How this "terrible artist" made MILLIONS

This story could be a Hollywood movie.
Reading Guide
Hawk & Dove: amzn.to/44EujAU
First Part of New Mutants: amzn.to/3PRi0NG
Second Part of New Mutants: amzn.to/46GOmR8
Complete X-Force Run: amzn.to/3XOP36Z
Liefeld’s Captain America: amzn.to/3XTqUMC
Recent Work on Deadpool: amzn.to/3rsBluo
Youngblood Appears to be out of print, so good luck finding it!
McFarlane’s Run on Spider-Man as artist: amzn.to/3PX39Bw
McFarlane’s Relaunched Spider-Man: amzn.to/44pXAj4
Spawn! amzn.to/3JWT2sq
As an amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
All of the Marvel books are also available digitally with a Marvel Unlimited subscription.
Notes & Corrections
-I have simplified enormously to try and fit 30 years in under 20 minutes. I have tried to keep everything truthful, reliably sourced, and respectful to everyone involved. But, given the scope I’m sure I have made some mistakes, so please let me know in the comments and I will include them here.
-I misheard McFarlane’s quote about Liefeld, sourced from The Comics Journal interview, but I believe it has the same meaning.
Sources and Further Viewing
Hawk & Dove Controversy In Depth: bleedingcool.com/comics/rob-l...
Very interesting video about the full story behind that Captain America Picture:
• Everything You Know Ab...
(This channel also has a video about Liefeld, but I don’t watch other creators’ videos on projects I’m working on, so hopefully it’s not the same as mine!)
Many of the facts were sourced from Liefeld’s very good podcast Robservations. Please check it out. Where possible I tried to fact-check from non-Liefeld sources as well.
Liefeld & McFarlane VHS: • The Comic Book Greats ...
Lifeld & Stan Lee: • The Comic Book Greats ...
Liefeld on Dennis Miller: • Rob Liefeld On Dennis ...
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous: • Rob Liefeld on "Lifest...
2019 Interview: • Todd McFarlane & Rob L...
Interview with Mark Millar: • Millar Time EP02 - Rob...
The Image Revolution covers much of the drama I barely got into: • Video
Much of the drama and McFarlane Quotes are from Issue 195 of the Comics Journal in which both McFarlane and Liefeld give extended interviews. Digital archives are available from Fantagraphics with a subscription.
Other Sources & Further Reading:
www.peterdavid.net/2010/08/20...
www.peterdavid.net/2010/08/23/...
www.cbr.com/rob-liefeld-contr...
www.cbr.com/who-created-cable...
uncannyxmen.net/secrets-behin...

[@mattwith4ts]

A few notes/corrections (includes spoilers): -I mention Louise Simonson but show a picture of Ann Nocenti. This will haunt me until the end of my days. Weezy deserves better. As does Ann. I'll be sure to get to them both in future videos. -I show Stan Lee and say Spike Lee. I actually do mean Spike Lee though! The video of him in a yellow shirt is a Levis ad commercial that was directed by Spike Lee, where Rob creates a character called "Spike man" for him. The Stan Lee video was a direct-to-VHS interview. But the way I edited it is very confusing. -Marc Gruenwald hires him to Marvel and then I show DC books. His first published work was for Marvel, illustrations of the Zodiac in a Handbook of the Marvel Universe Issue. I found what I believed was the work in question, but I wasn't able to verify it, so I ended up cutting it, leading to the confusion. So yes, he does start at Marvel, before really launching his career at DC before dramatically returning to Marvel. -Someone said I slipped a Larsen page in with Todd's Spider-Man pages, sorry about that! -As always, there's a ton I left out. There were multiple causes of Liefeld's departure from image. His poaching of talent from Silvestri's Top Cow, some accusations of using Image resources to promote non-Image books, inability to pay back a fee that was inadvertently paid out to all the image partners, etc. And yes, Jim Lee would return to do work for Marvel as well and wasn't kicked out of Image. But again, there's so much to the Image story that I'll cover in the future, I really just wanted to focus on Liefeld and his relationship with McFarlane and not spend half the video on Image drama. -I show an establishing shot of San Francisco when I say San Diego! I was too focused on trying to get that little graphic to look cool. Oops! Thank you all for embracing this video and for keeping me honest with the fact checks! I always strive to catch everything but things inevitably slip by me.

[@traviswilcox3472]

Nice that you clarify certain errors. Your stuff is fun to watch. Do more vids on other comic book creators, specifically ones that actually have artistic talent & can write well ;)

[@Lardfist0]

Why do we fall? So that we can pick ourselves up. Good job, man. Still a great video.

