Editing Max Brooks

{{short description|American writer (born 1972)}}
{{about||the member of the Colorado House of Representatives|Max Brooks (politician)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Max Brooks
| image              = Max Brooks at BookExpo (15957).jpg
| caption            = Brooks in 2019
| birth_name         = Maximillian Michael Brooks
| birth_date         = {{birth date and age|1972|5|22}}
| birth_place        = [[New York City]], U.S.
| occupation         = Writer
| alma_mater         = {{Ubl
  |[[Pitzer College]] (B.A.)
  |[[American University]]
}}
| module             = {{Infobox writer
  | embed = yes
  | genre = Humor, horror
}}
| spouse             = {{marriage|Michelle Kholos|2003}}
| children           = 1
| mother             = [[Anne Bancroft]]
| father             = [[Mel Brooks]]
| relatives          = [[Phyllis Italiano]] (maternal aunt)
}}
'''Maximilian Michael Brooks''' (born May 22, 1972)<ref name="Bancroft book">{{cite book |last=Shelley |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=7qAuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA102 |title=Anne Bancroft: The Life and Work |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |year=2017 |isbn=978-1476662428 |page=102}}</ref> is an American actor and author. He is the son of comedian [[Mel Brooks]] and actress [[Anne Bancroft]]. Much of Brooks's writing focuses on [[Zombie (fictional)|zombie]] stories. He was a senior fellow at the [[United States Military Academy#Department of Military Instruction|Modern War Institute]] at [[West Point, New York]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mwi.usma.edu/max-brooks/|title=Max Brooks|work=Modern War Institute |date=April 7, 2016|access-date=October 11, 2017|archive-date=February 16, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200216182318/https://mwi.usma.edu/max-brooks/|url-status=live |author1=Mwiadmin }}</ref>

==Early life==
Brooks was born on May 22, 1972, in [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]]. He is the son of actress [[Anne Bancroft]] and actor, director, producer, and writer [[Mel Brooks]].<ref name=NYT>{{cite news|last=Brodesser-Akner|first=Taffy|author-link=Taffy Brodesser-Akner|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/magazine/max-brooks-is-not-kidding-about-the-zombie-apocalypse.html|title=Max Brooks Is Not Kidding About the Zombie Apocalypse|work=[[The New York Times]]|date= June 21, 2013|access-date=2014-04-30 }}</ref> His father is [[Jew]]ish, while his mother was an Italian-American Catholic.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/02/16/mel-brooks-is-always-funny-and-often-wise-in-this-1975-playboy-interview.html|first=Alex|last=Belth|title=Mel Brooks Is Always Funny and Often Wise in This 1975 Playboy Interview|work=[[The Daily Beast]]|date= February 16, 2014|access-date=July 4, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-Features/The-cinematic-Zionism-of-Mel-Brooks|first=Robert|last=Gluck|title=The cinematic Zionism of Mel Brooks|work=[[The Jerusalem Post]]|date=August 12, 2012|access-date=January 31, 2017}}</ref>

Brooks is [[dyslexic]],<ref name="Yale">{{cite web|url=http://dyslexia.yale.edu/maxbrooks.html|title=Max Brooks, Author|publisher=The Yale Center for Dyslexia & Creativity|access-date=March 19, 2016|last=Glader|first= Sue|archive-date=January 7, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200107183845/http://dyslexia.yale.edu/story/max-brooks-author/|url-status=live}}</ref> and recalled that during the time in which he was growing up:
{{blockquote|...they didn't even call it a disability back then; it was just "laziness," "goofing off," "you're not trying hard enough." "You can do it but you don't want to do it" — that was a big one of my teachers. And my mother, one of the greatest, most successful actresses of her day, gave up her career, put her career on the shelf, to raise me, to be my educational advocate and to teach herself about dyslexia. ... She took, every year, all of my school books that I had to read to the Institute for the Blind and had them all read onto audio cassette so I could listen to my reading list. And if I hadn't been able to do that, I wouldn't have graduated high school. I can literally say that not only did my mother give me my life, she saved my life.|source=[[NPR]] ''[[Fresh Air]]'' (2017)<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.npr.org/2017/08/15/543614192/novelist-max-brooks-on-doomsday-dyslexia-and-growing-up-with-hollywood-parents|title=Novelist Max Brooks On Doomsday, Dyslexia And Growing Up With Hollywood Parents|work=[[NPR]]|date=August 15, 2017|access-date=March 17, 2020|archive-date=March 11, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200311062712/https://www.npr.org/2017/08/15/543614192/novelist-max-brooks-on-doomsday-dyslexia-and-growing-up-with-hollywood-parents|url-status=live}}</ref>}}

