'The Walking Dead' Creator Says Carl's Death Is "Upsetting"

It's been a few weeks since The Walking Dead came back from its midseason hiatus, but it's hard to [...]

It's been a few weeks since The Walking Dead came back from its midseason hiatus, but it's hard to deny that some still have feelings about the death of Carl Grimes (Chandler Riggs). And apparently, The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman might be among them.

During a recent Tumblr Q&A, Kirkman was asked about how he was personally affected by the death, considering the fact that Carl is one of his favorite characters. And as Kirkman revealed, he's mostly processed Carl's passing within the world of the show, although it did weigh on him quite a bit.

"This was a big one." Kirkman writes. "It's a very hot button issue on the internet as well because there's a very vocal group of fans blowing up my Twitter at all hours of the day very upset over the loss. It was very tough for me as well. I think there's a disconnect in that this is something I was dealing with a year ago… so I may seem flippant in interviews now when it's brought up, because I've made my peace with it."

"That's not to say I didn't support it." Kirkman continues. "Because I did. But Carl is one of my favorites and Chandler Riggs was an essential part of the show from day one… so it's still upsetting. It's not unlike Andrea's death in the comics, which upset me very much, and yet I was 100% responsible for it. But I knew it was necessary for the story and would lead to interesting developments to keep things moving along… same with Carl in the show. It's upsetting… but knowing what's coming out of it makes the loss a little easier."

Ultimately, even Riggs himself came to terms with what Carl's onscreen death represents, and how it all came together within the episode.

"I was very happy with the way Carl ended up going out," Riggs recently told ComicBook.com. "After reading the script, it made me feel a lot more comfortable with it and really excited to really show off what I can do in this last episode. This last episode it was some of the stuff that I'm most proud of. It's super, super exciting to finally be able to talk about it and have people see my work."

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 pm ET on AMC. Fear the Walking Dead will debut its fourth season after The Walking Dead concludes its eighth, at 10 pm ET on April 15. For complete coverage and insider info all year long, follow @BrandonDavisBD on Twitter.

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