[@brokeandtired]

Yeah his proportions were off a bit, but like who fking cares. He brought a bombastic anime style and it was an awesome breath of fresh air. He was good where it mattered...vision, flair and so much visual energy it slapped you in the face. Loved his art style.

[@blerdwords5725]

DUDE! This video was awesome. #subscribeded I grew up a Image/Liefeld fanboy and then "turned on" him after his Cap run... This video was eye opening. I think I may have been too hard on small feet guy. I am glad that Rob and Todd are working thru stuff. Looking forward to more vids... Interested to see things from Lee's, Larsen's, Portacio's , Valentino's and Silvestri's perspectives

[@Chrishansen01]

Please do a video for each Image creator!!!!!

[@cronosnow6284]

I honestly don’t care how bad his art style is. The fact that he worked hard at a young age to provide for his dad and family automatically gives him my highest respect.

[@Producadv]

Yeah that is beyond heavy stuff and very cool of him. I'm sure a lot of his more rambunctious ego moments is due to feeling success in a life that is constantly challenging to take everything you love away from you.

[@SamuSayo]

am i the only one who likes his art style?

[@captaintoyota3171]

Well i was there 4 the comic revolution/death in the 90s. Him n Todd changed the game. Average artist at best or not their ideas changed comics. Then comics died so who knows.

[@captaintoyota3171]

​long as its not obviously traced over

[@techpriest5452]

​@@SamuSayoYes yes you are.

[@yujibell]

I feel for his backstory but "he robs, he lies and he fails" must have delivered pure emotional damage 😂

[@kazekozzy4756]

LOL, I thought the same!

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

That was so brutal and such a clean roast! But regardless of that, I do heavily respect and admire Rob Liefeld alot because of his passion for art and comics and alot of his early artwork for comics as shown in the video before they started to have issues as Mattt pointed out in the video.

[@njmusica]

BARS

[@Vengalicous]

It's in his name,Rob Lie-feld.. Feld becomes fled...

[@_BASIC_INSTINCT]

"rob lie fail" 😭💀

[@josephjack4365]

Was watching this unironically because I’ve seen that captain America photo around and wanted to point and laugh. Turned out to be an amazing story of a young dude hungry for success, achieved accomplishments beyond his wildest dreams. Failed, but went through an amazing redemption arc. Awesome vid

[@gwpeoples]

I'm not super into his style, but it's so dumb that that Captain America portrait is always shown when talking about this guy. Like that's the ONLY thing he drew. A lot of his stuff was goofy and did make me roll my eyes a bit, but it was DYNAMIC. I can totally understand why he blew up in the 90s.

[@MrCubFan415]

And the iconic Captain America drawing isn’t even that bad if you just move the head forward a little bit

[@badbabybear1]

I got to meet Rob Liefeld at San Diego Comic Con 2023 while cosplaying Deadpool (not even planned, we just saw each other while walking the halls). He was a super nice and down-to-earth guy. Complimented my costume and everything. I'm also an avid listener of his podcast. He's not the most technically clean artist but his work is a LOT better than people give him credit for. It's clear, distinct, and has a vibrant vibe that a lot of art misses. If you listen to his podcasts and interviews, he's also very passionate about and well-versed in pop culture and superheroes. He's really one of us and a true geek. I've always thought the hate against him was unwarranted and, frankly, driven by jealousy because he is successful and does not hide from it. (Not that he boasts about it, either.) He's genuine, which can rub some people the wrong way. He was very influential on comics and superheroes. That goes overlooked. His humble roots and wish to help his family is admirable. His work ethic and persistence is inspiring. He's also one of the few nerds who understands the business side and potential of superheroes. Not enough geeks realize or respect the importance of that.

[@ivanagustinortiz5237]

His work did improve over time, not as much as his peers from Image or other artists from that time, but he's far removed from the Heroes Reborn Captain America and the goofy characters from Youngblood.

