♪
Hello, and welcome to a special "Walking Dead" episode
of "Comic Book Men." I'm Kevin Smith.
- Bryan Johnson. - Walt Flanagan.
- Mike Zapcic. - Ming Chen.
"The Walking Dead" has become a pop-cultural phenomenon.
Undeniable. Little black-and-white comic book
that has spawned an entire industry.
I was a huge fan of the comic when it came out.
Walt and I both jumped on it.
It was, like, one of those really small press books,
and, uh, who knew it was gonna become the giant that it would?
But, I mean, it's... it's still pretty true to the... the format.
Now, Ming, you watch the show on a regular basis,
but you're also out on the con circuit,
so you interact with cast, right?
You've met a lot of these folks.
Yeah, you can call me a super fan.
I'll actually go to "The Walking Dead" fan conventions.
I'll get photos taken with the cast members.
I, you know, try to become friends with them, uh,
see if I can get some inside information.
- I think it's fun! I'm a big fan. - Well, I don't... I don't...
I don't... I don't think "super fan" is what they call you.
[LAUGHTER]
♪♪
- Help! - Help!
Help!
♪♪
- Synced and corrected by martythecrazy - - www.addic7ed.com -
As "The Walking Dead" heads into its eighth season,
are you seeing the books come through the door more?
Absolutely, I mean, people are... are seeing
that if they invest in "Walking Dead" collectibles,
you're gonna see a pretty nice return on your investment.
The comics are going up in value.
The figures go up in value, the statues.
I mean, it's not crazy to compare, um, "The Walking Dead"
- to gold at this point. - I have many times
written to my local politicians and said,
"Please take America off the gold standard
[LAUGHTER]
and put it onto 'The Walking Dead' standard,
because these books are literal printed money, man."
[LAUGHTER]
♪♪
- Hey, guys. - Hey, how are you?
I got something really special
and something really rare to show you here.
Briefcase, huh? It must be something pretty valuable
- to be in a briefcase. - Oh, big time.
It's great.
♪♪
"The Walking Dead" issue 100.
The debut of Negan, the villain.
_
The limited edition, red foil Lucille cover.
Lucille, Negan's weapon of choice.
Negan, who's gonna go down
as one of the greatest villains in comic history.
- And most charismatic. - And most charismatic.
He's the kind of guy where you want to hate him,
but then you're kind of like, "I kind of like this guy," too.
- I know exactly how that feels. - [LAUGHTER]
Before they introduced Negan,
those of us who knew the comic books were always like,
"When's Negan coming?"
And eventually, they came around to Negan,
and it was "The Comedian," or Batman's dad, Thomas Wayne.
It was Jeffrey Dean Morgan,
and, boy, he just chews the scenery.
He has a good time playing Negan, doesn't he?
- Yeah. - But he is nefarious.
Just like Darth Vader with his lightsaber
or Jaws with his chomping teeth,
Negan and Lucille entered pop-culture history
when he made a very bloody entrance into the show.
Negan lined up Rick and all his pals,
and picked out Glenn
and just bashed his head in to a bloody pulp.
Were you as shocked as I was when you saw that?
Yeah, definitely. I couldn't even watch it.
I knew it was coming.
- You kinda do, you don't. - You turned your head?
Oh, yeah. I had to turn my... It was just nasty.
When I saw that happen, I got... I was pissed, man.
"Glenn's dead! Glenn's dead!"
"What are we gonna do?"
- [LAUGHTER] - "Glenn's dead!"
But why are you mocking the death?
I guarantee this guy's coming back.
- Comic books... Everybody comes back. - Mmm.
TV shows, they all come back. They...
I got to say, though, I saw the show,
and I don't think Glenn's coming back.
[LAUGHTER]
- Let's get back to the book, please. - All right.
Okay, okay. Fine.
There's only 250 of this one made.
That's a pretty small print run.
Is that the smallest print run of any "Walking Dead" comic?
That is the smallest print run I have ever heard of.
The only way you could get this was online.
- How'd you get your hands on it? - A friend gave it to me.
Does it have any cachet havin' it here?
Let's put it this way... How many comic stores
have that on their wall?
I'm gonna say zero.
All right, I'm interested. What are you looking to get for it?
I was hoping for 2 grand.
2 grand?
- Yeah. - Wow!
2 grand is a bit much.
I've seen, uh, 9.8s go for about $1,500.
- $1,500? - Yeah.
