“I think because of that, it makes the stories so much more relatable. It’s that looming feeling of unavoidable doom, manifested in flesh. Reflecting on his body of work to date, Kirkman says he thinks zombies will always have an enduring appeal in popular culture for reasons that include their representing “the physical manifestation of everybody’s fear of death. Robert Kirkman Photograph: Smallz & Raskind/Getty Images for Samsung Meanwhile, season seven of The Walking Dead kicks off in October, after Fear the Walking Dead returns in August. It centres on a young man plagued by demonic possession, with other characters including an alcoholic preacher who believes he’s a soldier for God against dark forces on earth. Premiering on Fox in the UK on Tuesday, Outcast is a departure from all the zombie-fuelled mayhem of previous Kirkman series. He enjoys a worldwide fanbase devoted to his stories and to characters whose deaths can cause conniptions on Twitter.

Kirkman has unquestionably become a major force in the entertainment industry today, presiding over a sprawling, interconnected media empire spanning comics, TVs, video games and more. But that’s too narrow these days to encompass the myriad projects touched in some way by the self-confessed workaholic. That’s because Kirkman has been best known for twisted creations like The Walking Dead which drip with despair. It just … doesn’t always show in my work.” He allows himself a chuckle at the irony. “While I do see water crises and antibiotics not working any more and the threat of global climate change – all of this looming on the horizon in very terrifying ways, I think there are actually a good deal of very intelligent people and compassionate people working to solve these problems. But I actually think history has shown when we get down to it, as a whole, we strive for excellence and solve our problems in productive ways,” says Kirkman. The news and media are what make us all terrified for the potential of the future. The characters who populate the Kirkman universe, like whoever Negan apparently beat to death in The Walking Dead’s much-speculated-about season six finale? That is, of course, another matter.

Robert kirkman the walking dead