Spawn McFarlane cover pays homage to The Walking Dead issue 115
By Adam Carlson
The Todd McFarlane variant October cover for Spawn is a direct homage to the cover of issue 115 of Image Comics and Skybound’s The Walking Dead.
When people think of The Walking Dead, there are many names that come to mind. Whether it is creator Robert Kirkman, actors like Norman Reedus, or people associated with the show like Talking Dead host Chris Hardwick, the family for the show is massive in size.
One individual that cannot be forgotten is Todd McFarlane. Designing the limited edition Blu-Ray packaging and creating amazing action figures based on the show and comics, McFarlane is a big part of the TWD universe.
However, he is also known for creating Spawn. First published in May of 1992, the Spawn comic book series has launched great television series, numerous toys, and even feature films based on the property.
Now, Spawn is taking part in a series of The Walking Dead tribute covers for Image in October, with McFarlane contributing the cover below as shared by Bleeding Cool.
Strangely, the issue shows the number #281 when the actual issue number will be #279. However, the truly notable thing about this variant cover is how it is a take on the cover of another Image book.
Below is the cover for issue 115 of The Walking Dead as released by Image Comics in October 0f 2013:
It is very easy to see the comparisons between the two covers. Replacing the characters on original cover with Spawn characters is a fun and interesting way to pay homage. Perhaps the most interesting change is replacing Negan with Violator, who is also called Clown for obvious reasons.
Still, it’s quite interesting to see The Sanctuary in the background of the comic and not have it be replaced by a skyscraper or other more Spawn-related location, but that also add some more undead charm to the amazing cover.
Even more fun to fans of Robert Kirkman’s comics is that issue 115 is the first chapter of All-Out War, which is the point the popular AMC television series is now reaching when season 8 kicks off in October.
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Variant cover D of Spawn featuring The Walking Dead inspired artwork from Todd McFarlane will be available this October. Be sure to ask your local comic retailer to order it for you if a copy is wanted for your collection.