MAPACA

Mid-Atlantic Popular &
American Culture Association

During the translation of The Walking Dead’s story line from its comic origins to its television counterpart, a variety of changes have occurred. While many of these changes are necessary to accommodate the new, some might say more limited, medium and its wider audience, changes have been made to many of the core characters to make them more palatable for the public. The most noticeable changes have been made to three major female characters: Carol, Maggie, and Michonne. In the comics, Carol has a strong attachment to the idea of a nuclear family. She clings to traditional family roles and is unable to accept that she will not be able to have that lifestyle. In her on-screen adaptation, she is able to move past this, and rather than committing suicide, she completely evolves. Another character whose emotional turmoil has been muted is Maggie. Maggie also experiences depression in the original story, and she attempted to kill herself in an effort to relieve her suffering. Yet, this was also a dismissed plot point in the television adaptation. Michonne, on the other hand, does have her struggle with mental illness discussed on screen. This topic is actually very well covered in her adaptation, however, her strong sexuality is absent and her rage does not appear to be as all consuming. In all adaptations, changes are made; it is an unavoidable act. However, the aforementioned changes serve little purpose besides sanding away the rougher surfaces of Carol, Maggie, and Michonne to make them more palatable for a television audience.