''The Walking Dead'' is an American
post-apocalyptic
Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which the Earth's (or another planet's) civilization is collapsing or has collapsed. The apocalypse event may be climatic, such as runaway climate change; astro ...
comic book
A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...
series created by writer
Robert Kirkman and artist
Tony Moore – who was the artist on the first six issues and cover artist for the first twenty-four – with art on the remainder of the series by
Charlie Adlard
Charles Adlard is a British comic book artist known for his work on books such as '' The Walking Dead'' and ''Savage''.
Career
Adlard began his work in the UK on ''White Death'' with Robbie Morrison and '' 2000 AD'' series including ''Judge Dre ...
.
[Sullivan, Michael Patrick]
WEEK OF THE DEAD II: Charlie Adlard
Comic Book Resources, May 20, 2008 Beginning in 2003 and published by
Image Comics
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...
, the series ran for 193 issues, with Kirkman unexpectedly ending the series in 2019. Apart from a few specials, the comic was published primarily in black and white. It began publishing colorized versions issue by issue, colored by
Dave McCaig
Dave McCaig (born December 6, 1971, in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian artist and colourist who also works in the animation industry.
He has worked on comics including '' Adam Strange'', ''X-Men'', ''Star Wars'', '' Superman: Birthright'', ' ...
, starting in October 2020.
The comic book series focuses on
Rick Grimes
Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the post-apocalyptic comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and the first nine seasons of the television series of the same name, in which he is portrayed by Andrew Lincoln. Creat ...
, a
Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
deputy who is shot in the line of duty and awakens from a
coma
A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...
in a
zombie apocalypse
Zombie apocalypse is a genre of fiction in which society collapses due to overwhelming swarms of zombies. Typically only a few individuals or small bands of survivors are left living. In some versions, the reason the dead rise and attack hum ...
that has resulted in a state-wide quarantine. After joining with some other survivors, he gradually takes on the role of leader of a community as it struggles to survive the zombie apocalypse. ''The Walking Dead'' received the 2007 and 2010
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
for Best Continuing Series at
San Diego Comic-Con International
San Diego Comic-Con International is a comic book convention and nonprofit multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California since 1970. The name, as given on its website, is Comic-Con International: San Diego; but it is co ...
.
The
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** ...
television series
''The Walking Dead'' (2010–2022) loosely follows the storyline of the comic book. The
''Walking Dead'' franchise has also spawned multiple additional media properties, including two companion television series (''
Fear the Walking Dead'' and ''
The Walking Dead: World Beyond''), eight
webisode series
A webisode (portmanteau of "web" and "episode") is an episode of a series that is distributed as part of a web series or on streaming television. It is available as either for download or in streaming, as opposed to first airing on broadcast or ...
, video games (starting with
''The Walking Dead: The Game''), and various additional publications, including novels (starting with ''
The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor'').
Publication history
Kirkman was a fan of
zombie films
A zombie film is a film genre. Zombies are fictional creatures usually portrayed as reanimated corpses or virally infected human beings. They are commonly portrayed as cannibalistic in nature. While zombie films generally fall into the horror g ...
such as the ''
Living Dead
''Living Dead'' is a blanket term for the loosely connected horror franchise that originated from the 1968 film ''Night of the Living Dead''. The film, written by George A. Romero and John A. Russo, primarily focuses on a group of people gath ...
'' series and ''
Zombi 2
''Zombi 2'' is a 1979 Italian zombie film directed by Lucio Fulci. It was adapted from an original screenplay by Dardano Sacchetti to serve as a sequel to George A. Romero's '' Dawn of the Dead'' (1978), which was released in Italy with the t ...
'' as well as
zombie video games
This is an incomplete list of video games strongly featuring zombies. These games feature creatures inspired by the archetypal flesh-eating zombies seen in horror films, B-movies and literature; such as in the films of George A. Romero. Other var ...
such as ''
Resident Evil
''Resident Evil'', known in Japan as is a Japanese horror game series and media franchise created by Capcom. It consists of survival horror, third-person shooter and first-person shooter games, with players typically surviving in environments ...
