Robert Kirkman was once criticized by readers for publishing a story in Playboy – something the author said was “trick“, designed to attract fans The Walking Dead A series to pick up comics and hopefully keep reading comics after that. Whether fans agree with this tactic or not, returning to this point in the comic’s history provides a fascinating insight into Kirkman as a creator.
The Walking Dead Deluxe #97, written by Kirkman, with art by Charlie Adlard, reprints the issue’s original fan letter section, in which the author defended his decision to publish the story in Playboy Magazine. In 2012, immediately after Michonne’s appearance in the second season of the television series, Kirkman decided to tell her origin story.
However, instead of telling Michonne’s backstory in the main comic series, Kirkman decided to release it as a special six-page story published exclusively in the April 2012 issue of the magazine. Playboy magazine, which he explained was created intentionally to attract new fans.
Robert Kirkman explains his controversial decision to publish Michonne’s story in Playboy as a “stunt”
The Walking Dead Deluxe #97 – Written by Robert Kirkman; Art by Charlie Adlard; Color by Dave McCaig; Rus Wooten’s inscription
According to a fan letter published in The Walking Dead No. 97 and is now being reprinted as part Deluxe episode, Kirkman’s decision to reveal key ideas and Michonne’s backstory in Playboy not happy with some segments The Walking Dead fandom Many fans were openly outraged by this move. In response, Kirkman explained the reason for his move:
Let’s put your opinion of Playboy aside for now and just acknowledge that there are a large number of people who read Playboy but don’t read comics. Just like a lot of people watch The Walking Dead.
This Michonne thing was a TRICK…a trick to get people to read comics. True, in particular MY comics, but theoretically only at first. You watch the show, you see the comic in Playboy, you buy the Walking Dead book… if you like it, you get all the volumes when they run out – you may end up looking for OTHER books if you like them… .
As Kirkman explained, his goal in the Michonne story is Playboy should have attracted attention to the series.
Connected
This answer may not satisfy everyone, but This is a real answer in which Kirkman doesn’t try to hide his motives or be ambiguous about the goal.”trick.“At a time when The Walking Dead the series was still going strong and the franchise was truly becoming the phenomenon it had become, the author was willing to take risks to capitalize on it. Ultimately, he felt it was a move he was willing to support – and one that he believed would benefit not only himself, but the industry as a whole.
For Kirkman, the purpose of Michonne’s “stunt” was to raise awareness of The Walking Dead and the comic book industry.
Was it successful?
Kirkman looked at Michonne Playboy story as a strategic opportunity to increase popularity and sales The Walking Dead comic book franchise, while also expanding the wider comic book readership. In keeping with his admission that the publication was a stunt, Kirkman argued that this would benefit not only himself, as one would expect from an independent artist, but also comic book enthusiasts, including the critics themselves.. Kirkman believed that by making comics more accessible, the stunt had a positive impact on the community.
Robert Kirkman’s stunt was intended as one small step for The Walking Dead franchise, but it’s a significant leap for comic fandom, although the true extent of its influence may never be entirely clear.
As he summarized in The Walking Dead #97 letters section:
I’m willing to bet that the Playboy Michonne story brought us at least one new comic book reader for life… Maybe 10,000, maybe 500… but I KNOW it gave us at least one. So isn’t that good?
If he’s right, and someone who would probably never think of reading comics – or The Walking Dead – if it had not appeared in Playboythen many readers will find it difficult to argue with his logic. In this sense, Robert Kirkman’s stunt was intended as one small step for The Walking Dead franchise, but it’s a significant leap for comic fandom, although the true extent of its influence may never be entirely clear.
The Walking Dead Deluxe #97 available now from Image Comics.