The Walking Dead Official Magazine Issue 1 Reviewed

Zombie Mania has gripped the public at large and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon! Did you ever think you’d see a day where the “normal folks” are talking about a TV show where people get eaten now and again?! I…did not. With a new season of The Walking Dead on AMC and October filling the air with thoughts of lovely Halloween spookiness, Titan thought it would be the best time possible to launch The Walking Dead Magazine! I was lucky enough to be sent a copy to pour over and report back to alert the real fans if we had some zombie opportunists trying to infiltrate our wallets. I’m happy to report TWDM wears its love right out there on its sleeve. This is a magazine created to fill in the blanks for new fans, give further detail to those who have been following for years and pack in as much minutia in as wide a range as possible for the die-hards.

So how do you create a magazine focusing on ONE juggernaut of a property and keep it interesting from beginning to end? Variety, my friend! Within these pages you’ll find bite sized morsels, meaty chunks and whole body part sized slabs of info including the latest toy projects hitting retail, the two video games bearing the WD brand, explorations of the comic from several angles and so many teasers for Season 3 of the TV series, it may make you more frenzied for every episode than you were before the season kicked off! What is most interesting about the variety I’ve mentioned is how the magazine’s virtual camera eye swings wide and zooms in tight. Let me explain. There is one article showing all the covers of The Walking Dead issue 100, which had even non-fans taking notice as you could not escape the press behind it. Another talks about TWD goings on at Comic Con. I’d classify these as discussions over the phenomenon. In other articles, we are taken right onto the set to talk to key people who make the show as tense as it can be every week and see candid images as they are shooting. This is as close a look as you could possibly get. You’ll also be treated to a crash course on Michonne; the warrior woman with the samurai sword people will be talking about right into the new year, I’d expect. The magazine lays out her greatest moments in the comic and interviews the actress who is bringing that character to life.

 

As someone who is occasionally handed a horror magazine, I’m well used to the stereotypical trappings…the bloody dripping letters...the fakey frayed edges…the antiqued paper patterns...the quaint blood smears. The Walking Dead magazine has NONE of that. Impressive! Instead we get a slick style with an eye for artistry, beautiful layout, easy to follow word flow and a very pleasing color pallet. I’d also like to applaud the magazine for its more impressive feature; SPOILER WARNINGS!! As someone who falls behind on the show (I’m a caveman with no cable TV) and is slow to catch up on the comics (I’m a poor caveman), It would be very easy to ruin a host of big moments for me. TWDM warns you that, should you continue reading, tears will follow if you were planning on experiencing that shock and awe first hand. On the flip side, if you are someone that must know EVERYTHING, your wish is granted.

Obviously I’m in love with this magazine and have considered a long term relationship. I have yet to find a boring article and, as a long time fan, have picked up more than a handful of facts I never knew. There are people who love TV and subscribe to TV Guide to get their fix. You may buy Entertainment Weekly to further explore your love of movies. Those entranced with The Walking Dead can experience their obsession on a whole new level with The Walking Dead Official Magazine and return to its pages time and again to discover things they might have missed or re-read their favorite bits. Some say print is dead. Titan proves exploring the undead is a surefire win.