Fans of the hit series The Walking Dead are still furious at the "abrupt" ending, but one thing may have changed some minds.
Robert Kirkman, who penned the comic book series which inspired the television show, video games and a slate of merchandise, decided to end the comic without any notice.
Cover art for future releases in the series had even been printed and sold to comic book stores before it was confirmed Kirkman had ended the project without consulting anyone, having decided the time was right to wrap up the comic.
Though some fans still haven't recovered from the sudden finish of one of the most well-remembered comic book series in recent history, others on Reddit say they "respect" the reason behind Kirkman's decision.
A post to r/todayilearned on Reddit reads: "TIL [today I learned] in 2019 Robert Kirkman ended 'The Walking Dead' comic book series (source of a multibillion-dollar franchise) without any warning at all when he concluded issue #193 with a letter explaining it was over. He had ended it on his own terms, while partly concerned he lacked the material to continue."
Some were stunned by the decision to end the series at the time, but a note included by Kirkman confirmed it was the end for The Walking Dead.
His note reads: "I hate knowing what’s coming. As a fan, I hate it when I realize I’m in the third act of a movie and the story is winding down. I hate that I can count commercial breaks and know I’m nearing the end of a TV show. I hate that you can feel when you’re getting to the end of a book, or a graphic novel.
"Some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones are when they’re structured in such a way and paced to perfection so your brain can’t tell if it’s been watching for 15 minutes or 50 minutes … and when the end comes … you’re stunned.
“I love long movies for that very reason. You lose track of time because you went in convinced that you’re going to be there for a long time, but the story moves at such an entertaining and engaging pace that by the time the movie’s wrapping up… you can’t believe it’s already over. Surprise, it’s over!
"All I’ve ever done, all a creator can really do… is tailor-make stories to entertain themselves, and hope the audience feels the same way. That’s all I’ve ever been doing… and it seems to work most of the time."
Fans respect his decision to end the comic on his own terms, but were still left furious by the sudden end. One wrote: "Honestly, I respect that mentality."
