Enlarge By AMC Photo of 'The Walking Dead' creator, Robert Kirkman, on the set of the upcoming AMC series. Enlarge Image Comics Cover to issue #74 of 'The Walking Dead' from Image Comics. Enlarge Image Comics Page 2 of issue #74 of 'The Walking Dead' from Image Comics. Enlarge Image Comics Page 3 of issue #74 of 'The Walking Dead' from Image Comics. Enlarge Image Comics Vol. 12 of 'The Walking Dead' trade paperback collection from Image Comics. The Walking Dead writer His survivors of a zombie apocalypse have gone from Kentucky to Atlanta and now to the suburbs of Washington, D.C. And whilewriter Robert Kirkman has been commuting from Kentucky to Atlanta recently, there's one place he won't be heading to: Hollywood. "Of course not. That's just ridiculous," Kirkman says. "I like to say that in Kentucky, I'm thin! I'm never moving out to Hollywood." He certainly has enough projects to warrant getting closer to where the action is. The much-ballyhooed TV adaptation of his Walking Dead series — which follows small-town Kentucky cop Rick Grimes as he tries to keep his group alive at all costs — debuts in October on AMC. The pilot episode is directed by filmmaker Frank Darabont— Kirkman, an executive producer on the series, wrote the fourth episode of the series and is in frequent contact with the writer's room. In addition, movie studios are still circling his superhero comic Invincible, which like Walking Dead is released via Image Comics. Although an on-screen Walking Dead is doing wonders for the writer's cred, Kirkman promises his first priority is still the comic book, drawn by Charlie Adlard. Two issues hit in July — No. 74 comes out July 7 in stores — and the 12th trade paperback volume, Life Among Them, is released July 21. "It's definitely been difficult, but I hated when someone gets their comic book turned into something and then falls off the face of the Earth and the comic book stops coming out," Kirkman says. "I'm making a point to keep Charlie in script and get the book out on time, so we can be the first comic book in history that's gotten adapted into a television show or a movie and actually continue production without a hiccup. We're hoping to have 12 issues out this year, and I want to reward the fans who got us here by continuing to put our book out." Kirkman's cross-country zombie story takes definite inspiration from the works of George A. Romero in that, sure, the undead are all over the place, but they're just a device that allows for mucho human drama. Ever since waking up from a coma in that Kentucky hospital in the first issue and heading to Atlanta to find his wife and son, Rick's journey has been littered with loss (both of the human and hand kind), betrayal, zombie deaths and ongoing courage to find a promised land for his group. Their quest has taken them to what's left of Northern Virginia and an idyllic, walled-in community run by a former politician that seems a bit too good to be true. Rick and his people make an attempt to fit in socially and professionally, but their rough past has created an unshakable paranoia. "The whole book right now is about how do you go through everything they've been through and then go back to normal?" Kirkman says. "It's like you can never go home again. It's about all of these people who have lived through these horrendous events, and actually come out the other side radically changed. Now they're different and they're expected to go to dinner parties, and that's a bizarre thing for them. We'll see where that leads." Kirkman's not giving away too much on how long their stay will be in this seemingly utopian place: "They could be there for a very long time, they could leave next issue. It's a powder keg waiting to go, so we'll see," he teases. But it's giving him chances to delve into those kinds of stories he most likes to tell. "That's the main thing I enjoy about the series is writing the soap-opera kind of stuff," he says. "The 'Oh, I really like this boy!' or 'I hope this girl goes out with me!' emotional scenes, that's the most fun for me — to do the character interaction stuff. All the zombie action and the harrowing events and the crazy things that happen, and the battles and the fights — that stuff's fun, too. But when it gets down to it, I'm kind of a sap. "They've all done horrible things at this point and they're just trying to deal with that. It's a really fun character drama, and I like diving in and exploring that as much as possible. And to keep people entertained, every now and then I have someone's head explode." What has been another kick for Kirkman is being on the Atlanta set of the Walking Dead TV series, an experience he calls "really bizarre." It has been a long time since he has written many of the characters who show up in the series' first season, he says, and it has been "weird" going back and seeing Rick (played by Andrew Lincoln in the show) in the beginning. "He's grown and changed over time, and it's fun to go back and see that. I was telling my manager that I want to walk around on set and look at all the actors and just be like, 'Oh yeah, I've killed you and I've killed you and you don't last very long in the book. Sorry!' I am seeing a lot of characters who aren't in the book anymore, and I think that's kind of cool." He pauses, worrying that he might make those actors as paranoid as Rick is in the comic now. "That does sound kind of psychotic. I apologize for that," Kirkman quips. Kirkman is psyched to unleash The Walking Dead for many reasons. One, he has kids to put through college one day so having a potential hit show is a boon in that respect. But also, it's one more comic that will get into the mainstream and may open other books up to new readers. "Hopefully, things like The Walking Dead getting made will show people that comic books are an entertainment medium. They're not just superheroes," Kirkman says. "Anything you could get out of a novel or a television series or a movie, you can get that in some form or another in a comic book. It's just another way to experience great drama and cool stories." Kirkman hopes that the series has a good run: "I'm hoping we blow past M*A*S*H. M*A*S*H, The Simpsons, Bonanza— I want 27 years of The Walking Dead!" However, as much as producers offer him cameos as a zombie in the show, there will be no shambling in his future. "I like TV and I enjoy watching shows, and getting to watch your own comic book as a show seems like a pretty cool thing," he says. "If I were sitting there and I saw myself walking by on screen, that would just ruin it for me. I don't want to see myself up there. Yuck! "Plus, it's hot in Atlanta. Can you imagine being covered in plastic and being all painted up and sticky, and also having to sit in that 150-degree heat? That's no good. There were a lot of zombies on set, and let me tell you what: They didn't seem thrilled." Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more