The Walking Dead is really about fatherhood

Now that the Walking dead has blown the fuck up and is available across three mediums, the issue of fatherhood has become more and more prevalent. The bleak post-outbreak world forces it's inhabitants to make very tough choices on a daily basis, and these choices are even harder if you happen to be a parent. As a father myself, I feel absolute empathy for Rick, I relate to the difficult position he is in. However, now that the franchise is expanding, there are other fathers and father figures presenting themselves, furthermore cementing what I feel is the true topic of The Walking Dead; the modern dad.

Rick and Carl
Like every father figure in the franchise, Rick certainly knows loss. After what happens in book 8, Rick is shouldered with some serious decisions, with extreme ramifications to those he has sworn to protect. Coupled with the fact that Carl seems to be growing into some sort of cold, desensitized killing machine, Rick is experiencing some weird psychological problems at the moment. Rick is by far my favorite character, and I like to think that I would make the same decisions that he has if I was ever in the same situation. Carl has become Rick's hope, and the reason he makes some of the more radical choices. Rick wants a future where he can raise his son in peace and relative normalcy.

Herschel
Due to my own political beliefs, I really wanted to dislike Herschel initially. Then he lost his sons, and his daughters, all but two of his children are dead. So, I start having some sympathy for the old man, and then its revealed that he doesn't believe in killing the zombies, stating that there must be a "cure". Although his methods and religion are a little ancient, Herschel is a true humanitarian, and seems to have a good heart, but his farm-raised viewpoints push everyone away. I like his character because it is a great reflection of a certain type of American that is often talked about.

Morgan
Morgan and his son Duane were quite the compelling pair. It seemed that Morgan was a parallel Rick, with a dead wife and a son who ends up dying as well. Morgan was our window into the worst scenario a father can be forced into, and an example of true mental anguish. Personally harmful behavior, slamming his head into walls, painful flashbacks, creepy conversations with Carl, Morgan transformed over the course of the comic books from a hope-filled, practical thinking father, to a twisted, grief-stricken, and mentally disturbed crazy person. When it was time for Morgan to die, I think we all felt that he was finally at peace.

Lee and Clementine
I love the Walking Dead adventure games on the 360, and the biggest reason is Lee. His character is so well written, and his relationship with adopted Clementine is even more interesting than Lee's many secrets. This poor little girl's parents are dead, and she clings to Lee for protection. Lee murdered his wife, and feels that his family is ashamed of him, but he is trying so hard to make amends by protecting this little girl with his life. Lee is a great father figure for Clem, and a character dripping with moral ambiguity.

Those are my favorites, but the dads are all over the place. Kenny, Dale, the governor, these stories are all about the dad making the insane choices necessary to survive a zombie apocalypse. Kirkman knows his audience, and everyone can find someone or some idea to personally relate to in The Walking Dead. I feel compassion and a bond with the fathers of the wasteland, and find the story to be much more engaging because of it.

(Carl's going to kill Rick someday HOLYSHITFORESHADOWSPOILER!!!)