The Walking Dead: Cutting Room Floor

The Walking Dead: Cutting Room Floor
Release Date	October 7, 2020
Creator, Writer	Robert Kirkman
Penciler, Inker	Charlie Adlard Cliff Rathburn

The Walking Dead: Cutting Room Floor is a behind-the-scenes look at Robert Kirkman's original, hand-written plot lines for the issues of The Walking Dead. The collection includes commentaries on Kirkman's original plots with never-before-seen material. Additions are included in the back of each issue of The Walking Dead: Deluxe.

Notable Letters and Information

Volume 1: Days Gone Bye

Issue	Note(s)
1	The bicycle zombie was originally intended to be a kid. The page with the zombies in the cafeteria was originally going to be two-page spread. Rick was originally going to be in Morgan's house on page 17, but instead happened two pages earlier.
2	Rick was originally going to take a brief stop on his way to Atlanta, sleeping in a abandoned car with the horse tied to it. Atlanta was originally going to be a bombed-out wasteland. Rick breaking down over Lori and Carl after meeting Glenn was added in after the plot was done.
3	Originally, Rick and Shane were going to bring the deer Front was eating back to camp and eat it. It was decided against because it was "too gross".
4	After making it out of Atlanta, Rick and Glenn were originally going to strip down to their underwear because they got so gross from the camouflage.
5	Page 6 was originally going to feature Rick and Carl bonding with Carl responding "I don't wanna shoot no dead people". Page 7 was going to have Donna gossiping about Andrea, Amy and Dale. Shane was originally not in the scene with Rick and Dale chopping wood. Everyone discussing their previous lives was originally going to be only a page long. Andrea was originally going to die instead of Amy.
6	On Page 5, Donna originally talked to Lori instead of Allen. Page 7 featured Shane wondering if the camp attack was his fault instead of having an argument with Rick over it. Page 11 was supposed to feature a lengthy goodbye between Jim and the other characters. In the final cut, two extra pages were added for the scene where Shane punches Rick. Rick and Shane were originally going to have a much less heated argument while hunting, with Shane pointing a gun at Rick without the latter realizing it, while Rick was aiming at another animal. Shane's death scene was going to be longer.

Volume 2: Miles Behind Us

Issue	Note(s)
7	Rick was originally still injured from his fight with Shane. Page 8 was supposed to feature Allen siphoning gas from a car. There was also another scene of characters siphoning gas.
8	Another frozen zombie was supposed to appear in Wiltshire Estates, which Carol and Sophia would walk by it without noticing. The scene where Donna and Allen talk about Andrea's state of mind was supposed to be longer. The group had to fight more zombies. The last scene was supposed to feature leaves blowing off the "ALL DEAD DO NOT ENTER" sign instead of snow melting off it.
9	Allen originally thanked Rick for talking him out of suicide after they escaped Wiltshire Estates. Ben and Billy only found out about their mother's death a day after the escape.
10	Hershel's wife was still alive and living on the farm with her family. Tyreese's conversation with Chris and Julie happened before Glenn and Maggie's conversation. Glenn was originally going to start a relationship with Lacey instead of Maggie. Hershel's infamous last line about the barn was going to mention "sick ones" instead of "dead ones".
11	Kirkman considered having Allen killed by the barn zombies instead of Lacey.
12	Allen was going to be dismissive when Rick asked him if he was okay. Maggie and Hershel were originally going to talk about being out of food, giving Hershel another reason to kick the Survivors out. The argument between Rick and Hershel was originally going to be longer and more drawn out. The scene with Hershel talking to Otis originally didn't exist. Glenn wasn't originally going to stay on the farm.

