Movies News Talk
Popular comic book series Robert Kirkman's The Walking Dead examines the fallout from a zombie apocalypse. The show tracks Rick Grimes, a police officer waking from a coma to a world overrun by the undead. Though the show is well-known for its graphic brutality and hideous zombies, Rick's first call to action as a hero is among its most emotional sequences.
Robert Kirkman answered queries regarding the chronology of the story' instigating events in The Walking Dead Deluxe #9, therefore highlighting an unsettling reality about Rick Grimes' first heroic path. The rereading covers fan correspondence and Kirkman's comments from the original letters part of the series.
Rick Grimes's path from his hometown to Atlanta, a zombie-overrun metropolitan center, had drawn criticism on its realism. Explaining that it was only a six-hour drive from Cynthiana, Kentucky, where the novel starts, Kirkman stressed that the trip would not have been as difficult or drawn-out as some would have assumed. He underlined that the journey was taken at a period when "NO traffic...aside from smashed cars and whatnot he had to avoid".
"Just don't bring up the fact that he [Rick] was in a coma for a number of weeks and didn't st self," Kirkman said, pointing to an even more striking discrepancy while this clarified Rick's trip time. This rather crude remark emphasizes how limited "realism" in The Walking Dead is.
The grounded way The Walking Dead depicts how people might respond to a catastrophe endangering their society is well-known. Kirkman notes, though, that the degree of realism the story can sustain is limited. One element that is missed for narrative need is Rick Grimes' cleanliness upon waking from his coma.
Rick Grimes would have most certainly soiled himself realistically after waking up unattended from a coma. Kirkman decided, though, not to stress that detail. Kirkman set the parameters of realism in the series by deciding to exclude this element. To give the more pressing realism of characters' actions and feelings first priority, certain reasonable details are sacrificed.
As Kirkman describes, the main focus of the narrative is this "big picture" reality. Emphasizing small elements like Rick's cleanliness would lessen the overall emotional impact of the narrative. The dedication of The Walking Dead to its fundamental issues and its examination of human behavior among anarchy exceed the necessity of total realism in every element.
Kirkman's answer to viewers of The Walking Dead Deluxe #9 emphasizes the careful balancing act authors must perform in building fictitious universes. They have to choose which specifics to give top attention and which to cut out. Regarding The Walking Dead, Kirkman gave emotional authenticity and narrative effect top priority over total devotion to physical fact.
His answer also reminds readers to see the whole picture and value the story's general emotional impact instead of being mired in small deviations.
Both the comic book and the TV show The Walking Dead have grown to be cultural phenomenon. The popularity of the show is evidence of the continuing force of its narrative and its examination of human nature against hardship. Although the narrative features several narrative holes and contradictions, these small defects have no effect on the whole impact of the series.
The Walking Dead is still a topic of conversation and controversy, and its legacy is certain to be argued for years to come. The Walking Dead never fails to enthrall viewers whether they are drawn to the violence and gore, the intricate character dynamics, or the philosophical issues the show poses.