Regular Bloody readers know two things about me regarding “The Walking Dead”…I absolutely love the Image comic series, yet can’t stand AMC’s show. I understand that a lot of you guys really, really like it, so I’m not going to rain on the parade, but what I will say is that I am now officially intrigued by the forthcoming companion series.

EW caught up with “The Walking Dead” creator Robert Kirkman who is finally talking about the spinoff, codenamed “Cobalt”. What he says is exactly what I wanted to hear. But before we get to that, here’s a very vague description of the arc.

“I will say that this is going to be a show about family,” says Kirkman. “But it’s going to be a show about a different type of family that we haven’t explored in The Walking Dead thus far. So what we’re trying to do with The Walking Dead spinoff is keep the story as familiar as possible for people that love The Walking Dead, so you’ll get the kind of things that you expect from a Walking Dead story. But, at the same time, we’ll want to tell these stories in a completely different way with completely different people in a completely different setting that’s going to make for a fundamentally different show.

“I think the look and feel of The Walking Dead spinoff is going to be startlingly different.”

This is exactly what I wanted to hear. I wanted to love “The Walking Dead” more than anything in the world. And its success should be celebrated as it has opened so many doors for horror-themed television. But, frankly, it’s not good. Now, what I love about the above quote is that it feels as if he’s speaking to the fans, which means he’s forewarning them that they shouldn’t expect the same old song and dance. The show is so popular that, by no means, does he need to convince the haters to tune in when it airs later this year. Thus, I can only conclude that he’s been honest and forthcoming in the interview, which means that the new companion series deserves a real chance.

This fresh approach makes me think that it’s possible that Kirkman and the producing team have learned from years of mistakes. We can only hope that this new series is going to be an incredible (or, for fans of “The Walking Dead”, even better) experience.

Kirkman eludes to this as well, stating that it’s a new beginning, even for viewers.

“We want it to be a new show that can stand on its own… You could watch The Walking Dead spinoff if you’ve never watched an episode of The Walking Dead and get a really great, rich, fulfilling experience out of it. It has to be a show that can stand on its own. I think that’s what we’ve accomplished, and we start filming in a couple of days.

“I’m really excited.”

He’s excited? Feel these nipples!

Per Deadline: The untitled “Walking Dead” spinoff, code name “Cobalt,” takes place during the same zombie apocalypse depicted in the blockbuster mothership series but in a different location (Los Angeles). It revolves around a divorced teacher (Curtis) and a guidance counselor (Dickens), who are working together and are in a relationship. The counselor has two children from a previous marriage, played by Frank Dillane and Alycia Debnam Carey. She looks like the girl next door but has a darkness to her, a troubled past that will come back to haunt her.