[@Sabamonster]

"He's not the most technically clean artist but his work is a LOT better than people give him credit for. It's clear, distinct, and has a vibrant vibe that a lot of art misses." I've been reading comics for 35+ years. This is something I have been saying from the beginning. A lot of Liefeld's detractors just jumped on the hate bandwagon due to social media. Sure, he's got some pieces out there that are less than ideal but take a good, long, hard look at his work *collectively* and it's very, very obvious the guy is a superstar when it comes to drawing comic characters. He was making things exciting when other artists were just there to get a paycheck. The dude was dealt a bad hand (Not that some of it wasn't his own fault because it absolutely was) and he ended up paying the piper for it. Having said that - he'd still draw circles around 99.9% of the people talking shit about him. Mcfarlane is a rare case -that guy is a once in a lifetime success story. He knows exactly what people want and he happened to have a personal relationship with Liefeld that declined, so of course he was going to have some things to say. Having the audience and pull that he does that inspired a lot of people who otherwise have no stock in Liefeld to hate on him. I'm not saying that's Mcfarlane's fault - I'm not even sure HE expected it to be honest.

[@TheWither129]

I was prepared to hate an untalented egomaniac, then i saw a creative kid with a dream, then the untalented egomaniac, but was thrown back around to the creative guy who moved past his ego and picked up the pieces and learned. A rollercoaster of emotions, what an arc.

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

No, Rob Leifled WAS a talented artist entirely so, it's just that his artwork got worse at some point in time and he wasn't doing his best to keep it up to date and good standards. His comic panels and layouts suffered the MOST as his later issues of young blood were incomprehensible, as the video stated. And than we all know what happened with his captain america issue run which we know is history.

[@Dave-gk6si]

U should never be prepared to hate someone. Such thoughts are toxic and cloud ur mind.

[@karithema9ician657]

I get what you saying bro but How can you call him “untalented “ 🤦🏾‍♂️😂😂 dont just be trying to hurt people feelings. Because that’s not even a word you can use against someone like him. It’s mfs who can only draw stick figures as people ! This man is A ARTIST! U cannot be that without talent. Stop just using word’s because of emotion. It’s disrespectful to even insinuate honestly. Sorry for the rant but Art is a passion.

[@Pappycap74]

zenith pfp

[@Skaftholu]

​@@karithema9ician657 Can't be an artist without talent? Bullshit. If you make art, you're an artist. Doesn't mean you're a good artist, but you're still an artist. Also, successful artists all have one thing in common: Skill. Not talent. Talent only gets you so far, you have to turn that talent into an actual skill to get anywhere, and that takes hard work and dedication. So it would be more accurate to say you can't truly be an artist without hard work and dedication. Talent is dime a dozen, drive is what gets you there.

[@themaster3305]

He made Deadpool?! Actually insane. Competition really brings out the best in people.

[@sabsyoutube241]

Call him bad artist but you gotta admit he was pretty influential

[@dntthe88]

Well if I remember correctly his Deadpool was a bit more serious, not the Deadpool we know today.

[@themaster3305]

@@dntthe88 ooh interesting, to think a serious Deadpool is now rare to see

[@broodingsoap9469]

He co-created him. Mostly he designed the suit. Everyone gives credit to him except to the one who actually made DP's character.

[@explosu]

This is literally a story where competition almost destroyed someone lol

[@andrewgrant6516]

The things you need to know about Liefeld are 1. He hates drawing feet. Mostly hides them off panel, behind furniture, or inside energy effects. 2. He's a great splash artist. He excelled at covers, adverts, and splash reveals, particularly in his early work when he still had an editor willing him to improve. 3. He approaches multi panel layouts as if every panel is a splash. Sometimes the result is great to look at, sometimes it's confusing, rarely does it tell a story. 4. When he was "writing" his comics he would just draw splash filled pages until he had 30 or more, then pick 22 that he thought sort of told a story, and left the scripter to dredge something together out of the mess. 5. Everything else is subjective. It's art. You know what you like.

[@user-eg3zs6oi7c]

lmao this is hilarious to read but true!

[@PatLund]

Looking at all his art in this video he's actually insanely talented. The only frame of reference I've ever had for what Rob Liefeld art looks like is the infamous Captain America drawing. Most of his art seems to actually be insanely good.

[@thewkovacs316]

no, it's not

[@shevrett2658]

@@thewkovacs316 let's see your art then lmao

[@aw6686]

his work is mid when he's at his best

[@changer_of_ways_suspense_smith]

His layouts are good, but WAY too busy, just way, way, way too busy. Even if his anatomy was correct, he detracts from his own dynamic placement of characters with way too many details.

[@fredmdbud]

@@shevrett2658no emptier attack like an ad hominem attack. "No power" - Leech.

[@falloutboy33]

Letting go your own ego and making up with someone whom you had a bitter falling out with despite of your success is pretty brave. I have a new found respect for Rob Liefeld as a person.

[@stratometal]

The world is a better place when you realize that restoring the friendship is worth more than your ego. So yeah seeing these two guys becoming friends once more makes me happy.

