Jeffrey Patrick Kinney
- Born:
- February 19, 1971, Fort Washington, Maryland, USA
- Nationality:
- American
- Profession(s):
- Author, Cartoonist, Producer, Actor
Early Life and Education
- Kinney attended Potomac Landing Elementary School and Bishop McNamara High School.
- He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1995, where he studied computer science.
- While at the University of Maryland, he created the comic strip "Igdoof" for the student newspaper, The Diamondback.
- The search terms related to finding a "youtube jeff kinney biography childhood" reflect a general interest in understanding the early influences on Kinney's career.
Career and Major Achievements
- Kinney worked as a newspaper designer and computer programmer before pursuing writing full-time.
- He spent six years developing Diary of a Wimpy Kid before publishing it online in 2004 on Funbrain.com.
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid was published in print in 2007 and became a New York Times bestseller.
- The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has sold over 275 million copies worldwide as of 2023, and has been translated into 79 languages.
- Kinney is the creator of Poptropica, an online role-playing game for children.
Notable Works
Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2008)
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2009)
- (And numerous subsequent titles)
Film Adaptations
| Title | Year | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid | 2010 | Author, Producer |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules | 2011 | Author, Producer |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days | 2012 | Author, Producer |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul | 2017 | Author, Producer |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Animated) | 2021 | Author, Producer |
| Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (Animated) | 2022 | Author, Producer |
Legacy and Impact
Jeffrey Kinney has had a significant impact on children's literature, encouraging reluctant readers with his humorous and relatable stories. His Diary of a Wimpy Kid series has achieved global popularity and spawned a successful film franchise.