CHAPTER 2.

Zombies in popular culture

The origin of zombie

The concept of zombies derives from folk African beliefs, where zombies were perceived as
bodiless souls of dead people that have been brought back to life by magic. It was claimed
that people can be transformed into zombie-like creatures, for example by casting the spell on
them, and consequently their souls and powers were captured. In English language the word
zombie was used for the first time in Robert Southey book History of Brazil (1819) that
presents the zombie as a West African deity, the so-called ‘zombie astrals’ – so it is rather a
spiritual approach, also seen in I Walked With a Zombie (1943)
However, the concept of zombies as we know them today, namely the soulless
walking corpses, derives from the Haitian voodoo traditions, which were actually influenced
by the African beliefs, when African slaves were brought to the Carribean in the 18 th century.
In Haitian culture the zombie appears as the product of evil magics used by voodoo priests,
called bokors, who could raise the dead to use them as free labor, simply slaves. This concept
found its representation in films like The Magic Island (1929) by William Seabrook or White
Zombie (1932).

Clinical studies

Although the concept of zombies has its roots in folklore, mythology, religion, potential
explanations of zombification have been also investigated in sociological and clinical studies.
Several credible reports of zombification have been published in medical journal.

- The case of Clairvius Narcisse in Haiti, (man buried alive and then revived to live and
used as a forced laborer) – studied by Wade Davis (1983), a Harvard researcher, who
discovered that the bokors mentioned in the Haitian beliefs could use some toxins to
cause muscle paralysis in the victims bodies and then revive them to life by other
medical procedures and control by using hallucinogenic and psychoactive powders.
They used to simulate a person’s dead and then exploit him/her.
- Adams and his companions in 2017 in the USA discovered that synthetic marihuana
can influence the human brain in a way that the person starts behaving like zombies.
Thus, certain substances can cause bizarre states or actions and create kind of
‘zombies’
 - Zombie carpenter ants in Brazil- studied by Loreto et al in 2018- they are regarded as
zombie creatures that exist in real life. A kind of fungus attacts them and takes the
control of their behavior, manipulate their nervous system.

Definitions of zombie – warto znać zeby w każdym momencie moc się ewentualnie odnieść,
pomocne bo pierwsza to ten pierwotny origin, druga to literatura a trzecia potwierdza ze
zombie są wszechobecne w kulturze.

1. a dead person who is believed, in some Caribbean religions, to have

been brought back to life by magic.
2. (in stories) afrightening creature that is a dead person who has been
brought back to life, but without human qualities. Zombies are not able to
think and they are often shown as attacking and eating human beings.
3. (informal) a person who has no energy, seems to act without thinking,
and does not notice what is happening.

Literature and film

The zombie genre has become widespread in film and literature. Zombie fiction influences the
creation of zombie films and vice versa.
As for the evolution of the zombie concept in literature, film and popular culture, three
phases can be distinguished, that differ in the way of presenting zombie creatures.

 the pre-Romero zombies are connected with Haitian folklore. Zombies were stepped
in the tragic history of a people taken from their native lands and used as slaves.
Haitian zombies were not monsters but rather victims. The original zombies were
raised magically by a master and used for brutal free labor, as presented in the first
zombie film White Zombie (1932) or the first book “The Magic Island” by William
Seabrook (1929).
 the Romero’s zombies, that constitute a new version of the zombies, as presented in
the film Night of the Living Dead (1968).
- Romero’s work initiated the depiction of zombies as a horde, a mass (as opposed to
the stories of single monsters, like Frankenstein) that is going to invade the world.
- they multiply by contagion, like a virus: they feed on flesh, and their bite is lethal, so
each person will die and come back as shuffling, hollow-eyed flesh-eaters themselves.
 - they lack human characteristics, such as personality, intelligence or consciousness,
and their only goal is to get the food.
- they are slow, mindless shuffling corpses that have risen from the grave and want to
eat human flesh. It is from these ghoulish creatures that today's zombies are
descended.
-Romero’s film contributed to the evolution of a distinct subgenre of horror films,
zombie apocalypse. It is a genre of fiction in which civilization collapses because of
the overwhelming swarms of zombie creatures. Basically, only a few individuals or
small groups of survivors are left living and “struggling to survive against hordes of
the undead. Essentially, in this universe, the world is against the humanity, and the
existence is a constant struggle for survival”.
 the post-Romero zombies – The work of George A. Romero has been an inspiration
for other artists, not only in the world of cinematography, but also in music, video
games, literature, and many other forms. The technological development in the 21 st
century growing social concerns of the time, contributed to the creation of zombies
that are different from the creatures presented by Romero.
- They are more agile, vicious, intelligent, and stronger than they were presented
traditionally. During that time the shift towards scientific themes could be observed.
-The new type of zombies originated in the 1990s together with Japanese horror video
games. Capcom’s survival horror video game Resident Evil featured zombie dogs that
chase the player. The game inspired the creation of the film of the same title directed
by Paul W.W. Andersen in 2002. In the film, zombies do not walk slowly as
previously, but they have become ‘fast zombies’. There is a visible shift towards an
action approach, as contrary to Romero’s classic zombies, they can run, fight, and
even think. -Instead of re-animated corpses, the creatures are infected with some
pathogen, like in a British post-apocalyptic science fiction horror film, 28 Days Later
(2002) by Danny Boyle. The film features the breakdown of society after the
accidental release of a deadly virus called ‘the Rage virus’. People get easily infected
by others; they just transmit the virus all over by a bite.
-In contrast to the traditional zombie archetype, the infected can possess superhuman
powers. However, they can be also killed just like normal people. Still, they lose their
personality and some cognitive functions, and chase the uninfected in order to transmit
the virus further.
 -It is also notable that the infected are not actually killed by the virus, so that they are
not dead, but their brains are totally controlled by the pathogen.
-The zombies are not cannibalistic any longer, they do not want to eat human flesh,
but their only goal is to spread the highly contagious virus.
-As for 21st century zombie literature, it also represents universal current fears, like in
Stephen King’s apocalyptic horror novel Cell (2006), in which a mobile phone
transforms people into mindless and aggressive monsters. However, the most popular
of the time seems to be another apocalyptic horror novel, World War Z: An Oral
History of the Zombie War (2006) written by Max Brooks. Zombies in the narrative
are presented as mindless creatures, and devout of rational thinking; as stated by the
author, this feature can be also “applied to terrorists, hurricane, or flu pandemic, or the
potential earthquake”.

