There’s doesn’t seem to be an end in sight for The Walking Dead TV show, but the comic has been brought to a close by its creator Robert Kirkman…

Issue 193 will be the final issue of The Walking Dead, which is owned by Image Comics and Skybound Entertainment, ending a run that started way back in 2003. This will come as a surprise, not least to fans who saw cover art online for later issues. These fake covers were circulated to preserve the secret that 193 is the final issue.

The Hollywood Reporter quotes Robert Kirkman as saying this: “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.

“I love long movies for that very reason. You lose track of time because you went in convinced that you’re going to be there for a long time, but the story moves at such an entertaining and engaging pace that by the time the movie’s wrapping up … you can’t believe it’s already over. Surprise, it’s over! All I’ve ever done, all a creator can really do … is tailor-make stories to entertain themselves, and hope the audience feels the same way. That’s all I’ve ever been doing … and it seems to work most of the time.”

The Walking Dead TV show is still going, as is its spinoff Fear The Walking Dead, and there are even plans for another spinoff show and a trilogy of Rick Grimes movies. We’ll keep you posted as we hear more on those fronts…