on the basis of Smith's unused ''The Six Million Dollar Man#Other adaptations, The Six Million Dollar Man'' screenplay, art by Jonathan Lau, 2011–2012) *''Yoga Hosers, Yoga Hosers: A Sundance Super Special'': "When Colleens Collide!" (with Jeff Quigley, 2016)


Other publishers

*''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'':
My Date with Destiny!
(with Joe Quesada, webcomic, The New York Times Company, 2001) *''Hit-Girl (comic book), Hit-Girl: Season Two'' #1–4: "Hollywood" (with Pernille Ørum,
Image An image or picture is a visual representation. An image can be Two-dimensional space, two-dimensional, such as a drawing, painting, or photograph, or Three-dimensional space, three-dimensional, such as a carving or sculpture. Images may be di ...
, 2019) collected as ''Hit-Girl in Hollywood'' (tpb, 112 pages, 2019, ) *''Masters of the Universe: Revelation'' #1–4 (script by Tim Sheridan from a story by Smith and Rob David, art by Mindy Lee, Dark Horse Comics, Dark Horse, 2021)


Non-fiction

*''Silent Bob Speaks, Silent Bob Speaks: The Collected Writings of Kevin Smith'' (sc, 352 pages,
Miramax Books Miramax Books was an American publishing company started by Bob and Harvey Weinstein of Miramax Films to publish movie tie-ins. Between 2000 and 2005, while Jonathan Burnham was its president and editor-in-chief, the imprint published the memoir ...
, 2005, ) *''My Boring Ass Life, My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith'' (sc, 480 pages,
Titan Books Titan Publishing Group is the publishing division of the British entertainment company Titan Entertainment, which was established as Titan Books in 1981. The books division has two main areas of publishing: film and television tie-ins and cine ...
, 2007, ) *''SModcast, Shootin' the Sh*t with Kevin Smith: The Best of SModcast'' (sc, 384 pages, Titan Books, 2009, ) *''Tough Sh*t, Tough Sh*t: Life Advice from a Fat, Lazy Slob Who Did Good'' (hc, 480 pages, Gotham Books, 2012, ; sc, 2013, )


See also

* Kevin Smith's unrealized projects * List of film festivals in New Jersey#S, Smodcastle Cinemas (Smith-owned movie theater in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey)


References


External links

*
View Askew Productions
* *
The Unmade Films of Kevin Smith
by Den of Geek {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Kevin Kevin Smith, 1970 births 20th-century American comedians 20th-century American male actors 20th-century American writers 21st-century American comedians 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American writers Actors from Monmouth County, New Jersey American bloggers American comics writers American male bloggers American male comedians American male film actors American male screenwriters American male television actors Comedians from Monmouth County, New Jersey American comedy film directors Film directors from New Jersey Former Roman Catholics Harvey Award winners for Best New Talent Henry Hudson Regional High School alumni American horror film directors Inkpot Award winners Living people Maker Studios people Male actors from New Jersey Marvel Comics people New Jersey culture People from Highlands, New Jersey People from Red Bank, New Jersey Postmodernist filmmakers Screenwriters from New York (state) Sundance Film Festival award winners American television show creators The New School alumni View Askewniverse Works by Kevin Smith, Unrealized Writers from Monmouth County, New Jersey YouTubers from New Jersey Vancouver Film School alumni