As scores of fans around the country are bracing themselves for the Season 3 Finale of the AMC hit series The Walking Dead this Sunday, here’s a little something to “whet their appetites.” I recently had the opportunity and pleasure to engage in a one-on-one phone conversation with Gale Anne Hurd, one of the show’s Executive Producers, who has also been responsible for some of the great sci-fi productions of the modern age, like The Terminator franchise, Aliens, and The Abyss, among others. Hurd had lots to say about the apocalyptic zombie-riddled soaper and the phenomenon that is The Walking Dead, as well as teasing a little about Sunday’s finale, and even offering up some fun personal tidbits about what makes her sci-fi moxie tick.

Geeks of Doom: Well, the last episode of The Walking Dead was obviously a shocker, and I know the season 3 finale is coming up on Sunday, so in the throes of all of this, are you still surprised at what a phenomenon this is, do you ever get used to this?

Gale Anne Hurd: No, you can’t get used to it. [laughs] And why would you want to? We just have the best fans in the world and we do our best to keep them engaged, and sadly, sometimes we have to break their hearts and our hearts.

Geeks of Doom: What’s the biggest challenge each week in keeping the show fresh and unpredictable, which you have been able to do? It’s been amazing to think with the narrative that it is that the show surprises, jolts, and shocks everybody each week.

Gale Anne Hurd: Well, I think the most important thing is to make sure that all of the events and the plot points develop from character. We strive really hard to do that, to make sure that the plot isn’t in charge, that everything that happens is motivated by character, and that the consequences of some of these devastating events affect the surviving characters.

Not that it should come as any great shock to anyone familiar with how much of a wildfire hit AMC’s The Walking Dead is, but the network has officially greenlighted season four of the series, which tells the stories of survivors of a zombie apocalypse and their constant battle to stay alive.

What may come as a shocker, is that Glen Mazzara, the man who stepped in for creator Frank Darabont as showrunner when he was fired, is now also stepping down from his position.

Continue reading for more, as well as to read multiple statements from those involved in the show.

If you haven’t picked up issue one of Aspen Comics‘ Dead Man’s Run, now is the perfect time! Dead Man’s Run #2, written by Greg Pak with art by Tony Parker, comes out this Wednesday. You can check out some preview pages from the issue here below.

For those who haven’t been initiated yet, check out my review of the first issue by here.

At the recent Television Critics Association press tour AMC announced that the episode order for the third season of their popular post-apocalyptic horror-drama The Walking Dead has been increased to 16, as opposed to 13 for the second season. They also released the poster for the show’s mid-season premiere next month.

You can check out the poster, featuring a stark and powerful shot of the show’s main character Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln), and a press release here below.

Uber-producer and former Mrs. James Cameron Gale Anne Hurd (Aliens, The Walking Dead) has a new television project, and this time rather than focus on a world besieged by undead cannibals Hurd is looking to explore the mysteries of the unknown that exist within our own borders, and I’m not just talking about the popularity of Snuggies.

The producer is developing a television series based on the recently published non-fiction book Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base by Annie Jacobsen.