Jon Bernthal (Shane) vs. The Walking Dead at Phoenix Comicon 2012

Zombies nearly took over the Phoenix Comicon this past weekend with a Zombie walk, Zombie Beauty Pageant, High School of the Dead, and a Brain Eating Contest. We are huge fans of The Walking Dead, so we had to try to get as much news and updates as possible on The Walking Dead. Unfortunately, Robert Kirkman could not be at the Phoenix Comicon, but we had a chance to see Jon Bernthal who played Shane in AMC's The Walking Dead. He would be the only cast member present and would have control with huge long lines waiting for his autograph and a photo opportunity.

Jon Bernthal would soon take on a packed house in the ballroom and share his stories with us about The Walking Dead.

The audience waited in anticipation as we did for Jon Bernthal to arrive. He had been trying to meet his guests who were waiting for his autographs at his booth. He made his presence known and the crowd roared. It was funny though because he had entered the stage without waiting for his proper intro. I believe he threw the moderator off a bit and he apologized. The crowd found it fun! 

Jon Bernthal would immediately jump in talking about why he was at Phoenix Comicon, Jon Bernthal vs. The Walking Dead. He would talk about his role as Shane and how much he loved being part of AMC's The Walking Dead. He gave his interpretation of the character and how he was able to get the part.

We recorded some of the panel and discussion and have shared some of the highlights that Jon Bernthal discussed as Shane, including an alternate ending that he wanted for Shane's death and the lost scene that was filmed during the first episode of the second season.

We really loved what Jon Bernthal said about loneliness. He mentions that Shane is truly a lonely guy. There are two types of loneliness, one that you are far away from those you love and the second, is when you are there with the people you love, but can not be there as you want it to be. He mentions that the second is where Shane stood and he unfortunately pushed that loneliness to the extreme. 

He was asked many great questions from the audience. He did talk about how he got his role as Shane and how much he pushed for the role. Once he got it, he read the comic and said wait a minute, Shane is already dead? It was classic, with the audience laughing. Another question that would stand out is when someone asked him who he thought was the father and Jon Bernthal would say, "me!" 

Overall, we loved the panel and I felt it gave great closure to Shane being part of The Walking Dead. Jon Bernthal did say a little about being part of Frank Darabont new show that will air on TNT next year, L.A. Noir. 

Oh, and one thing to add about Jon Bernthal. When we had the opportunity to chat with him before the panel, we asked him one question about The Walking Dead. If he was asked to do a flashback scene, would he. He said that it would have to be up to Darabont at this point to allow that since he was now part of the L.A. Noir.