Image credit: AMC Networks

Holy crap! AMC is creating a Walking Dead spinoff?! It may be old news for you, considering it was revealed last week. Still, I’m in shock because I just found out. It’s unbelievable that such a huge Walking Dead development flew completely under my radar. Normally I watch Facebook, Twitter, and EW.com like a hawk for any information about the show. I thought it was an early April Fools joke when I first saw articles publishing the news like this one in the Los Angeles Times.

The announcements are no prank though. They are very real. Since The Walking Dead is such a cash cow for AMC, right? It’s not surprising that AMC execs are trying to milk the series for all it’s worth. However the idea of a spinoff seems bizarre at this point, considering the current show is still on the air with no signs of cancellation in sight.

This concept is kind of scary because spinoffs are a mixed bag. Some like The Tortellis totally suck, while others like Frasier go on to have almost as much success as their original show. Hopefully this Walking Dead spinoff will be more akin to the latter than the former seeing that AMC president Charlie Collier says it will include “an entirely new story and cast of characters.”

The silver lining about this revelation is that Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman will anchor the project as a producer, and that he’s excited about it. According to the Los Angeles Times, Kirkman said “I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of ‘The Walking Dead’ universe. The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.” I’m encouraged by Kirkman’s enthusiasm and excellent leadership on the current show to-date. Maybe this spinoff will provide him the creative energy he needs to tell another gripping saga.

How do you feel about the idea of a Walking Dead spinoff? Click here and leave me your thoughts.