Friday, May 30, 2014

A brand new cast for 'The Walking Dead?



Could you imagine "The Walking Dead" without Rick, Daryl and Michonne? Fans of the show have fell in love with the main characters but Showrunner Scott Gimple hinted that he thinks it's possible for "The Walking Dead" to continue on without the beloved, fan-favorite stars.


Gimple was talking with other showrunners in an Emmy Round Table discussion with the Los Angeles Times when he was asked if he already has the ending mapped out for the AMC show.
"It's knowing thematically where you're going, knowing what you want to achieve, but almost accounting for expansion from that - having an end in mind that's flexible," Gimple said. "And even, I would say, our show could keep going as a story, but it would be a new story."
"The characters that we have, we would tell all of their stories but use the environment to tell new characters' stories," he continued. "But that's wishful thinking that things would go on and on and on and on."
Gimple explained that he thinks it would be possible because the show is constantly reinventing itself already. It's true "The Walking Dead" is definitely great at introducing new scenarios and plot twists and storylines but would die-hard fans really watch if the original cast was killed off and replaced with new faces?
We think it would be hard for some "TWD" fans to say goodbye. Remember the reactions when Hershel was killed off, better yet fans were up in arms when the show teased baby Judith's death. 
Gimple said at the Round Table that the fan reactions to the bloody baby carriage definitely took him by surprise.  

"There was, in the mid-season finale, there was something that we had that I was very worried about the audience getting ahead of or not buying. Rick's daughter, who's a baby, in the aftermath of this raid on where they were, Rick and his only son find this bloody baby chair," Gimple said. "The audience was, oh my God, I can't believe they killed that child. And it was within the realm of possibility and, man, I hate saying this in front of everybody, but it's an obvious thing: Nobody wants to see a baby eaten on television."


~hngn.com

Fears For Antibiotic 'Apocalypse' Grow




The biggest threat to human health today isn’t global warming, says a group of eminent scientists, it is resistance to antibiotics.
The situation, which has been described as ‘apocalyptic’, is so desperate that a global response, similar to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, is urgently needed, said experts gathered at the Royal Society in London.
The World Health Organisation is considering a global action plan to fight the problem.
At least two million Americans a year are infected with drug-resistant bugs and 23,000 die as a direct result. Even more die from other illnesses that were made worse by infections that cannot be treated, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) last year.
Another 5,000 die annually in Britain, where the first antimicrobials were developed a century ago. Dame Sally Davies, Britain’s Chief Medical Officer, warned Parliament last year of an “apocalyptic” situation where people would die from routine operations.
One of the main threats comes from MRSA, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. A recent study found that 4.6 per cent of patients in US healthcare facilities had the bug.
Antibiotic resistance is not only bad news for current patients, it also allows pathogens to spread to more victims.
Jeremy Farrar, the head of the Wellcome Trust, and Mark Woolhouse, professor of infectious disease epidemiology at Edinburgh University, argued in Nature yesterday that the use of antibiotics should be slashed to slow the rate at which resistance is spreading.
Their proposed new global panel would also work with industry to develop treatments for infections caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites. But it takes a decade to develop new drugs, and no new class of antibiotics has made it into clinical use in a quarter of a century.
“We have needed to take action against the development of antimicrobial resistance for more than 20 years,” said Dr Farrar. “Despite repeated warnings, the international response has been feeble. The more we use antibiotics, the more we stimulate resistance.”
The evolution of resistant strains is inevitable, but misuse of wonder drugs such as penicillin – discovered in 1929 by Sir Alexander Fleming at St Mary’s Hospital, London – has made it much worse.
Many patients stop taking antibiotics when they begin to feel better, before the infection has been completely killed. Because the surviving bugs are likely to be the ones with at least partial resistance, they then spread. Repeated cycles quickly leads to bugs that are immune to our drugs.
Antibiotics are also widely used as a growth promoter for livestock, despite an European Union ban.
Britain introduced a five-year antibiotic plan in 2013 to improve surveillance, educate medical professionals and spread best practice.
But, said Michael Moore of the Royal College of General Practitioners, “The problem of antimicrobial resistance is analogous to global warming. You’ve got to have an international policy,”


