For many, AMC’s Walking Dead is an obsession. For 17-year-old Arthur Wear, it became a dream come true.
Over the weekend, New Orleans Saints punter Thomas Morstead and his foundation, What You Give Will Grow , arranged a private meet and greet for Arthur and the cast over at Wizard World Comic-Con New Orleans.
Arthur has been battling soft-tissue sarcoma for months now. According to WGNO.com , the only solace he took in between bouts of chemotherapy was watching The Walking Dead every Sunday night, making the surprise trip to Wizard World New Orleans something Wear will never forget.
Arthur enjoyed a front row seat at the panel, a signed copy of the latest issue of the Walking Dead comic book series and a private meet and greet back stage. There he got to meet series stars Scott Wilson, who played fan-favorite Hershel Greene, Rick’s former best friend John Berenthal, who played Shane, and Andrew West, who played the villainous Gareth this past season.
“The reason we do this is for our fans, for people like Arthur,” West told reporters at the show. “And if it means something to them then that’s all you could ever hope for.”
Arthur will soon get to enjoy new episodes of The Walking Dead , as the mid-season premiere is fast approaching. As reported by Inquisitr , a new teaser trailer shows the gang walking through a foggy forest, led by Rick Grimes. Grimes halts the group with a raised hand and says, in a voice over, “Survival together is all that matters.”
From that point on, all current survivors, including Daryl, Glen, Maggie, Abraham, Tyrone, and more open fire on an unseen enemy. “It’s all that matters,” Rick reiterates at the end, after the group lowers their arms and continues on their path.
Speaking of survival, series creator Robert Kirkman recently sat down for an interview with CNN . And his choice of words could leave every Walking Dead fan in tears.
“No, no one is safe, definitely not. Looking at you, Norman Reedus,” the 36-year-old writer/creator said. Kirkman also discussed the difference in which characters get killed on the show as compared to in the comic book.
“It’s different because it started as the comic. And so working on the comic the artist and I kill characters and it’s no big deal. But when it comes to the television show you get to know the actor, and you see the house that they bought in Senoia, Ga. for filming. And it’s like, ‘Oh, they’re not going to live in that house anymore.’ That’s awkward.”
The Walking Dead returns in February on AMC.