Genre

Zombie fiction appeared as a distinct literary subgenre in the1990s and it “is primarily
a horror and sci-fi driven genre”. However, it can be also regarded as an independent form
of literary expression as the zombie figure is included in the majority of traditional genres,
from erotica to young adult fiction, and can therefore be identified as a genre in and of itself”.
Zombie literature is literature that is about or contains characters that can be identified
as zombies. These creatures can appear as main or supporting characters, but most often
zombies are featured as antagonists, “the mass, the horde, that threatens human life”
Zombie fiction is a part of horror genre that refers to the gothic novel from the early
18th century and its main purpose is to evoke fearful emotions in readers, such as tension,
anxiety, hopelessness, and wonder. Together with the changing portrayal of the zombies, the
fears of the society have also changed “from a deep-rooted fear of the paranormal (expressed
through characters like ghosts and vampires) to a more reality-based fear of infection and
invasion”.
Romero laid the foundations for the creation of a distinct genre by introducing a new
type of creatures that invade the humanity and lead to the apocalypse. Kyle William Bishop
(2009: 198) stresses that “having no established literary analogue, Romero borrowed instead
from voodoo mythology, vampire tales, and science fiction invasion narratives to develop a
new tradition”. In zombie literature and film there are elements of science fiction used for
world construction, like in the Korean zombie thriller Alive (2020). The zombie plague or
pandemic is often caused by viruses or other pathogens that have been spread from scientific
laboratories.
It is also worth mentioning that although the zombie genre belongs to the horror genre,
it does not necessarily have to be frightening or dreadful. Aldredge (2021) indicates that
“from a genre perspective, zombie movies are actually rife with opportunity to cross genres
and pull elements from other film types”, such as action, comedy, science fiction, thriller,
apocalypse, or romance. I was a teenage zombie (1986), My Boyfriend’s Back (1993), and
Shaun of the Dead (2004) constitute perfect example of zombie romantic comedies.
Zombieland (2009) is in turn a zombie-laden comedic adventure film, and World War Z
(2013) is an action blockbuster presenting the post-apocalyptic world. In addition, there is
also a number of humorous zombie books, like Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion, Night of the
Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson, or Lord of Zombies by Des Parker. Therefore, it
can be concluded zombie films and literature are not limited to horror stories, but they
actually expand the genre and present the zombie creatures in various ways and moods.

Popular Culture

Nowadays, the zombie motif has become omnipresent in popular culture. It can be visible not
only in film, television, comic books, and videogames, but also in clothing, on coffee mugs,
or toy lines. People even routinely dress themselves as the walking dead to participate in
zombie walks. The popularity of zombies is connected with the uncertain times in which we
live (terrorist attacks, economic threats and natural calamities) and when disaster seems
unavoidable.
Zombies remain as an archetype (a recognizable symbol to all people) because they
reflect universal patterns and images that are commonly accepted by all humans. In addition,
zombies “symbolize ‘the shadow’ and represent all the things people are afraid of. Zombies
tend to reflect the anxieties and concerns shared by a large group of people in the particular
time period, and it is the reason for the popularity of the theme in pop culture.
Additionally, Platts (2013) insists that research in zombies must be looked at as
representations of
valuable cultural objects (p. 547). In looking at the history of the genre and the various
cultures and individuals
who inuenced and developed it, the author found that zombies were a prime site of study in
sociology for
researchers to examine both social anxieties and cultural fear. He states that “[w]hat nearly all
understandings
and depictions of popular culture zombies have in common is a exible creature designed to
evoke our
macabre fascination and whose likeness adapts to contemporaneous tumult, concerns about
manmade and
natural disasters, conicts and wars, and crime and violence” (p. 550). ese fears, essentially,
are universal to
most cultures and most time periods, and must be examined, analyzed, and dealt with at the
societal level in
order for society to dream of a better future.
Also, zombies have been regarded as cultural artefacts, which are objects created by
a specific society and given meaning through that society’s consumption of it. According to
Platts (2013), zombie films can be regarded as cultural artefacts as they are produced by and
consumed through the filters of a certain culture or society. They are created in accordance
with the audience’s demands and expectations. Basically, literature and film are expected to
reflect the cultural experiences and realities of the readers/viewers. Thus, the creation of
zombies as cultural artefacts remains dependent on the changing demands of the audience,
their opinions and values held in a specific period.
Zombies are omnipresent in gaming, as there are numerous survival games, first
person shooters, and board games involving the zombie theme, such as: Resident Evil (1996),
Doom (1993), Prototype (2009), Dead of Winter: A Crossroads Game (2014), The Walking
Dead (2012), or Zombicide (2012). Zombie video and computer games have always been
related to literature and film, as all the fields were developing simultaneously and affecting
each other. Many games appeared as an inspiration of a zombie novel or film, and vice versa.
As for zombie theme in music, the popularity of horror and zombies resulted in the
fact that numerous songs and bands have been based on the living dead. The zombie also
appears in protest songs, symbolizing mindless adherence to authority. A famous example is
Fela Kuti's single Zombie (1976). Likewise, The Cranberries hit single "Zombie" uses them as
metaphors for the cultlike perpetrators of continued Irish violence centered around
independence movements and religious divisions Apart from movies, zombie theme can be
also visible in videoclips, such as Michael Jackson’s Thriller (1983), regarded as “the mother
of all zombie pop videos”, in which the artist dances with a group of zombies.
CHAPTER 3. Methodology and units of observation

