Mike Allred's Exciting Evolution as an Artist

[@Michael-tf8om]

WOW! Possibly the most thorough/accurate/concise summary of my early career I've ever seen! Happily, the cringing I experience re-visiting my first stuff is almost bearable now, so I appreciate how quickly you move past it. Usually when I see this sort of thing I usually note several corrections or clarifications. Nothing jumped out at me! A very impressive well-researched effort! Dare I say...ENTERTAINING? And all about yers truly! Wild! Makes me want to go out and get all my comics. Wait! There all right here in our archives! Good times! Thank you GARGANTUALLY for your enthusiastic support! Michael "The Spike" "Red" Allred

[@RoyalRay7hwi01amqwro]

🐐

[@gogomonstertruck]

Love yours and your wife’s work, Mike. X-Statix is actually the series that got me to read X-Men and huge fan of iZombie!

[@agarza915]

The man himself!

[@allluckyseven]

Holy smokes, it's Mike Allred! Love your stuff, Mike!

[@Michael-tf8om]

@@gogomonstertruck Thanks! Infinitely grateful to everyone that supports our comics, spreads the word (few things are more powerful than word of mouth), and allows us to live the dream to do what we do.

[@Michael-tf8om]

WATTA TREAT! Thank you EVERYONE for the very kind and encouraging comments!

[@smbcollector]

You’re one of the best out there, you deserve it! You were a huge influence on my brother’s indie comics! I think he may have even mailed you some, but it’s called Freakshow Squadron Comics if you wanna see the stuff you helped inspire. He also does lots of other creative stuff like music under his art label Hypno Brain. Thanks again, Mike!

[@stardust_memories2260]

Mike & Laura Allred what a team!!! Her colors make his art really pop out... Popart

[@galactic85]

They really do work together very well. The shot of the impericon from that first issue of Silver Surfer #1 alone is insane. I can't imagine how you start to color that image.

[@Michael-tf8om]

She's crazy good, and I'm crazy lucky :'D

[@Michael-tf8om]

@@galactic85 To show you how awesome Laura is, when I dropped that double pager on her, she gave me a brief harsh look and then dove right in, and you've seen the result. BAM!

[@TheGoldenNeil]

Heck yeah, love Allred! He’s a real funky dude, always seems so chill

[@Michael-tf8om]

Always doing my best to chill my funk ;'P

[@galactic85]

The Slott/Allred Silver Surfer run is one of my all time favorite comics. Love Mike Allred's art and his wife's coloring.

[@Xjr555kid]

That series made the silver surfer one of my favourite characters. I argued a lot with my girlfriend at the time cause she said it was just a knock off Dr. Who

[@Michael-tf8om]

That was a dream come true. MArvel was great with us allowing us to take all the time we ever needed. I was able to do every issue without help of a fill-in. SO happy whenever I think about working on it with Dan.

[@Michael-tf8om]

@@Xjr555kid We'd call it a "homage". Dan is a HUGE fan of the Doctor and always happily acknowledged it was very much inspired by it.

[@lanciferian]

Madman was one of the first comics I bought actual issues of and Allred has always been a huge influence on me, so it's awesome to finally hear your insight on him

[@Michael-tf8om]

Fun for us too! Thanks!

[@danielwoodhouse8475]

Straight-up the most thorough and high quality KZbin channel for comics.

[@workingclasspatriot5001]

Mike Allred is one of my favorite comic artists and in the list of the top 25 comic artists of all time ( in my opinion). Madman is incredible , I zombie --- beautiful, and his David Bowie bio trade paperback is one if the cleanest pieces of his work I've seen. Thank you Mike and Laura for years of top notch work!!!!

[@Michael-tf8om]

Wow! So honored!

[@graefx]

I'm glad I was able to come across Mike Allred when I was a kid. I forget the circumstances, but I found Superman Madman hullaballoo at the mall bookstore and it just spoke to me. Had no clue who Madman was and Superman TAS was on TV at the time, but I had to get it

[@Michael-tf8om]

PLEASE check out our new SUPERMAN: Space Age book at the end of July. I hope you'll see I've gotten a lot better drawing "The First Father of Comic Books"! It's massively epic! THREE 80 page volumes!

