The Walking Dead ends this week with issue no. 193

The Walking Dead comic is being brought to an abrupt end by writer and creator Robert Kirkman.

In a sudden and surprising development, Robert Kirkman has revealed that he is calling it quits for his landmark title at Image Comics, The Walking Dead.

TheWrap ran the story Tuesday, saying, without warning and after 16 years, Kirkman was clear that issue No. 193, out this Wednesday, will be the last and he is done with the series.

He issued the following statement which will appear at the end of the issue:

"“This is the end of The Walking Dead. That’s it… it’s over… we’re done.”"

Kirkman added further explanation of his reasoning for the decision, writing that he knows fans will be angry and would have liked to have been notified beforehand. However, he personally hates knowing how something is going to end and, though he would prefer continuing, the writer feels after two decades the time is right to close the printed saga of “Walkers” and the post-apocalypse.

Here is a portion of Kirkman’s letter to readers:

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"“I’m completely willing to bet some of you are angry over this. I get it… I do. I mean… WHY didn’t we announce this so that fans could have some time to prepare?’”“Well… personally… I hate knowing what’s coming. As a fan, I hate it when I realize I’m in the third act of a movie and the story is winding down. I hate that I can count commercial breaks and know I’m nearing the end of a TV show. I hate that you can FEEL when you’re getting to the end of a book, or a graphic novel. Some of the best episodes of Game of Thrones are when they’re structured in such a way and paced to perfection so your brain can’t tell if it’s been watching for 15 minutes or 50 minutes … and when the end comes … you’re stunned.“In a way, killing this series has been a lot like killing a major character. Much, much harder… but the same feeling. I don’t WANT to do it. I’d rather keep going… But the story is telling me what it wants and what it needs. This needs to happen. Whether I want it or not.”"

The Walking Dead began publication in 2003. Drawn in black and white, the series was initially handled by Kirkman and artist Tony Moore (who penciled, inked, and colored the first six issues). Charlie Adlard took over as artist starting with issue No. 7.

When pitching the concept to editors at Image, Kirkman threw in an alien invasion twist as the reason the dead were rising and walking the Earth. A bluff, it never made it into the comics or the television show.

In 2010, the comic was turned into the twisting and turning primetime drama on AMC starring Andrew Lincoln, Norman Reedus, and Lauren Cohan, which developed its own following. It spun off into Fear the Walking Dead and the aptly named recap after-show,The Talking Dead. Currently, The Walking Dead on AMC finished up its ninth season this past April.

AMC promises the show will continue. An unnamed network spokesperson said the following in a statement:

"“This extraordinary comic created a world that already lives in multiple forms, and in the hearts and minds of millions of fans around the world, and will for many years to come,”"

For years, AMC has followed its own continuity independent of the source material — introducing new characters and killing some still in the comic — so the book’s cancellation shouldn’t affect the other properties too much. Issue No. 193 of The Walking Dead, its last, is on sale now.