Aims

The study aims at exploring the visions of a dystopian world created by the zombie
apocalypse as presented in the comic series The Walking Dead and its tv adaptation of the
same title. I put forward the following hypotheses:

1. The post-apocalyptic world presented in the comic book The Walking Dead is
different from the one presented in the series.
2. However, there are also many similarities, especially in terms of the main theme
which is a dystopian world during the zombie apocalypse and with regard to the same
metaphors involved in both the comic and tv series.
3. The Walking Dead comic and tv series serve as the criticism of the contemporary
world and society.

In order to verify the hypotheses, this work aims to answer the following questions :

 How does the adaptation differ from the original version? Are there any crucial
differences?
  What are the similarities between them? What common ideas and traits can be found
in both versions?
 What metaphors can be recognized in the comic and the movie? Are they similar?
What do they suggest/mean?

Why this work contributes..?

Although there is considerable research on both The Walking Dead comic and its tv
adaptation, previous researchers investigated both versions of the story mostly from
philosophical and moral angle and so far the work has received little critical attention in the
literary canon, therefore I provide the “in-depth critical analysis of the work’s morality”. Even
though some researchers provided some critical analysis of the work, (like Gerry Canavan),
they employed post-colonial approach in order to explore the themes of violence, justice,
leadership, and morality. In addition, the existing research focuses either on the comic or its
adaptation, or it only makes a comparison between these two versions. This work, however,
not only compares the two visions of the dystopian world presented in The Walking Dead tv
and comic series, but it also evaluates the series collectively as the whole work and what is
also innovative, I chosen quite different approach to the critical analysis.

METHODOLOGY
In the analysis I decided to use the sociological critical approach and the
archetypal approach.
The sociological perspective in critical analysis seems to be the most suitable in this
study as I aim at exploring the relationship between the work of literature (and cinema) and
society. Sociological criticism makes it possible to perceive the work in a larger social
context, considering the “cultural, economic, and political context in which it is written or
received” (Additionally, the author argues that pieces of art can function as "normative
sources of social understanding in their own right" In the analysis I also draw on Marxist
criticism, an influential type of sociological approach that focuses on the economic, political,
and ideological content of art. It deals with societal issues such as race, gender, class, social
powers, economic exploitation,

Nevertheless, I also use in the analysis the archetypal approach, also called
mythological, that focuses on “recurring patterns that represent universal situations and
experiences”. From the archetypal perspective, all human beings seem to have in common
certain basic experiences and have developed similar stories, characters, and symbols to
express them. In this approach the central concept is archetype, that is, “is a literary device in
which a character is created based on a set of qualities or traits that are specific and
identifiable for readers” The term ‘archetype’ derives from ancient Greek and means ‘original
pattern’. Archetypes can be symbols, characters, situations, or images that evoke a universal
response in certain society. The idea of archetypes was introduced in literary criticism by the
Swiss psychologist Carl Jung, who theorized about the collective unconsciousness that
involves all people in the world. According to the theory, there are certain universal concepts
shared and recognized by all the mankind. They exist in the subconscious mind of the
population and can be discovered through myths, religions, and dreams. Carl Jung indicated
12 primary character archetypes that can define a person’s inner motivations and outer
behaviors. These are: the innocent, the sage, the explorer, the outlaw, the magician, the hero,
the jester, the everyman, the caregiver, the ruler, and the artist. In the study, I aim at exploring
archetypes and archetypal characters presented in the series.

In order to discuss the relationship between the comic and the tv

series I rely on the adaptation theories proposed by Dudley Andrew and
Geoffrey Wagner.

According to Andrew (2009: 374-375), there are three main modes of

relation between the film adaptation and its original text:

 borrowing, where only “key concepts or ideas” are borrowed from

the original work;
 intersecting, where only certain elements from the original are used
“so that the plots
intersect each other at certain places”;
 fidelity of transformation, “where the original text is transformed to
suit the new medium”.

These three categories of film adaptation correspond with the following

categories proposed by Geoffrey Wagner in 1975:

• transposition, “in which a novel is given directly on the screen with

a minimum of apparent interference”;
• commentary, “where an original is taken and either purposely or
inadvertently altered in some respect...when there has been a different
intention on the part of the film-maker, rather than infidelity or outright
violation”;
• analogy, “which must represent a fairy considerable departure for
the sake of making another work of art” (Wagner 1975: 222-226).
THE UNITS OF OBSERVATION

The Walking Dead franchise as cultural and social artefact

TWD media franchise1 has definitely dominated the mainstream and popular culture. The
release of the TWD comic series inspired the creation of other works: comic book series,
several tv series, web series (webisodes), films, novels, and video games.
There are two franchise blocks that are linked to two main narrative channels:

- comic book series (Skybound series)

- television series (AMC series)
In both of the worlds, additional themes are incorporated in order to expand the exploration of
the fictional world and emphasize the narrative’s ability to cross the boundaries of one
medium, thus persuading audiences to explore the mysteries of a zombie-dominated world.