''. The original pitch by Kirkman and Moore was for a followup to
George A. Romero
George Andrew Romero (; February 4, 1940 – July 16, 2017) was an American-Canadian filmmaker, writer, editor and actor. His ''Night of the Living Dead'' series of films about an imagined zombie apocalypse began with the 1968 film of the ...
's ''
Night of the Living Dead
''Night of the Living Dead'' is a 1968 American independent horror film directed, photographed, and edited by George A. Romero, with a screenplay by John Russo and Romero, and starring Duane Jones and Judith O'Dea. The story follows seven peop ...
'', with the series taking place in the 1960s.
Image Comics
Image Comics is an American comic book publisher and is the third largest comic book and graphic novel publisher in the industry in both unit and market share. It was founded in 1992 by several high-profile illustrators as a venue for creator-ow ...
co-founder
Jim Valentino
Jim Valentino (born October 28, 1952) is an American writer, penciler, editor and publisher of comic books, best known for his 1990–1992 work on ''Guardians of the Galaxy'' for Marvel Comics, and for co-founding Image Comics, a company publis ...
suggested using an original concept instead so the creators would own the property outright.
The pitch was revised into an original story, taking a more traditional approach to a modern zombie survival tale. The revised pitch was again rejected, however, for being too "normal". Kirkman then pitched it again with a new added twist that the plague was sent by
aliens
Alien primarily refers to:
* Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country
** Enemy alien, the above in times of war
* Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth
** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
, and that the comic would be more of an
alien invasion
The alien invasion or space invasion is a common feature in science fiction stories and film, in which extraterrestrial lifeforms invade the Earth either to exterminate and supplant human life, enslave it under an intense state, harvest people ...
story. Kirkman had no intention of making the comic about aliens, but felt that the lie was necessary to get the comic published, which it did.
''The Walking Dead'' debuted in 2003, published by Image Comics, with art by
Tony Moore for the first six issues and
Cliff Rathburn
Cliff Rathburn is an American comic book artist. He pencils, inks, colors and greyscales.
Career
Rathburn did some early work at DC Comics. He later known for providing the greyscale coloring for Robert Kirkman's long-running series '' The Walkin ...
shading the art after issue #5.
Charlie Adlard
Charles Adlard is a British comic book artist known for his work on books such as '' The Walking Dead'' and ''Savage''.
Career
Adlard began his work in the UK on ''White Death'' with Robbie Morrison and '' 2000 AD'' series including ''Judge Dre ...
took over as artist on issue #7, after he was approached by Kirkman.
Moore also created the cover art for the first 24 issues and the first four
trade paperbacks. The remainder were done by Adlard. Most issues of the comic featured "Letter Hacks", several pages at the end where Kirkman discussed the issue, oftentimes answering
letters, mail, and emails sent by readers of the comic.
[Harper, David]
"Backmatter and the Golden Age of Comic Book Letters Columns: In 2015, what have comic creators had to do make letters columns relevant again?"
''Sktchd Chronicles'' (September 29, 2015). Kirkman usually co-wrote the section with his editor, Sean Mackiewicz.
When the television series premiered in October 2010, Image Comics announced ''The Walking Dead Weekly''. The first 52 issues of the series began to be reprinted on January 5, 2011, with one issue per week for a year. The series is periodically re-published in trade paperbacks which contain six issues each, hardcover books with twelve issues and occasional bonus material, omnibus editions of twenty-four issues, and compendium editions of forty-eight issues.
In May 2018, Image Comics and its imprint
Skybound Entertainment
Skybound Entertainment is an American multiplatform entertainment company founded by Robert Kirkman and David Alpert.
History
Skybound Entertainment is the company behind the long-running comic, '' The Walking Dead'', created by Robert Kirkman ...
, the company that has driven development of ''The Walking Dead'' comic series since 2010, jointly announced ''The Walking Dead Day''. The fan-oriented event was for October 13, 2018 and coincided with the release of a ''Walking Dead'' #1 ''15th Anniversary Variant Edition'', with cover art by Charlie Adlard. A select number of ''The Walking Dead Day'' participating local comic shops became part of the comic's story line, with their own special edition of Adlard's anniversary cover, featuring the store's logo incorporated into the cover art. The company also noted that additional limited edition collectibles and festivities would be announced at a future date, prior to the October 2018 event.
