"The Walking Dead" promises bigger and better undead mayhem during Season 2 as Rick Grimes and his band of survivors confront the harsh realities of their apocalyptic world.

AMC's zombie series held a panel at Comic-Con International on Friday to promote its highly anticipated premiere Oct. 16. Season 2 will feature 13 episodes and will now air at 9 p.m.

“Every character has their own challenges," said actress Laurie Holden, who plays Andrea. "If you are a fan of The Walking Dead graphic novel, you’re going to love this season!”

Based on Robert Kirkman's acclaimed comic, the tragic tale follows a police officer from a small Kentucky town as he leads his family and a group of survivors across the country in search of a safe home.

"There’s an expectation now; first season nobody knew what was coming," Kirkman explained. "I can say it’s made everybody work harder. It’s empowered us to try harder. We’re taking that seriously and really trying to deliver.

"Putting these characters through their paces is a big part of what we're aiming to do with this show."

Three-time Academy Award-nominee Frank Darabont (“The Shawshank Redemption,” “The Green Mile”) -- who serves as an executive producer, director and writer on the show -- promises a seamless transition between seasons as the survivors flee Atlanta.

“Season 2 picks up with five seconds of overlap with the end of the first season," Darabont said. "They’re driving away in the truck and the CDC blows up. None of this ‘six months later’ crap.”

"The Walking Dead" broke ratings records when it premiered Oct. 31, 2010, reaching more adults 18 to 49 than any other show in the history of cable television. Hailed as one of the best new shows of the year, the series was also nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Television Series -- Drama.

The series also stars Andrew Lincoln ("Love, Actually," "Teachers"), Jon Bernthal ("The Pacific," "The Ghost Writer"), Steven Yeun, Sarah Wayne Callies ("Prison Break"), Chandler Riggs ("Get Low"), Jeffrey DeMunn ("The Green Mile").

View the new Season 2 trailer here.