I'd put this at a 9.4 to a 9.6.
Okay. Let's say $1,000.
7. I-I-I'll offer you $700
right now for the book.
All right, let's hit $800. We're done.
You have a great book.
800 bucks?
$800.
All right, I would shake your hand, but it's so sweaty.
[LAUGHTER]
- $800. - All right.
- Thank you very much. - Thanks, man.
- It was a pleasure. Thank you. - Whew.
- There it is, huh? - Oh, it's so cool.
How about you give her a little trivia quiz?
If she gets a question right, you knock 50 bucks off.
- How's that sound. - I'm up for that!
You see this hooded figure, then you see a katana.
I was like [GASPS] "Oh!"
- Hey, how you doing? - Hi! Good. How are you?
What can we do for you?
I saw a Greg Nicotero sketch
that I'm interested in looking at.
- Oh. - I'll go grab it.
Thank you.
Greg Nicotero fan, huh?
- Oh, yeah. Big one. - Nice.
- There it is, huh? - Oh, it's so cool!
- There it is. - It's so cool!
It's beautiful, isn't it?
Yeah, it is.
This is artwork. It came from the mind of a master.
He likes giving the hard sell
when it's his own personal property.
[LAUGHTER]
_
Greg Nicotero, I mean, probably the biggest guy
in special effects makeup right now.
-One of them, yeah. -I mean, he's worked on everything
from "Day of the Dead" to "Suicide Squad."
I don't have to even mention "Walking Dead."
I mean, his name's synonymous with the show now.
And, yeah, he... he doesn't do a lot of sketches.
- Is this, like, a print? - No, no, this isn't a print.
This is an original I picked up at a con.
This is probably what he does
before he builds, like, those awesome makeup effects.
You know, this could've gone on to be, like, a zombie
from "The Walking Dead" or something.
- How come he didn't sign it? - I think he did.
- It's right there. - It's right there.
- That's right there. - That's his name?
-Yeah. -I thought my signature was illegible.
[LAUGHTER]
Obviously, you're a big "Walking Dead" fan, right?
Yes, I'm going to school right now for special effects makeup.
And, uh, my dad, when I was deciding what to do with my life,
he asked me, "If you could be doing any job in the world,
what would you be doing? "And I said," I'd be Greg Nicotero.
I'd be working for 'The Walking Dead' and making zombies."
Wrong. The right answer is trust-fund baby.
- Trust-fund baby! - [LAUGHTER]
I've always been interested in, you know,
like, the practical special effects,
but it looks so messy, though. Like, all that blood.
Yeah, and I'll... I'll go home, and, like, I just...
I just experiment. I'll have blood all over me.
Just all kinds of mysterious, like, goops everywhere. [LAUGHS]
Did you ever experiment in college?
- Special effects? - Whatever. Yeah.
- With goops and, uh...? - Goops, drippy stuff.
[LAUGHTER]
SMITH: Long before I ever wanted to be a filmmaker,
I wanted to be a special-effects makeup guy.
I had my own, little makeup kit with nose putty and fake blood
and half knives that you could put through a shirt
so it looked like you were stabbed and stuff.
History would've definitely been a lot different.
You know what really would've sucked,
is I can't sculpt or draw,
so I would've been the worst.
It would've been all passion no craft whatsoever.
Well, don't take this the wrong way,
but I'm glad you failed to realize your dream.
Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting here right now.
[LAUGHTER]
Do... Do you have a favorite zombie kill from the show?
Uh, when Rick has to fight the walker
with all, like, the spikes and the knives on it.
Oh!
His name's Winslow. I thought that that was just the coolest.
Like, I was watching, and I said,
"When I can make something that amazing,
then I'll be an accomplished makeup artist."
And your dream is to maybe... Maybe have an effects house
one day, like Greg Nicotero?
[LAUGHS] Yes, that'd be so cool.
All right, I mean, you've chosen a great role model, I think.
You could have something to look up to
to, you know, maybe, inspire you every day.
Yeah! That's... That's exactly why I want it.
I was trying to get $500 for it.
- Here's the thing. - Okay.
I don't think I can afford $500.
That's probably the... the... the lowest I could get for this.
Lowest you can go?
An-an and, like, $500 is, like, the friendly price.
So like...
That's why you have no friends... no real friends.
- Right? - [LAUGHTER]
Come on. I thought it was a fair price.
I asked for... I was asking $500 for the piece.
Where else is she gonna get that?
