Member Since June 2010
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The Walking Dead #48, pg 10 | The Lori & Judith Grimes Death Splash (Image, 2008)

Location: The Walking Dead: Issue #48
Artist: Charlie Adlard (All)

Location: The Walking Dead: Issue #48
Title: The Walking Dead #48, pg 10 | The Lori & Judith Grimes Death Splash (Image, 2008)*
Artist: Charlie Adlard (All)
Media Type: Pen and Ink
Art Type: Splash Page
For Sale Status: Nope
Views: 11871
Likes on CAF: 14
Favorited on CAF: 1
Comments: 32
Added to Site: 4/7/2014

Image Comics. April, 2008.

The Lori & Judith Grimes death splash: groundbreaking story telling. Kirkman and Adlard took a risk telling a realistic story & killed off a sizable portion of the cast in the last half of the Made To Suffer arc. In the heat of the battle that included not only a mother and the wife of the main character, but her baby as well. It went against the rules of story telling: the good guys win and the bad guys lose. Main characters don't die- especially the main character's wife and certainly not their baby. Babies represent the future; they killed the future! It was especially devastating since all women that were killed on page in the series up to this point were drawn in silhouette or with their back to the reader. But not Lori & Judith! This arc would ultimately become the catalyst for the multi-media success of the property as it cemented the proof that truly no one was safe. It was a bold move that paid off big time.

Adlard had switched to these smaller size art boards about a year prior but was still keeping up with small details. The ink flecks were a rare technique he used and illustrate him firing on all cylinders. This image was also printed on cover B to issue 106, being included with a handful of important pages from issues 7-105 to commemorate his 100th issue on the series. It's visible next to Rick's right shoulder. It's also been used as inspiration for variant cover images that reprint the issue.

In an excerpt from issue 48 Cutting Room Floor with Robert Kirkman he elaborates: The idea was the most readers would think, "Okay, Tyreese is the big death this arc. That's enough." Then Axel dies in the following issue and it's like, "Okay... wow, that's more than usual but okay, we got Jim and Amy back-to-back... still nothing special." Then, in the following issue, Hershel, Billy, Patricia, Alice, the Governor, and the one-two punch of Lori and Judith all die?! Holy crap! I figured it would jolt readers into seeing this book in a different light, and really, looking back, it worked. It was around this arc that sales really jumped (after climbing consistently since issue 2 to then) and it really cemented this book as something special.

A big thank you to Claudio for working with me on this.

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Member Since: June 2010
Last Login: July 2026
Ebay Id: birdmanbatman
Website: https://www.phantomcomicstudios.com/
Country: UNITED STATES
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ScoopFlow Vault Member Since 2010

Posted On 4/7/2014

Nice work man! Put it together!

C F Member Since 2007

Posted On 4/7/2014

Gruesome.

BjornOn . Member Since 2012

Posted On 4/7/2014

Seriously, I'd trade most of my collection for this. Congrats on finding a needle in a hay stack. Please let me know if you ever want to get rid of it!

Brian Boggs Member Since 2003

Posted On 4/8/2014

heart rending punch in the gut page. nice acquisition.

Alex Kline Member Since 2004

Posted On 4/8/2014

THE moment in the series. Congratulations on an amazing piece!

James J Member Since 2012

Posted On 4/8/2014

Man o Man ............Your so lucky!! Classic

Joe Shaffer Member Since 2010

Posted On 4/8/2014

Dude, you are on a mission; congrats, astonishing splash

Retro A Member Since 2012

Posted On 4/8/2014

AMAZING!!!!!!!! LOVE IT!!!!

Carl Elvis Member Since 2006

Posted On 4/11/2014

Some of his best work, congrats! I think this page make take on even more significance beginning issue 127.

Fan Comics Member Since 2012

Posted On 4/20/2014

nice page

Joseph Serpico Member Since 2009

Posted On 4/22/2014

Wow ! Stunning.

J-MO . Member Since 2012

Posted On 6/2/2014

Brutal. I hate this page... but then I think that's probably the response they were going for.

Phill R Member Since 2010

Posted On 6/15/2014

J-MO . wrote:

" Brutal. I hate this page... but then I think that's probably the response they were going for. "

I always thought it was interesting that all the women that are killed in the series up to this point are drawn in silhouette or with their back to the reader. But not Lori & Judith.

Eric Seffinga Member Since 2005

Posted On 6/9/2015

This page is the horrifying pinnacle of the series in so many ways, and presented with unflinching brutality. Not sure the series will ever be able to hit quite so hard as this again.

Kyle K Member Since 2012

Posted On 3/24/2016

Geeze, dude. Your TWD collection is absurdly amazing...

Jonathan Mueller Member Since 2005

Posted On 3/28/2016

Brutal!!

Tom McElroy Member Since 2020

Posted On 4/28/2020

Amazing page and I was shocked when I first saw it in the book. Far too brutal to do this on TV, even at TV-MA+. Great piece.

James Dornoff Member Since 2019

Posted On 12/8/2020

Wow!!! What an amazing moment caught in comic history!

Peter Sullivan Member Since 2006

Posted On 11/9/2021

She will be okay. She will get up in a minute. She might want a bite to eat....Maybe shoot her in the head. It is a zombie apocalypse after all.

Ken Martin Member Since 2005

Posted On 11/28/2021

such a powerful page. Your WD collection is INSANE!

Hobby Halbert Member Since 2022

Posted On 1/26/2022

That looks like it hurt! But in all seriousness, 'grats on this huge pickup! It looks awesome

O P Member Since 2006

Posted On 4/19/2022

The drama! Im full of admiration!

James S Member Since 2017

Posted On 8/31/2022

This is such a terrible and memorable page! Nice key moment.

matthew reed Member Since 2006

Posted On 9/28/2023

there are a couple images from these early issues that still make me nauseated. its not because of the gore (i can handle that) but more because i was so invested in these characters. i had never or since been so into a story. i was almost afraid to open each new issue.

Peter Venkman Member Since 2003

Posted On 12/7/2023

The splash that killed many readers with a single bullet, congrats !

Ken Lomas Member Since 2020

Posted On 7/10/2024

Fantastic moment in the run. Great find.

GianCarlo Nardini Member Since 2004

Posted On 8/21/2024

Gutwrenching.

artless artmore Member Since 2013

Posted On 1/17/2025

Amazing piece from this storied series --- Adlard was born to draw this tale!

Joe Murray Member Since 2006

Posted On 8/2/2025

Wow, so much impact and relevance in one splash, big congrats!

Craig Zablo Member Since 2004

Posted On 8/24/2025

THAT was a shocking scene that I did not see coming. Congrats on owning it!

Craig Zablo Member Since 2004

Posted On 8/24/2025

THAT was a shocking scene that I did not see coming. Congrats on owning it!

Jimmy Cawley Member Since 2015

Posted On 12/17/2025

A tragedy in the comic, a celebration in the show! A jarring moment in the series either way. Congrats

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The Walking Dead #48, pg 10 | The Lori & Judith Grimes Death Splash (Image, 2008)

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