When the zombie apocalypse hit, The Walking Dead’s Rick Grimes needed to band together with like-minded survivors to stand a chance at lasting against the ever-encroaching undead hordes, with a scavenger named Glenn becoming one of Rick’s first friends after waking from his untimely coma. Tragically beaten to death by the infamous Negan, series creator Robert Kirkman has revealed why Glenn had to die, as well as the person who is truly responsible for it.
Introduced in the second issue of The Walking Dead, Glenn was once a struggling pizza delivery boy who used his quickness and general knowledge of the Atlanta area to become the perfect supply runner for his group.
All that said, after seeing the portrayal of Glenn on the television show, and the stellar performance by an actor whose name I can't seem to recall (ever, really -- it's quite strange) for me at least, the comic book Glenn just became a pale impression of the TV show character, so I figured, why waste my time telling stories with this guy anymore, when that real dude is making the comic character look so bad.
Meeting Rick while on one of these runs, Glenn brought Rick back to his camp where Rick unexpectedly reunited with Carl and Lori, with Glenn’s eventual death hitting fans and Walking Dead characters hard. However, when responding to a fan letter in The Walking Dead Deluxe #102, Kirkman explains how Glenn’s live-action actor, Steven Yeun, is to blame for Glenn’s brutal comic death.
Glenn’s Live-Action Counterpart’s Acting Was Too Good To Keep Glenn Alive in The Walking Dead Comics
The Walking Dead Deluxe #102 - 2024 (Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard, Dave McCaig)
Answering a “fan” who oddly shares the same name as AMC’s The Walking Dead star Steven Yeun, Kirkman responds to Steven’s comments about killing his onscreen character by saying, “…after seeing the portrayal of Glenn on the television show, and the stellar performance by an actor whose name I can't seem to recall… the comic book Glenn just became a pale impression of the TV show character.” Adding, “…so I figured, why waste my time telling stories with this guy anymore, when that real dude is making the comic character look so bad,” Kirkman confirms why Glenn needed to die.
Previously mentioning that he killed Glenn in part because Kirkman knew most people wouldn’t continue reading a book past 100 issues and wanted to shake things up to keep everyone invested, the idea of Glenn dying in the comics because Steve Yeun had elevated the character on the show is a fairly believable reason for offing him too. Dying at the hands of the newly introduced Negan, Glenn’s unexpected demise boosted The Walking Dead #100’s sales numbers and shocked viewers with a television adaptation that was even more heart-wrenching — a death made worse thanks to Steven Yeun’s impeccable performance.
Steven Yuen Did Glenn Better Than The Walking Dead’s Comic Ever Could
It seems like Kirkman blaming Steven Yeun for realizing he had no more stories left to tell involving Glenn was the blessing in disguise the series needed to revitalize its zombie story for another almost 100 issues, with the way both versions of the character affected their respective mediums being a testament to Kirkman’s writing and Steven Yeun’s acting ability. The Walking Dead’s Glenn will be sorely missed by comic and television fans alike, but thanks to the phenomenal acting of Steven Yeun and the subsequent deflated creative spirit of Robert Kirkman, the character has an all-time ending worth remembering.