~forbes.com

Permuted Press Releases Highly Anticipated Sequel: Zombie Attack Army of the Dead by Devan Sagliani




Xander MacNamara’s adventure continues when he is placed in charge of a civilian colony outside Barstow. He and his young wife, Felicity Jane, are forced to deal with the daily grind of reconstruction, the constant menace of zombies, and an equally hungry cannibal tribe known as the Alphas.
 
Things heat up fast when Sonya, a mysterious stranger sent by a secretive benefactor, frees him from enemy captors. Once again, Xander and Felicity find themselves fleeing for their lives from a never-ending series of new threats as well as old ones. A hidden enemy within the military is hell bent on creating a secret weapon: genetically engineered super zombies! Friends and soldiers are pitted against each other, as one side races to spread the cure while the other battles to gain ultimate control over the fate of mankind.
 
‘Zombie Attack! Army of the Dead’ is filled with pulse-pounding undead action from the very first chapter until the bitter sweet end. Child celebrities, reality television stars, nightmarish zombie clowns, bikers, ninjas, warlords, and more -- this book has it all! The story takes off like a bullet and doesn't slow down until the last sentence. You won't be able to put it down!




Available at: AMAZON  |  SMASHWORDS  |  KOBO  |  BARNES & NOBLE




AND Get your FREE copy of Zombie Attack: Rise of the Horde on June 1st!




~PermutedPress.com


Tonight on Zombiepalooza Radio 5/30








1st hour we have Stevie Kopas 8-9 pm Est 
http://www.someonereadthis.com/



2nd hour we have Wesley Thomas 9 - 10 pm EST
wesleythomaswriter.weebly.com



3rd hour we have Devan Sagliani 10- 11 pm EST
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KMEE28U



4th hour we have Derrick Lacombe 11- 12 pm EST
www.derrickjlacombe.wix.com/author



5th hour we have Kevin Eads 12-1 am ESThttp://tinyurl.com/kjnbk9c








Knowledge is power!





Zombie Apocalypse shoot June 21st in Kentucky




World War Z sequel gets a director



The sequel to smash hit zombie action movie World War Z now has a director assigned to it: Juan Antonio Bayona, whose drama The Impossible told the story of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
World War Z was beset with problems during its production, involving rewrites and the whole 40-minute third act being reshot, but the struggle proved worth it as the film made $540m worldwide earlier this year. Its success has cleared the pathway for a sequel, as Hollywood looks ever more towards franchises as stable revenue generators.
Bayona too has found success, with the critically acclaimed The Impossible grossing $180m and earning Naomi Watts an Academy Award nomination. His previous film, well-received horror curio The Orphanage, showed he can handle World War Z-style shocks.
But the sequel may not be made with the studio that housed the original, after Paramount's relationship with Brad Pitt's production company Plan B is coming to an end after eight years. The Hollywood Reporter reports that Pitt is instead teaming up with New Regency, the company from Israeli producer Arnon Milchan. RatPac, the cutely-named company formed by Brett Ratner and James Packer, will help with financing.
"There are very few partners in this business who are able to balance artistic integrity with commercial viability. Working hand in hand with New Regency and RatPac, we feel we have found the perfect fit," Plan B said in a statement.
As well as World War Z, Plan B has also produced 12 Years A Slave, the much-lauded slave drama released in the UK on January 10. The film marked the start of the new relationship with New Regency, who co-financed and distributed it, to the chagrin of Paramount who believed they had the rights to do so. But the Hollywood Reporter states that Paramount and Plan B will still partner on projects that are already in development.



