Fresh off the release of issue #100 of The Walking Dead, Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard took the stage to chat with fans about the hugely successful graphic novel.  There was no media presentation for the panel; rather the pair was handed the Inkpot Award for Excellence in Comics, after which they immediately opened up the floor for fan questions with the request that the audience avoid spoilers for the latest issue. During the panel, Kirkman and Adlard discussed their fondness for the television adaptation, potential plans for the end of the comic series, and how they would fare in a zombie apocalypse.  Hit the jump for highlights from the panel.

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    Both Kirkman and Adlard spoke highly of the AMC adaptation.  Kirkman praised the plotlines that diverge from those in the comics, citing the Sophia plotline from season two as particularly moving.  Adlard said that the comics and show are joined and separate at the same time, as an adaptation should be.
  • When asked about the Davidson’s silhouette in The Survival Guide, and whether fans could expect a return for the character, Kirkman responded that he prefers to write story lines like real life where sometimes people just disappear.
  • When the duo was asked if they had an end in mind for the series, Kirkman responded that though they have a vague ending in mind, it serves more as a contingency plan if people grow disinterested in the comic, “we love what we’re doing and this is genuinely what we set out to do with our lives.”  Adlard agreed, saying that the end is planned, but it could come in two years, ten years or twenty.
  • On the cause of the infection, Kirkman made it clear that he has no intention to write a cause of infection as he considers the comics to be highly realistic and any explanation would verge on science fiction.
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    When a fan asked how the show would manage the gritty brutality that comes in the later issues Adlard responded that “the TV show has already demonstrated it can go further than any other TV show” the rest is just a matter of pushing the boundaries a little further.
  • Both Kirkman and Adlard denied that they would be of any use in the zombie apocalypse. When a fan pointed out that many people would want them on their teams, Kirkman said that was “foolish” and all he would be able to do is write comics. He said that Adlard would be better because he lived in an woodsy place. Adlard responded that he lives in “leafy suburbia”
  • When asked if he ever had difficulty drawing the violent scripts handed to him, Adlard replied that only once, for the torture issue, did he feel reluctant, but after calling Kirkman he was convinced to do it.  Kirkman said that he intended to send real life images as inspiration for a specific scene in issue #100, but found that it was too horrific and never went through with the idea.
  • When asked what spin-off they would choose to do Kirkman responded an underwater version called “The Walking Dead: Atlantis,” Adlard chose “The Walking Dead in Space”.
  • Kirkman revealed that despite the lack of animals in the comics, Norman Reedus has been campaigning for Daryl to get a dog.
  • When asked about the status of Kirkman’s project “The Cutting Room Floor”, a collection of handwritten drafts accompanied by his commentary on each piece, Kirkman said that writing the commentary was taking longer than expected and that he hopes to have the project finished around October.
  • On the legal dispute with Tony Moore, Kirkman said “It’s an unfortunate thing…There’s clearly a disagreement there and we’re working through it.” He said he was hopeful that they would reach terms both agreed on soon.

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