AMC's hit show "The Walking Dead" may be flagging in ratings, but it continues to be one of the most popular series on television even after a whopping seven seasons. As such, it seems likely that the show will stick around for quite some time. But just how long can "The Walking Dead" maintain this popularity? If you believe series creator Robert Kirkman, we could see at least five more years of zombie mayhem.

In the backmatter of "The Walking Dead" #161, the most recent issue of the comic, Kirkman explained, "It took us 6 seasons to get to 100... It won’t take us 6 years to get to 200 and that will take us to season … TWELVE. And we’ll still be ahead of the show at that point."

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As it stands, the comic book version of “The Walking Dead’ is about 50 issues ahead of where the show currently stands. If the show and comic book both continue their current pace, it would take years for the show to catch up to where the comic book is now. What Kirkman is essentially saying, then, is that there’s still years and years worth of stories left for “The Walking Dead” if the comic book continues its run and the show continues at its pace of adaptation.

Returning Sunday, February 12 at 9 pm ET/PT on AMC, “The Walking Dead” stars Andrew Lincoln as Rick Grimes, Chandler Riggs as Carl Grimes, Norman Reedus as Daryl Dixon, Melissa McBride as Carol Peleteir, Lauren Cohan as Maggie Green, Danai Gurira as Michonne and more.

(via ComicBook.com)