~theguardian.com


LGBT allies: Punk rockers take on bigotry and Westboro Baptist Church in Toe Tag Riot project




Zombie punk rockers with a social conscience taking on bigots, sexists and, ultimately, the Westboro Baptist Church?
Hey, I love it!
You don’t need to be a fan of comic books and/or be young and hip to appreciate — and support — the Toe Tag Riot comic book series, because its message is a timeless one that has been passed down to us through the ages: love is all you need.
Indeed, sowing the seeds of love is what this project is all about, co-creator Matt Miner told me.
“The world of comics fandom (and the greater world in general) is pretty intolerant and I’m in the position, as a comic creator, to be able to call out bad behavior (homophobia, racism, sexism) in a funny “sic zombies on ‘em” kind of way.”
And that’s exactly what he and partner Sean Von Gorman are doing with their comic book series, which their site describes this way:
A hilariously gory mash up of rad stuff like Night of the Living Dead, a GWAR live show, and hardcore punk rock, TOE TAG RIOT is a tongue-in-cheek, lighthearted torrential downpour of blood and guts sure to please anyone who LOVES FUN and HATES JERKS like Million Moms, Nazi Skinheads, Dudebros and the Westboro Baptist Church!
Toe Tag Riot is LGBTQ-positive, and inclusive to everyone except bigots.  Bigots are zombie food.  Toe Tag Riot is a fun book with a positive message and a diverse cast of wacky characters.
Toe Tag Riot is a four-issue series currently in the Kickstarter stage, which means, basically, that they are raising $19,000 to fund it all — which is not a huge amount of cash in today’s world, is it?
Says Matt: “The Kickstarter will be used to fund the creator-costs (artists, colorists, letterers, etc) so that the books can actually be made. Once made we have a publisher lined up to take the books and we’ll be in comic stores worldwide. My goal is to put these books into the hands of people who don’t think twice before calling someone a “fag” or a “slut” and maybe make them think. So, even if someone isn’t a comic reader, I think maybe they could see the potential good that having these books out there could do – I feel it’s a worthwhile project to help spread some better, positive, messages.”
I do, too. And I am going to contribute something to this project. And I’m seeing on their site that they have some pretty cool incentives, offering various goodies to contributors.
But even without the goodies, the idea that Matt and Sean have found a unique way to spread a message worldwide so close to my heart truly touches me — which is why I am writing about it here.
I also suspect that these comic books ultimately will be collectors’ items.
Click here to go to the Toe Tag Riot Kickstarter site, where you can read more about it all, see lots of cool cartoon work, watch the above video again — and become a backer, if the spirit moves you.
The spirit of love, that is.



~jillian/montrealgazette.com

Walking Dead Escape At XL Center In Hartford, Ct 6/7




Survivors run for their lives in the walker-infested XL Center in Hartford Saturday, June 7, during a six-hour immersive zombie experience aka The Walking Dead Escape.
Specators are welcome as participants, registered as walkers or survivors, test their skills in the Evacuation Zone, which includes Herd Highway, Hospital Hell, Prison Gauntlet, Quarantine and more. Meet all the walkers and survivors at the Fan Fest at the end of the course.
Tickets are walker $95 ($85 with military ID); survivor $75 ($65 with military ID); spectator $20 ($10 with military ID). The VIP package($150) includes option to run course twice: first as a Survivor and then a Walker, VIP gifts, VIP-only lounge, and exclusive behind the scenes access.
The event runs 6 p.m. to midnight, at 1 Civic Center Plaza. Hartford. 
Information and registration:www.thewalkingdeadescape.com.


Christopher Oliver and James Villepigue Launch ZomBcall.com Website to Promote Soon To Be Unveiled Zombie Novelty Product



Christopher Oliver and James Villepigue announce their new website, ZomBcall.com. ZomBcall.com will be home to a new and innovative zombie themed product to be unveiled in June 2014. Internet marketers, Oliver and Villepigue have turned their sights on the "zombie industry" announcing that a revolutionary zombie themed product is about to be unveiled.

