The Walking Dead Comic Book Scene That Haunts Robert Kirkman
Robert Kirkman is a pretty big deal in the realm of comic books, having been responsible for a number of notable titles, including "Invincible," "Marvel Zombies," "Outcast," "Ultimate X-Men," and "Oblivion Song." But his most notorious claim to fame has got to be "The Walking Dead" series, which has over 190 issues and spawned a major television franchise. The post-apocalyptic zombie nightmare Kirkman has cultivated is packed to the brim with haunting imagery, and out of all the petrifying pictures showcased throughout its run, some might be surprised to learn which scene sent a severe chill up the comic's creator's spine.
When reading "The Walking Dead," there is no shortage of nightmare fuel occupying each page, and Kirkman found one particular scene a bit more disturbing than most. "The one that affects me the most is definitely Lori's dead eyes staring me down while that dead baby arm peeks out from under her," Kirkman said, according to Screen Rant. "Still haunts me to this day... friggin' Charlie Adlard and his unparalleled greatness." While Lori Grimes's demise was one of the saddest deaths in the series, the way Sarah Wayne Callies's character dies in the comic is a very different tragedy. Instead of dying during birth, in "Volume 48: Made to Suffer," Lori is shot in the back while holding baby Judith, who is crushed to death when her mother's lifeless body falls to the ground.
The depiction of the dreadful comic book death was a devastating affair to experience, a bit more so for Kirkman apparently. Now, some might be wondering what artist Charlie Adlard considers to be the hardest part when creating such captivating chaos for "The Walking Dead."
Charlie Adlard reveals the most grueling part of crafting the most disturbing scenes
For several decades, Charlie Adlard has been providing magnificent artwork for a number of worthwhile comic books, including "White Death," "Savage," "Judge Dredd," "Batman: Gotham Knights," and "The X-Files." While his body of work is nothing short of impressive, his efforts on "The Walking Dead" have arguably been some of his overall best. Despite the fact that it's mostly nightmare-inducing visuals that have even haunted Robert Kirkman and when it comes to creating such heinously entertaining art, the well-renowned artist has a method to his madness, which includes a shockingly difficult dilemma.
Over the years, Adlard has diligently depicted several of the zombie comic book franchise's more gruesome and tragic affairs. Whether it's Lori's haunting death or Michonne's infamous torture scene, "The Walking Dead" illustrator isn't afraid to admit that drawing the disturbing panels isn't even the toughest ordeal. The first brush with the material and the pre-visualization process are the most daunting aspects of drawing the darkest parts of "The Walking Dead" for Adlard, and surprisingly enough, once he's endured the nightmare, portraying the mayhem on paper is the easy part.
"The funny thing for me is that thinking about it is the hard part, reading it in the script," Adlard said in an interview with Bookspotcentral.com. "By the time I draw it, it's just marks on paper. I've deconstructed it by then. I wouldn't say it was emotionless. I'm not sitting there like some robot, but I'm just in the zone, and it's pen and ink, that's all it is. I'm not physically smearing pig's entrails on the art."