For once in your life, show some compassion
and let her get a chance
at getting it at a price that she can afford.
Like, when did you become a socialist? Jesus.
[LAUGHTER]
How about you give her a little trivia quiz?
She gets a question right, you knock 50 bucks off the $500.
Are you up for that? How's that sound?
I'm up for that! That's good with me.
All right, keep it a little interesting.
- Yeah. - Okay.
Uh, all right, we'll start off with this one...
What was Glenn's occupation prior...
- Pizza delivery driver. - That was a real bad question,
the first one right off the bat.
- Just lost $50, idiot. - Uh!
Question number two...
Episode one of "The Walking Dead"
premiered on what date?
October 31st.
Do you have the year?
2010.
Is that right?
Yeah, that's right. -HA-HA!
- Oh, wow. - Yeah!
It's now at $400.
All right, Greg Nicotero's effects company
is called "KNB EFX."
What does the "KNB" stand for?
Kurtzman, Nicotero, Berger.
Ooh-hoo! You're poor.
- Is that right? - Yeah, that's right.
That's right. Oh. I have one more.
- Think hard about this one. - Okay.
Why? She didn't have to think hard about the other three.
[LAUGHTER]
All right, in "The Walking Dead,"
who is the first zombie that Rick Grimes kills?
- Now, think hard. - The little girl zombie.
- Bunny slipper girl. - That's...
- Chronologically, though. - Oh...
It is outside of Morgan's house with the baseball bat.
He's wearing a white T-shirt 'cause I remember going,
"Ew, why would you wear white in the zombie apocalypse?"
Is that right?
- Yeah, that's right. Oh, wow. - HA [CLAPS] HA-HA Yeah!
Suddenly, I was down from $500 down to $300,
and I quit while I was ahead.
You didn't quit while you were ahead.
- You were ahead when it was $500. - Yeah, no, you're right.
I guess you earned it. I-I mean...
- That's great. - It's $300, and it's yours.
All right. Thank you.
All right, you know, a deal's a deal.
- Yes, it is. - You should be thanking me!
Thank you!
- It was my idea. - I appreciate it! Yeah.
- Thanks. Enjoy it. - Best of luck!
See ya later.
A katana-swinging badass with a mysterious past.
Who doesn't relate to that?
Got something cool for you guys!
- Wow! - Only 300 of these exist.
- Ooh. - So, they're kind of cool.
Let's say the zombie apocalypse is upon us,
and you've built your zombie-proof bunker,
but you only have room for two extra people
besides your family.
Two people from the Stash Who do you take,
or more importantly, who do you lock out?
Well, all right. I'm... I'm taking Mike.
- You guys are friends? - Enough that I know
he wouldn't annoy me, like, as we are in the bunker.
If it comes down to one of you two...
I'm gonna pick you.
- Nice. - I'll pick you. I-I'm sorry.
I'm leaving you out 'cause I know you would get in there...
I know you're only protecting your wife.
- [LAUGHTER] - I know that.
I think you would get in there,
and then immediately, the complaints would start.
- [LAUGHTER] - Like, "You don't have good snacks."
And complaint upon complaint.
- I can't even argue it. - Yeah.
Yeah, I'm sorry, but I got to leave you out.
Plus, if I did have snacks, you'd probably eat them all.
Like, I can't, like...
- That's all right. - Wow!
- What about you, Walt? - Whew!
- Oldest friend in the world. - Yeah. Without a doubt.
- You're in. - Oh!
You're in. Yeah, it... It's the second choice.
I'll just let you decide who it is then.
- Oh! - Okay.
[LAUGHTER]
I'll let you decide for me, because I can't make the choice.
Then neither of them. Then there's more snacks for me!
He's...
[LAUGHTER]
♪♪
- How you doing? - Good.
Can I see that sweet-looking copy of "Walking Dead" #19
you got there? The first Michonne?
- Absolutely. - I'm gonna grab it.
- Big "Walking Dead" fan? - Absolutely. Who isn't?
Comic or TV show?
Uh, I started with the comic, but I gotta admit,
I like the TV show a lot better.
The television show allows you to become
a little more personally involved with the characters.
- Mm-hmm. - There you go.
- Beautiful copy. Somethin'... - It sure is.
I need this in my collection for sure.
_
A katana-swinging badass with a mysterious past...
Who doesn't relate to that?
- Can I take this thing out? - Yeah, absolutely.
- All right. - Go ahead.
