Robert Kirkman learns of The Walking Dead fans naming their baby Negan
By Adam Carlson
There are many highly passionate fans of The Walking Dead in the world, but not all of them would go as far as naming their baby after Negan.
Fans of The Walking Dead are a passionate and diverse bunch who can usually be seen cosplaying, at conventions, reading comics, or discussing the popular AMC zombie survival drama programs at the water cooler during work.
As the highest rated scripted drama on television, one of the biggest accomplishments of the franchise is finding someone to bring the character of Negan to life. Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s version of the comic book character is a bit different and has drawn a lot of attention but there is still a lot of love out there for the original version from the comics.
Apparently, one couple loves the character from the comics and the name so much that they chose to honor the former leader of The Saviors in one of the best ways possible according to the Letter Hacks section of issue 181 of the comics.
A person named ‘Justin from Michigan’ wrote a letter thanking Robert Kirkman and company for creating Negan, saying that he finds him to be funny, tough, and a better person than people give him credit for.
However, it was the end of the letter that really got interesting:
"“I wanted to write in to let ya’ll know that my wife and I named our son Negan. He was just born on April 24th at 7 lbs 15 oz. He is perfectly healthy and strong. I think Negan is a powerful and unique name. Thanks for the inspiration! I can’t believe my wife agreed to it!”"
These days, it’s not surprising to see children named after pop culture icons, but this is the first instance of anyone naming a child Negan that could possibly exist, making the name a little more special.
However, Justin from Michigan wanted to make sure one thing was very clear about the name they chose:
"“If only people would realize I named him after this comic and NOT the TV show…”"
Both Robert Kirkman and Sean Mackiewicz responded to this letter and were surprised to hear of a child being named after the character.
"“This is the first little baby Negan, as far as I’m aware,” Mackiewicz wrote. “Congrats on having an awesome wife, congrats on your new son…maybe keep him away from the Louisville Slugger for as long as possible”"
Wouldn’t it be cool if young Negan grew up to be a baseball player, showing the same kind of proficiency with a bat that the comic book version of Negan had with his? If nothing, the reputation could follow the name.
As for Robert Kirkman, his response was one of gratitude and excitement.
"“This is the best day of my life. I don’t think I’ve EVER heard of anyone naming their baby Negan! That’s awesome…and questionable parenting right out of the gate! I approve!”"
Undead Walking approves as well. We know how passionate and fun fans of The Walking Dead are and it’s not shocking to find out that a couple has named their child after Negan, but the response alone was well worth the read.
To read more of the Letter Hacks from issue 181, check out your local comic book store to pick up a copy, get a digital version on Comixology, or head over to Amazon to purchase a copy for yourself!