When the zombie apocalypse hit,The Walking Dead’s Rick Grimes needed to band together with like-minded survivors to stand a chance at lasting against the ever-encroaching undead hordes, with a scavenger namedGlennbecoming one of Rick’s first friends after waking from his untimely coma. Tragicallybeaten to death by the infamous Negan,series creator Robert Kirkman has revealed why Glenn had to die, as well as the person who is truly responsible for it.
Introduced in the second issue ofThe Walking Dead, Glenn was once a struggling pizza delivery boy who used his quickness and general knowledge of the Atlanta area to become the perfect supply runner for his group.
All that said, after seeing the portrayal of Glenn on the television show, and the stellar performance by an actor whose name I can’t seem to recall (ever, really – it’s quite strange) for me at least, the comic book Glenn just became a pale impression of the TV show character, so I figured, why waste my time telling stories with this guy anymore, when that real dude is making the comic character look so bad.
Meeting Rick while on one of these runs, Glenn brought Rick back to his camp where Rick unexpectedly reunited with Carl and Lori, withGlenn’s eventual deathhitting fans andWalking Deadcharacters hard. However, when responding to a fan letter inThe Walking Dead Deluxe #102,Kirkman explains how Glenn’s live-action actor, Steven Yeun, is to blame for Glenn’s brutal comic death.
Answering a “fan” who oddly shares the same name as AMC’sThe Walking Deadstar Steven Yeun, Kirkman responds to Steven’s comments about killing his onscreen character bysaying, “…after seeing the portrayal of Glenn on the television show, and the stellar performance by an actor whose name I can’t seem to recall… the comic book Glenn just became a pale impression of the TV show character.”Adding, “…so I figured, why waste my time telling stories with this guy anymore, when that real dude is making the comic character look so bad,” Kirkman confirms why Glenn needed to die.
Walking Dead’s Worst Villain Was Named After Robert Kirkman’s Real-World Bully: “F*** That Guy”
The Walking Dead has thrown several villains at Rick Grimes and co. over the years, with one of the worst named for Robert Kirkman’s old school bully.
Previously mentioning that he killed Glenn in part because Kirkman knew most people wouldn’t continue reading a book past 100 issuesand wanted to shake things up to keep everyone invested, the idea of Glenn dying in the comics because Steve Yeun had elevated the character on the show is a fairly believable reason for offing him too. Dying at the hands of the newly introduced Negan, Glenn’s unexpected demiseboostedThe Walking Dead #100’s sales numbersand shocked viewers with a television adaptation that was even more heart-wrenching — a death made worse thanks to Steven Yeun’s impeccable performance.
It seems like Kirkman blaming Steven Yeun for realizing he had no more stories left to tell involving Glenn was the blessing in disguise the series needed to revitalize its zombie story for another almost 100 issues, with the way both versions of the character affected their respective mediums being a testament to Kirkman’s writing and Steven Yeun’s acting ability.The Walking Dead’sGlennwill be sorely missed by comic and television fans alike, but thanks to the phenomenal acting of Steven Yeun and the subsequent deflated creative spirit of Robert Kirkman, the character has an all-time ending worth remembering.
The Walking Dead Deluxe #102is available from Image Comics.
The Walking Dead
The Walking Deadis a massive multimedia franchise that began with a comic book series created by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard. The franchise gained widespread popularity with the launch of the television seriesThe Walking Deadin 2010 on AMC, which chronicles the lives of survivors in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies, referred to as “walkers.” The success of the original show has led to numerous spin-offs, web series, video games, novels, and other media. The franchise explores themes of survival, human nature, and the breakdown of society in the face of an existential threat, making it one of the most successful and influential horror series of the 21st century.