On July 3, 2019, Kirkman confirmed through the "Letter Hacks" section of Issue #193 that the issue had concluded the series, with no previous announcements or warnings beforehand.
Kirkman opted to end the comic on his own terms; he stated in his letter in issue #193 that part of the reason to end was that he feared he lacked material to continue the series for several more issues. He had envisioned the series to end around the time that Rick Grimes and his allies reach the Commonwealth, a large human community protected from the walkers, as this would allow him to give a complete arc. However, he found he got there too soon in terms of issues, with the Commonwealth first appearing around issue #150, and Kirkman feared there was no way he could get to an issue #300 with what ideas he had left.
This ending came following the death of Rick Grimes, in issue #192. Kirkman kept the series' end a secret as he worked with Adlard to create cover art and solicitation information for
Diamond Comic Distributors
Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. (often called Diamond Comics, DCD, or casually Diamond) is an American comic book distributor serving retailers in North America and worldwide. They transport comic books and graphic novels, as well as other po ...
for non-existent issues through #196 that would have been released through October 2019, creating a storyline that hinted at the death of Carl Grimes, Rick's son, in the wake of Rick's death. Kirkman said that ''The Walking Dead'' comic was always built on surprise, and felt that it was necessary to surprise readers with the end of the series after covering enough of the aftermath of Rick's death in issues #192 and 193.
Image Comics announced in July 2020 that it will be republishing the full run of ''The Walking Dead'' in full color, with coloring by
Dave McCaig
Dave McCaig (born December 6, 1971, in Thunder Bay, Ontario) is a Canadian artist and colourist who also works in the animation industry.
He has worked on comics including '' Adam Strange'', ''X-Men'', ''Star Wars'', '' Superman: Birthright'', ' ...
. The first issue of the reprint was released on October 7, 2020, with subsequent comics beginning to be released twice a month from November 2020 onward. There are no present plans to release these in trade paperbacks.
Story arcs
Specials
Michonne Special (March 16, 2012)
:A story featuring Michonne in the early days of the outbreak, that also reveals the identity of her two pet walkers.
The Governor Special (February 13, 2013)
:A story featuring The Governor in his early days as the leader of Woodbury, as well as the fate of Scott Moon.
Free Comic Book Day Special (May 4, 2013)
:A collection of Morgan's, Michonne's, The Governor's and Tyreese's specials.
Morgan Special (May 5, 2013)
:A short story consisting of six pages, featuring Morgan during the winter of the apocalypse.
Tyreese Special (October 9, 2013)
:The story of Tyreese, along with his daughter, Julie and her boyfriend, Chris, in the early days of the outbreak.
The Walking Dead: The Alien (April 20, 2016)
:''The Walking Dead: The Alien'' is a brief story consisting of 32 pages, featuring Jeffrey Grimes as he deals with the outbreak in Barcelona, Spain
Here's Negan (April 27, 2016 – July 26, 2017, October 4, 2017 (Hardcover))
:''Here's Negan'' is a stand-alone volume of Image Comics' ''The Walking Dead'', featuring the backstory of Negan. The story was initially serialized in four-page installments within the first sixteen issues of Image's monthly in-house magazine, ''Image+'', published from April 2016 to July 2017. In November 2017, the story was collected and published as a 72-page hardcover volume.
Negan Lives! (July 1, 2020)
:''Negan Lives'' is a one-shot story of Image Comics' The Walking Dead consisting of 36 pages, featuring Negan and following the character after Issue 174.
Rick Grimes 2000 (July 7, 2021 - August 4, 2021)
:''Rick Grimes 2000'' is a five-chapter, non-canonic follow-up on an in-joke from issue #75, in which Grimes, after being knocked out by Michonne in the main story, abruptly awakens in a science fiction scenario, with the zombie infestation being explained as the precursor of an alien invasion.
