Over the years, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman has spoken about his desires to see his beloved zombie comic become an animated series. Will it ever happen? And do we really need it?
The Walking Dead has been one of the biggest zombie franchises in the world for over a decade. Created by Robert Kirkman, the series has made its way to video games, novels, and of course, AMC’s hugely popular live-action adaptation. Despite a gluttony of content, there’s always been mumblings of an animated adaptation, but nothing has happened yet.
Perhaps the closest thing we’ve ever had to an ‘animated’ adaptation is the motion comic. This adaptation used imagery from the original comic, incorporated sound effects, and featured an ensemble cast of voice actors. While the motion comic was a decent effort, it was far from a fully realised adaptation. The best run of the franchise in animation came in the form of the fan-favourite Telltale series, which told an entirely original story while still retaining a few subtle links to the original comics. It’s a classic in the video game industry.
Of course, Robert Kirkman has already seen his superhero comic Invincible endure immense success after being adapted into an animated series at Prime Video. The series currently holds a 99% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and is regarded as one of the greatest superhero shows on the planet — a pretty big feat in an industry dominated by Marvel and DC.
As for a Walking Dead adaptation, Kirkman himself has previously said that such a foray is something he could totally get behind. “I’d love to see it happen someday, but I don’t think it’ll be possible until I get the rights back from AMC,” he wrote in a column of The Walking Dead Deluxe #85, as per Collider.
A series like this could faithfully adapt the comics too, as well as capturing the gorgeous original artwork (mostly done by Charlie Adlard). The live-action series takes a lot of creative liberties, especially in its later seasons. Look no further than the massively controversial death of Carl Grimes, which was a monumental shift from the comics.
Kirkman has plenty of other excellent comics that could merit animated adaptations, such as Outcast, Fire Power, and Oblivion Song. But given that The Walking Dead already has an immense and dedicated fanbase, an animated series is pretty much a guaranteed success. However, it might be sensible to wait until the live-action franchise simmers down.
Would you like to see it happen? Or is it time to move on from The Walking Dead? Tell us in the comments down below!
Yes ,would love to see it
Yes ,would love to see it