The Walking Dead: Robert Kirkman Reveals His Inspiration For Rick Grimes

The Walking Dead's Rick Grimes is possibly the most iconic character on television right now (if that torch hasn't been passed to his new nemesis Negan). Before he was the leader of AMC's television phenomenon, though, he was a black and white character in the pages of a comic book that started in 2003.

13 years later, Robert Kirkman, the series writer and creator has grown very attached to the characters he delivers to us on a weekly television basis each fall and spring and monthly all year round on the pages. So where did the inspiration for his leading character come from? Is Rick Grimes based on Kirkman himself or someone he knows?

Over the weekend, WKYT posed the question to Kirkman during The Walking Dead Day celebration.

"I wish he was," Kirkman says. "Rick Grimes is really just a bunch of made up stuff that I thought would work. Every writer kind of writes themselves to a certain extent so all the sadistic stuff in Rick Grimes is totally me! Not really. It's just a character I'm pretending exists in my head and then writing the stories down on paper as you do."

The casual response might just be one of the most Robert Kirkman things ever. The writer tends to shy away from boasting or calling attention to himself, so downplaying the inspiration of Rick Grimes as "stuff [Kirkman] thought would work" is true to the character of Robert Kirkman.

The Walking Dead returns for its seventh season on October 23. For complete coverage, insider info, and more all season long, check out The Walking Dead on ComicBook.com on Facebook.