Clementine Lives! (July 7, 2021)
:Clementine Lives'' serves as a bridge between the Video Game series and the upcoming ''
Clementine
A clementine (''Citrus × clementina'') is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange ( ''C.'' × ''deliciosa'') and a sweet orange (''C. × sinensis''), named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who fir ...
'' graphic novel series.
The Walking Dead: Clementine (June 22, 2022 – )
: As Clementine continues northward, she encounters a group of
Amish
The Amish (; pdc, Amisch; german: link=no, Amische), formally the Old Order Amish, are a group of traditionalist Anabaptist Christian church fellowships with Swiss German and Alsatian origins. They are closely related to Mennonite churches ...
survivors and befriends Amos. She and Amos continue north to Vermont, where they find a group of teenagers working to convert a ski resort into a safe haven and settlement.
List of characters
Rick Grimes
Rick Grimes is a fictional character and the main protagonist in the post-apocalyptic comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and the first nine seasons of the television series of the same name, in which he is portrayed by Andrew Lincoln. Creat ...
is the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
, a deputy who is
coma
A coma is a deep state of prolonged unconsciousness in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light, or sound, lacks a normal wake-sleep cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. Coma patients exhi ...
tose when the zombie apocalypse begins. With his wife
Lori and son
Carl Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
* Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of te ...
, he joins groups with other survivors. He is joined by former best friend
Shane
Shane may refer to:
People
* Shane (actress) (born 1969), American pornographic actress
* Shane (New Zealand singer) (born 1946)
* iamnotshane (born 1995), formerly known as Shane, American singer
* Shane (name)
Shane is mainly a masculine g ...
, who secretly has a sexual relationship with Lori. The group consists of firm clerk and college graduate
Andrea
Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrej and Andrew.
Origin of the name
The name derives from the Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός (''andrós''), that ref ...
, her sister
Amy
Amy is a female given name, sometimes short for Amanda, Amelia, Amélie, or Amita. In French, the name is spelled ''"Aimée"''.
People A–E
* Amy Acker (born 1976), American actress
* Amy Vera Ackman, also known as Mother Giovanni (1886– ...
, a mechanic named Jim, pizza delivery boy
Glenn, car salesman
Dale, shoe salesman Allen and his wife, Donna as well as their children, Ben and Billy. Lori and Carl form friendships with other survivors such as
Carol and
Sophia.
After leaving the camp, Rick gains a right-hand man and close friendship in
Tyreese
Tyreese, later revealed as Tyreese Williams in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and was portrayed by Chad Coleman in the American television series of the same name. He is a prom ...
, who is accompanied by his daughter and her boyfriend. They soon find a farm run by
Hershel Greene
Hershel Greene is a fictional character in ''The Walking Dead (franchise), The Walking Dead'' whose role is depicted in the The Walking Dead (comic book), comic book, The Walking Dead (TV series), television series as portrayed by Scott Wilson (a ...
. Among Hershel's seven children is
Maggie Greene
Maggie Greene, later Maggie Rhee in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'', portrayed by Lauren Cohan in the television adaptation of the same name.
In the comic book series, Maggie beco ...
, who forms a relationship with Glenn. As the group settle at a prison, they become conflicted with a group of surviving prisoners. Otis meets a katana-wielding survivor named
Michonne
Michonne ( ), later revealed as Michonne Hawthorne, is a Character (arts), fictional character from ''The Walking Dead (comic book), The Walking Dead''. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the The Walking ...
, who is brought into the group, but struggles to acclimate, facing her own demons. Michonne, Rick and Glenn are later held in captivity by
The Governor, a leader of a town called Woodbury who plan to take over the prison. Other Woodbury residents include Alice Warren, who changes sides to Rick's group and delivers Lori's baby,
Bob Stookey
Bob Stookey is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and the television series of the same name, where he was portrayed by Lawrence Gilliard Jr. Created by Robert Kirkman and artists Charlie Adlard and Cliff Rat ...
, an army medic responsible for saving The Governor's life and
Lilly, one of The Governor's soldiers.
After the prison assault, the remaining survivors regroup at Hershel's farm, and meet
Abraham Ford
Sgt. Abraham Ford is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and was portrayed by Michael Cudlitz in the American television series of the same name.
