Robert Kirkman’s stubborn nature is key to The Walking Dead’s success
By Adam Carlson
The Walking Dead wouldn’t be what it is today if not for the stubborn nature of Robert Kirkman, who is responsible for creating the popular zombie franchise.
There is an old saying that goes “you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs“. That statement couldn’t be more true when it comes to how The Walking Dead made the transition from unappreciated comic book to a worldwide phenomenon with two television shows, multiple video games, and one of the top comics in the world.
By now, fans should know that the entire franchise started because of a lie. Robert Kirkman‘s blatant misleading of Image Comics could have left him blacklisted in the industry, but thankfully the comic book series found some success and the money helped the publisher overlook that.
Since then, Kirkman hasn’t lost any of that bold edge. He’s been seen in multiple interviews and even in the monthly comments of the comics standing up for his decisions and doing things that may be considered unpopular by the masses.
The stubborn nature of the creator of The Walking Dead was discussed in a recent video from Stubborn Cola, and many of his reasons for what he does proves he will do what it takes to express his creativity and tell the story he wants to tell.
Check out the video from the YouTube account of Stubborn Cola:
The most fun part of the interview came in regards to some of the more unpopular decisions he’s made in the past. Whether it is killing off a major character in the comics or having a big cliffhanger on the television show, Kirkman talked about making people upset.
"“If you piss off 50 percent of people about this, and you try to tailor the story for them, you’re going to piss off 50 percent of the other people — and then you’re chasing that thing, and you’ve lost the integrity of the thing you did that got popular in the first place.”"
Keeping people happy and maintaining the integrity of your project is a hard balance to keep. Thankfully, Kirkman isn’t the kind of guy to give in to peer pressure and alter the direction of his story to keep fans happy.
"“You can’t be concerned with how the audience is going to react, and that is kind of the sh**ty thing about being a creative writer because you have to write the stories to make yourself happy, and just pray that your experience, or personal like and dislikes, apply to the audience.”"
Next: Who did Negan kill? Check out the odds here!
If there are times that fans can’t stand Robert Kirkman, that is a great thing. It means he has created something that can bring out such intense emotions in people. He should see it as a compliment for the power of the story he’s telling and just how popular The Walking Dead has become.