A lifelong Cincinnati resident, Joe Zappa co-created and directed the 9-episode series Clever Girl, directed the low-budget drama 75, co-wrote the Shudder chiller Bag of Lies and has directed several short films over the years, including The Last Checkmate. He has also written short fiction in a range of genres, including The Proxy, An Italian Crime Story and Do No Harm, as well as several screenplays.