TWD media franchise consists of

 comic book series: The Walking Dead Here’s Negan (2016), The
Walking Dead Negan Lives (2020), The Walking Dead Clementine
Lives (2021), and The Walking Dead: Rick Grimes 2000 (2021).
 Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonasinga wrote several horror novels that provide further
information regarding the original hero from the comics, the Governor.
 Regarding television shows, AMC’s The Walking Dead (2010- ) is the original
television series based on the comic book and developed by Frank Darabont. It
inspired other productions: Fear the Walking Dead (2015 – present), The Walking
Dead: World Beyond (2020-2021), and the newest Tales of the Walking Dead.
 Games: both physical and digital pinball games, diverse board games, rides (a
walkthrough theme park attractions), and video games (adventures, shooters, arcades,
VR games and mobile games)
 Webisodes

1
A media franchise is a collection of media products in which several
derivative works have been created as a response to the popularization of
an original masterpiece and the commercial exploitation of such through
licensing agreements
There is an extensive network of references between the original work and other derivative
works that “forms a gigantic narrative compendium of zombism in the media”. Zombies has
become widely recognized as monsters symbolizing human’s fears and anxieties of the
complete breakdown in technology, institutions, community and people. It is
linked with the context in which the work was created, namely, as called
by Kyle Bishop (2009) “zombie renaissance” . It was a time when a new
zombie culture emerged following the 9/11 attacks. This symbolic
renaissance corresponds to the development of a new world in the field of
entertainment, series, video games, goods, multimedia formats and web
clips.

According to some researchers, horror narratives get into popular

mainstream because “they capture our cultural anxieties and concerns”.
In other words, “horror films are cultural artefacts” as they reveal the
cultural and political ideas of a period, as well as the fears of the
humanity. In case of TWD, “people have projected their fear of losing the
ability to protect themselves onto attacks by zombie masses”.

A COMIC BOOK

The most general definition, proposed by Collins Dictionary, states that “a

comic book is a magazine that contains stories told in pictures”.
The definition focuses on the form of a comic book and perceives it as a
piece of art that combines text and image. More elaborate definition states
that comics is “juxtaposed pictorial and other images in deliberate
sequence, intended to convey information and/or produce an
aesthetic response in the viewer". The images such as pictures and
text must be somehow related to one another and must be set in an
intentional order or sequence to be considered as "comics".

Panels in a comic book act as a sort of general indicator of time or space

being divided. Literary critics emphasize the importance of the spatial
arrangement of the panels in comic books, because this feature
differentiates this medium from other forms of media, like television and
film, where panels are sequential in time . Panels in comic books are
situated next to each other in a spatial way, not temporal. Thanks to that,
readers gain control over how the story is presented and how it is
processed and understood. In comics time progresses at the pace of a
reader, while in films language and visuals are time-bound. This
advantage of comics is called “visual permanence” and refers to the fact
that readers can stop, return to the previous panel, or jump to the panels
on the next page. In other words, “space does for comics what time does
for film” (McCloud 1994: 7). Time is running only as fast as the eyes of the
reader move across the page. The space between the panels in comic
books is of the utmost importance and is called “the gutter”. The synthesis
of information occurs between two panels, therefore readers must stay
active and conscious in order to follow the story. However, McCloud (1994:
10) also introduces the term “closure” meaning the process of observing
the parts in the panel but perceiving the whole. During this process “the
readers combine the visuals and the text in the adjacent panels and
transform them into one single idea”.

Another significant feature of comic books is that they are mostly a

narrative medium. Experts have agreed that the narrative in comic
books is either humorous or serious in context and is displayed in the form
of text and visuals that remain interdependent. The narratives are
essentially pictorial and typically involve a dominance of visuals over the
textual information. Visuals vary in the level of abstractness as there can
be real-life pictures and cartoon images as well.

However, as observed by McCloud (1994: 11), even if images get

abstract through cartooning, “the details of the textual information to be
presented still remain the same”. It is crucial to indicate that the “visible
elements of comics like the text-picture combination, aesthetic style,
iconic content, and sequential images” help to identify the comic book, but
it is “the inherent narrative arc” that combines and connects all the
elements.

Some readers use the terms comic book and graphic novel
interchangeably as
-they both tell a story using a combination of words and illustrations.
-“both comics and graphic novels can contain complex characters with
detailed backstories and inner conflict”

Nevertheless, there are some significant differences between them, such

as: the completeness of the story, the length and format, and the
presence of advertisements. First of all, a comic book is published on a
weekly or monthly basis and tells only some part of the story, leaving a
reader with a cliff-hanger leading to the next episode. In contrast, a
graphic novel tells the whole story from the beginning to the end, thus the
whole plot and characters are not presented at once. As regards length
and format, graphic novels are much longer than comic books and it takes
the readers more time and attention to read them. Moreover, comics look
like magazines, while graphic novels are regarded as books presented in a
format of the comic strip. Also, advertisements can be found only in comic
books. Sometimes it can be difficult to tell the difference between a
graphic novel and a comic. This is compounded by the fact that some
graphic novel series begin as comics, and once several issues achieve
popularity, they are rebound by the publisher into a graphic novel format.

