Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead is one of the best-selling non-superhero comics of all time, beginning way back in 2003 and lasting for a crazy 193 issues before concluding in 2019. When you’ve got a post-apocalyptic world as rich and complex as that, there’s bound to be a few continuity hiccups along the way. There’s one error, in particular, that’s been nagging at Kirkman for years which has finally been corrected in the latest issue of The Walking Dead Deluxe.
The comics are currently undergoing a full re-release thanks to The Walking Dead Deluxe, a printing that brings the series to life in full color for the first time. It’s also packed with bonus content, such as a feature called “The Cutting Room Floor” where Kirkman and his team go behind the scenes and share some neat anecdotes from over a decade making the series.
In Issue #32, Kirkman shared a particularly funny blunder on his part that went completely unnoticed by everyone when the original issue went into print: Kirkman accidentally named the head of security at Woodbury as Rodriguez when it was already established that his name was Martinez. Yikes!
“I couldn’t keep Martinez’s name straight. I think I’d originally planned to call him Rodriguez after Robert, the famous director, but changed my mind at some point,” Kirkman wrote. “But in the original printing of this issue, I believe, it was one of them from this era, he was actually called Rodriguez for an issue. Totally embarrassing.”
Back in The Walking Dead Deluxe #31, Kirkman admitted to being pretty “haphazard” with character names. It’s a thing he doesn’t think about until the plot is complete:
"Most of the time, names are just typed at random as I’m writing because I don’t want to stop and spend time picking the perfect name. You’ll notice often that names are different in the plots and then they change in the scripts."
That probably explains how the Martinez/Rodriguez mishap happened. In fact, this isn’t the only mistake like this in the comics. In Issue #93, Jesus offers to take the group to meet “Kenneth,” who is actually named Gregory.
The Commonwealth arrives in Alexandria in teaser for The Walking Dead season 11, part 2!
We’ve already got a full trailer and a few teasers for the forthcoming new episodes of The Walking Dead season 11, and now AMC has released a brief look at Commonwealth soldiers arriving in Alexandria. They roll up in their Stormtrooper-esque armor and are met with hostility by Daryl (Norman Reedus), Maggie (Lauren Cohan), and Jerry (Cooper Andrews). It looks like a battle could be on the horizon. Take a look:
The Commonwealth has arrived. #TWD returns February 20th or stream it one week early with @AMCPlus this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/NFgvgPMMRQ
— The Walking Dead (@WalkingDead_AMC) February 7, 2022
The Walking Dead returns for its next batch of eight episodes on February 20. Or if you’re an AMC+ subscriber, you can watch it one week early!
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