Released on April 16, 2025, The Walking Dead Deluxe #111 by Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Dave McCaig, and Rus Wooton includes an Author's Corner where Kirkman answers fans' burning questions about The Walking Dead, both the comic and TV series. One fan asked, “Where are all the overweight zombies?”
This is a sharp and valid observation, especially considering that The Walking Dead takes place in the United States, where over 40% of the population is obese, according to the CDC. Given this, it's curious that overweight zombies are absent. However, Kirkman explains that the lack of overweight zombies is specific to the TV show, as the comics do, in fact, feature them, and here’s why.
Why You Won’t See Overweight Zombies in The Walking Dead TV Series
Cover C Whilce Portacio Connecting Variant for The Walking Dead Deluxe #111 (2025)
In his response to the fan, Kirkman first pointed out that “there are tons of fat zombies in the comic.” However, he acknowledged that overweight zombies are exceedingly rare in the show, and this is due to the simple fact that “it’s hard to ADD to big people to make them look like zombies.” He went on to explain that “to make those walkers look real, you have to build stuff on top of real people... you start adding to people my size, and well... we start to look a bit too padded.” Ultimately, the absence of overweight zombies comes down to the practical challenge of making them visually convincing.
This insight reveals that the lack of overweight zombies isn’t an oversight or a lack of inclusivity, but rather a matter of practicality. It's actually a fascinating detail, as most fans likely haven’t considered the special effects challenges in creating zombies and the limitations involved. Size, it turns out, is a key factor in making realistic walkers. This shows that there’s much more to creating zombies than simply applying prosthetics; there are real, technical considerations behind every walker on screen.
TWD TV Series Needs to Give a Narrative Reason Why There Aren’t Overweight Zombies
Cover B Charlie Adlard Variant for The Walking Dead Deluxe #111 (2025)
It’s somewhat disappointing that prosthetics don’t work well with overweight actors, as this seemingly minor detail could enhance the show’s realism. As mentioned earlier, a large portion of the U.S. population is overweight or obese, so the lack of overweight zombies can feel jarring when you think about it. It would be interesting if the show addressed this gap, perhaps by explaining why there are no overweight zombies. One possible reason could be that the zombie virus causes rapid weight loss in its victims. Even if some aren’t sold on this idea, the point remains: it would be fascinating if The Walking Dead explored this weight-related inconsistency.
