Collecting the Dead

Proof of the success of The Walking Dead comes in the cult-like devotion fans have for specific zombies.

McFarlane Toys makes a range of The Walking Dead figures; while the major character figures — your Ricks, your Michonnes — are fairly easy to find, collectors hunt the zombies into extinction almost as soon as they're released.

Every zombie has its supporters — Bicycle Girl, the notorious Well Zombie (an obese, waterlogged zombie that has perhaps the most revolting comeuppance of any character on the show) and Gas Mask Zombie (complete with a face that tears away with its mask).

Todd McFarlane has also designed figures for collector's-edition DVD and Blu-ray releases, showcasing the season's standout zombies. Of these, probably the most spectacular was the limited-edition figure of Winslow, a zombie gladiator enhanced with spikes of scrap metal and rebar, whom Rick fights in season 10.

This article originally appeared in emmy magazine, Issue No. 9, 2021