Volume 3: Safety Behind Bars

Issue	Note(s)
13	Dale was originally going to help Rick and Tyreese clear out the Prison instead of Andrea. Allen was going to play with Ben and Billy and talk to them about Donna's death inappropriately. Rick and Tyreese were going to spend more time exploring the prison before they stumbled across the cafeteria.
14	Chris was originally going to be the one to die instead of Julie. Rick originally didn't explain the state of the world to the prisoners.
15	After killing Chris, Tyreese was originally going to say "Leave. I want another shot at this kid." While trying to sleep, Rick was going to tell himself there is something he needs to do. Originally, there was no dialogue between Rick and the undead Shane. Michonne was originally going to be introduced in this issue.
16	The shower scene was originally absent.
17	Thomas was originally going to lock himself with Andrea in a cell at the start of the issue. Rick was going to talk to Lori about Shane more. Andrea was originally going to lose her entire ear to Thomas' attack. Rick was going to hit Lori when she tried to stop him from beating Thomas.
18	Lori was originally still present in the prison yard for Rick's announcment that they would hang Thomas, and was going to respond with "Like hell you are!" The scene right after when Rick goes to visit his family was going to be more heated, with Lori not wanting Rick to see Carl since the latter was too afraid of him. There was going to be a scene explaining how Patricia got ahold of the key to Thomas' cell. Thomas was originally going to be hanged like was shown on the cover. The cliffhanger of the issue was going to be Lori telling Rick she wants a divorce. Once this was scrapped, the issue was supposed to end with Dexter and Andrew voluntarily leaving the prison.

Volume 4: The Heart's Desire

Issue	Note(s)
19	The issue was originally going to be devoted to Rick reeling over the fact that Lori wanted a divorce and Michonne's introduction. Rick and Tyreese's conversation at the end of the issue was going to be different.
20	The first scene of the issue was going to be Glenn killing zombies. After Andrea's meeting, Rick and Tyreese were going to talk. There was going to be a scene featuring Lori and Carl. Kirkman originally planned for the comic to adopt a Mad Max-like esthetic, with people forced to make their own clothes out of scraps, and thus had Andrea volunteer to do this during her meeting. However, he later realized that, with so few survivors, the characters would realistically never run out of fresh clothes, so they kept wearing regular clothes for the most part.
21	None
22	Rick getting his hand checked was originally going to be in his cell and Lori waking up instead of Andrea. There was originally going to be a cafeteria meeting, but it was cut in order to make room for Carol's suicide attempt. The scene with Dale, Andrea, and the twins was going to be them bonding with each other. A scene of Tyreese and Andrea fighting was cut. A scene of Rick and Tyreese going to A block was cut. A scene of Glenn and Billy cleaning off the fence was cut. Scenes of Lori and Carol watching the kids and Rick and Tyreese talking were cut for the Carol's suicide attempt. Everyone was originally going to be watch Rick and Tyreese fight.
23	Tyreese was originally going to purposefully fling Rick off the railing. Dale, Otis, and Patricia were originally going to show up after Lori.
24	The issue was originally going to end with Lori revealing to someone her baby was not Rick's.

Volume 5: The Best Defense

Issue	Note(s)
25	Kirkman considered having this issue introduce a whole new cast of characters and have them eventually run into the Survivors, hence why the Volume 5 covers have all characters in riot gear. Carl was originally going to have a big part in luring the zombies from the gate. Originally, the plan to get gas was more frantic and action packed. This issue was originally going to end with Lori saying she's bleeding.
26	This issue originally started with a zombie attack on page 1, but was instead moved up to page 2. Tyreese was originally going to ask where the helicopter was instead of if it was the military. Volume 7 was originally going to be titled "Those We Adore," while Volume 6 and Volume 8 had their titles switched. Brian Blake was originally going to be named "Noah."
27	The issue was originally going to start in Woodbury, where the helicopter crew would be interrogated and fed to zombies by the Governor. The Governor was originally going to be referred to as "The President". There was originally a scene with Otis and Patricia where Otis tells Patricia he's not a racist. During Tyreese and Axel's conversation, Tyreese tells Axel that Lori is going to take Rick to "Fist City" when he gets back.
28	TBA
29	TBA
30	TBA

Trivia

• The release was postponed multiple times. It was originally scheduled to be released in February of 2012, then 2013 and 2014.

TBA