[@madman1216]

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I've loved Mike's work ever since Grafik Muzik (I have the first Madman issue). He is an unrecognized treasure!

[@theajshow]

His run on X-Force/X-Statix is one of my most favorite runs on a comic ever! Maybe I should check out Madman, it's all really groovy.

[@vito]

Allred is the coolest artist in the entire mainstream superhero comic space

[@HistoriaenCeluloide]

I'm still hoping you talk someday about Larry Lieber, he was more than just Stan Lee's brother, he was a great comic book creator on his own right 🧐

[@thedukeofchutney468]

True. I kind of feel bad for him as the only person I really ever heard acknowledge him in any significant way was his brother, which, despite Stan's likely sincerity, could kinda just come off as nepotism.

[@HistoriaenCeluloide]

@@thedukeofchutney468 not to mention he was in charge of the Spiderman comic strip for more than 30 years until his cancelation from newspapers a couple of years ago

[@natalieshark]

I have been a fan of Mike Allred since I was a child. This has made me very happy. He’s such a creative genius. You nailed it when you described the passion and joy. Something about Allred’s work just feels like comics perfected. I’ll read anything he’s worked on because I know the art will hold up its end.

[@Michael-tf8om]

Cuz of you we get to keep doing it! Infinitely grateful to everyone who supports what we do!

[@CoinOpTV]

excellent dude - big fan of Mike's art and Madman books

[@Michael-tf8om]

Thanks!

[@Sklabah]

Ah, back in the day. Madman, Grendel and Nexus were the books that kept me coming back, and are still among my faves. Met Mr. Allred at SD ComicCon once. He seemed shy and chill, and I was being a fanboy, I'm sure. Fun episode!

[@OomaGooma]

I love Michael Allred’s work. Been a fan since the 90s.

[@kaboombox1581]

Got turned onto MADMAN from the “Nexus meets Madman” crossover book in 1996, there was no turning back after that.

[@Wild4Hockey]

That was fast! Good job, Chris!

[@ChartreusianInfusion]

I know some people who aren’t really into comics but LOVE quirky, fun, pop art, and music stuff so THIS vid is a perfect intro and primer for them! Thanks. :)

[@haystacks6181]

Oh an Allred video, X-Cellent! I like these videos that focus on an artist, writer, etc as they give me an opportunity to learn something about the industry that isn't just the story unfolding in the issues. Looking forward to watching this one later today

[@meowco69]

I remember many moons ago picking up Madman on a whim and was just blown away. I'd never seen anything so unique in the artwork and the storytelling. Thank you for this awesome video of such a talented artist.

[@ActionFigureAtorium]

awesomely timely. I just started posting my Madman action figures pix on IG a few days prior, and I thought "who even knows who Mike Allred is? much less MadMan." great episode this one.

[@haydenjohnw]

Mike Allred is one of my absolutely favs. I’ll be getting a madman tattoo soon.

[@haydenjohnw]

Fun fact: I had an Uber driver in San Diego, young guy in his 20’s at the time, got who dated his daughter. Said that “It-Girl” was modeled after her.

[@Michael-tf8om]

I have two ;'P

[@Michael-tf8om]

@@haydenjohnw Hah! What?! He dated Laura? I don't think so. I've been with Laura from teenage-dom ;'P

[@haydenjohnw]

@@Michael-tf8om He was actually saying that he dated your daughter (I believe when they were in high school?). Really nice guy. He had brown hair and a nose ring, kind of an indie rocker aesthetic. This Uber ride took place in 2015-ish.

[@Michael-tf8om]

@@haydenjohnw Ooh yeah! That's very possible! She definitely inspired IT GIRL as well!

[@nickdirienzo2849]

We love you for not breaking the flow with ads!