TWD comic

The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic white-and-black comic book

series created by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moor in 2003 and released by Image Comics and
Skybound Entertainment. The series was monthly scheduled and ran for 193 issues until
Kirkman unexpectedly decided to end it in July 2019. At first The Walking Dead was a niche
zombie graphic novel, nevertheless, finally the series has become incredibly popular. It has
received critical acclaim winning the Eisner Award for Best Continuing Series in 2010 and
Scream Awards for Best Comic Book or Graphic Novel in 2011. Additionally, the series won
Shel Dorf Awards in 2012 and 2013 as Continuing Series of the Year . The significant rise in
the comic’s popularity resulted from the premiere of AMC tv series adaptation. The release of
the TV show brought an ”unprecedented number of people” to comic shops with the intention
of finding out more about the original story. This is the first adaptation of a comic book that
opened its own path to explore transmedia storytelling through webisodes and videogames,
establishing a kind of alternative universe to the world presented in the comic”.
Transmedia storytelling is the practice of designing, sharing, and participating in a cohesive
story experience across multiple traditional and digital delivery platforms - for entertainment,
advertising and marketing, or social change. In other words, it is the technique of telling a
single story or story experience across multiple platforms and formats using current digital
technologies.

From a production standpoint, transmedia storytelling involves creating content that

engages an audience using various techniques to permeate their daily lives. In order to achieve
this engagement, a transmedia production will develop stories across multiple forms of media
in order to deliver unique pieces of content in each channel. Importantly, these pieces of
content are not only linked together (overtly or subtly), but are in narrative synchronization
with each other.

TWD comics features a group of survivors who struggle to remain alive during the
long-term zombie uprising. The story starts with the main character - Rick Grimes, a police
officer from a little town that was shot while chasing a criminal and consequently is left in a
coma. Sometime later the hero wakes up in a hospital finding out that the dead are
everywhere, and they have infected not only the people in the hospital but also the whole city.
In order to find his family, Rick travels to Atlanta and along the way he encounters several
terrifying situations. Together with Rick’s family and his friend Shane, they belong to a
heterogeneous group of people camping on the outskirts of the city. It should be remarked that
the beginning presented in the comics remain the same in the novels, videogames, and AMC’s
tv series. The onset and the cause of the zombie outbreak remains similar, and the audience
learns about it simultaneously with the main hero, Rick. The protagonists in the story seek
shelter and escape the hordes of zombies that attack every living creature. Their poisonous
bite becomes fatal over time and turns those who were bitten into zombies. The group of
survivors is led by Rick, who was a deputy sheriff before the outbreak of zombie apocalypse.
At every step, the group faces the challenges of the world in which they live. They must deal
not only with zombies, but also with other survivors who have become almost as dangerous as
the zombie. Various conflicts occur between the heroes within the group, and between this
and other surviving groups, while at the same time the zombie poses a continuous threat to
everyone. TWD series shows human behavior in extreme cases, when it becomes completely
disorganized and the so far known social structures cease to exist.
TWD tv series

The television series, based on the comics, premiered on AMC in October 2010 and consists
of 11 seasons, and the final season, premiered on 22nd August 2021, will conclude in 2022,
consisting of 24 episodes. “Its goal is to improve and enlarge the fictional world built by the
actions and choices of characters, and to encourage comic book fans to watch a series that
both refers to the graphic novel and introduces significant changes. AMC's The Walking Dead
presents aspects that could be considered an expansion of the comic storyline, thus offering a
transmedia experience. Nevertheless, the author draws attention to the fact that as the tv
series progresses, some considerable changes, additions or omissions in the plot or style can
be observed., TWD tv show “takes the structure, the settings and some basic features of every
character from the comics to develop them following different treatments, but it involves
essentially the same milestones regarding the overall plot”. The author indicates potential
reasons of those changes, such as the fact that in the case of the comic book, Robert Kirkman
is the sole author and thus decisions on the plot matters belong only to him. In the case of the
tv series, Kirkman is still a writer and also the executive producer; however, “he has to share
responsibility with his partners” and agree on certain deviations proposed. It should be noted
that there are some demands imposed on writers by the broadcaster – AMC – in order to
adjust the storyline and the style to the particular audience. Therefore, in order to make the
story suitable for young viewers, the language of the comic that abounds in cursing has been
modified. In addition, in the AMC’s adaptation of TWD there has been an evident “change of
the tone” and “the softening of some violent scenes from the comic book”. Further changes
and transformations that exist between these two works will be presented in the next section
comprising the analytical part of the thesis.

Chapter 4. Analysis
SIMILARITIES : title, the main theme and plot, setting, characters- way of presentation and
archetypes, the same groups

The main theme and plot

Both versions share the same main theme and motif: living in a post-
apocalyptic world, where the characters struggle to survive in the cruel
and terrifying conditions. It is a vision of a dystopian world, in which, as a
result of the epidemic outbreak, the existing system collapses and neither
the government nor public service operates, and hordes of zombie roam
the streets. Nevertheless, it should be remarked that these “living dead”
creatures do not constitute the main theme, as in both versions the author
focuses on the characters’ physical and mental journey during such a
horrible period. Both visions of the dystopian world concentrate on the
way people deal with an apocalyptic event, their struggle, their
relationships, desires, ideas, and serious moral decisions that are often
inevitable then. The original and the adaptation present a destruction of
human’s morality in face of the apocalyptic threat. It can be observed in
both works how the characters adjust to the environment and the current
dystopian context. Therefore, the survival instinct pushes them to do
things they would never do in different circumstances.

