The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine #1
Reviewed by Brant W. Fowler
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Publisher: Titan Magazines
Price: $9.99 (US/CAN)
Release Date: October 23, 2012 (in US)
Synopsis:
Published by Titan Magazines and Skybound, The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine will be a complete, in-depth guide to The Walking Dead TV series and comics, featuring exclusive interviews with the show cast, as well as comic editors, illustrators and more. The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine is a must-have companion for fans.
Each 100-page edition also includes the latest revelations from The Walking Dead comic team, including interviews with the creators and features showcasing the creative process behind the art. Plus, The Walking Dead creator and writer/executive producer for the show, Robert Kirkman, reveals the latest news from the set and answers fans' questions.
Issue #1 will be available on newsstands and in specialty comic book stores in the U.S. from October 23, U.K. from November 8 and Australia & New Zealand from December 18.
The Review:
Being a huge fan of The Walking Dead comic and television show, it was pretty certain a magazine covering all aspects of the franchise would appeal to me. But this magazine is not just for the hardcore fans like myself that eat up all that is The Walking Dead.
For starters, there is a nice variety of content in the quarterly magazine to appeal to casual and hardcore fans, new and old fans, and fans of either the comic or the TV show if one is not a fan of both. It contains a number of feature interviews with creators of the comic and cast members of the show so we can get a look behind the scenes of both. There are articles that play to every aspect of fandom, and there are articles that serve as nice introductions into the world of The Walking Dead. For instance, there is a recap of the first 100 issues of the comic in a very succinct but informative piece that reminds longtime readers of what has happened, and fills in newbies on the events of the past several years. There are also articles talking about the various toys and one on the Telltale video game and various other collectibles and paraphernalia related to the franchise.
In this digital-dominant world we find ourselves in, it's very hard for a print magazine to remain relevant and timely given the instant nature of the internet. But the The Walking Dead magazine does just that. Given it's quarterly print schedule, it almost guarantees that the magazine will never run out of content either as opposed to how a monthly schedule would. It doesn't try to compete with online resources, but instead focuses on offering exclusive content of a more in-depth nature for fans of the franchise. There are opportunities in this magazine for original prose stories, like we got in this inaugural issue, and even comic stories should they decide to go that route. Not to mention more interviews with all the people behind the various facets of the comics, show, games, etc.
For fans of The Walking Dead, this is a no-brainer (no pun intended). And even for casual fans or those intrigued by the property, this is a publication that will appeal across the board. Don't want a large commitment or another thing to collect? Again, I refer you to the quarterly schedule.
The format and quality of the magazine is very nice as well. Titan has done an amazing job at cramming a lot of content into this issue without it feeling crowded or feeling double-sized or unwielding. Even the general color scheme of the magazine is appropriate as it heavily uses the stark contrast of black and white with splashes of muted browns or reds that make it really feel like a part of the world of The Walking Dead.
The only possible downside to the publication is the price point. At $9.99, it's a bit steep, but it's not far off from your average magazine. And there are enough fans of the material that sales will probably not be hurt by that price. However, for those curious, it could be enough to curtail spontaneous purchases.
Price aside, there are no real downsides of the magazine as far as I can tell. Should the TV show at some point be cancelled, there may be less of a reason to have it since it centers around covering every aspect of the franchise. But with numbers what they are right now, that's not happening anytime soon anyway.
If you are a fan of The Walking Dead in any incarnation, you'll want this to add to your collection. If you are a casual fan or a curious bystander, picking up at the very least this first issue will serve you well to getting informed on all things The Walking Dead.
Subscription Offer:
The magazine is currently offering fans an exclusive FREE The Walking Dead T-Shirt (not available in stores) with new print subscriptions. For more information on this subscription offer and other offers in your territory, visit the magazine website: www.TitanMagazines.com/WalkingDead
For more information on The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine visit:
http://titanmagazines.com/t/the-walking-dead/
Connect with The Walking Dead, The Official Magazine:
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/WalkingDeadMagazine
Twitter - http://twitter.com/walkingdeadmag
Reviewer Bio
Brant W. Fowler / Writer, Letterer, Reviewer, Columnist, Podcaster, Partner/COO/Site Manager of Comic Related
Brant W. Fowler has been a professional comic book writer, editor, flatter, letterer and logo designer for several years, and has been a freelance editor for the past five years or so. He is one of the cast members and host of the Zone 4 podcast here at Comic Related, and he letters some of the webcomics on the site. You can see samples of his works and how to hire him at Gonzogoose
Design and Just-Flats.net. And catch up with him on his forums right here at CR. Brant is also a member of the core
operations team at Comic Related.
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