The Walking Dead comic book creator Robert Kirkman is being sued by a former collaborator, who claims he is entitled to half of the profits from the hit AMC TV series which the comic book is based on.

Michael Anthony ("Tony") Moore is claiming he was tricked into signing over his interest in the comic book to Robert Kirkman before the TV deal with AMC was made. Here's an excerpt from the complaint.

"Each of these works was prepared by [Moore] and Kirkman with the intention that their contributions be merged into inseparable or independent parts of a unitary whole. [Moore] and Kirkman were thus joint authors and co-owners of the copyrights in these works."

Michael Anthony ("Tony") Moore and Robert Kirkman were apparently longtime friends and collaborators, but in 2005, Moore claims Kirkman and his agents devised a scheme for Moore to sign over his stake in The Walking Dead and other properties they both worked on to Kirkman. Michael Anthony ("Tony") Moore claims he has not been given access to profit statements, and has received hardly any compensation for his work. It is also said that Michael Anthony ("Tony") Moore signed the deal, because he believed the TV deal would fall apart. Robert Kirkman's attorney, Allen Grodzky responded to the lawsuit, calling it "totally frivolous."

The Walking Dead returns Sunday, February 12 at 9 PM ET, to finish airing the second half of Season 2 episodes.