Zombies and zombie themes are prevalent in pop culture in the form of zombie video games, zombie pictures as well as zombie movies and TV shows.

As far back as 2011 it was reported that the American zombie industry was valued at $5.74 billion.

"We believe that the appetite for zombie products in insatiable. From TV shows like The Walking Dead to movies such as Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, World War Z, Warm Bodies, Dawn of the Dead, Shawn of the Dead, and I Am Legend, the zombie phenomenon has become very popular. 

We are now preparing to unveil what we believe is the ultimate gift and accessory for the zombie enthusiast. We are at this moment awaiting the arrival of our first prototypes. If you are a zombie enthusiast then please stay tuned to ZomBcall.com to be the first to learn about our new product that we believe will rock the zombie world!", says Christopher Oliver, co-founder of ZomBcall.com.

For more information and further announcements regarding the new zombie themed product from Oliver and Villepigue visit ZomBcall.com.
Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/zombie_device/zombies/prweb11902285.htm


~digitaljournal.com



Mondo Announces On Sale Info For: “Frightmare Part 2″ With Incredible Art By Tom Whalen, Randy Ortiz, & Gary Pullin!






Mondo just announced the on sale info for “Frightmare Part 2″ so take a look at what you will DESPERATELY be trying to get on Monday June 2nd. Here are a few of my favorites!

Creepshow by Gary Pullin (Regular Red Edition) – $45
24″x36″ screen print
Hand numbered edition of 275
Printed by D&L Screenprinting

Creepshow by Gary Pullin (Variant Purple Edition) – $65
24″x36″ screen print
Hand numbered edition of 125
Printed by D&L Screenprinting

Follow Mondo on Twitter for the on sale announcement. These delightfully devious posters will be available online at a random time on Monday, June 2!


Saturday, May 24, 2014

Can 'The Walking Dead' Survive Being Edited for Broadcast TV?



"The Walking Dead" will shamble on in a new broadcast-TV syndication deal. But it is really possible to make such a gory series family-friendly?

"The Walking Dead" may feel like a zombie show, but fans have always made a post-apocalyptic-sized stink about how the series is really about the people, and how it's all so character-based — you know, like James Joyce, but with intestines.
And in some ways, they have a point; how many times have we seen our tortured Officer Friendly agonizing over whether he's The Leader? How many times have we wondered whether today will be the day that Tyreese Finds Out About Carol? Whether such plot points are even entertaining is beside the point; what's relevant is that there's nothing inherently family-unfriendly in what appears on the screen during those very frequent, very gore-free moments.
As for those other scenes — those neck-chewing, blood-spewing good times that could send the Parents Television Council into conniptions — it's unclear at this hour exactly how the edits will be made. We do know that the Fox-owned syndication channel MyNetworkTV has nailed down the exclusive re-broadcast rights. We know that MyNet will run two previously aired episodes on a single, yet-to-be-announced weeknight, starting this fall. We know that, unlike the episodes that run on AMC, the MyNet shows will be edited to a more family-friendly TV-14 rating.
nd we know that, at the end of the day, sanitizing "The Walking Dead" isn't necessarily that herculean of a task.
"They did it with 'Sex and the City' on TBS," Syracuse University media scholar Robert J. Thompson points out. "They even did it with 'Dexter' for a season on CBS. And that's about a serial killer who was a good guy."
What we don't know? Whether we may actually get some new scenes out of this deal. Spokespeople for AMC and MyNet declined to comment. But there's a decent chance that "TWD" producers have taken a step similar to those of HBO's "Sex and the City."
For that show, producers recorded more family-friendly versions of problematic angles during the regular shooting season... just in case the series ever made it into syndication. For example, an explicit sex scene might be shot from a different view. (HBO also needed the safer footage for distribution in certain foreign markets anyway. "The Walking Dead" itself airs in dozens of countries, including Taiwan, Turkey, Chile, and South Africa.)
As for dialogue, it's not uncommon for actors to return to a studio to record new lines that meet broadcast standards — even years after the original show has aired.
If so, the effort will most certainly be worth it.
"With this deal with 'The Walking Dead,'" Thompson notes, "there's a chance to build a whole new audience."