Regarding the plot, many threads intersect in the two versions. Basically,
the storyline of The Walking Dead tv series follows the original, especially
when it comes to the first few seasons. Some scenes remain an exact
transposition of the comic book (there are even instances of a word-for-
word replication), like the already mentioned beginning of the story, when
the main hero, Rick, wakes up in the abandoned hospital after being shot
on duty, and learns about the zombie apocalypse. It can be definitely said
that the comic book fans can admire their favorite scenes on the screen
thanks to the AMC’s adaptation of the work. The action progresses the
same way in both versions of The Walking Dead, as several common
stages can be distinguished in the plot of the comic and the series:

 The outbreak of zombie apocalypse,

 Fighting zombies and other people simultaneously,
 Formation of groups
 Group organization
 Making alliances with other groups,

Basically, the storyline of both versions of TWD follows the

abovementioned phases, although is many places the arcs in the series
diverge from the original in terms of their length, importance, or time of
appearance.

The setting
There is the same settings have been used - Georgia, Atlanta, and the
nearby areas, like Hershel Greene’s farm or forests; thus, the action
takes place mostly in a rural surrounding. Kirkman’s love for the
countryside scenery may be related to the fact that he comes from such a
place, being born and raised in Kentucky. Therefore, it is not surprising
that in the comic, Cynthiana in Kentucky is the hometown of the main
character – Rick Grimes. Similarly, in the tv series the character also hails
from Georgia, but the hometown’s name was changed to King County.
Nevertheless, in both cases the scenery abounds in wild nature and
woods, what in turn strengthens the vision of human survival in these
cruel times. Humans align with the natural world and very often find there
the shelter from zombies and other threats posed by these extraordinary
circumstances. This can symbolize the return of man to nature in the fight
against a virus, maybe created by the civilization, technology, or science.

However, in the work there are some images of urban setting, like for
example Atlanta, Los Angeles, Dallas or Washington DC, but they are
presented as fallen and decayed. As the entire administrative and state
structures had collapsed, all the cities plunged into chaos, and as a result,
most of the citizens got infected. There are only hordes of zombies
strolling on the streets in search of the human flesh. Therefore, it seems to
be much safer to get out of big metropolitan cities and seek for survival in
abandoned rural areas.

TWD comic and the series differ from other works of fiction and popular
blockbuster films that take place in huge cities, like for example World
War Z. As intended by Kirkman, instead of focusing on the government or
the state officials, TWD represents the struggle of the nation, the ordinary
inhabitants of the area. It might suggest that the work addresses
everyman, as each human being might face similar threat and then would
have to struggle just like the characters. In contrast, the officials have
been evacuated from the cities to much safer places.

Characters

The majority of characters appearing in the original are also presented in

TWD tv show. In addition, both versions present complex images of the
characters, as the authors focus not only on the physical attributes but
also on their inner world. The characters’ emotional state is often
emphasized in the comic by bolding the text or stressing their facial
expressions. The characters’ faces in the comic panels often emanate with
fear, horror, disbelief, or the contrary - with love, passion or desire.
Similarly, in the tv series there are numerous camera close-ups on the
actors’ faces in order to stress their emotions. The effect is additionally
enhanced with the music. The characters' psychological and mental
profiles are very well outlined, as well as their internal changes resulting
from the conditions in which they find themselves.

Also, in both versions of TWD some of the main protagonists reflect the
traditional Jung’s archetypes. It is worth mentioning that these
archetypes often change during the course of action, simultaneously with
the psychological transformations of the characters. Thus, the main
characters often represent a combination of various classical archetypes:
heroes, rulers, jesters, sages, lovers, and caregivers. There are some
deviations visible in the series in terms of the characters transforming
from one role to the other, but there are also some character archetypes
that remain the same (at least to some extent). They include:

• “The Hero” – Rick Grimes (acted by Andrew Lincoln)

• “The Ruler” – Negan Smith (acted by Jeffrey Dean Morgan)
• “The Jester” – Glen Rhee (acted by Steven Yeun)
• “The Sage” – Eugene Porter (acted by Josh McDermitt)
• “The Caregiver” – King Ezekiel (acted by Khary Payton)

Both in the comic and its adaptation, there are the same groups,
gangs, associations and communities within which the characters function
and operate. As in the case of the complex presentation of individual
characters, Kirkman also provides a comprehensive image of the particular
groups: how they function, what values they follow, what are their
intentions, beliefs, and desires. The groups try to cope with this post-
apocalyptic world in their own way. There are communities that opt for
peaceful living, like the one led by Rick Grimes or The Kingdom, ruled by
Ezekiel. Nevertheless, most groups rely on violence, corruption,
manipulation, and other immoral actions. Among the most significant
groups there can be indicated:

 The Commonwealth,
 The Saviors,
 The Whisperers,
 The Woodbury,
 The Terminus Group

The narrative of TWD fits into the Romero-style design: the regression
of human civilization in the face of a deadly threat, namely zombie
apocalypse, changes in the mentality and morality of the heroes fighting
for survival in a modern society- all this to reflect the dark side of
humanity. As stressed by Robert Kirkman, it was his intention to create an
endless Romero’s zombie film, in which humans are becoming more and
more similar to zombies. The aim was to blur the boundaries between the
living and the dead without getting caught up in the political irony that
characterizes the American director’s series.

