Jeffrey Patrick "Jeff" Kinney (Born February 19, 1971) is an online American game developer/designer and a Number #1 New York Times bestselling author. He is the author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) and the creator of the child-oriented online multiplayer role-playing game Poptropica. He spent his childhood in the Washington, D.C. area and moved to New England in 1995. Jeff lives in Plainville, Massachusetts with his wife and their two sons where he owns a Bookstore and Cafe called An Unlikely Story.
Kinney was born and grew up in Fort Washington, Maryland, United States. He had two brothers and a sister. He attended the University of Maryland at College Park in the early 1990s. It was in college that Kinney created the popular comic strip, Igdoof that ran in the campus newspaper The Diamondback, which later became Diary of a Wimpy Kid.
Biography
Early Life and Inspirations
Jeffrey Patrick Kinney, known to the world as Jeff Kinney, was born on February 19, 1971, in Fort Washington, Maryland, USA. From an early age, he exhibited a keen interest in drawing and writing, nurtured by the support of his parents, Patricia and Ron Kinney. Growing up in a creative and encouraging household, Jeff was inspired by the works of Charles Schulz's "Peanuts" and J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings." These early influences sowed the seeds of his future success in the world of literature and cartooning.
The "Igdoof" Days
After attending Potomac Landing Elementary School and later Bishop McNamara High School, Jeff Kinney enrolled at the University of Maryland. During his college years, he drew a comic strip called "Igdoof" for the college newspaper, The Diamondback. His time at the university further honed his artistic talents and stoked his passion for humor and storytelling.
The Road to "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"
Although Jeff graduated with a degree in computer science, his true calling lay in the world of cartoons and writing. After a brief stint working on a comic strip titled "Igdoof" for an online gaming website, Jeff faced challenges in finding a publication that would syndicate his work. Unfazed by rejection, he continued to develop his ideas and artistic style, knowing that persistence would be the key to success.
Birth of Wimpy Kid
In 1998, Jeff Kinney started creating a character named Greg Heffley, a middle school student with relatable struggles and comedic mishaps. Over the next six years, from 1998 to 2004, Jeff dedicated himself to writing down Greg's adventures and misadventures in a writing pad. "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" began to take shape, bringing to life the hilarious and poignant moments of Greg's middle school journey.
The Rise of the Funbrain Book
In 2004, Jeff Kinney decided to share Greg Heffley's tales with a larger audience and uploaded the web book on FunBrain. The online platform allowed readers to connect with the amusing and heartwarming stories of "Diary of a Wimpy Kid." The web book garnered tremendous success, receiving over 25 million views and catapulting Jeff Kinney into the spotlight of literary fame.
Published Book Series
At the New York Comic-Con in 2006, a book publisher at Abram Books found Kinney and read his book and sold his idea to Abram Books. Building on the web book's resounding popularity, Jeff Kinney converted "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" into a series of published books. The first book in the series, bearing the same title, was published in 2007 and the very first copies were given out at the New York Comic-Con in January 2007. Since then, a new installment in the series has graced the shelves every year, with each release eagerly anticipated by fans of all ages.
Global Phenomenon and Legacy
"Diary of a Wimpy Kid" swiftly became a global sensation, capturing the hearts of millions with its witty humor, engaging illustrations, and relatable characters. Jeff Kinney's creative genius struck a chord with young readers, making the series a bestseller worldwide. Translated into over 70 languages, the books have reached readers in every corner of the globe, transcending cultural boundaries.
Beyond the Bookshelf
Jeff Kinney's influence extends beyond the written word. The "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series has been adapted into successful movies, gaining a loyal following among moviegoers. Additionally, Kinney founded the interactive website Poptropica, an educational platform that offers captivating quests and games for young learners.
The Author-Artist Extraordinaire
Jeff Kinney's accomplishments as an author and illustrator are not confined to the Wimpy Kid universe. He has penned other noteworthy works, including "The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book," "The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary," and "Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid," a spin-off that delves into the world of Rowley Jefferson, Greg Heffley's best friend.
A Humble and Gracious Role Model
Despite his unparalleled success, Jeff Kinney remains down-to-earth and approachable. He continues to engage with his fans, attending book signings, school visits, and various events to inspire young readers to explore their creative potential.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid
In 2004, FunBrain and Kinney released a web book called Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the website made daily entries until June 2005. The webbook was an instant hit, reaching 20 million views by 2007, causing many readers to request a published version of the webbook. Kinney agreed and released Diary of a Wimpy Kid in 2007, but the book version was quite different. The most notable difference was that the drawings were edited using programs, the plot was slightly changed, and the book was also a little shortened. To date, twenty Wimpy Kid books have been released, including two Do-It-Yourself books and four Movie Diaries.
