The Walking Dead (Comic Series)

The Walking Dead is a monthly (biweekly since October 2013) black-and-white American comic that started in 2003, and was created and written by Robert Kirkman with artist Tony Moore. The current artists for the series are Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rathburn. The comic is published by Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment.

Story Development
In answer to the question:
 * "Did you have a masterplan from the very beginning or you're developing things "on the go"?"

Robert Kirkman responded:
 * "As far as a master plan goes--I don't have one. When I started, I had mapped the book up to about where I am now, actually. (Issue 37) I've...changed some things here and there...along the way I've come up with dozens of other things to do with the book that will keep it going and keep...[it] interesting for years to come. I'm constantly thinking of new and horrible things that will happen to these characters. I love them so much, but I love doing terrible things to them."


 * "So...I pretty much write things on the go from issue to issue, but I follow a larger plot I've got mapped out for some time. I like to play things fast and loose, though. That's how life is--we never know what's going to come next. so while I do have a road map--if a side road pops up on the horizon at the last minute, I don't hesitate to go that route knowing that I can eventually get back on the main road at a later date."

Robert Kirkman's updated statement to the same question in Letter Hacks of Issue 104:


 * "I have a solid plot through Issue 200 and general ideas that could continue after that. I'm at a point with the series where I plot in 24 issue chunks, loosely... then I flesh things out as I write. I try to have at least 4 of those chunks planned, but there are times when a new chunk of issues is dropped in and things get pushed back... that's why I have such far reaching plans. Basically, I'm saying this book looks like it will be around for a while."

In response to a question:
 * You said that the book is plotted a long ways out ... do you ever find yourself straying a bit from your plans but then eventually coming back on track?

Robert Kirkman responded:
 * "Yes, a few [times], but I can't mention some because they haven't happened yet. Dexter and Andrew were originally just going to leave the prison--and not try to kick everyone out. But when I was writing Issue 18, I figured "these guys wouldn't just leave." So I had to change the ending. Originally, Hershel was going to lose a leg, not Allen, but I decided so much bad stuff had happened to Hershel already with losing his kids and all, having him then also lose a leg would seem unrealistic ... like I had it out for the guy ... so Allen's leg was lost. I also wasn't planning on killing Allen, I loved Allen, until the issue he died in was being written. It just seemed like it needed the extra punch of him dying ... and so he died. Seemed like a good idea at the time."

Cause of Outbreak
Kirkman explained that going back to explain how the government originally collapsed, "...doesn't interest me, for the time being...I may change my mind eventually." As to the cause of the zombie outbreak, Kirkman wrote, "I have ideas [about the cause of the zombie plague]...but it's nothing set in stone because I never plan on writing it. So yes...I do know...kind of."

In response to a question:
 * "I think you should elaborate more on how people can turn into zombies without one biting you, or how this whole mess started in the first place. Was it like a plague or a rapture kind of thing?"

Kirkman responded:
 * "...That starts to get into the origin of all this stuff, and I think that's unimportant to the series itself, There will be smaller answers as things progress ... but never will we see the whole picture."

Timeline
In regard to the timeline, Robert Kirkman wrote in 2007, "The Walking Dead takes place in our world, as if this stuff had started happening in October 2003 and continued from there. Now, (Issue 38) in the book it's still only like...June 2004 at this point (If you're keeping track)." "[The Walking Dead] is set in modern times ... but the book started in 2003 and only a year has passed in the book. But that doesn't mean it's 2004 in the book ... maybe it's 2009 ... who knows ... who really cares. I don't want to be specific it also smells funny in there."

Synopsis

 * For the storyline of each comic issue, see Storyline (By Issue). 

Gallery

 * For the Comic Series Cover Gallery, see Cover Gallery.

Awards

 * Eisner Award - Best Continuing Series (2010) - Winner

Trivia

 * Robert Kirkman promoted the Comic Series as "the zombie movie that never ends".
 * In Issue 38, Robert Kirkman writes there is "ONE zombie who's appeared no less than three different times in the book."
 * Originally, the name for the comic was "The Night of The Living Dead". The pilot for the comic was also set in the 1960's.
 * Additionally, instead of being set in Georgia, it was to take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.