In both mediums Abraham traveled the country with his girlfrien ...
,
Eugene Porter
Eugene Porter, later revealed as Eugene Hermann Porter in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and is portrayed by Josh McDermitt beginning in the fourth season of the American televis ...
and
Rosita Espinosa
Rosita Espinosa is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and is portrayed by Christian Serratos in the American television series of the same name. She accompanies Eugene Porter and Abraham Ford on a mission to Wa ...
. The group travel to
Washington DC
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
where they are hunted by
Chris
Chris is a short form of various names including Christopher, Christian, Christina, Christine, and Christos. Chris is also used as a name in its own right, however it is not as common.
People with the given name
* Chris Abani (born 1966), N ...
, encounter
Gabriel Stokes
Sir Gabriel Stokes (7 July 184922 October 1920) was an Irish civil servant and colonial administrator of the Indian Civil Service. He acted as the Governor of Madras between February–March 1906.
Family
Gabriel Stokes was born on 7July 1 ...
, a priest, and are then recruited by
Aaron
According to Abrahamic religions, Aaron ''′aharon'', ar, هارون, Hārūn, Greek (Septuagint): Ἀαρών; often called Aaron the priest ()., group="note" ( or ; ''’Ahărōn'') was a prophet, a high priest, and the elder brother of ...
and Eric to join the Alexandria Safe-Zone, a city run by congressman
Douglas Monroe. Among the residents are Heath and Dr. Denise Cloyd, who quickly become close allies to the core group, and eventually the conflicted Nicholas. Douglas's son, Spencer tries to form a relationship with Andrea. Rick falls in love with Jessie Anderson, an abused wife. Abraham forms a relationship with Holly, a member of the construction crew.
A group of men, known as The Scavengers, tries to conquer Alexandria; the fight attracts a pack of walkers that invades the safe zone, which led to the death of many Alexandrians. After this, Rick and Andrea form a long-standing relationship.
Later, the safe zone starts a trading network with the Hilltop Colony, with help from its scout
Paul "Jesus" Monroe
Paul "Jesus" Monroe (known as Paul "Jesus" Rovia in the television series) is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'', as well as the television series of the same name, where he is portrayed by Tom Payne.
Jesus s ...
.
However, their safety is again threatened by the psychopathic
Negan
Negan, later revealed as Negan Smith in the television series, is a fictional character in the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and in the television series of the same name. He was the leader of the Saviors, a group of survivors in the S ...
and his group known as The Saviors, who reside in a factory. The Hilltop and Alexandria join with The Kingdom, which is run by
King Ezekiel
King Ezekiel, later revealed as Ezekiel Sutton in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'' and the television series of the same name, in which he is portrayed by Khary Payton.
Ezekiel is t ...
, in a war against the Saviors. The war ends thanks to
Dwight Dwight may refer to:
People
* Dwight (given name)
* Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890–1969), 34th president of the United States and former military officer
*New England Dwight family of American educators, military and political leaders, and authors
* ...
, a savior who decided to betray Negan.
After the war, newcomers such as
Magna and
Dante
Dante Alighieri (; – 14 September 1321), probably baptized Durante di Alighiero degli Alighieri and often referred to as Dante (, ), was an Italian poet, writer and philosopher. His ''Divine Comedy'', originally called (modern Italian: '' ...
are introduced into the series. Oceanside, another community out at sea, is established, as well as safety perimeters across the DC area, which are violated by the presence of the Whisperers, a tribe of people disguised as the dead who have rejected the notion of re-establishing civilization. The leader,
Alpha
Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ; grc, ἄλφα, ''álpha'', or ell, άλφα, álfa) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter aleph , whic ...
, antagonizes Rick as her daughter,
Lydia
Lydia (Lydian language, Lydian: 𐤮𐤱𐤠𐤭𐤣𐤠, ''Śfarda''; Aramaic: ''Lydia''; el, Λυδία, ''Lȳdíā''; tr, Lidya) was an Iron Age Monarchy, kingdom of western Asia Minor located generally east of ancient Ionia in the mod ...
