Summary
Zombies were most often referred to as “roamers” inThe Walking Deadcomic book series, but as the series creator noted, he once introduced an even better term for the undead –having one character refer to them as “empties,” in a dark reference to the void left by their humanity– but then failed to fully integrate it into the series vernacular.
The Walking Dead Deluxe#92 – written by Robert Kirkman, with art by Charlie Adlard – introduced the popular character Paul “Jesus” Monroe. His first meeting with Michonne included a throwaway reference to “empties,” something thatKirkman noted in retrospectthat he never followed up on.
According to the author, there was a deliberate purpose for having different communities of survivors use different terminology for zombies; “empties” is perhaps the darkest term introduced in the series, making it surprising even to the writer himself that it wasn’t used more.
The Walking Dead Deluxeis an ongoing reissue of the original black-and-white comic book series in full color; issues also include new fan mail pages, and even more excitingly, full annotations of the issue by series creator Robert Kirkman.
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As much as Walking Dead is known for its gory violence & grotesque zombies, its most intense scene came down to a man sitting alone in a room.
Although “roamer” appropriately captures the physical behavior of zombies, “empty” is an aching reminder of what they truly are: human bodies devoid of intellect, or soul.
WhileThe Walking DeadTV adaptation popularized “walkers” for its masses of undead,Robert Kirkman’s original comicmost frequently used the similar, “roamers.” Or at least, this was what the primary group of survivors followed by the series, led by Rick Grimes, called them.The Walking Dead#92 introduced Jesus Monroe, and with him, the alternate term “empties.” However, as Kirkman pointed out in theDeluxereprint of the issue, this was perhaps the singular appearance of the term. Kirkman wrote:
Jesus calls zombies “empties” in this issue. Did that ever come up again? I have no recollection of that being used by anyone else. What a shame. Maybe that’s what they call them at the Hilltop and I just forgot? Who knows.
As the author recognizes, this heavy term is possibly even more apropos than either “roamers” or “walkers.”
Although “roamer” appropriately captures the physical behavior of zombies, “empty” is an aching reminder of what they truly are: human bodies devoid of intellect, or soul. What makes zombie fiction so evocative is the fact that the monsters are human beings that have been hollowed out of their humanity. In a way, “roamers” distances the survivors from the true nature of the undead, while “empties” is a constant reminder. It is a darkly fitting way to refer to zombies, andRobert Kirkman’s surprise that it didn’t appear inThe Walking Deadmore indicates that he thinks so too.
“Roamers,” “Biters,” “Lurkers,” “Empties”: All Serve A Purpose
The Walking Deadwas more than just about humans fighting zombies; it was a realistic study of how humans would respond to a zombie outbreak. That project extended through every aspect of Robert Kirkman’s comic, including the author’s deliberate use of language.
In hisannotations toThe Walking Dead Deluxe#92, Robert Kirkman suggested that he simply “forgot” that “empties” was what he intended for the Hilltop to call zombies – though he did reveal the practical purpose behind introducing different terminology. As he explained:
It’s funny, because I was always trying to use the zombie names to show that these communities developed separately from each other, so they have different names for the dead. It would’ve been weird if everyone called them “roamers,” y’know?
In this way, the author attempted to add depth and complexity to his portrayal of human society in the wake of complete civilizational collapse. Just as in antiquity, many different languages and dialects sprung from relatively close geographic quarters, the different communities ofThe Walking Deadquickly developed different lexicons for their new reality.
It is often noted thatThe Walking Deadwas more than just about humans fighting zombies; it was a realistic study of how humans would respond to a zombie outbreak. That project extended throughevery aspect of Robert Kirkman’s comic, including the author’s deliberate use of language. Though it ultimately wasn’t used frequently, Jesus Monroe’s reference to “empties” inThe Walking Dead#92 is one small, but fascinating example of that ongoing project.As Kirkman himself noted,the term could have, and even should have, been a more integral part ofThe Walking Dead.
The Walking Dead
Cast
The Walking Dead is a television series that premiered on Aug 05, 2025. It follows Sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes, who awakens from a coma to find a post-apocalyptic world overrun by zombies. He embarks on a journey to locate his family, encountering various survivors amidst the chaos.
