The Walking Dead Fan-Made Opening Sequence

Before The Walking Dead premiered on AMC, fans of the original graphic novels were treated to this pretty wonderful opening sequence created by fellow fan Daniel Kanemoto, an animator who had just moved from New York to Los Angeles.

“I began this project after witnessing all the promotion surrounding Frank Darabont’s adaptation of The Walking Dead at the San Diego Comic-Con,” Kanemoto says on a website he created for the viral project. “I’ve followed the show’s development for years, ever since Frank optioned Robert Kirkman’s groundbreaking comic book. And when I laid eyes on the teaser trailer, I was thrilled, both as a fan and a filmmaker… because what I saw onscreen looked exactly like what I imagined when I first read the comic.”

The trailer uses artwork by Charlie Adlard & Tony Moore from the books set to the song “Fresh Blood” by the eels, an apropos selection for a series that’s proved to be both thoughtful and gory. “The song is a perfect thematic fit for Kirkman’s story, which brilliantly illustrates why, in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse, the undead aren’t the only ones who seek ‘fresh blood’… so do the survivors,” Kanemoto says. “To quote one of my favorite lines from the comic, delivered by the main character, Rick Grimes: ‘We ARE the walking dead!’”

And to hold you over until next week, here’s a sneak peek at Episode 3, “Tell It To the Frogs”: