‘The Walking Dead’ Creator Robert Kirkman Talks Season 3

It'll be a good while yet before we see any official footage or images from season 3 of AMC's 'The Walking Dead,' so while details even from the set are kept mostly under wraps, series creator Robert Kirkman loves his fans enough to issue his own report from the Atlanta set.  So what's the latest from AMC?

Speaking to AMC TV, comic book series creator and AMC 'The Walking Dead' executive producer/ writer Robert Kirkman offered up a few tantalizing tidbits about the coming third season of the hit zombie series.  Though the characters themselves have yet to come across the famous location, fans of the comic book series certainly recognized that ominous prison glimpsed in the distance of season 2 finale "Beside the Dying Fire," so how can we expect to see it brought to life?

"They've taken a lot of what you see in the comic book series and brought it to life in ways that I didn't think possible," says Kirkman.  "This is going to be one of the most impressive looking things that's ever been put together for a show."  And what fan-favorite moments might the prison offer up, such as the prison riot gear famously donned by a number of the characters?   "We're a big fan of the SWAT gear...maybe that's an indication that we'll be seeing that stuff in the show."

"It's important to us to maintain the tone of the show. Thus far [the characters] have been out on the road, desperate and living in the heat, and we don't want it to be that they're relaxing in this safe place now."

Elaborating on the issue of safety, Kirkman went on that the writers always planned to maneuver other humans more as the series' main villains, that zombies would become a manageable (however omnipresent) threat.  Not only that, but zombies follow certain rules the survivors can circumvent and avoid the consequences of, while humans are capable of much more surprising and  "horrible" things.

But what of some of the new characters to be introduced in season 3, such as katana-wielding Michonne, or the villainous Governor?  Kirkman confessed to not having seen David Morrissey walking around in costume yet, but did offer up a few details about Michonne, namely that actress Danai Gurira had undergone quite a bit of sword training, and was every bit as competent at handling her blade as with the show's more dramatic material.

"She has tremendous physical capability," says Kirkman. "I can't wait to see her hack up some zombies."  The creator also pointed out that Michonne would utilize a sword specifically designed for the show, the origins of which would be revealed over the course of the season.  So what, pray tell, does Kirkman think we should most look forward to about 'The Walking Dead' season 3?

"When you think about 'The Walking Dead' comic series, you think about 'oh, the stuff they with did the Governor, the stuff they did with the prison and Woodbury and Michonne...' And that's really a lot of the stuff that people remember the story for and that's stuff we haven't even gotten to in the TV show yet.

So as much as people love the show, and as high as the ratings are, and as cool as the show is, I feel like we haven't even gotten to the good stuff yet. This season is absolutely going to blow people away."

Season 3 officially began production yesterday, for an expected October premiere.  Tell us, what are you most looking forward to from 'The Walking Dead' season 3?