~tv.yahoo.com

Pop icons as zombies?



Here is a new series of American illustrator Albert F. Montoya, who hijacks the iconic characters of video games or cartoons to turn them into putrid zombies. On the menu this time: Link, Megaman, Batman, Bart Simpson, Spock and others…




Click here for more!


Happy Birthday to my great friend Jackie from Zombiepalooza Radio!




Milla Jovovich and Paul W.S. Anderson sign on for Resident Evil 6



WHAT WE KNOW FOR SURE:


-Director Paul W.S. Anderson stated in an interview that their original plan was to produce Retribution and a sixth installment back-to-back, but he later decided to focus on just the fifth film. In the same interview, Anderson stated that if Retribution does well financially, then a sixth film would be developed. 
-Milla Jovovich revealed that she is planning to star in a sixth installment of the franchise. Her husband, Anderson, pitched her the idea while vacationing following wrapping the fifth film and that the series would most likely continue past a sixth film, just not with her as the star.
-A sixth film was confirmed by Sony distribution's head, Rory Bruer. 
-In an interview with Forbes, producer Samuel Hadida stated that a sixth and seventh installment are planned and a reboot of the series is possible.
-Sony officially scheduled the 6th movie for a September 12, 2014 premiere.


-Director Paul W.S. Anderson has been confirmed to direct "Resident Evil 6," and has stated that it will be the last film in the series.
-Jovovich thinks that the sixth film will now come out in 2015. 
-On February 1, 2014, Anderson spoke to Collider while talking about his film Pompeii say that "we’d like to do another Resident Evil movie. Definitely. But the wheels aren’t quite in motion yet", some reports that saying the film will be released in Fall of 2015.
-On April 21, 2014 Anderson announce that the sixth film titled Resident Evil: Rising will follow Alice and her crew as they rush to The Hive, where The Red Queen plots total destruction over the human race. The film will have Jovovich and Li reprising their roles as Alice and Ada and as the last two with films, Rising will be in 3D.


Friday, May 23, 2014

Bring Out Yer Dead: 8th Annual Memphis Zombie Massacre 5/30


On May 30, the undead will roam South Main in search of brains during the eighth annual Memphis Zombie Massacre.
Here's how it works: if you want to participate, zombify yourself in the manner of your choosing. Some people choose to go all out with extreme makeup and elaborately themed costumes (zombie Titanic victim? zombie Disney princess? zombie Elvis? I've seen 'em all), while others just douse themselves in fake blood. If you'd like to be a victim - and a zombie masacre is nothing without victims - slap a duct tape X on your shoulder and stand along the massacre route and wait to get "eaten", then join the horde.
zombie-walk
This year, the walk will start at 6:30 p.m. Army/Navy Park (east of South Main/G.E. Patterson) and trudge north on South Main and then right onto Beale Street. You can get to the park an hour or so early if you want help with makeup, but plan to do it yourself if you don't want to wait a long time. If you need a quick zombie makeup tutorial, there's one here and one here.
The Zombie Massacre isn't just about feasting on brains: it's about feeding needy people around the Mid-South. The organizers are collecting non-perishable food items for the Mid-South Food Bank at the staging area.
Where: Step off is at Army/Navy Park. You won't miss it, trust me.
When: Friday, May 30. Staging starts in the afternoon and the walk steps of at 6:30 p.m. sharp.
How much: Free, but bring canned goods to donate to the Mid-South Food Bank



