Walking Dead Creator Calls Out How Pop Culture Depicts Southerners: "Just Doing My Part"

The Fans Have Spoken: The Walking Dead Nailed Southern Representation Without Relying on Stereotypes

Cover B Charlie Adlard Variant for The Walking Dead Deluxe #114 (2025)

The deluxe version of Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s The Walking Dead #114, originally published in 2013, has just hit comic book shelves in its fully remastered form. One of the highlights of this edition is a Q&A section where Kirkman responds to various fan questions and comments. Among the most notable was a letter from a fan from Huntsville, AL, who wrote in to share his reaction to issue #112. While his vivid recounting of the issue and his emotional response were thoroughly entertaining, it was his “P.S.” at the end that truly stood out.

At the close of his letter, Kenneth wrote, “P.S. – thanks for setting a story in the South that doesn’t revolve around how southern the characters are.” His comment was clearly a compliment to Kirkman’s writing, praising him for creating fun and memorable southern characters without reducing them to stereotypes or making their southern identity their entire personality. This is a common misstep in many forms of media, whether in writing or on screen.

In response, Kirkman wrote, “No sweat. Being from the South, I too am not too fond of their frequent portrayal in all forms of media. Just doing my part.” With this, Kirkman acknowledges that he shares the same frustrations with how southerners are often exaggerated or misrepresented in pop culture. Through The Walking Dead and its more grounded portrayal of southern characters, Kirkman is, in his words, “doing [his] part” to offer audiences more authentic depictions that reflect the real South.

The Walking Dead’s Southern Setting Enhances, Not Defines, Its Characters

Cover C Whilce Portacio Connecting Variant for The Walking Dead Deluxe #114 (2025)

One of the best aspects of The Walking Dead is its diverse cast of characters. Although most of them grew up or lived in the South, they each come from different backgrounds that make them exceptionally unique. This is an accurate reflection of the real South, where people from the same region or even the same state can be completely different, even if they share a common culture. Many other stories miss this nuance by relying too heavily on Southern stereotypes, which often results in flat, one-dimensional characters.

Characters like Daryl Dixon, The Governor, Glenn Rhee, Maggie Greene, Rick Grimes, Eugene Porter, and others all have traits that reflect their Southern roots. However, these traits do not define their entire personalities. Instead, Robert Kirkman shows that while these characters are authentically Southern, they are also complex individuals. The term "Southern" applies to a wide range of people with different characteristics, upbringings, and life experiences. In this way, The Walking Dead stands out as a strong example of how to set a story in the South without making it solely about how southern the characters are.