"The Walking Dead" returns to AMC on Oct. 14, according to showrunner Glen Mazzara, who made the announcement today at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Season 3 features 16 episodes and follows the wildly successful sophomore season, which broke a basic cable record when it pulled in 9 million viewers for its action-packed finale, "Beside the Dying Fire." That episode was directed by Ernest R. Dickerson ("Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight," "Dexter"), who returns to helm the Season 3 premiere.

"The Walking Dead" follows police officer Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) as he leads his family and a group of survivors across the country in search of a safe home as zombie hordes threaten their every move.

Lincoln ("Love, Actually," "Teachers") was recently nominated during the 2012 Airlock Alpha Portal Awards for Best Actor/Television. You can now participate in the voting here.

In 2011, the series earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Television Series - Drama and won the 2011 Emmy Award for Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup.

"The Walking Dead" also stars Steven Yeun, Sarah Wayne Callies ("Prison Break"), Chandler Riggs ("Get Low") and Laurie Holden ("Shield").

The GenreNexus sites -- Airlock Alpha, Rabid Doll and Inside Blip -- are at Comic-Con International and its coverage is being brought to you exclusively by Roddenberry.com.