, forms a romantic relationship with Carl. When Alpha's second in command,
Beta
Beta (, ; uppercase , lowercase , or cursive ; grc, βῆτα, bē̂ta or ell, βήτα, víta) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 2. In Modern Greek, it represents the voiced labiod ...
, takes leadership of the group, he declares war against the communities.
The undead/reanimated
Rick's group classifies the undead as either walkers, roamers or lurkers, the former being more likely to venture toward a loud noise in search of human prey. Other names have been used by characters in the series, including biters and stinkers. The undead follow and mimic each other, which can result in enormous hordes travelling together, "walking nonstop, following a sound they've all forgotten," as Abraham puts it.
[''The Walking Dead'' No. 54] When asked about the origins of zombies, Kirkman claimed that there was an answer but that it was unimportant to the story-line. At the same time, it was reported that when Kirkman pitched the series he had claimed that the virus was an alien
biological attack
Biological warfare, also known as germ warfare, is the use of biological toxins or infectious agents such as bacteria, viruses, insects, and fungi with the intent to kill, harm or incapacitate humans, animals or plants as an act of war. Bio ...
in preparation of a
full-scale invasion but that he had no intention of following this idea.
Reception
![10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/10.14.11RobertKirkmanByLuigiNovi12.jpg)
The series received critical acclaim, winning the
Eisner Award
The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, commonly shortened to the Eisner Awards, are prizes given for creative achievement in American comic books, sometimes referred to as the comics industry's equivalent of the Academy Awards. They are named in ...
for Best Continuing Series in 2010 and prompting Eric Sunde of
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
comics to call it "one of the best monthly comics available". Among its fans are author
Max Brooks
Maximillian Michael Brooks (born May 22, 1972) is an American actor and author. He is the son of comedy filmmaker Mel Brooks and actress Anne Bancroft. Much of Brooks's writing focuses on zombie stories. He is a senior fellow at the Modern War ...
. Because of the popularity of the series, which increased considerably when it was adapted into a
television series of the same name, artist Tony Moore's original artwork for the series' early issues has gone up in value; on the March 28, 2013 episode of the
VH1 reality television series ''For What It's Worth'', Moore's original artwork for Page 7 of issue #1 was professionally appraised to be worth $20,000.
Other media
Television adaptations
AMC
AMC may refer to:
Film and television
* AMC Theatres, an American movie theater chain
* AMC Networks, an American entertainment company
** AMC (TV channel)
** AMC+, streaming service
** AMC Networks International, an entertainment company
*** ...
picked up the rights to produce a show based on the comic in 2009. It ordered a pilot episode on January 21, 2010 and began filming on May 15, 2010. The series premiered on October 31, 2010 with high ratings. On November 8, 2010, after broadcasting two episodes, AMC renewed ''The Walking Dead'' for a second season of 13 episodes, which began on October 16, 2011. The TV show is loosely inspired by the comic, introducing new characters and deviating from the comic in certain plot points.
The fifth season premiered on October 12, 2014, with
Scott M. Gimple as the show's third showrunner. Gimple has said that he would stay closer in line to the comic book series events "as much as possible", but ultimately remix stories with certain characters, referencing original characters introduced to the show and deceased characters alive in the comic book as a reason for this.
Robert Kirkman himself has mentioned that the series will follow much closer to the comic series with Gimple's run. With the series' ninth season, which started broadcast in October 2018,
Angela Kang
Angela Kang (born March 23, 1976) is an American television writer known for serving as showrunner on the AMC horror drama series '' The Walking Dead'' for the final three seasons.
Early life
Kang was born and raised in Irvine, California, the ...
was promoted to showrunner with Gimple now in charge of all ''Walking Dead'' properties at AMC. This also was accompanied by the largest deviation from the comics, with the departure of Rick Grimes, played by
Andrew Lincoln
Andrew James Clutterbuck (born 14 September 1973), known professionally as Andrew Lincoln, is an English actor. His first major role was as the character Egg in the BBC drama ''This Life'' (1996–1997). Lincoln later portrayed Simon Casey in ...
, from the show, though Lincoln will reprise Rick in three feature-length films to be produced as AMC Originals that continue Rick's story with Kirkman's involvement.