[@denistuohy2535]

I wonder if Terry McGuinnes (Batman Beyond) is visually based on Allred’s character Calvin from Dead Air, they look basically identical in every way.

[@atquinn1975]

Loved Mike's art since the black, white and purple Madman back in the day! It was very cool to learn about the earlier days.

[@bengordon2330]

Thanks!

[@sub-jec-tiv]

His stuff is so good. Started picking up Madman as soon as i saw it; was an indie comix weirdo and big Flaming Carrot fan. So even though I wasn’t so into superhero stuff, simply loved the crazy offbeat vibe in those early issues of Madman. I still have all those Madman issues, the Tundra run & such. Even the earlier stuff which is slightly rougher, has the same type of charm as indies like Flaming Carrot. Having been a fan of EC comics and early Mad Magazine as a kid in the 70s, i was excited to see someone with interest in a more classic/vintage art style. Bravo Mike! 👏

[@randomfluffypup9608]

man i love comic tropes.

[@JonnyHanukkah]

One of my favorite all time artists since the mid 1990s. Madman has been on my shelf since I found the first collection of the Tundra comics

[@slothman1016]

Allred and Slott's Silver Surfer was the first comic to make me cry, it was unlike any Marvel book I've ever read, more akin to a Doctor Who series with so much heart.

[@A1441]

You should get at least a million subscribers, ComicTropes! You can easily bring readers from the '90s up to speed with your wonderful coverage of comics history and the creators that populated it. I learn a lot of new things from your videos. Kudos!

[@momokomiyafuji396]

FANTASTIC episode. Mike Allred is one of my favorite creators. I discovered him about the same time that you did and you really filled in the processes and experiences that I was only able to follow visually. One thing I can say with certainty, if Mike Allred’s name is on the cover you know you’ve got a fantastic book in your hands.

[@williamjones9839]

Love it. I love Image Madman #3 so much I have it framed on my wall. That comic is a work of genius.

[@OtakuD50]

I can't wait to hear all about Michael Groovy and his influence on Allred's Comics!

[@Michael-tf8om]

Same ;'P

[@Shinmsl]

I remember seeing Mike allred artwork when I was a wee teenager and disliked it a lot (I was not very open-minded at that age about comic art )so since then I only had like a vague negative purview of his work without even knowing much about it.However your video has opened my eyes! I am much more drawn to this type of artwork and stories today, so it has completely shifted my perception of this man's work ,I'm going to search for it and devour it! Thank you so much for your video!

[@meltdownremix1996]

I've been meaning to get into Madman and other Allred work so this video came at the right time

[@galactic85]

Read silver surfer. One of the rare comics where the writer and artistic team are so in sync that they work magic. One of my all time favorite comics.

[@PharaohDom]

One of my fav episodes to date featuring one of my favorite artists! Great stuff as usual.

[@jimschleich8753]

I continue to applaud your dedication to giving us just the right amount of "a-do" in the introduction!! Great video on a very talented creator!!

[@brexthompson]

very happy your making videos of comic artist they need more of a spotlight

[@angusbyers]

Hands down one of my all time favorite series and artist! Great job dude!

[@ron_ald69]

great stream tonight and great video, chris!

[@sambeer9265]

Ohh jeez I just love you're content. I'm so sick of comic hunting and speculation videos. I actually look forward to your stuff. Keep it up... OR ELSE! P.S. i just discovered Allred (coolest last name ever btw) through the current x-cellent run and just kinda loved the Allreds style, so it's was perfect timing to get some back story on them! Thansk

[@crashline]

Allred is one of my favorites

[@ChimBrouer]

Thanks, comics like Madman brought me back to comics as an adult. I am totally in love with Mike Allred, because of his 60s "vibe", as you pointed out. To me, he has the creativity of Jack Kirby. My greatest wish would be a longer Fantastic Four run with the original character from Mike Allred. He once did the "FF - Fantastic Faux" mini-series for Marvel. I wish for a real FF comic run, with Jack Kirbys character like Dr. Doom, Inhumans and Galactus/Silver Surfer.