[@reapersritehand]

You can thank Robert Kirkman (walking dead) for that

[@Darkness-ie2yl]

im a 90's kid so i loved his spiderman and xmen, deadpool and dragon stuff. this video is an eye opener 😂

[@WarFoxThunder]

same

[@rowlanddavid1576]

I think it comes with age for most. What seems like less than a 20-minute video to us is an entire professional life lived by these people, which they can't get away from again. There was probably much bitterness towards the subject before he went over it. I just hope he didn't regret much though.

[@sandytinky]

Who didn't make incredibly stupid decisions when they were young? Age brings wisdom and humility. Glad Rob pulled it back together.

[@bhbluebird]

Totally agree. Life isn't a dress rehearsal and a lot of mistakes are made along the way.

[@pearce123456789]

Yeah this. You should get better with age, and if you don't you need to either take some chances make some mistakes or reflect on where you've been and who you are now.

[@BigPurp9]

It’s funny how 20 mins ago I didn’t know who either of these 2 men were and now I’m tearing up at the end seeing that they’ve patched things up 😂

[@L16htW4rr10r]

​@@BigPurp9I didn't tear up, but I do have a big smile on my face. I'm so happy they became friends again and no more bad blood

[@BigPurp9]

@@L16htW4rr10r I hate seeing money/jealousy coming between friends so it got me a bit emotional 😅

[@BTLJKS]

It's honestly very heart whelming to see that Liefeld and McFarlane made amends

[@AheadOfTheWolves]

It didn't last long, because Rob is addicted to shittalk.

[@johnnymeeks]

Do you got proof for that? Because I don’t have the same common sense as you, nor others like me though

[@AheadOfTheWolves]

@@johnnymeeks is that directed at me? Rob is very active in a handful of Facebook groups, and any time the subject of Todd comes up, Liefeld takes a lot of petty snipes at him.

[@fuzzypanda1684]

Why? He made millions before he turned 25 due to nothing other than incredibly good luck. Then he also manages to patch things up not only with his friends but also the community? That's just ridiculous. The least that could have happened in exchange for his incredible success is him being ostracized from the community. But when you have infinite luck on your side, nothing bad will ever last.

[@i7rooper]

Two life lessons to extract from this story: *Talent without discipline doesn't take you as far as you want. *When you get the opportunity to stay in this world longer than most people, it's time for you to let go of pride, past errors and resentment and find a peaceful life. Awesome video! Thank you!

[@Dhakadice]

I gotta say, I have a newfound respect for Rob, regardless of his ridiculous art style. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy and that thing about his dad was just heart-breaking.

[@dieinfire920]

Exactly. It’s pretty easy for us to criticize while we don’t know behind the curtain. I’m not fan of his art style but I did enjoyed many of his work at marvel. Knowing his background now and how he has to be the man of the house at a young age, made sense he never improved, he didn’t have time to. Supporting his family got my admiration.

[@jk6971]

this video argues that he was bitter and resentful of McFarlane... doesn't seem like such a nice guy to me. Not evil or anything, but not exactly "nice"

[@reginaldforthright805]

The art style is pretty cool. Technically he’s not good, but style is a separate thing. Plenty of technically superior artists no one will remember because they’re boring. Obviously you should have both, but of the two style is more important.

[@SayAhh]

Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

[@TemmiePlays]

​@@jk6971they worked together a few times. there's even KZbin videos of Rob and Todd creating a character for none other than Stan Lee ( who insults them the entire time, it's glorious )

[@Oskarelu]

Imagine Liefeld drawing JoJo characters and poses with such physical proportions...

[@subraxas]

DIO? JoJo? You mean Ronnie James Dio from Rainbow and from Black Sabbath, and JoJo Hailey from K-Ci & JoJo and from Jodeci? 🙂

[@wp2837]

​@@subraxasNo. They mean the manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Though the character DIO is actually named after Ronnie James Dio.

[@subraxas]

@@wp2837 Aye! I see! 🙂

[@stevenfunderburg1623]

@@subraxas You stole my joke! To bad there are no people in the world aware of both Dios. Well, I guess NOW there are.

[@MegaManXPoweredUp]

​@@subraxasFreek'N You by Jodeci was used in the credits for the anime.

[@rtmis1]

That clip at the end made me smile. Great ending to the video. Whatever Rob's faults, ego, mistakes he's made etc, It's good to see that him and Todd are friends again.