Both the comics and the tv show dwell on the monstrous nature of
humans, not the zombies. They are character-driven, the plot and the
action is not of the utmost importance, as the psychological aspects turn
to be on the spot. The focus is on the characters and how they deal with
the postapocalyptic world.

When it comes to portraying zombies, both in the comic and in the

series, they are creatures whose only desire is to eat human flesh. They
look like the living dead: they move with laborious movements and their
faces and eyes change drastically. It is also important that they do not
have any special powers, and in both versions, they can be killed by
injuring the head, as the virus activates in the brain of the victim who is
bitten by the target. Zombies are devoid of logical thinking, but they react
to noise and they are able to feel the human smell. It is different than in
movies about zombie, like I am Legend or The World War Z, where they
are strong and intelligent. Here, there are no social structures among
zombies, there are not any leaders as all of them lack the majority of
human mental abilities and physical skills. They are like animals that strive
only for food. What is also interesting, in TWD zombies can be tamed or
harnessed, as long as they are not gathered in large clusters. For example,
Michonne travels with them while keeping them on a leash.

When analyzing the similarities between the two versions and drawing on
Andrew (2009) and Wagner (1975) theories, it may be stated that the
adaptation type used in the AMC production falls into the “fidelity of
transportation” or “transposition”. It can be supported with the fact
that TWD tv series includes most of the characters from the comic and
basically follows the main theme and plots. There are even the same
dialogues used in both versions so that the fidelity in certain places seems
striking.

Nevertheless, as the story develops, there are also some deviations from
the main course of action presented in the original. Thus, it necessary to
investigate the differences between the two versions so that I will be able
to objectively assess what kind of adaptation the AMC work is.

DIFFERENCES : the plot, the characters, the way of presentation

The plot

Although the plots of both the comic and the series coincide in many
places, there are also many cases where both versions differ significantly
in terms of the storyline. Some scenes from the comic have been
removed, some have been added, and others have been modified to
various extents. Generally speaking, there are much more threads in the
tv series and some of the arcs presented in the comic have been extended
or shortened depending on the producers’ intentions.

As regards the plot, it should be mentioned that the further the story goes,
the more deviations from the original work can be seen in the series.
There are more and more threads and issues introduced as the storyline
continues, and there are various additional characters presented that do
not even exist in the comic. Thus, with each next season, the adaptation
seems to diverge more and more from the original. It can be linked with
the fact that each single change in the plot of the comic or in the
character presentation in the tv series entails many further changes in the
work.

The characters

When analyzing the differences between the characters appearing in the

comic TWD and its AMC’s adaptation, it can be noted that

- many heroes introduced in the original version have been presented

as completely different characters in the tv series. Eg. Andrea, Carol
- there are many additional figures in the series that do not appear in
the original work at all. It refers both to members of the main group
and characters belonging to other communities. The most striking
example is the figure of Daryl Dixon, Sasha.
- Original character’s gender has been changed in the tv series, like
Lizzie (Brighton Sharbino) and Mika (Kyla Kenedy) who took the roles
of Ben and Billy.

The way of presentation

Although both TWD comic and series draw on visual and textual modes of
presentation, it can be noted that the way the story is presented differs
significantly in these two media.

- First of all, the comic is much darker and more violent than its
adaptation. Many of the drastic comic events have been omitted in the
series, and some have been modified to adjust the work to a lower age
category. The Kirkman’s comic book is more intense in terms of showing
cruelty, brutality, blood and horrors inflicted by sadistic people and
zombies. In addition, the comic abounds in romances, hookups, and
sexual scenes that had to be cut out by the AMC not to offend the
viewers, like for example the scene when the Governor rapes Michonne,
or the one in which she takes revenge and brutally kills the man and cuts
off his genitals. Certainly, such scenes could not be accepted to be shown
on the screen.
- to make certain scenes from the comic book less cruel and
violent, the language has also been changed. There are tons of
curses used in the comic that were omitted in the tv series as vulgar
language is not acceptable on TV, although the show is for adults. It is
clearly visible in the case of Negan, the graphic novel character that is
famous for his curses, and his representation in the show who does not
use such expressions.

-in the whole series the word “zombie” is not used even once while it
appears several times in the comic. Instead of the term, the producers
incorporated many different names for the creatures invading the planet:
monsters, roamers, walkers, lurkers, creepers, the infected, biters, or the
empties. Some of them also appear in the comic. As explained by Kirkman
(2016) in one of his interviews, the omission of the term ‘zombie’ in the
series is linked with the fact that the production team wanted to create a
world in which the notion of zombies has never been mentioned before,
thus, the characters need to find out by themselves what is going on and
how to deal with the situation. In addition, it also added a mysterious
element to the story, so that the viewers might wonder whether it is a
zombie apocalypse, or something different that seems similar. Moreover, it
is strengthened by the fact that the origins of the plague have not been
revealed in either of the versions.

- tv series seems to be more realistic than the comic. It may be

connected with the kind of medium that strengthens the whole vision with
music and some special effects. In addition, the roles of the comic heroes
are played by real people what also contributes to different reception of
the. The tv version of TWD seems to appeal to more senses that the comic
which relies heavily on words and image.

Drawing on both the similarities and the differences that exist

between the two media, it seems that TWD series can be regarded as an
“intersecting” or a “commentary”, as the story is slightly changed in
terms of certain arcs, additional characters, the characters’ personalities
as well as the timing and context of their deaths. There is also a new
emphasis added to the story, as the central interest of the AMC’s
production are the psychological processes that lead humans in the post-
apocalyptic environment to transform into inhumane machines.

