Erik Burnham (born February 26) is a writer and artist best known to Ghostbusters fans as the primary writer of IDW Publishing's Ghostbusters comics from 2011 through 2020.1 He wrote both volumes of the ongoing IDW series in their entirety, as well as a large number of crossover miniseries, annuals, and tie-in projects that together constitute the most sustained Ghostbusters comic run in the property's history.
Career
Burnham's first comics work appeared in 2002 in the Shooting Star Comics Anthology, where he wrote and drew stories featuring his original character Nick Landime. He continued contributing to that anthology until Shooting Star Comics ended in 2006, and Nick Landime later received his own one-shot (Nick Landime vs. the World Crime League) in summer 2005. Burnham also maintained an on-again, off-again webstrip called The Down Side during this period.
In 2007 he contributed a Civil War humor story ("The Letter," drawn by Gary Kwapisz) for History Graphics Press. That same year he submitted work to IDW's Gene Simmons' House of Horror anthology; his first submission ("The Wish Thief") was accepted and appeared in 2008. In 2009, Burnham completed his first miniseries work, Nanovor: Game Day, again for IDW.
He co-wrote A-Team: War Stories (2010) with Chuck Dixon, with each writer taking two issues. A further collaboration with Dixon produced a story for Bongo Comics' Simpsons #177, also in 2010 (published 2011).
IDW then invited Burnham to write a two-issue Ghostbusters tie-in for their first company-wide crossover event, "Infestation."2 He wrote the crossover in July 2010. The overwhelmingly positive response from critics and fans earned him a chance to pitch for the ongoing Ghostbusters series, which launched roughly six months after Ghostbusters: Infestation #2.
Beyond Ghostbusters, Burnham wrote Galaxy Quest and occasional issues of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for IDW, and co-wrote Scarlet Spider for Marvel Comics.