Professional Work
Kinney works as a writer and designer of online games. He also created the child-friendly website, Poptropica, which is played by many kids around the world. Poptropica has two Wimpy Kid based islands called Wimpy Wonderland and Wimpy Boardwalk where many characters and places from Wimpy Kid are present. The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has 58 million copies in print worldwide in softcover and in hardcover. In 2010 Wimpy kid was developed into a film and Kinney served as the executive producer. In the Rodrick Rules movie, he played as Jonathon Hills and returned in the Dog Days movie to reprise the character.
Personal Life
Kinney attended Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Maryland and lives in Plainville, Massachusetts with his wife, Julie, and two sons, Will and Grant. Jeff has a small house next to his home, where he writes and does karaoke. The character of Rodrick is believed to be based off of his elder brother, Scott Kinney (musician) and Manny is believed to be based off of his younger brother, Pat. His great-grandmother was Polish.
Books
- 2007: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
- 2008: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
- 2008: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book
- 2009: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw
- 2009: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days
- 2010: The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary
- 2010: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth
- 2011: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever
- 2011: The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book
- 2011: The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary (Rodrick Rules Edition)
- 2012: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel
- 2012: The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Story of All 3 Movies
- 2013: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck
- 2013: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Writer's Notebook, the 3 notebooks were Comics Notebook, Your Best Ideas and Sketch Paper
- 2014: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul
- 2015: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School
- 2016: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down
- 2017: The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Next Chapter (The Long Haul Edition)
- 2017: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway
- 2018: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown
- 2019: Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid: Rowley Jefferson's Journal
- 2019: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball
- 2020: Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure
- 2020: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Deep End
- 2021: Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories
- 2021: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Big Shot
- 2022: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Diper Överlöde
- 2023: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: No Brainer
- 2024: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hot Mess
Other Works
Films
A film based on the first book was released on March 19, 2010. It was produced by 20th Century Fox and directed by Thor Freudenthal. A second film based on the second book was released on March 15, 2011. It was directed by David Bowers. Kinney played a small role in the film. A third film based on Dog Days and The Last Straw was released on 3 August 2012. Kinney once again played a small role of Mr. Hills. In 2013, he announced a fourth film being animated for 2014, but since of December that year, nothing revealed came out. A new film based on the book The Long Haul is most likely going to come out after it was hinted at, at the 3rd annual Virtually Live Event, a casting call for 2 parts was released and some of the characters actors have been revealed.
Trivia
- His height is 6' 1" (1.85 m).
- Since the release of the first book back in the spring of 2007, he's released at least one book for the DoaWK-series every single year. The only year (so far) where there's been a release of more than one book in the series was 2009, in which the third and fourth books were both released (unless you count The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary and The Ugly Truth, The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: Rodrick Rules and Cabin Fever, The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary: The Story of All 3 Movies, and The Third Wheel, The Long Haul and The Wimpy Kid School Planner, Hard Luck and The Writer's Notebook, Old School and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Mad Libs, Double Down and Mad Libs Second Helping, The Meltdown and the Blank Journal, The Getaway and Mad Libs: The Fully Loded Deluxe Edition, Wrecking Ball, the McDonalds Happy Meal books and Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid, The Deep End and Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, The Last Straw and Dog Days.)
- He made a cameo appearance in The Long Haul film, and as Jonathon Hills in the Rodrick Rules film and Dog Days film.
- His favorite character in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is Rowley Jefferson.
- His favorite book in the Wimpy Kid series is Big Shot.
- From 2007 to 2010, Kinney worked on gregheffley.blogspot.com, but then abandoned it for WimpyKid.com after the first movie premiered in cinemas.
- In 2014, Kinney gave $150 USD to a kid who got his lemonade stand robbed.
Quotes
| “ | I was an average kid who had his wimpy moments. On our swim team they had something called the developmental meet. I didn't know it was a meet only for the worst kids so that they could get a ribbon, and I'd show up with my friend who was also a terrible swimmer, and we would be amazed that the best kids hadn't bothered to show up. I didn't get it until after college. | ” |
Appearances
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (film) (as Jonathon Hills)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (film) (as Jonathon Hills)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul (film) (as Man at Player Expo)