Robert Schnakenberg

Robert Schnakenberg (born March 19, 1969) is a self-styled “author and raconteur” from Brooklyn, New York. He is best known for writing a series of popular reference books about entertainment, sports, and world history.

Career
Since the mid-1990s, Schnakenberg has worked primarily as a writer and self-described “intellectual gadabout” covering topics in sports, entertainment, and history. He is the author of more than 40 books, including The Encyclopedia Shatnerica (an A-to-Z reference about the life and career of William Shatner), Christopher Walken A-to-Z, and the New York Times bestseller The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray. His 2010 book, Old Man Drinks, was praised for evoking "the simple, timeless aspects of masculine drinking culture." His next book, Post-Stroke Curly: A Stooge in Decline, about the final years of comedian Curly Howard, will be published in 2025.

In 2014, Schnakenberg adopted the "kid-friendly alter ego" David Stabler.

Published works

 * The Encyclopedia Shatnerica (1998: 2nd Edition: 2008) (ISBN 1-58063-039-1)
 * Distory: A Treasury of Historical Insults (2004) (ISBN 0-312-32671-8)
 * I (Heart) My Truck (2005) (ISBN 1-56906-594-2)
 * Sci-Fi Baby Names (2007) (ISBN 1-59474-161-1)
 * Secret Lives of Great Authors (2008) (ISBN 1-59474-211-1)
 * Christopher Walken A-to-Z (2008) (ISBN 1-59474-259-6)
 * Secret Lives of the Supreme Court (2009) (ISBN 1-59474-308-8)
 * Secret Lives of Great Filmmakers (2009) (ISBN 1-59474-434-3)
 * Old Man Drinks (2010) (ISBN 1-59474-450-5)
 * The Underground Baseball Encyclopedia (2010) (ISBN 1-60078-331-7)
 * DC Comics 75th Anniversary Poster Book (2010) (ISBN 1-59474-462-9)
 * The Underground Football Encyclopedia (2011) (ISBN 1-60078-516-6)
 * Crazy Sh*t Presidents Said (2012) (ISBN 0-76244-453-3)
 * Kid Presidents: True Tales of Childhood from America's Presidents (2014) (ISBN 1-59474-731-8)
 * Kid Athletes: True Tales of Childhood from Sports Legends (2015) (ISBN 1-59474-802-0)
 * The Big Bad Book of Bill Murray (2015) (ISBN 1-59474-801-2)
 * Kid Artists: True Tales of Childhood from Creative Legends (2016) (ISBN 1-59474-896-9)
 * Kid Authors: True Tales of Childhood from Famous Writers (2017) (ISBN 1-59474-987-6)
 * Kid Scientists: True Tales of Childhood from Science Superstars (2018) (ISBN 1-68369-074-5)
 * Who Is Dale Earnhardt Jr.? (2022) (ISBN 0593225961)
 * Who Is Jimmy Carter? (2022) (ISBN 0593387392)
 * What Is the Story of Captain Picard? (2023) (ISBN 0593387392)