[@jaymiiwilde3772]

Im such a megafan of Mike's work it makes me so happy to see you cover him, I also have first prints of the original tundra issues that I can only dream of one day having Mike sign.

[@dwaynemuth8775]

Excellent video,Chris! I’ve been following Mike &Laura for past 30+ years and really enjoyed Madman! Over the years Mike’s artwork aided by Laura has evolved and always catches my eye 👁!

[@phycofox858]

so when I was young my elementary school library had one of the madman omnibus's and I was like the only person who ever checked it out and I was so In love with his art to this day

[@adamderosa9142]

I think I've commented about doing another Allred episode since the X-Statix one, particularly about Madman/ indie creations. Thanks Chris!!

[@smbcollector]

Mike Allred is right up there as one of my favorite comic creators. A couple others are Jack Cole and Aaron Alexovich if you’re looking for more topic ideas, heh.

[@garymckay2929]

Honestly while I appreciate you not putting ads in the middle of the video, if it helps you more, I wouldn’t mind at all

[@GeronimoStiltstom]

SICK OPENING!!! its been awhile things have changed in a cool way!

[@thomasgurburger7580]

I love this video! You introduced me to Mike Allred's art and I'm forever grateful for that. Thank You!

[@LambdaJM]

Danke!

[@TylerSkylionChilders]

Red Rocket 7 is my all time fav jam

[@PaulRWorthington]

Thanks for the great episode. I enjoyed Allred's work from his first published issues. It was great to see him evolve and imprive.

[@dieinfire920]

I really love Allred style. My introduction to his work was through X-Factor/X-Statix and after checking Madman, I can say that yes, the acrobatic and style of Mister Sensitive and the looks of Deadgirl are clearly a derivative of that character. This video got me interested in checking more about Allred works!! Please do Secret Six!!!!

[@benadrylthundercrotch7144]

I NEED to throw Mike's run on FF on here, it's one of my favorite runs and I found it surprisingly moving at multiple points.

[@zufalllx]

If your opinion is Mr Fantastic, then mine is Dr Doom. It is impossible for me to disagree more with every part of that.

[@LegendOfTheBat]

Thanks for introducing me to this artist, Chris. Really digging this drawing style, giving me Chris Samnee on Daredevil vibes.

[@BigApeBooks]

Thanks for that great take on Allred. I will definitely check out his work!

[@jeremysmith4620]

Tundra, part comics publisher, part furnace that ran on money. Who knows what the landscape of great comic art would have looked like through the last several decades without Eastman warming so many young, talented artists by the glow of his Turtle money bonfire.

[@NachiketNaik]

I've been working on my comic and got demotivated and hadnt been making progress. But somehow this video reignited my passion. Comics are awesome and I'm gonna make some tonight :-)

[@bronzevillecomics2581]

Loved Allred’s work on Batman ‘66. Currently trying to collect all the variant covers he did for the issues #31.

[@gregoryguy1062]

A great overview of this creator. Definitely drives me to seek out more of his work.

[@KaliFissure]

I have been picking up his work since early Madman comics and it's really great to see the whole creative arc of such a great artist. Longest single panel ever done was his...

[@ven1568]

Another great video! I’ll definitely have to pick up something from Allred this week from my local store. Idk if I’ve ever been as excited to read a comic as I was to read Quietly’s All-Star Superman the day after you did a video on him! Thanks for what you do, Chris!

[@MichaEl-hl7pp]

Awesome, I’ve been waiting for you to cover him and Madman in at least some capacity. It’s shocking how little coverage of Mad Man there is on KZbin.

[@themadmachad1079]

I saw the thumbnail first and was wondering what Michael Groovy Allred’s Comics was lol

[@marvinnation]

Another great episode, Chris!! Just like Allred, your own style just keeps evolving!! Keep at it!

[@richmcgee434]

Had a Madman t-shirt back in the 90s. Wore it so much it disintegrated in the wash. Come to think of it, I had a Mage tee and Flash tee in that era too. Wore a lot of lightning bolts back in the day.

