"I have talked many times [about] how much I like the difference between the comics and the show," Kirkman told The Hollywood Reporter. "There are going to be big plot lines that we may not necessarily get to, like the romance between Dale and Andrea.
"If you think you really want to read that storyline, that's available in the comics, and I highly recommend you pick those up. The show is always going to be a different animal and the decision to kill Dale off was a big one and it wasn't one that was made lightly."
To lose this guy at this moment means so much for this group. It's going to be such a monumental death that it's going to affect things a great deal moving forward.
"It seemed like the right time and that to me, all the stories that are going to come out of this that people haven't seen yet, are worth losing the Dale/Andrea relationship."
The Walking Dead is an American post-apocalyptic horror television series developed for television by Frank Darabont. It is based on the comic book series, The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard.
The series stars Andrew Lincoln as Sheriff's Deputy Rick Grimes who wakes up after being in a coma to find the world dominated by "walkers", resembling the zombies of George A. Romero's horror movies. He sets out to find his family and other survivors along the way.
The series premiered on October 31, 2010, and is broadcast on the cable television channel AMC in the United States. The first season premiered to wide acclaim and was nominated for several awards, including the Best Television Series Drama at the 68th Golden Globe Awards. Based on its reception, AMC renewed the series for a second season of 13 episodes which premiered on October 16, 2011. Two episodes into the second season, AMC announced that the show would return for a third season.
The first season of The Walking Dead was well received by critics, with a rating of 82 out of a 100 on Metacritic. The season one premiere was watched by over 5.3 million people. The season two premiere was watched by more than 7 million viewers. The Walking Dead also received many nominations, including a Writers Guild of America Award and a Golden Globe Award for a Best Television Series Drama.
Running Time: 60 minutes (45 min actual air time)
Release Date: February 12 (Season 2-midseason premiere)
TV Rating: TV-MA for sex & nudity, violence & gore, profanity, alchohol/drugs/smoking and frightening/intense scenes
Starring: Andrew Lincoln, Jon Bernthal,Sarah Wayne Callies,Laurie Holden, Jeffrey DeMunn, Steven Yeun, Chandler Riggs, Norman Reedus
Creators: Frank Darabont (show) Robert Kirkman (comic)
Written by: Frank Darabont, Charles H. Eglee, Jack LoGiudice, Robert Kirkman, Glen Mazzara, Adam Fierro, Charlie Adlard, Tony Moore, Evan T. Reilly