Brooks attended [[Crossroads School (Santa Monica, California)|Crossroads School]] in [[Santa Monica, California]]. He studied at [[Pitzer College]] in [[Claremont, California]], where he earned a [[bachelor's degree]] in history. He also attended graduate school, studying film at [[American University]] in Washington, D.C.<ref name="Yale" />

==Career==
=== Writing ===
From 2001 to 2003, Brooks was a member of the writing team at ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''.<ref name="SNL">{{cite news |first=Jack |last=Sackman |date=February 24, 2016 |title=10 People you didn't know were writers on SNL |website=goliath.com |url= https://www.goliath.com/tv/10-people-you-didnt-know-were-writers-on-snl/ |access-date=March 25, 2020}}</ref>

In 2003, Brooks wrote his first book, ''[[The Zombie Survival Guide]]'', a fictional [[Survival skills|survival manual]] about [[zombies]]. In 2006, Brooks wrote the follow-up ''[[World War Z|World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War]]'', a novel on the same subject, set in the ten years following a [[zombie apocalypse]]. [[Paramount Pictures]] acquired the rights for a film adaptation, and [[Brad Pitt]]'s production company, [[Plan B Entertainment]], produced [[World War Z (film)|the film]]. In the October 2006 issue of ''[[Fangoria]]'', Brooks stated that he would not be writing the screenplay for the motion picture, as he felt he was not an accomplished enough screenwriter to "do it right". [[J. Michael Straczynski]] wrote the first version of the screenplay.<ref>{{cite news |first=Don |last=Kaye |date=October 2006 |title='World War Z': The gore to end all gores |magazine=[[Fangoria Magazine]] |issue=257 |page=12 |url=https://issuu.com/comicscrazy/docs/fangoria_257 |access-date=April 17, 2020}}</ref>

Brooks wrote the introduction for the hardcover collected edition of [[Dynamite Entertainment]]'s zombie miniseries ''Raise the Dead'', released in 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Raise the Dead'' series collected in hardcover, with foreword by Max Brooks |date= August 10, 2007 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]]  |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=11152}}</ref>

[[File:MaxMelBrooksApr10.jpg|thumb|Max Brooks with father [[Mel Brooks|Mel]] in 2010]]
In 2010, Brooks wrote the [[IDW Publishing|IDW]] comic book mini-series [[G.I. Joe (IDW Publishing)|''G.I. Joe: Hearts & Minds'']].<ref>{{cite web |last=Manning |first= Shaun |date=April 1, 2010|title=Brooks wins ''Hearts and Minds'' |website= [[Comic Book Resources]] |url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=25510}}</ref>

In 2012, Brooks published ''Closure, Limited and Other Zombie Tales'', featuring the story of that name from ''[[The New Dead]]'', along with three other short stories set in the ''[[World War Z]]'' universe.<ref>{{cite web |title=Max Brooks ''Closure, Limited and Other Zombie Tales'' review |date=December 4, 2014 |website=Horror Novel Reviews |url=http://horrornovelreviews.com/2014/12/04/max-brooks-closure-limited-and-other-zombie-tales-review/ |access-date=August 14, 2015}}</ref>

In 2014, [[Broadway Books]] published ''[[The Harlem Hellfighters]]'', a [[graphic novel]] which portrays a fictionalized account of the [[African American]] [[369th Infantry Regiment]]'s experiences in [[World War I]], written by Brooks and illustrated by Caanan White.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lo Wang |first=Hansi |date=April 1, 2014 |title=''The Harlem Hellfighters'': Fighting racism in the trenches of WWI |website=[[NPR]] |type=blog |url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2014/04/01/294913379/the-harlem-hellfighters-fighting-racism-in-the-trenches-of-wwi |access-date=April 12, 2014}}</ref> [[Sony Pictures]] has purchased the rights to create a film of the novel, with Caleeb Pinkett and James Lassiter producing on behalf of [[Overbrook Entertainment]].<ref name=film>{{cite news |last=Ford |first=Rebecca |date=March 7, 2014 |title=Sony nabs Max Brooks' WWI graphic novel ''The Harlem Hellfighters'' |newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/sony-nabs-max-brooks-wwi-686887 |access-date=April 12, 2014}}</ref>