~ilovememphisblog.com

Get ready for more of "George A. Romero's Empire of the Dead" with Act Two



The father of the zombie, George A. Romero, crossed over into comics earlier this year year in a big way with the release of Marvel's "Empire of the Dead: Act One." The five-issue miniseries served as an opening salvo to the world of New York after the zombie apocalypse, introducing the concept of vampires -- part of the ruling class in this brave new world -- to his traditional zombie mythology, exploring how the survivors cope with the ubiquitous undead, and the research of Dr. Penny Jones, who hopes to better understand the motivations behind the zombies. Plus, there's the question of Xavier, a zombie who seems to be learning and exhibiting qualities that are decidedly more human than she appears.
However, as the title of the first miniseries indicates, Romero isn't done with this world yet, as "Act Two" of "Empire of the Dead" is set to begin in September with Dalibor Talajic joining the series as artist. Announced Saturday at C2E2 2014 in Chicago, the series is set to continue the story inside New York City -- but with the outside force of a Southern Militia getting ready to knock down their doors.
To get a better idea of what's in store for "George A. Romero's Empire of the Dead: Act Two," CBR News spoke with Romero about the next chapter in the saga, how the status quo of both the living and the undead get shaken up, the interruption of the Southern Militia and the importance of both Penny Jones and Xavier, as "Empire of the Dead" approaches its sophomore miniseries.
CBR News: George, how does "Empire of the Dead: Act Two" further the story you've laid out in Act One?
George Romero: Well, hmm. How do I answer that without giving it all away? How about this. Everything you've read so far starts to shift, to escalate, in the next chapter. New York becomes a much more treacherous place to live. You're going to see some murder and mayhem, some twists you might not have expected, and the lives of some of our main characters turning in a darker direction.
Part of the big universe-building aspect of "Empire of the Dead: Act One" was establishing the hierarchy between vampires, humans, and zombies. How does this status quo get shaken up as readers head into Act Two?
Think of the heroes, the villains, the zombies, and the vampires in the story as each being part of different groups. Like families. They've lived in an uneasy balance with one another for a long time. But now the status quo is falling apart. The families are starting to have trouble getting along. That's pretty dangerous in a world inhabited by two different kinds of living dead. If the city splinters into chaos, everyone could end up dead. Really dead.
A huge new element for the book is the southern army coming in to the city. What will a new influx of humans mean for the vampires as well as the zombies?
The Southern Militia, like all the other humans in Empire, have their own ambitions. They're not interested in fitting in, or getting along, or trying to make the world a better place. They're what an old friend of mine used to call a "flaw in the ointment." None of them gives a damn about the status quo. They're experienced soldiers, they have their own tanks and artillery, and they're trained to use them to cause the most destruction possible.
The mindless zombies have been revealed to not be so mindless -- in fact, many of them are learning and becoming smarter. How big a role will Xavier play in the second act, considering her central role as one of the zombies that learn? What about Penny Jones? How integral is her research to "Act Two"?
Penny, and her research, are at the center of the story. What she learns shakes the assumptions that everyone in the city has been buying into for years. At the same time, her relationships with the men in her life, Barnum and Mayor Chandrake, start to move in and -- how should I put this? -- move in a new direction. Which isn't necessarily a safe thing for Dr. Penny Jones.
Xavier is just as important. It's not so much that she's getting smarter; more like her memories of who she was when she was alive are coming back to her. She's starting to be able to reason, to form relationships with the living, to tell right from wrong. And she's not the only zombie who's changing. So here's the question. If the living dead are becoming more evolved, is that a good or a bad thing for the rest of us humans? Are they going to be easier to get along with, or more violent and destructive than they've ever been?

"George A. Romero's Empire of the Dead: Act Two" is scheduled to start in September.


~comicbookresources.com

Which TV Network Wanted 'The Walking Dead' Without the Zombies?