A companion television series, titled ''
Fear the Walking Dead'', debuted on AMC on August 23, 2015. The series features new original characters, and it is set in the city of
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...
starting prior to the zombie apocalypse. It explores these new characters as the apocalypse begins. The series was created by Robert Kirkman and
Dave Erickson
Dave Erickson is an American television writer and producer best known for co-creating '' Fear the Walking Dead'' with Robert Kirkman, for which he was showrunner until the end of the third season; he stepped down in order to make more shows for ...
, with Erickson serving as showrunner for the series. AMC ordered the series for a two-season commitment, with the first season consisting of six episodes.
Animation comic
AMC released an animated short of the first part of Issue No. 1 of the comic with animation by Juice Films, voice acting by
Phil LaMarr
Phillip LaMarr (born January 24, 1967) is an American actor, comedian and screenwriter. LaMarr was one of the original featured cast members on the sketch comedy television series '' Mad TV''. His voice acting roles in animated series include J ...
and art by
Tony Moore.
Telltale's ''The Walking Dead''
Telltale Games
Telltale Incorporated (trade name: Telltale Games) was an American video game developer based in San Rafael, California. The company was founded in July 2004 by former LucasArts developers Kevin Bruner, Dan Connors and Troy Molander, following ...
, an
adventure game
An adventure game is a video game genre in which the player assumes the role of a protagonist in an interactive story driven by exploration and/or Puzzle video game, puzzle-solving. The Video game genres, genre's focus on story allows it to draw ...
developer, secured the rights with Kirkman to make an
episodic video game
An episodic video game is a video game of a shorter length that is commercially released as an installment to a continuous and larger series. Episodic games differ from conventional video games in that they often contain less content but are develo ...
inspired by ''The Walking Dead'' comic book series in 2011. While video games have frequently dealt with the zombie genre, Kirkman said of Telltale's game that "it
ocusesmore on characterization and emotion than action". Telltale opted to take a new approach to the typical adventure game, making it so that players would have to make decisions through
conversation tree
A dialogue tree, or conversation tree, is a gameplay mechanic that is used throughout many adventure games (including action-adventure games) and role-playing video games. When interacting with a non-player character, the player is given a choice ...
s or through
quick time event
In video games, a quick time event (QTE) is a method of context-sensitive gameplay in which the player performs actions on the control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen instruction/prompt. It allows for limited control of the ...
s, that would propagate through the episode and as determinants into future ones, as to give more weight to the character-driven nature of their game.
Telltale's game, ''
The Walking Dead'', first released in 2012, and followed the characters of
Lee Everett
Lee Everett is one of the protagonists of Telltale's '' The Walking Dead'' video game series, debuting as the playable main protagonist of the first season. Tasked with protecting a girl named Clementine in the midst of a zombie apocalypse, Le ...
, a former teacher convicted of murder, and
Clementine
A clementine (''Citrus × clementina'') is a tangor, a citrus fruit hybrid between a willowleaf mandarin orange ( ''C.'' × ''deliciosa'') and a sweet orange (''C. × sinensis''), named in honor of Clément Rodier, a French missionary who fir ...
, a pre-teen girl left alone at the start of the zombie apocalypse; it contained tie-ins with the comic by brief appearances of
Glenn Rhee
Glenn, later revealed as Glenn Rhee in the television series, is a fictional character from the comic book series '' The Walking Dead'', in which he is known simply as Glenn. He was portrayed by Steven Yeun in the television series of the same ...
and
Hershel Greene
Hershel Greene is a fictional character in ''The Walking Dead (franchise), The Walking Dead'' whose role is depicted in the The Walking Dead (comic book), comic book, The Walking Dead (TV series), television series as portrayed by Scott Wilson (a ...
, narratively prior to their first appearances in the comic series. The series was a critical success, with much of the praise for the characterization of Clementine and Lee, and is stated to have caused a resurgence in the waning adventure game market since 2000. Telltale went on to develop a full-fledged
series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used in ...
