The Walking Dead creator explains why they never use the word “zombie”

Survivors on The Walking Dead have a ton of different names for the undead: walkers, biters, infected, empties, roamers, creepers, and so on. But the TV show never uses the word “zombie” to refer to them. So why does a zombie TV show refuse to mention zombies? According to creator Robert Kirkman, the reason is simply because the show is set in a world where zombies never existed in fiction.

Kirkman offered a full explanation for the strange lack of the word “zombie” in the latest edition of “Cutting Room Floor with Robert Kirkman,” which is included in The Walking Dead DELUXE #30. in contrast with the TV show, characters in Kirkman’s comic use the word on several occasions, although still sparingly.

“I was dancing around it mostly,” Kirkman wrote. “I think Glenn says it a couple times but those were mostly slip-ups. Then I came up with the ‘lurkers’ and ‘roamers’ terminology. After a while though, it felt silly to just keep using those over and over. So by the time I got into the teens and twenties on the book I thought, ‘Screw it, they’re zombies, I’m just going to have people call them zombies. Who cares.'”

By the time the TV show came around, original showrunner Frank Darabont decided that he “didn’t want to use the term, feeling like it wouldn’t exist in this world if zombie fiction didn’t exist in this world.” So basically, that way, characters couldn’t compare the dead coming back to life to fiction — such as the movies of George A. Romero — and hence wouldn’t know all the tips and tricks that come with it.

"And really, for this story to work, you can’t just have people saying, ‘You shoot them in the head, y’know… just like the zombies from the Romero movies!’ So you have to assume this is a universe where George A. Romero didn’t create the modern zombie. So, we coined the term ‘walkers’ for the show."

The idea of removing the word “zombie” certainly added an element of mystery to the series.

The Walking Dead releases a new Daryl teaser for season 11B

As fans across the internet have been pointing out, AMC seems to be pretty calm about marketing season 11B, considering that the new batch of episodes begins airing next month.  At this point, any teasers are welcomed. And recently, the official Twitter page released a super-cryptic one. Captioned “Daryl’s come a long way since the beginning,” the short clip features a photograph of a younger Daryl Dixon (Norman Reedus) on the Commonwealth’s Wall of the Lost.

This is probably a cool little teaser that doesn’t mean much, or it could potentially hint that someone from Daryl’s past is looking for him. All will be revealed.

We know that Daryl (probably) doesn’t die in the final season. AMC pretty much confirmed it when they announced a spin-off show following Daryl and Carol (Melissa McBride).

The Walking Dead returns for season 11B on Sunday, February 20 on AMC.

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassing Facebook page and sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Get HBO, Starz, Showtime and MORE for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels

h/t ComicBook.com