Moreover, there are certain points on the tv show that suggest that
the adaptation may be even an “analogy” type as it considerably departs
from the original in order to create “another work of art” (Wagner 1975:
226). The story starts very similarly, but as the action progresses, it strays
more and more from the comic version. The situation when one of the
main characters, Carl, dies in the tv series, proves that the production
team wanted the work to “divorce with the original” (Kirkman 2014) and
form a parallel or rather an alternative story. In fact, with the intention to
surprise the viewer and keep the tension, the AMC production decided to
modify the story. However, it should be also remembered that they were
also forced to change the offensive language and reduce the overall
brutality by omitting the most violent scenes. It was an unavoidable
change in order to fit the television standards.

METAPHORS

Undoubtedly, both versions of The Walking Dead are highly metaphorical.

There are certain universal themes used in the works, like life, death, war,
survival, love, power, an many others. Similarly, numerous metaphors can
be observed:

- Metaphor of apocalypse

the main motif in both visions of the world. However, it should be noted
that there is a paradox presented, as the apocalypse means the end of the
world and, thus, the end of the mankind. Nevertheless, TWD presents a
post-apocalyptic environment in which the biggest human concern is
trying to survive another day. The world that people used to know has
collapsed, together with the government and social structures. Those who
survived the outbreak must fit in the new reality, but it is often very hard.
After getting used to the situation, characters try to re-build the world by
organizing themselves into communities and setting new principles and
structures. The apocalypse shown serves as a metaphor of the end one of
the world, but for the individual. The apocalypse seems to symbolize some
tragic or extreme events in life that people face and perceive them as
hopeless, as if there was no way out.

- Metaphor of zombies as humans

Kirkman intended to highlight how people behave and react in extreme

situations when their life is in danger and their role has been degraded to
being the food for the bloodthirsty creatures. At the beginning of both
versions of the story, zombies pose the only threat to humanity.
Nevertheless, as the action progresses, it turns out that the creatures are
not that scary, and people can deal with them unless they are attacked by
a large horde. In the fifth season, however, Rick notices that “people are
the real threat now” (TWD Season 5: E13) pointing to the fact that human
nature has drastically changed in the post-apocalyptic world. Humans
driven only by the survival instinct can perform many cruel deeds and the
situation is made even worse when the ego takes control of a person who
strives for power and domination over others. The Governor or Negan who
use their strength, position, and wit to manipulate people and gain what
they want in these extraordinary circumstances. In this postapocalyptic
world people are even able to eat pets and other humans and they see
nothing wrong with it. Nevertheless, there are also good-hearted people
who have not forgotten what it means to be a human being and how they
should behave. They are helpful, sharing, and do not hesitate to sacrifice
their lives for the family, friends, or the group. Rick’s group consists mostly
of such people, but they also perceive themselves as zombies, which have
been mentioned in Rick’s famous emotional speech. In both versions Rick
admits that “we are the walking dead” and everyone in the group agrees,
except Daryl who always denies it. Although they have not been bitten, in
this brutal and unscrupulous world they have slowly become zombie-like
because what they experience every day is not a real life, but a kind of
vegetation, eternal wandering and running away from the threat. Each
new day in this wild world deprives them of another piece of humanity.

In addition, the variety of names used in the series to refer to zombies

may suggest that they are not crucial here as the real monster hides in
humanity. Probably that is why in the tv series the word ‘zombie’ is not
even used once. Nonetheless, Dale’s famous statement that “the world we
know is gone, but keeping our humanity? That’s a choice” (TWD Season 2:
E11) suggests that despite the outbreak of the apocalypse and the
collapse of all existing principles and values, people are still able to
maintain their humanity. All one needs to do is to make good moral
decisions and remain faithful to the values that had been followed by the
mankind for ages.

- Metaphor of zombie as modern society

In contrast to the comic, there are numerous references in the AMC’s adaptation to popular
culture and contemporary society. The production team incorporated into the show images of
zombies that look like well-known figures, for example Johnny Depp or Hines Ward. In
addition, there is a famous fictional cigarette brand “Morley” used in the show that had been
already used in such productions like Psycho, The Twilight Zone, or The X-Files. The
cigarettes’ packaging highly resembles a popular contemporary brand, Marlboro. What is
more, there are also some references to music used in previous productions, like when
Michonne (TWD Season 7: E4) is whistling “The Farmer in the Dell” from The Wire. It can
be noted that The Walking Dead tv series puts more emphasis on zombie as metaphor for
contemporary society.

Basically, The Walking Dead tv series “serves as metaphor for reality” because it
constitutes “an outrageous hyperbole of everyday life situations” (Berg 2013). The show
tackles universal themes and issues like loyalty, loss, heartbreak, self-worth and respect for
other human beings. It focuses on how people transform during or after some traumatic
events. Thus, the zombie apocalypse may symbolize hardships and threats that people face
during their life. At all costs they try to run away from them, however, “as zombies cannot be
simply eradicated from the earth, people cannot simply escape from their problems” (Berg
2013). They try to solve problems or face obstacles in various ways, even resorting to
immoral actions and deeds. Often, they feel justified by the difficult situation they found
themselves in. However, losing humanity cannot be justified in any way, because as we can
see in TWD, some characters remain true to their moral values and, despite the apocalypse, do
not behave like animals but remain humans. Hence, it is not about the circumstances but about
the choices people make when faced with the threat.