Rob Thomas (writer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rob Thomas
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Thomas at WonderCon in April 2015
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| Born | Robert James Thomas August 15, 1965 Sunnyside, Washington, U.S. |
| Pen name | Everett Owens |
| Occupation | Screenwriter, director, producer, author |
| Nationality | American |
| Period | 1996–present |
| Notable works | Veronica Mars iZombie |
Robert James Thomas (born August 15, 1965) is an American writer, producer, and director. He is famous for creating popular TV shows. These include Veronica Mars, Party Down, and iZombie. He also helped create the show 90210.
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Early Life and School
Rob Thomas was born in Sunnyside, Washington. He finished high school in San Marcos, Texas, in 1983. He then went to Texas Christian University (TCU) on a football scholarship. He played as a backup tight end for the TCU Horned Frogs football team. Later, he moved to the University of Texas at Austin. He graduated in 1987 with a degree in history.
Before he started writing books, Thomas taught high school journalism. He taught at schools in San Antonio and Austin, Texas. He also helped with a student magazine at the University of Texas. From 1993 to 1995, Thomas worked for Channel One News. This experience helped him write his 1998 book Satellite Down. In the 1980s and 1990s, he was also in three bands in San Marcos, Texas.
Starting a Career in Entertainment
Rob Thomas got his first TV writing job in 1996. He wrote an episode for Cartoon Network's Space Ghost Coast to Coast. Next, he wrote a script that became the 1999 movie Fortune Cookie. Because of this script, he was asked to join the writing team for Dawson's Creek.
After reading his script, a TV executive suggested Thomas create a romantic comedy show. This idea became Cupid in 1998. Critics liked the show, but it was canceled after 15 episodes. Thomas also worked on other pilot shows, but they did not become full series. He also wrote the movie Drive Me Crazy.
In 2004, Thomas created his second TV show, Veronica Mars. This show was also liked by critics. However, it struggled to find a large audience and was canceled in 2007. Thomas was offered to run other TV shows, but he often chose to focus on his own projects.
From 2007 to 2008, Thomas wrote for the show Big Shots. He also helped create the comedy show Party Down, which started in 2009. He also had three new shows ordered in 2008. One was a new version of Cupid, which was canceled quickly. Another was a modern spin-off of Beverly Hills, 90210 called 90210.
Veronica Mars Movie and iZombie
Rob Thomas started talking about making a Veronica Mars movie in 2009. He got permission from Warner Brothers to make the movie. He needed to raise over $2 million from fans to do it. On March 13, 2013, he started a Kickstarter page. Fans quickly pledged over $2 million on the very first day!
The Kickstarter campaign ended up raising $5.7 million. It set a record for the most people contributing to a Kickstarter project. About 88,000 people helped fund the movie. The film, also called Veronica Mars, came out in March 2014. Thomas directed and co-wrote the movie. He also co-wrote two Veronica Mars books after the movie. These books continued the story.
In 2013, a TV show based on the comic book iZOMBIE was picked up by The CW. Thomas helped produce this show. The first season of iZombie began in March 2015. In 2016, he announced he was working on a TV series based on the 1987 movie The Lost Boys. His idea was for the show to last seven seasons. Each season would cover a different decade in the lives of the vampires.
Works
Rob Thomas has written many books and created several TV shows and movies.
Books
- Rats Saw God (1996)
- Slave Day (1997)
- Doing Time: Notes from the Undergrad (1997)
- Satellite Down (1998)
- Green Thumb (1999)
- Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line (2014)
- Veronica Mars: Mr. Kiss and Tell (2015)
Television Programs
- Space Ghost Coast to Coast (1996) (writer)
- Dawson's Creek (1998) (writer)
- Cupid (1998–1999) (creator, writer, producer)
- Veronica Mars (2004–2007, 2019) (creator, writer, producer, director)
- 90210 (2008) (developer, writer)
- Party Down (2009–2010, 2023) (creator, writer, producer)
- Cupid (2009) (creator, writer, producer)
- iZombie (2015–2019) (creator, writer, producer, director)
- High Potential (2024) (writer, producer)
Films
- Fortune Cookie (1999) (writer)
- Drive Me Crazy (1999) (screenwriter)
- Veronica Mars (2014) (writer, director)
Awards
Rob Thomas has been nominated for several Golden Satellite Awards for his work.
