AMC Says The Walking Dead Not Impacted By Surprise Comics Development (SPOILER)

Warning: Spoilers follow for The Walking Dead comic book.

AMC says that the big surprise taking place in The Walking Dead comic will have no impact on the series. That surprise? Why, the series’ end, it turns out. THR reports that issue #193, which releases tomorrow, is the final issue of the pop culture phenomenon and will be an epilogue to last month’s issue, which saw Rick Grimes die.

The comic’s end came without warning, and THR reports that Kirkman and Skybound even solicited subsequent issues — complete with cover art from artist Charlie Adlard — to protect the secret. Kirkman writes in the final issue:

“I hate knowing what’s coming. As a fan, I hate it when I realize I’m in the third act of a movie and the story is winding down. I hate that I can count commercial breaks and know I’m nearing the end of a TV show. I hate that you can feel when you’re getting to the end of a book, or a graphic novel. Some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones are when they’re structured in such a way and paced to perfection so your brain can’t tell if it’s been watching for 15 minutes or 50 minutes … and when the end comes … you’re stunned.

“I love long movies for that very reason. You lose track of time because you went in convinced that you’re going to be there for a long time, but the story moves at such an entertaining and engaging pace that by the time the movie’s wrapping up … you can’t believe it’s already over. Surprise, it’s over! All I’ve ever done, all a creator can really do … is tailor-make stories to entertain themselves, and hope the audience feels the same way. That’s all I’ve ever been doing … and it seems to work most of the time.”

AMC has issued a statement that the series will continue despite the comic book’s ending, noting, “This extraordinary comic created a world that already lives in multiple forms, and in the hearts and minds of millions of fans around the world, and will for many years to come. The comic series ending is not expected to impact the TV series.”

The Walking Dead television series will return for its tenth season this fall.