'The Walking Dead' Creator Doesn't Regret Deaths But Admits They Are Upsetting

You can make Robert Kirkman feel bad about killing off beloved characters in The Walking Dead comics and TV series, but you can't make him stop.

The best-selling comic book writer and executive producer told Screen Junkies Universe that he does not regret the ubiquitous character deaths, but he does still think a lot about the ramifications of the decision to take a character out of the mix.

"It's harder in the show because there are actors involved and the actors actually formed this very tight-knit community in Georgia," Kirkman admitted. "So not only are you telling a human being 'you're kind of fired now,' but you're also saying 'hey, all you guys that hang out, and there's a lot of camaraderie and stuff, we're taking one of them away.' So it's very tough, it's very difficult, and that part sucks. So I regret the deaths on the show more on a whole than I do in the comics….And I'm very emotional with the characters, so they do upset me in the comic and the show, but it's a thing that wears on you to a certain extent. I think on the writers' room for season five or six, I came in on one of the first days and I was like, 'Can we just not kill anyone this season and see what happens?…That didn't work out. But I think it's important that the fan base know that it is as upsetting, and as big of an event for us internally as it is for them."

The "anything can happen, nobody is safe" philosophy that helped propel the comics to be one of the perennial best-sellers in the comics industry has become controversial, especially as it pertains to fan-favorite characters like Carl and Glenn.

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC. Fear the Walking Dead will debut its fourth season after The Walking Dead concludes its eighth, at 10 pm ET/PT on April 15.

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