Max Allen Collins was born in 1948 in Muscatine, Iowa. He is a two-time winner of the Private Eye Writers of Americas Shamus Award for his Nathaniel Heller historical thrillers True Detective and Stolen Away. Collins also wrote the Dick Tracy comic strip begining in 1977 and ending in the early 1990s. He has contributed to a number of other comics, including Batman. Collins created his first independent feature film, Mommy, following a nightmarish experience as screenwriter on the cable movie The Expert. Collins has been contracted by DC Comics to write three tie-ins to his critically acclaimed graphic novel The Road to Perdition, which was adapted into the feature film. Author of other such move tie-in bestsellers as In the Line of Fire and Air Force One, he is also the screenwriter/director of the cult favorite suspense films Mommie and Mommies Day.