CGC Featured Comic of the Month: The Walking Dead #1

Posted on 10/1/2024

October is the perfect time to celebrate The Walking Dead comic book series, with its eerie, apocalyptic themes.


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Name: The Walking Dead #1

Comic publisher: Image Comics / Skybound Entertainment

Date: October 2003

Variants: Two variants were originally released in 2003 — one featured the mature readers warning in black lettering, and one in white lettering. Following that, there have been more than 90 reprints and special editions, including various Image Firsts reprints, Wizard World exclusives and anniversary editions.

What makes it special? In this first issue of the series by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore, a global outbreak has turned the dead into zombies. Rick Grimes, a former small-town cop, is now one of the few survivors searching for his family. The comic book series was adapted into a hit television series for AMC that ran from 2010 to 2022, as well as various spin-off shows.

Why is it interesting now? October is the perfect time to celebrate The Walking Dead comic book series, as its dark, apocalyptic themes fit hand-in-hand with the spooky spirit of Halloween. Fans can revisit the gripping story of survival in a world overrun by the undead, where the real horror comes from both the walkers and the living. This month offers a great opportunity to honor the legacy of the series and its impact on horror storytelling.

Did you know? The original title of the comic was “The Night of The Living Dead” (after the 1968 horror film that spawned a series), and it was to be set in Pittsburgh in the 1960s.

Graded highlights: As of October 1, 2024, there were 3,724 copies (not including variants, reprints or special editions) in the CGC Census, including 26 copies graded CGC 9.9.

Sales highlights: A CGC 9.9 sold on eBay for $23,459 in August 2024.

CGC Comics Registry Champion: CGC Comics Registry user Sensei Ryan has a copy of The Walking Dead #1 graded CGC 9.9 in their collection titled The Rise & Fall of the Governor, helping to earn it a Best in Set Type Award in 2016 and again from 2018 to 2024.

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