In an interview with FanboyNation.com, Robert Kirkman talks about writing for comics versus writing for television, and also throws in a few behind the scenes anecdotes, including why he will never, ever do a cameo on the show.
Here’s a brief excerpt:
Whitney Grace: You have successfully written for comics and television, what are the biggest differences writing for each?
Robert Kirkman: Comics writing is a solitary job, sometimes you work with an editor or an artist on a project, but its mostly you getting your ideas across. For The Walking Dead show, I work with a group of writers. Working with them is like the writing process itself, you brain storm ideas, write drafts, etc. We use the meetings to create a framework for the story. There are also a lot more revisions, lots more. In comics, I can write down my ideas, sometimes the artist will have input, but mostly they just turn my ideas into drawings. Comics also include directions in the script that explain what the characters are doing, but that’s frowned on in TV scripts. The actors are given the freedom to play out the scene as their characters would without instruction from the writers.
WG: Do you prefer one type of writing to the other?
RK: No, I don’t really have a favorite. I bounce back and forth about what I like. Sometimes I want to hang out with people and I enjoy tossing out ideas with other writers. They may take one of my ideas and approach it from an entirely different angle that I even think is better than my original idea. They’re the ones who would get credit for it and vice versa. Again with comics, I can take my writing in the directions I want and on occasion it’s good to be alone with my thoughts.
Nice…always enjoy his perspective. I understand what he’s saying about cameos but I find them delightful. I’m always watching for Stephen King and Stan Lee in the movies. Kirkman couldn’t possibly spoil the show if he showed up, especially as a walker!