There are popular TV shows, and then there's AMC's The Walking Dead. The zombie apocalypse has a rabid fanbase, with OG fans from Robert Kirkman's graphic novels, as well as the millions who tune in every week to watch Rick's adventures. Kirkman is also involved in the narrative of the TV series, although it turns out he may not be the all knowing expert that fans expect him to be. Because since he's written so many issues of The Walking Dead comics, he doesn't actually remember every frame and line of dialogue. In fact, that's why TWD actors may actually know the characters more. He recently revealed,
I've written this comic book for 170 issues, so you would think I know every character, that I know the ins and outs of every character. I don't. When you're an actor, you get cast as a character, and you want to read their backstory and you want to know every little thing about them. They actually know all of these characters way better than I ever could. So they'll come up to me on set and they'll say, 'Hey, so I know the comics and show are different, but I was reading Issue #39, and on Page 14, I say this thing. What did you mean when you had my character say that?' And I just make stuff up. Because I never remember the scene that they're talking about. But I just, 'Aw, you were really worried about this other character.' Because you don't want them to know you don't remember. It seems rude.
Looks like Robert Kirkman isn't exactly the Walking Dead Yoda that we would expect him to be. But considering his long relationship with the apocalyptic property, we can't really blame him.
Robert Kirkman's comments on Late Night With Seth Meyers make a great deal of sense. Because while The Walking Dead originally hit the small screen in 2010, Kirkman has been writing the novels since the early 2000s. The first issue was released back in 2003, so both the fans and Kirkman himself have been following Rick's journey for over a decade. As such, Kirkman can't possibly be expected to remember every line of dialogue or specific scenes. After all, he's been horrifyingly killing off characters for a decade and change.
Conversely, the actors on The Walking Dead only have to really focus on the trajectory of their character. In that case, they're lucky. With so many comic book issues, there's a wealth of information to take from and therefore inform their characters. But it turns out they shouldn't really be asking Robert Kirkman specifics, as he's like to give them a made up answer. Whoops.
Related: The 8 Walking Dead Characters Most Likely To Die In Season 8
The Walking Dead is currently airing its eighth season on AMC. Check out our fall premiere list to plan your next binge watch.