, with three additional seasons, additional
downloadable content
Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
for the first season, and a spin-off title based on
Michonne
Michonne ( ), later revealed as Michonne Hawthorne, is a Character (arts), fictional character from ''The Walking Dead (comic book), The Walking Dead''. The character also appears in media adaptations of the series, most notably the The Walking ...
. In all but this spin-off, choices made by players in earlier games continued to set determinants used in later games as the stories followed Clementine's continued struggles to survive as she grows up in the years that followed.
In the midst of releasing the planned
final season of ''The Walking Dead'' series during 2018, Telltale Games went into bankruptcy, laying off the bulk of the staff and cancelling all projects, including the last two episodes of ''The Walking Dead''. By this point, Kirkman had established
Skybound Entertainment
Skybound Entertainment is an American multiplatform entertainment company founded by Robert Kirkman and David Alpert.
History
Skybound Entertainment is the company behind the long-running comic, '' The Walking Dead'', created by Robert Kirkman ...
and had been eyeing a gaming division. He took the opportunity to secure the rights of Telltale's ''The Walking Dead'' properties, and temporarily hired most of the staff that were working on the game so that the series could be finished as well as to close out Clementine's story, which he felt needed to be done.
Additionally, with these rights, Skybound took over future publication of Telltale's series, and will publish a remastered version of all four seasons and additional content, featuring graphical improvements that Telltale had made ahead of starting the fourth season.
''The Walking Dead: All Out War''
In January 2016, the
Kings of War creator
Mantic Games
Mantic Games is a British miniatures and board game publisher, based in Bulwell, Nottingham, UK.
History
Mantic Games was started in 2008 by former Games Workshop Managing Director, Ronnie Renton with a range of high-fantasy miniatures that were ...
announced plans to release a tabletop miniature wargame based on ''The Walking Dead'', named ''The Walking Dead: All Out War''. The miniatures game was funded through the popular crowdfunding site
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
. This product is available for order and first began shipping to backers on November 7, 2016.
Novels
A series of novels based on the comics, written by Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga, were released between 2011 and 2014 focusing on the antagonist "The Governor". Taking place in the initial outbreak, the books chronicle his experiences from surviving in the newly ravaged world to the establishment of himself as leader of Woodbury, and finally tying up the conclusion to the prison arc storyline in the comics.
Following ''
The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor'', Bonansinga continued the ''Walking Dead'' novels as sole author, with Kirkman's name affixed to the title.
Collected editions
The series has so far been assembled into the following collections:
Trade paperbacks
The
trade paperbacks
A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, hardcover (hardback) book ...
collect story arcs of six issues each, but contain only the story and none of the original
cover art
Cover art is a type of artwork presented as an illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book (often on a dust jacket), magazine, newspaper ( tabloid), comic book, video game (box art), music album (album art), ...
from the comics. Each paperback follows the convention of having a three-word title. The zombies in the cover art for each paperback form part of a larger image if placed end to end. This also loops, as the final zombie on Volume 32 connects to the first on Volume 1.
Each story arc is re-released in hardcover books containing two, omnibus editions containing four, and compendiums containing eight story arcs.
Hardcovers
All hardcovers contain the contents of the comics, including the covers, and in some cases bonus material. The books' trim size is larger than the paperbacks. Each hardcover contains two story arcs from the series. Signed versions of the books are available, each limited to 310 pieces.
Omnibus editions
Limited omnibus editions collect roughly 24 issues in a slipcase with several extras. The first volume is autographed by Kirkman and Adlard, with 300 copies printed. Subsequent volumes had print runs of 3000 each, along with deluxe limited editions (signed by Kirkman/Adlard) of 300 copies.
Compendium editions
Softcover compendium editions collect approximately 48 comic issues each. They are also available as limited hardcover editions (Red Foil Version for Compendium 1, Gold Foil Version for Compendium 2, and Gold Foil Version
for Compendium 3).
Box sets
Other publications
Several ancillary books and a special edition have also been published:
References
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Walking Dead, The
American comics
Comics adapted into television series
Comics adapted into video games
Comics by Robert Kirkman
Eisner Award winners for Best Continuing Series
Mental health in fiction
Comic book