It’s the ten-year anniversary of Image Comics’ ‘The Walking Dead’.  With the AMC television adaptation scoring monster ratings, the property is hotter than ever and only getting hotter!

Now you can go behind the scenes with series creator/writer Robert Kirkman and artist Charlie Adlard, Image Comics publisher Eric Stephenson, Spawn-creator Todd McFarlane and others to learn about the book’s humble beginnings.  Then, the creators behind the TV show including executive producers Greg Nicotero, David Alpert and Scott M. Gimple, cast members Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira reveal some of the behind-the-scenes insights of the adaptation.

This twenty-two minute documentary, ‘The Walking Dead: A Decade of Dead’, presented by Hyundai (who provide the vehicles for the show) pulls back the blood-soaked curtain and allows you the chance to learn some startling facts about both the comic and the TV show and to hear some reactions from cosplaying fans and famous geeks like comedian Patton Oswalt and Chris Hardwick who hosts ‘The Talking Dead’ the weekly recap show that follows the zombie drama on AMC.

Here is the full video:  (Oh warning, there is some adult language.)

There’s not a lot of mind-blowing revelations, but it’s pretty fascinating to hear about Kirkman’s early struggles and the pitch he originally presented to Image which would have connected the zombie apocalypse to an alien invasion.  (Thankfully, that turned out to be, as Kirkman himself puts it “bulls***.”)  It’s also interesting that Image released the first issue along with two other title during a promotion it dubbed ‘Horror Month’ and that Kirkman’s was the weakest ordered of the three.  (I’d love to know what the other two books were!  Anyone know?)

Ron Richards from Image surmised, “Within about maybe two or three issues, you realize ‘Oh this book isn’t about zombies.  It’s about the people in the world of zombies.”

There’s also much love heaped upon British illustrator Charlie Adlard, who Kirkman describes as “One of the fastest artists working in comics today… it’s really annoying.”  But fast doesn’t mean sloppy or sketchy.  Adlard really elevates the scripts injecting his own realism.  Adlard, self-deprecatingly jokes, “I’m sure been quite a few [instances] where I’ve had whoever was driving sitting on the British side.”  Winces.

There’s loads more!  It’s a fascinating look at the history of not just the comic but the phenomenon that is the TV show and the impact both have had on fans.

Are you a fan?  Did you learn anything new from this video?  Feel free to comment below!

Source BleedingCool