Took a while for this book to pop, right?
It wasn't, like, immediately it came out,
- and it was a wall book? - It was a slow burn, yeah.
When Negan came out... hot book right off the bat.
This one took a little while. She was a breakout character,
but you didn't know what was gonna happen with her.
She's, like, one of the coolest characters
I've ever seen in comics.
The attitude, the way she's introduced.
I don't know if you remember, last episode of season two,
Michonne gets introduced. You hear, like, a "whoosh,"
then you see this hooded figure, then you see a katana.
It was Michonne, and I was like, [GASPS] "Oh!"
That was the last time I yelled at my TV.
She's a really cool character.
Michonne... known for her weapon of choice,
the sword, and she's da.
Took off almost instantly. It's weird to think
that Michonne wasn't even in the first season.
You know what I'm sayin'?
Like, when you think of "The Walking Dead,"
- she is so essential. - Right.
Michonne probably has to make it to the very end.
Now, is Michonne her first or last name,
or is it like "Logan," where you don't really know yet?
- Or Cher. - Or Rumpelstiltskin.
[LAUGHTER]
I-I believe it's her first name.
You believe, but you don't know?
Pretty positive it's her first name.
Do you know her last name?
I-I can't remember her last name.
You know what? It's not even important, though.
- I mean... - She doesn't even need one.
Why are you wasting everyone's time.
This character has a mysterious past.
We have no idea who she is in this comic.
When she shows up, she's leading two zombies on chains.
They have no arms and no lower jaws,
and their teeth are taken out.
She's actually tamed zombies.
She learned that if she had zombies around her,
other zombies wouldn't come and attack her.
Really ingenious idea.
The simple concept of the unstoppable dead,
you know, it's captured imaginations
as far back as the late, great George Romero.
It's a tough wheel to reinvent, and, you know,
I've seen a lot of zombie movies,
and that's something I've never seen in one of them before.
Robert Kirkman came up with a cool, new flourish.
MAN: Okay, so, you're asking $399
for this beautiful copy of this book.
You know it's key... not a big print run of this book,
and it's high grade.
Well, I'd kick myself in the butt
if I didn't try to lowball you at least a little bit.
$300.
You're talking knock 100 bucks off?
I couldn't go that low, but...
- Come on. Come on. - I got a little wiggle room.
I can do $375.
Knock 25 bucks off.
You get the first appearance of Michonne.
Make it $350, and we got a deal.
$350. It's done. Deal.
- You left him hanging. - You left me hanging, man!
Oh! [LAUGHTER]
- $350 it is. - What are you, a meth dealer?
[LAUGHTER]
Wow! You had more than enough to pay for this book!
He just made you look like a real ass.
Thank you!
Can I get a bag for that?
- No. - All right. All righty.
- Thank you, gentlemen! - Thank you.
- Take care. - Now, did you read these?
'Cause they have tons of fingerprints on them.
I was gonna say, were you eating fried chicken
when you were on your way over here?
There's a lot of greasy prints on that thing.
If you could use any pop-culture weapon
in the zombie apocalypse, which one would it be?
Uh... Mjolnir.
Mjolnir, is that Thor's hammer?
Thor's hammer. I wouldn't even have to do anything.
I would just bring down lightning bolts
to, uh, obliterate the zombies.
You're that positive you're... You're worthy enough to wield it?
Well, what makes me unworthy?
Yeah, what doesn't remind you of Thor when you look at him?
Yeah.
[LAUGHTER]
Great answer. What do you got?
Uh... pop culture, right?
- Yeah. - Lightsaber.
- Can I ask one question, though? - Yes.
Are you worthy enough to be a Jedi?
The force is not as strong with you, my friend.
[LAUGHTER]
I'm gonna go with "Doctor Who"... sonic screwdriver.
That thing could do anything,
including disintegrating zombies.
Prove it! Name an instance where it destroyed a zombie.
Okay, I can't really name one, but, uh...
- "I'm willing to roll the dice." - [LAUGHTER]
What do you got?
I'm gonna go Star Wars, too, but I want to take a TIE fighter
'cause then you can just, like, hover over the ground
and just blow up huge crowds of zombies.
I know it's not as practical as a Thor's hammer
- or a frickin' screwdriver. - [LAUGHTER]
Have you ever flown a plane before?
Any kind of aviation in... in your life?
- Have you ever lifted a hammer before, - [LAUGHTER]
- of any kind? - Good point.
