The first ultimate fans' guide to the hit TV show The Walking Dead-celebrating its popularity, depth as a genre, and cultural resonance-from resident Wall Street Journal Walking Dead columnist Paul Vigna


In the seven years that it's been on the air, The Walking Dead averages about 13 million viewers a week, and regularly hits 16 and 17 million-numbers unheard of for a cable show. It is AMC's biggest money-maker by a country mile. The series finales of Mad Men and Breaking Bad, those Emmy-soaked shows that were such hits with the intellectual set, were the highest rated of their respective runs, but their numbers were only what The Walking Dead averages every single Sunday that it airs. It's not just in the U.S., either; it's a major hit in dozens of international markets, among them the U.K., Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, the Balkans, Korea, and Taiwan. For Fox, which carries the show overseas, The Walking Dead has given it some of its highest ratings ever.



Why is this show such a massive and unlikely success? Guts will dissect every aspect of The Walking Dead and come up with answers (and will have some fun while doing so; this is, after all, a zombie show). The book will explore the show's roots, its genre, its story, its backstory, and its cultural importance. It will delve into the changing nature of TV and media to see how that's affected the phenomenon. It will take readers into the zombie genre itself, to discover why it's different from vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein; why people have found in zombies a mirror for their own fears, and how this is important to the show's success. Lastly, the book will look at the fans themselves, from average twitter followers to NFL stars; we'll meet with them at conventions and zombie races, even at Universal Studios where there's a Walking Dead ride. Ultimately, these are the fans that make the show a ratings leviathan.



While it's no news that The Walking Dead is one of the most popular shows of all time, it is surprising that there has never been a comprehensive companion to the show...until now. Featuring in-depth interviews with the cast and crew as well as scintillating pop culture analysis, Guts is sure to be a fan favorite and a perfect gift for the ravenous fanbase that, simply, cannot get enough.