Movies - TV
Why They Never Said 'Zombie' On The Walking Dead
By ERNESTO VALENZUELA
And HANNAH SHAW-WILLIAMS
Although "The Walking Dead" and the word "zombie" are synonymous, creator Robert Kirkman purposefully avoided using the word in the show's universe, instead referring to the characters as "walkers" and using terms like "biters" and "infected." During his appearance on Conan, Kirkman revealed the logic behind this decision.
Kirkman said it would be better for the characters of the show to learn how to deal with walkers through their own experiences. He explained, "'The Walking Dead' takes place in a universe where zombie fiction doesn't exist. [...] We felt like having people not use that word would separate it from that a little bit, making it a little bit clearer."
The absence of zombies from popular culture made the infected a shock and a mystery to the characters, giving the show the suspense and excitement it needed early on. "The Walking Dead" may never have used the Z-word, but viewers will still remember it as one of the best zombie shows out there.