I'm gonna ask you something
I'm sure you have never been asked before.
You guys are attending a comic book convention
where eating flesh is customary.
Human flesh, you're talking about?
Human flesh. It's customary. Do you guys go get
the, uh... the special?
I mean, if it's their custom, and, you know, if, say, like,
they're having a-a banquet of honor,
- and they serve it to me. - For you?
- [LAUGHTER] - Well, for us. Yeah. And it's, like,
"If you don't eat this, you'll be offending us"?
- Yeah. - I-I'll... I'll take a bite.
What are you ordering? You ordering a thigh bone?
You ordering a leg?
I saw a documentary about cannibalism.
They said, like, the butt is the best...
- The most tender part. Yeah. - The buttocks?
- Like, the cheeks? - Yeah, the cheeks.
- The butt cheeks. Yeah. - Okay, all right.
I would have to offend these people,
'cause there's absolutely no way.
Say it's a four-day con, Mike offends them on the first day.
Yeah.
Now, like, the second or third day, he's on the menu.
Do you eat his ass?
[LAUGHTER]
We're cannibals!
♪♪
- Hey, how you doing? - Good. How you doing?
- Good. - Um, got something cool for you guys.
I have a "Walking Dead" omnibus number one.
- Wow! - I also have number two...
number three, signed by Adlard and Kirkman,
and only 300 of these exist, and 500 of these exist.
- Ooh. - So, they're kind of cool.
_
"The Walking Dead" has been collected in various formats.
It's been collected in trade paperback,
- compendium... - Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.
...uh, hardcover, and the omnibus versions.
And omnibuses are, you know, they're letterboxed...
They're like the IMAX version of, uh, comic books, correct?
Yes, they stretch out the art, and you can see detail
that you wouldn't see in the smaller versions.
What's really cool about this one...
They come with a sketch, as well.
So you can see, they're numbered,
and they are also signed by Adlard and Kirkman.
Oh, my Lord! Uh, Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard...
You're talking about two guys who are true-blue to comics.
And if you look at "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,"
there's a scene where we're in the comic book store,
and there's a customer holding a copy of "Battle Pope,"
which was Robert Kirkman's first book.
Not nearly as successful as "The Walking Dead," but...
[LAUGHING]
I mean, obviously, we're very interested
in the volume two and volume three
because of the signatures and the low print run.
Now, did you read these?
'Cause they have tons of fingerprints on them.
JOHNSON: I was gonna say, were you eating fried chicken
- when you were on your way out here? - [LAUGHING]
There's a lot of greasy prints on that thing.
You should've read the trade paperbacks
and kept these, you know, in the cellophane.
I didn't think I was gonna be selling them,
but, unfortunately, some things came up, so...
Okay.
Kind of very greasy fingerprints.
"I got to buy some soap."
Well, no, actually,
my, uh, wife actually just found out we're pregnant.
Oh, congratulations!
Because it such a wonderful moment right now, uh...
$200 and $100.
You can keep the volume one.
Definitely can't go that low. Um...
$450? For all three?
I'm gonna have to... gonna have to just remain firm on that one.
I-I just feel that, uh...
You know what? You know what? For...
You're right.
You got... You got a baby on the way.
$350 for the... for the pair.
You got a deal.
- Done? - Done.
Awesome.
♪♪
You don't mind getting paid in singles, do you?
[LAUGHING]
- Have a good day, man. - Thanks.
- Thank you, guys. - All right.
♪♪
"The Walking Dead" television show is a phenomenon, right?
When it's all said and done in maybe 40 years from now,
Right.
Will it be looked upon
like other classic television shows in history?
Will it be put on a shelf with, like, you know...
Don't say "I Love Lucy."
I know that's what your go-to is.
He's like, is there any moment in "Walking Dead"
as classic as eatin' the chocolates off the line?
Yes! We haven't seen stuff like that on "The Walking Dead."
- Good poi... - [LAUGHING]
Yeah. They're holding out for season 10.
Like, you know, I think when we're at our last gasp,
we'll ingest a lot of comedy.
The Beefavitmegamin stuff will come out,
and then we'll do the wine, crushing-grapes episode.
Oh, and just like Glenn, Abraham,
and Sasha last season, we've all run out of time.
For "Comic Book Men," I'm Kevin Smith.
- Bryan Johnson. - Walt Flanagan.
- Mike Zapcic. - Ming Chen.
Remember, kids, if they kill Daryl,
we riot. Good night.