He wrote the story for the 2016 film ''[[The Great Wall (film)|The Great Wall]]'', starring [[Matt Damon]].<ref>{{cite web |first=Michael |last=Livingston |date=June 7, 2017 |title=Medieval Matters: ''The Great Wall'', white saviors, and lizard dogs from space |website=[[Tor.com]] |url=https://www.tor.com/2017/06/07/medieval-matters-the-great-wall-white-saviors-and-lizard-dogs-from-space/ |access-date=April 17, 2020}}</ref>

In 2016, Brooks was invited to [[MineCon]] and announced that he was working on a new novel based on ''[[Minecraft]]'',<ref>{{cite web |first=Marsh |last=Davies |date=September 24, 2016 |title=Max Brooks is writing a Minecraft novel! Oh yes! |website=[[Mojang]] |url=https://www.mojang.com/2016/09/max-brooks-is-writing-a-minecraft-novel-oh-yes/ |access-date=February 27, 2017 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160927083903/http://www.mojang.com/2016/09/max-brooks-is-writing-a-minecraft-novel-oh-yes |archive-date=September 27, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> titled ''[[Minecraft: The Island]]'', and in 2021, he published the sequel, ''Minecraft: The Mountain''.<ref>{{cite web | last=Ackerman | first=Dan | title=CNET Book Club: Max Brooks on his new Minecraft novel, The Mountain | website=CNET | date=March 12, 2021 | url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/cnet-book-club-max-brooks-on-his-new-minecraft-novel-the-mountain/ | access-date=March 31, 2022}}</ref>

In August 2019, Brooks announced a new book, entitled ''[[Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre]]'', about the cryptid [[Bigfoot]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Squires |first=John |date=August 29, 2019 |title=''World War Z'' writer Max Brooks returning with sasquatch massacre novel ''Devolution'' |website=[[Bloody Disgusting]] |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/books/3581315/world-war-z-writer-max-brooks-returning-sasquatch-massacre-novel-devolution/ |access-date=September 19, 2019}}</ref> It was released on June 16, 2020.<ref>{{cite book |title=''Devolution'' by Max Brooks |isbn=9781984826787 |series=new books |publisher=Penguin / Random House |language=en-US |url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/609523/devolution-by-max-brooks/ |access-date=2020-05-30|last1=Brooks |first1=Max |year=2020 }}</ref>

=== Acting and voice-over work ===
Brooks has a number of other creative credits. As an actor, he has been seen in ''[[Roseanne (TV series)|Roseanne]]'', ''[[To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]'', ''[[Pacific Blue (TV series)|Pacific Blue]]'', and ''[[7th Heaven (TV series)|7th Heaven]]''. He also has a career voicing animation: his voice has been featured in the animated shows ''[[Batman Beyond]]'', ''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]'', ''[[Justice League (TV series)|Justice League]]'', and ''[[All Dogs Go to Heaven: The Series]]''. During the start of the third season of ''[[Lost Tapes]]'', he was cast as himself in the zombie episode, telling the audience about how zombies come to be. He also appeared on the [[Spike (TV channel)|Spike]] TV series ''[[Deadliest Warrior]]'', in which he represented the zombie team in the "Vampires vs. Zombies" episode, as one of the zombie experts along with Matt Mogk, founder of the Zombie Research Society.<ref>{{cite episode |title=Deadliest Warrior |date=22 July 2011 |series=Comic-Con 2011 Panel |number=300a |network=[[Spike (TV channel)|Spike]] |url=http://www.spike.com/full-episodes/t46f6a/deadliest-warrior-deadliest-warrior-comic-con-2011-panel-season-3-ep-300a?xrs=synd_twitter |url-status=dead |access-date=15 June 2017 |archive-date=June 14, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614031434/http://www.spike.com/full-episodes/t46f6a/deadliest-warrior-deadliest-warrior-comic-con-2011-panel-season-3-ep-300a?xrs=synd_twitter }}</ref>

==Personal life==
Brooks has been married to playwright Michelle Kholos since 2003. They have one son and live in [[Venice, California]].<ref name=NYT /> In October 2020, Brooks and his father appeared in a short video endorsing [[Joe Biden 2020 presidential campaign|Joe Biden's presidential campaign]].<ref>{{Cite web|author=Lauren M. Johnson|title=The legendary Mel Brooks takes to social media to share his support of Joe Biden|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/21/us/mel-brooks-biden-endorsement-trnd/index.html|access-date=2020-10-22|website=CNN|date=October 21, 2020 }}</ref>