HBO and NBC both famously passed on the opportunity to air "The Walking Dead" — the most successful drama series in cable TV history — but it's why one of them turned down the show that's the most interesting part of the story.
"It actually did almost get made at NBC," said "TWD" universe creator Robert Kirkman on Friday's episode of "The Writers' Room" on SundanceTV. "It didn't get made because when the pilot was turned in, the famous story is one of the executives said, 'This is awesome, I really love this, [but] does it have to have zombies in it?'"
Odd request aside, "TWD" would have been a very different series on a broadcast network, and even on HBO, which reportedly rejected the series because it was too violent (having Phil Leotardo's head smashed under the wheels of a moving SUV on "The Sopranos" — with an accompanying sound effect that is haunting to this day — apparently was not). Kirkman, an executive producer and writer on the AMC series, can laugh about such things now that the series is such a massive hit, going into its fifth season and with a spinoff series on the way.
View photo
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Jim Rash, Robert Kirkman, and Blair Butler on 'The Writers' Room'
But "TWD" is his first hit, after many failures, one of the fun facts we learned on the Jim Rash-hosted "Writers' Room":
* Kirkman launched several comic book series before "The Walking Dead," which debuted in 2003 and just hit 126 issues on April 23. All previous Kirkman comics failed to make it past issue six.
Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) in 'The Walking Dead'
* We'd argue Norman Reedus's Daryl Dixon, one of the most beloved characters on the TV series, is also probably one of the least likely to be killed off. But Kirkman said the character's popularity does nothing to quell the actor's worry about his longevity in the zombie universe. "He's always very nervous... every time he sees me," Kirkman said. "'How am I doing in Season 5, man? Am I doing OK? Am I doing OK?'"
* Even though AMC had signed on to do the series, Kirkman said he and the writers wanted to know just how far they were willing to go with the violence and other uncomfortable plot choices inherit in telling the post-apocalyptic story. And he said when the network didn't balk at Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) shooting a little girl, a zombified little girl, in the pilot episode, he knew AMC execs were truly behind the vision for "The Walking Dead."
* Having said that, Rash asked if there was ever a scene or storyline in which Kirkman fretted the show had gone too far. "No, is the short answer," he responded, but admitted they were concerned when filming the brutal Season 3 scene with Carl witnessing his mom Lori giving birth to Judith and Lori's excruciating death. "That was a tough one. There's always those discussions of, is it OK for Carl to be present here? Is it too heartbreaking a scene? Are we going to lose people here? But we always end up going for it. We always want to be true to this world and how harsh things are."
Lori Grimes (Sarah Wayne Callies) and Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs) in 'The Walking Dead'
* Though the comic books inspire the series storylines and characters — with many notable differences between the two — Kirkman said he's very careful not to let the series affect his plans for the comic book, especially since it's likely the comic book will continue well beyond the TV show. "I have often considered the fact that the television series is going to come to an end before the comic book series ends ... and because of that, I can never tell anyone involved in the show what my plans for ending the series are. Because there's the very real possibility that it could end up in the show before I can do it in the comic, which is not how I want to do things."
* Random pop culture fun fact from a "Writers' Room" onscreen graphic: The first San Diego Comic Con, in 1970, had 145 people in attendance. For the 2013 Con: 130,000 fans, and that's only because organizers had to start capping attendance because of the event's popularity and the limited space at the venue site.
* No one likes a "Walking Dead" spoiler, not even the show's writers. Kirkman said his fellow "TWD" TV writers were angry at him when he told them about the death of a major character in Issue 100 of the comic (it's a character still alive on the series). "Everyone in the room was like, 'Why did you? What?! Come on!' They were pissed off that I spoiled it."
* About that upcoming "TWD" spinoff series: It will feature a completely different cast, be set in "a new corner of the universe," Kirkman said, and find the apocalypse survivors living in "very different circumstances" from Rick and his group.
* Kirkman on the upcoming fifth season of "The Walking Dead": "Every season we come in with new characters, building up a largely new cast and new situations in a new environment. We don't do that thing that I think successful shows would do where they go, 'OK, this formula works, never change this!' So by the time we get to Season 5, the world will have matured to a point where we're going to some really interesting places that I think are going to shock a lot of people."

"The Writers' Room" airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on SundanceTV.
"The Walking Dead" Season 5 premieres on AMC in October.


~tv.yahoo.com