Good News For Dead People

The Walking Dead is, arguably, the best comic book being published these days. With 69 issues out, this long running story is nearly seven years old. The book’s creators, Robert Kirkland and Charlie Adlard take an overdone genre – the zombie apocalypse – and give it an incredibly fresh take that results in a dramatic page-turning epic, with most issues ending in an edge-of-your-seat cliffhanger.

Unlike most comics these days, The Walking Dead is presented in stark black and white panels, baring the survivors’ tale in its naked reality. At first blush, the lack of color is distracting, but after reading a few issues, it’s tough to imagine the story any other way.

A few years ago, Robert Kirkland explained why he created The Walking Dead. “I wanted a zombie movie that never ends. I wanted a zombie movie that allowed us to watch characters grow and change over time.” And so, unlike a 90 minute horror flick, TWD kept going … and going …

Ever since then, The Walking Dead has grown to enjoy an immense popularity, and there have been a few attempts to bring the story to the big (or small screen). Talks to turn it into a series were hopeful (but eventually fell apart) at HBO.

Then last fall, hopes rose as Frank Darabont was tied to the project for AMC. Weeks, then months, passed and it seemed like maybe TWD was headed for development hell. But today, Variety magazine says AMC has greenlit the pilot for The Walking Dead. That means The Walking Dead – due to start production this year – will definitely be on its way to television, which is great news. And with Kirkman attached to the production, hopefully that means a good end result. But will it be in black and white?