"I think people love the source material because no character is sacred, no character is safe, and anyone -- even the most beloved and innocent people in the comic -- could be killed at any moment, " said Blair Butler, comic book expert for G4's "Attack of the Show" -- and one of many fans of the book's creator, Robert Kirkman.

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Another source of economic damage associated with defamation of character could be how such defamation has impacted the off-field earnings for Mr. Vilma.

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The idea that converting a small portion of deposits into equity claims in an economy with a population of barely more than 1 million could be a source of systemic risk suggests the hair-trigger character of the current situation.

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The source said that aside from interviewing some of the figures involved in Troopergate, the vetters did not talk to character witnesses in Alaska.

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