Refused admission to a variety of film schools, writer-director Adam Rifkin moved to Los Angeles to try his luck amidst the professional ranks of filmmaking. Struggling to make ends meet as a cartoonist for greeting-card companies and local publications, he finally attracted the attention of youthful producer Brad Wyman with his script for the decidedly off-beat "The Dark Backward" (1991), about a failing comedian whose career takes off when he grows a third arm out of his back, which would eventually become his first feature to get a theatrical release. Prior to directing it, he wrote and
Moved from Chicago to Los Angeles at the age of 18
1989
Feature directing debut, "Never on Tuesday," a straight-to-video film with Claudia Christian, Charlie Sheen and Judd Nelson, among others; also scripted
1989
Wrote and directed second film "Tale of Two Women" featuring Christian and Valerie Breiman, with narration and poetry by Charlie Sheen
1990
Acted in Charles Winkler's "Disturbed"
1990
Was supervising producer of USA Network's sci-fi series "The Swamp Thing"
