'The Walking Dead' Comic Book Series Ends; AMC Addresses Current TV Series

The Walking Dead comic book has come to an end... In a surprise twist, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman announced the end of the series in a closing letter in the final issue, which is being released today in an expanded format (an 84-page edition, up from typical 32 pages) with a cover price of $3.99. The last half-dozen pages are an essay by Robert Kirkman, the creator of the zombie epic and the only writer for the monthly publication since it premiered in 2003.

“This is the end of The Walking Dead,” Kirkman declared. “That’s it... it’s over... we’re done.”

ComicBook.com continues to addresses the reasons and the death of a major character in issue #192 for the possible ending of the series.

AMC has released a statement in regards to the comic series coming to an end and that it will have no effect on the outcome of the TV series:

“This extraordinary comic created a world that already lives in multiple forms, and in the hearts and minds of millions of fans around the world, and will for many years to come. The comic series ending is not expected to impact the TV series,” AMC Networks said.

Kirkman also released another statement about his decision and feelings about ending the popular comic series: “I hate knowing what’s coming. As a fan, I hate it when I realize I’m in the third act of a movie and the story is winding down. I hate that I can count commercial breaks and know I’m nearing the end of a TV show. I hate that you can feel when you’re getting to the end of a book, or a graphic novel. Some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones are when they’re structured in such a way and paced to perfection so your brain can’t tell if it’s been watching for 15 minutes or 50 minutes … and when the end comes … you’re stunned.”

He continued, “I love long movies for that very reason. You lose track of time because you went in convinced that you’re going to be there for a long time, but the story moves at such an entertaining and engaging pace that by the time the movie’s wrapping up … you can’t believe it’s already over. Surprise, it’s over! All I’ve ever done, all a creator can really do … is tailor-make stories to entertain themselves, and hope the audience feels the same way. That’s all I’ve ever been doing … and it seems to work most of the time.”