Walking Dead’s creator names the moment it went from ‘zombie survival horror’ to its final form

Ask most fans of The Walking Dead What the series is about, and they’ll say survival — but according to creator Robert Kirkman, halfway through its run, The comic moves away from its focus on surviving the zombie outbreak, turning its attention to life in the new world that the outbreak has created. In fact, it would be the ongoing thematic and narrative struggle that ultimately defined the series.

The Walking Dead Deluxe #96 – written by Robert Kirkman, with art by Charlie Adlard – is a reprint of the original 2012 issue, which concluded with an extended speech by main character Rick Grimes. In his notes on the subject, including the Deluxe Additionally, Kirkman explained that Rick’s monologue signaled a major change in direction for the series.

Of course, Rick’s declaration that “We can finally stop surviving… and start living“, would be almost immediately complicated by the introduction of Negan, and his killing of Glenn, in The Walking Dead #100.

Rick’s speech at the end of The Walking Dead #96 signaled a new direction for the series

The Walking Dead Deluxe #96 – Written by Robert Kirkman; Art by Charlie Adlard; Color by Dave McCaig; Lettering by Rus Wooten

The Walking Dead Deluxe It was an exciting return to the series, and by far the most rewarding thing for fans of the franchise on an issue-by-issue basis was Robert Kirkman’s notes on his own series. Kirkman offered valuable writing advice based on experience learning on-the-fly with The Walking Dead; He was also sometimes critical of his own creative decisions, which in his own way gave readers a new perspective on the long-running zombie comic. Above all else, however, Kirkman’s retrospective analysis of his series on the thematic level was invaluable.

In his notes for The Walking Dead Deluxe #96, Kirkman pokes fun at his decision to end another arc with a long monologue, but wrapped in his sarcasm is an explanation of the narrative purpose Rick’s speech served. Kirkman wrote:

Oh, baby. Nothing says the end of a story arc and trade paperback collection quite like a seven-page speech. Oh yes! You guys just love that? Wasn’t it great? Just Rick…talking. Kind of discussing what would be the driving plot more or less for the rest of the series. The purpose of changing things over from surviving to living. This idea will evolve and solidify as the series progresses, but it all started here.

Rick’s speech serves as an effective denouement for the previous story arc, and even more crucially, it as a pivot for the overall trajectory of the series. As the author emphasized here, Rick gave direct expression in the world of The Walking Dead To be creator’s intentions for the plot moving forward.

Although it may not jump out at readers like scenes of action and gore, it was one of the vital functions that made The Walking Dead So successful: Robert Kirkman’s willingness to put his thematic ideas for the series directly on the page and in the mouths of his characters. This led to iconic moments, such as Rick’s early declaration that “We are the walking dead“, which his lines in The Walking Dead #96 Read as a direct follow-up and rebuttal of.

The Walking Dead started as a survival story and became a story of rebuilding

The Walking Dead Deluxe #96 – Available now from Image Comics

Although neither readers nor Robert Kirkman knew it at the time, The Walking Dead #96 is effectively the exact halfway point of the comic’s run, as the series would finally reach #193 before abruptly concluding. So, it’s especially interesting that the issue ends with a moment that serves as the hinge between what are effectively the first and second acts of the overall story. In other words, Rick’s last line closes “book one” of The Walking DeadWhich was about survival at all costs.

The later issue then began “book two”, where the focus became about the characters who carved out a life for themselves in the new world. On first reading The Walking Dead – especially for those who stuck with the comic during its original release – this may not strike readers as an overt shift, but it’s an important moment to identify, because The change grows more pronounced as the series continues, and in the end, actually represents the “final form” of The Walking Dead.

Although the back half of The Walking Dead Containing many similar challenges to earlier arcs, characters respond to the now-familiar terror and tragedy of the post-outbreak world in increasingly different ways. While survival was always a factor, over time it became less of a factor.”Driving” factor of the plot, as Kirkman described it in The Walking Dead Deluxe #96. In its place, the characters focused on building a new society from the ruins of the old one – something that, of course, was not free of the comic’s characteristic high drama and breath-taking violence.

“The Walking Dead” was at its best when Robert Kirkman struck a balance between “show” and “tell.”

The Prototypical Author’s Dilemma

Anyone who has taken a creative writing class is likely to be familiar with the adage, “Show, don’t tell,” but of course, writing—whether fiction or nonfiction—is more complicated than just an “either/or.” Successful writing requires a balance between the two modes; of course, the comic book medium, like film and television, offers The advantage of being able to actually show the reader things, rather than creating pictures in the reader’s mind with just words on a page.

Still, comic writing has its own “show vs. tell” parts — and Robert Kirkman’s writing is a particularly noteworthy example of how to get it, especially in The Walking Dead. This goes back to Kirkman’s ability to put his thematic ideas directly on the page; In a way, the routine action and gore of the series afforded Kirkman the opportunity to balance things out with frequent monologue or dialogue-heavy scenes. As an author, Kirkman rarely, if ever, hesitates to have his characters say exactly what they need to advance the plot.

That is, Kirkman used exposition, and rarely wasted his own time, or the reader’s time, to be subtle. Subtlety can be a great thing in fiction, but the brash, fast-paced nature of The Walking Dead Made it better for the series to lay its cards on the table early and often. This included dialogue as much as action and plot. Although Robert Kirkman might scoff at ending an issue with a “Seven-page speech“, he certainly acknowledged that the scene was as climactic as any action.

Rick’s “Start Living” speech lives in the shadow of Negan’s introduction

Countdown to The Walking Dead Deluxe #100 – Available November 6th

The Walking Dead #96 is a major milestone for the series in another way, in that it’s the first time Rick and his group learn about the group known as the “Syers” and their leader, Negan. In this sense, Rick’s “…and start living“The speech is also charged with tragic irony; just four issues later, in The Walking Dead #100, their group would suffer one of their most tragic losses, with the death of Glenn, and be forced into their greatest fight for survival yet.

Nevertheless, it was the beginning of the new trajectory for the series, which would lead The Walking Dead All the way to his final code. For fans of the franchise who are not yet The Walking Dead DeluxeNow is the perfect time to start, as the re-release approaches Deluxe #100 and the official appearance of Negan, signaling the start of the comic’s most memorable stretch. With Robert Kirkman’s comments about the series’ arc in mind, it will be even more exciting to revisit Negan’s short- and long-term impact on The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead Deluxe #96 is available now from Image Comics.