Robert Kirkman Addresses The Walking Dead Passing The Comics

With the conclusion of The Walking Dead's sixth season, the AMC series finds itself at a parallel story point to issue #100 of its comic book source material.

Over six seasons and 90 episodes the show covered as much story ground as the comic did in nine years over the course of 100 issues. To reach the season six finale and Negan's introduction, though, the series jumped over a chunk of issues in the span of issues 75-100. If it continues to make choices like that, it could catch up to or pass the comics timeline of the comic book's story around issue 200 or so. For perspective, #154 published this week.

In the newest issue's Letter Hacks section, series writer and creator Robert Kirkman addressed concerned fans who are wondering what will happen should the series ever get ahead of the its source material like Game of Thrones has with its sixth season.

Here's what Kirkman has to say:

I can see how going from #75 to #100 in eight episodes may cause some concern. But the show does double back on the comic from time to time, like presenting the Billy and Ben plot in a new way. Plus, we're still 54 issues ahead … or really, 54 and a half, since the cliffhanger interrupted the events of #100 …

Yeah, look at it this way … it took us 6 seasons to get to 100. It won't take us 6 years to get to 200 and that will take us to season … TWELVE. And we'll still be ahead of the show at that point.

And if the show is still going strong at season 12 … well, that would be about the most amazing thing ever … so we'll all be too busy celebrating to worry about anything.

The Walking Dead has deviated from the comics several times in the past but a completely unpredictable future for the show is something readers aren't used to. Getting to that point might be refreshing for some members of The Walking Dead's massive audience.

The Walking Dead will return for its seventh season in October.