Philip Zoppi – General Assignment Reporter
The Walking Dead is one of the most popular television shows on air today. The show differs from the comics in many ways, which can be a good and bad thing.
Certain deaths that happen in the comics can happen much earlier or later than when they happened in the show. This can annoy fans of both the show and the comics.
Any fan who is not fully caught up on the show and does not want it spoiled for them should be careful, there may be spoilers ahead.
Steve Cardinal, a senior at Southern and avid Walking Dead fan, has read the comics and watched the show. One particular discrepancy between the two did not sit well with Cardinal.
“What annoyed me the most was Andrea’s portrayal and death in the show, compared to her comic counterpart,” said Cardinal. “Her character in the comics is completely different and more likeable. I find that there could have been more development for the character within the show.”
Many fans agree with Cardinal’s assessment of Andrea. A lot of what happened to Andrea in the show never happened to her in the comics. When Andrea left Rick’s camp and began a relationship with the governor, that turned fans off from her.
One of the main reasons the writers of the show changed so many aspects of the series is to keep fans guessing.
Some hardcore fans would have liked to see the comics and the show match up, but not everyone. Cardinal believes the writers put in these differences for a reason.
“I believe they differentiate the show and the comics so you simply don’t know what’s coming next,” said Cardinal. “I think it’s for the readers of the comics so they’ll still be shocked from some of the scenes that they show in the show.”
Although some of these differences annoy fans, they still come to watch the show. According to Zap2It, the season five premiere pulled in 17.3 million viewers, breaking the previous record that was held by the season four premiere.
Zap2It also stated that The Walking Dead is the number one show on television among adults in the United States. So the differences between the comics and the show are not resulting in fans losing interest.
Fans love the show for many different reasons. Cardinal likes it for one main reason, which is probably shared among many Walking Dead fans.
“What I love most about the show is how it shows us how characters try to survive in a hostile world while trying to hold onto their humanity. How certain situations call for you to give up your morals and ethics in order to adapt,” said Cardinal.
As the show continues to evolve there will be more and more differences between the comics and the show. One thing will remain the same, though, and that is the viewers.
Photo Credit: Miles Tsang
