
The evolution of comics from a type of patriotic propaganda for children to deep and thoughtful stories filled with different messages and ideologies for adults shows the power of visual storytelling and how artists and authors can convey thoughtful messages through almost any medium. As an avid reader of The Walking Dead comics by Robert Kirkman, I’m not drawn in by the violence and death in this zombie apocalypse story, but instead by the analysis of human nature and what people are capable of in desperate situations. In the 24th issue of the long-running comic series, Rick Grimes, the protagonist of the comic and leader of his group of survivors, delivers a monologue which I feel captures the underlying theme of the series. In this monologue, Rick, who is badly injured and has wounds all over his face and body, is trying to explain how the world has changed to the other survivors and how have changed with it. The theme of his speech is essentially that they now do whatever it takes, no matter how bad or immoral, to stay alive, and in turn, it has made them all feel dead inside. 

The desperation of humanity and the loss of human morality is the main issue covered in this comic series so there are many examples that I can point to to be able to convey my point but the prime example of this loss of morality comes from the 24th issue, pages 16 through 22. Rick is confronted for killing someone that he thought was a threat to his group and becomes enraged that he is being thought of as a villain by people who he was trying to protect. He proceeds to tell the group that he will do whatever he feels is best for them and his child and that includes killing those that he sees as threat. He talks about how the world as they all knew it is gone and how they must adapt to this new world and the adaptations that they have to make to survive will strip them of their former humanity. He then delivers what may be the most iconic line in the entire series when he says “We are the walking dead!”, meaning that in trying to stay alive they have all done things that make them feel dead inside. Rick’s face in the comic seems to show frustration and anguish, further pointing to the fact that he doesn’t like doing the things that he feels he needs to do and also that its painful for him to admit that he has lost his humanity. In saying “We are the walking dead” Rick relates himself and he others to the zombies which is a painful thing for him to say and a painful thing for the group to hear. The facial expressions of the other people in the group display a mixture of shock and shame, because the others agree with Rick deep down. One member of the group, Tyreese, tries at one point to protest but Rick points out to him that he had also done terrible things, which makes Tyreese feel the same as the others. To admit to yourself that you are no better than the evil that you are trying to run from (in this case, the zombies) must be a hard thing to accept for Rick and his group which is why they all seem so hurt by Rick’s speech. 

Another thing that should be noted about Rick and his group as he gives his monologue, is their appearance. The panels flash to Rick and each member of the group that he is addressing, showing their torn clothes, beaten faces, cuts, and scars. Close-ups of Rick reveal many injuries suffered from fighting zombies and other survivors. In a sense, it seems as though the survivors are “decaying” from the stresses that they are under in trying to survive. Rick’s face is as badly beaten as the face of a zombie during his monologue which I believe was done to mirror the two groups. The sorry state that the survivors are in is due to the violent and immoral things that they have done to make them lose their humanity, so symbolically they are shown as beaten down and “decayed” just like the zombies that Rick is relating them to. The only ones shown that don’t look beaten down and torn up are two children in the group, Carl and Sophia. I believe that they were made to look clean and happy in their panels to show the innocence of childhood and point to hat fact that they haven’t had to do anything yet that would cost them their humanity. The contrast between the children and the rest of the survivors is a thoughtful and clever one which makes the reader fear for the future of the children and the choices they may have to make down the road.

One point that the character Rick makes while giving his speech was particularly eye-opening in that it shows how people are aware of the things that they are or would be willing to do to protect themselves or their families. This kind of inner debate is what Kirkman seems to want his readers to have within themselves, and it seems as though he concludes that most people would be willing to abandon their values to protect themselves and their loved ones and that, eventually, they would end up like Rick and his group: shells of their former selves. This comic shows that, in a desperate situation, the protection of one’s self and one’s family would make us lose sight of our humanity and once we realized that it was gone, there would be no getting it back.

  Visual media is a powerful form of communication which holds an author or artist’s message below the surface of what the audience sees explicitly. The Walking Dead is an analysis of humankind and the pain that comes with abandoning our morals. Masked in a violent zombie apocalypse narrative is the message that at our core, we humans value our humanity deeply and when we do certain immoral things, it can lead us to a place where emotionally, we can no longer recognize ourselves. To send his message, Kirkman uses language and imagery; both of which convey the pain that we feel upon disappointing ourselves by acting immorally. 