==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year
!Title
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1983
|''[[To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)|To Be or Not to Be]]''
|Rifka's Son
|Film
|-
| rowspan="2" |1992
|''[[The Public Eye (film)|The Public Eye]]''
|Teen at Thompson Street
|Film
|-
|''[[Roseanne]]''
|Snarky Customer
|Episode: "Terms of Estrangement"
|-
|1997
|''[[Pacific Blue (TV series)|Pacific Blue]]''
|Marty Rosen
|Episode: "Avenging Angel"
|-
| rowspan="3" |1999
|''[[7th Heaven (TV series)|7th Heaven]]''
|Waiter
|Episode: "It Happened One Night"
|-
|''[[Melrose Place]]''
|Messenger
|Episode: "How Amanda Got Her Groove Back"
|-
|''[[The Wild Thornberrys]]''
|Lead Dog
|Voice, episode: "Polar Opposites"<ref name="btva">{{cite web |title=Max Brooks (visual voices guide) |url=http://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/Max-Brooks/ |access-date=June 7, 2024 |publisher=Behind The Voice Actors}} A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its credits or other reliable sources of information.</ref>
|-
| rowspan="4" |2000
|''[[Roughnecks: Starship Troopers Chronicles]]''
|Lt. Bernstein
|Voice, episode: "Swarm"
|-
|''[[Godzilla: The Series]]''
|Uncredited voice
|Episode: "Underground Movement"
|-
|''[[Batman Beyond]]''
|Howard Groote, Drew
|Voice, 6 episodes<ref name="btva" />
|-
|''[[Buzz Lightyear of Star Command]]''
|Tech, Ranger, Punk-Goon
|Voice, 2 episodes<ref name="btva" />
|-
|2001
|''[[Justice League (TV series)|Justice League]]''
|Howie
|Voice, episode: "Secret Origins"<ref name="btva" />
|-
|2004
|''Seen''
|
|Short film
|-
| rowspan="2" |2010
|''[[Satan Hates You]]''
|Reporter
|Film
|-
|''[[Lost Tapes]]''
|Himself
|Episode: "Zombies"
|}

==Bibliography==
===Prose===
* ''[[The Zombie Survival Guide]]'' (2003)<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Townsend|first= Allie|date=July 26, 2010|url= http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2006405,00.html|title=Q&A: Zombie-Survival Expert Max Brooks|magazine= [[Time (magazine)|Time]]|archive-date=July 28, 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100728232217/http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,2006405,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''[[World War Z]]'' (2006)
* ''Closure, Limited and Other Zombie Tales'' (2011)
* ''[[Minecraft: The Island]]'' (2017)
* ''[[Devolution (Brooks novel)|Devolution]]'' (2020) ''Nominated for [[Locus Award|Locus Award's]] Best Horror Novel in 2021.''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.worldswithoutend.com/books_locus-h_index.asp | title=Locus Horror Award }}</ref>
* ''Minecraft: The Mountain'' (2021)
* ''Minecraft: The Village'' (2023)
* ''Tiger Chair: A Short Story'' (2024)

===Comics===
* ''[[The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks]]'' (2009)
* ''G.I. Joe: Hearts and Minds'' (2010)
* ''[[The Harlem Hellfighters]]'' (2014)<ref>[http://7thavenueproject.com/post/95659466820/max-brooks-harlem-hellfighters Max Brooks discusses "The Harlem Hellfighters," World War I and his own life on the 7th Avenue Project radio show]</ref>
* ''The Extinction Parade'' (2014)
* ''A More Perfect Union'' (2016)
* ''Germ Warfare: A Very Graphic History'' (2019)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{official website|http://www.MaxBrooks.com}}
* {{IMDb name|112150}}
* {{gcdb|type=writer|search=Max+Brooks|title=Max Brooks}}
* {{ISFDB name|id=46731|name=Max Brooks}}
* {{YouTube|channel=UCoMFRihQ7tkxaGx7yffm5sw|title=Max Brooks Breaks Down}}

{{EmmyAward ComedyVarietyMusicWriting 2000s}}
{{World War Z}}
{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Brooks, Max}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American comics writers]]
[[Category:American male television writers]]
[[Category:Television writers from California]]
[[Category:American writers of Italian descent]]
[[Category:People of Lucanian descent]]
[[Category:American people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:American graphic novelists]]
[[Category:American satirists]]
[[Category:American satirical novelists]]
[[Category:American University alumni]]
[[Category:Crossroads School alumni]]
[[Category:Writers with dyslexia]]
[[Category:American writers with disabilities]]
[[Category:Pitzer College alumni]]
[[Category:Primetime Emmy Award winners]]
[[Category:Screenwriters from New York (state)]]
[[Category:Jewish American film people]]