[@K3M15A]

another great video. well worth the extra day's wait.

[@smacksalad]

This is great. I was regularly buying comics a lot at this time, but didnt know anything about the industry and altho I saw Madman in the shops in its early run, I never got round to reading any. I'll go buy some now :) There is something that I like about Dan Clowes work in Allred's stuff. Havent been buying comics in years, this channel is great :) Thanks.

[@georgewithecombe]

Thanks

[@henryferkey4505]

I clicked for Mike and I see a Jim Rugg Octobriana comic on the spinner rack! I am absolutely sharing this video.

[@maxpower4757]

Another great dive into an artist's growth

[@eriksandberg4440]

Aarghh! You've done it again, Chris! Now I have to buy that Madman omnibus!

[@Stephen09479]

I’ve never read Madman before but it looks very engaging. Excellent as always Chris!

[@Stephen09479]

Just sent a WhatsApp to your number. Cheers!

[@patrickraissi6867]

Thanks, Chris! Love your videos. You have a great insight into the BTS world of comics

[@thetimturnershow2883]

Definitely wanna read Madman at some point. Mike Allred is a Legend!!

[@LyraFay12]

I adore allreds partly because they are so different from the usual realistic comic art. One of my favs of theirs's was art ops and their doom patrol issue (I would kill for an allred doom patrol series.)

[@Michael-tf8om]

Doing DOOM PATROL was another lifelong dream come true! Gerard gifted me the most perfect script to rock my "Bruno Premiani DNA" to the max!

[@danielknauss5019]

I devoured every Madman issue I could find as a teenager. Then Red Rocket 7 came out and the publishing format on heavy paper covers in a non-standard sizing really made it stand out on the shelf. I was always frustrated it didn’t fit into my boxes of other back issues though.

[@robertrada4783]

I latched onto Madman early on. I really dug that one.

[@gtree7047]

Great job on another show.

[@t19coles88]

Great stuff Chris. It's always entertaining.

[@juliogodoy8296]

Thank you for bringing to the light many valuable and not so known authors :)

[@johnsonbenjamin887]

This was a good watch !

[@thiagof414]

Leaving a comment. Thank you. Love your show!

[@MightyJonE]

Groovy vid, daddy-o, I dig it!

[@mrwasi99]

Love!!!! Great episode. Keep up the great work

[@belgiumcomics2537]

Your channel often reminds me that there is more in comic books than just Marvel and DC. I think you have a really great channel and i consider supporting you on your patreon as soon as i can. I just cant right now because of private reasons.

[@TheMelMan]

12:22 I love the art style from here.

[@JudgementalGoat]

Man I wouldn't mind at all if you took on some sponsorships, I mean it would help you kee the channel running, you do great comprehensive work!

[@thepastafarian3404]

Bit the bullet and joined...been a subscriber for a while; but felt the need to support more! Thank you for being a great personality and for well thought out and prepared content!

[@raycerx87]

He's one of my favorites.

[@danroberts007]

Great episode. I'll have to go back and read my Madman comix now... I think I have the Tundra issues, as those looked the most familiar to me from the video. I'm lucky enough to own some original Red Rocket art I bought from Mike Allred a looooooonnnnng time ago at San Diego Comic-con (he was great to talk to for the ~5-10 minutes or so I was able to hang out @ his table. I still have the Red Rocket issues stashed away on a closet shelf, although I should really be storing them with my LP's. They definitely won't fit in a long box! ;-)

[@KhanKalas1]

Great episode Chris...!

[@Hughes81]

Allred is my favorite artist. I will buy a comic JUST for his artwork.

[@craigallison8339]

Red Rocket 7 Was Awesome

[@mikecargioli3030]

Wow. Just the video I needed. I just bought a 100 random comic lot, and the most interesting book inside was a strange little (physically) issue of Madman Adventures. I was totally unfamiliar with Mike’s work. Now I’m an expert!