[@crimcrusader8459]

Well, the common ground of both Rob and Todd being driven to provide for their family and loved ones is certainly the one thing that is worth repairing their friendship over.

[@nilesrodriguez4343]

He seems like someone who's career went full circle. Im glad hes still drawing comics, you can tell he is really passionate about it.

I love the line that he was a kid who knew what other kids wanted to see. He was probably the single biggest contributor to the early 90s comics craze for this reason.

[@powerbadpowerbad]

Rob truly was.It's so easy to bash the guy,but,I've always looked at his success rather than his art and brought these things up on other channels when the bashings started.And the silence was deafening. LOL.

[@cianbroderick7733]

​@powerbadpowerbad I just wish we would stop using sales as a defense. When it comes to art, the one quality we should be championing is quality

[@powerbadpowerbad]

@@cianbroderick7733 I understand your point,but,I have to give Rob his dues as a creator/person,he's successful despite his mediocre artwork.People dump on his art,but,neglect his overall successes in the comic business.As an artist it's your job to sell whatever title you draw ( sales matter )and he has done this in spades.

[@cianbroderick7733]

@@powerbadpowerbad I'll begrudgingly accept that. I despise business and those who partake in it. With that said, business is exposure

[@powerbadpowerbad]

@@cianbroderick7733 You're correct,business is exposure.

[@Real_Iron_Smith]

Genuinely glad to see that he wisened up and actually reconnected with his old friend, and it looks like he genuinely has come to accept his failings and move forward. I respect a man who can do that.

[@WhizPill]

Same

[@NotTheWheel]

I just wanna say while his art wasn't the best. His determination, creativity, work ethic and love for his family is something I greatly admire and respect.

[@1MightyR]

Liefeld was a workhorse. Dude can draw an entire 22 page comic book in just a few days.

[@MetalHead-xq9on]

But he can’t write he’s no Chris Claremont I tell you that

[@Oskarelu]

It's a shame Liefeld's art got worse over time. His first comics were honestly pretty decent and good-looking despite their faults

[@thesun564]

Well they have gotten better in recent yeats

[@KouD3Graw]

Yea he did the one thing that I was told multiple times about learning art and that's not to get too deep into your comfort zone. He should have improved, but It's as if he rarely study. He probably feels like he's popular and it makes money so it works. Kinda true though.

[@Robd07]

Did it really?? I honestly havent seem his art since.......that long ago

[@wuzi7049]

​@@KouD3Grawhe was never taught. He didn't have a base, so he didn't know what not to do. And when people started to complain he was already successful. He had the technical skill, and didn't know a whole other side of art existed.

[@danfors1333]

It's his trademark to keep drawing badly, just as it's Arnolds trademark to not get rid of his Austrian accent. When Rob botches perspectives and anatomy those drawings get famous and talked about. Bad publicity is better than no publicity at all and it earns him money.

[@Hayes611]

Learning about Rob's dad and his family's struggle makes me appreciate what he did as a young man and artist. I too, was impressed by his artwork initially. It was big and bold. Unfortunately he did not improve so I stopped purchasing his books. He was part of comic history when he and the others left Marvel (which had become garbage). This brazen move opened the door for more artists and writers to create and own their creations. Nicely done video.

[@windowbreezes]

Die Hard's shoulder Belts still doesn't make sense. haha

[@kovokkovariki]

The quiet light work: you embrace this particular art with love, for the stories told and the stories behind and under the stories we know. This is low-key wholesome and I like it.

[@Fayrayz]

The ending scene with them sort of reconciling made me tear up. Still goes to show they still care for each other despite past mistakes and grievances.

[@raymontyoungblood4453]

I'm glad they're friends again. Losing someone who was like a brother to you is a pain that's almost impossible to overcome--especially if they're still alive, ya know?

[@Knuxfan10]

It really seems what killed their friendship was when it became a business relationship. Now, 30-odd years after the fact, I can see why it's easier for them to reconnect after doing their own things for a while.

[@PosthumanHeresy]

I'm a little less comfortable with it because Todd has stabbed a lot of people in the back over the years and I'm not sure it's healthy to be friends with him. Ever hear the bullshit he did to Neil Gaiman?

[@chrisneal6374]

Like Mase and Camron lol

[@Kurosakidog]

Yeah it was going into business together that killed their relationship and McFarlane stating spawn was the backbone of the company which drove lefield away

[@theslickrips5904]

No. Friendships come and go. It’s not anything to never be able to overcome.

[@JustinZarian]

You know what, if he’s genuinely trying to repair those friendships he ruined, then that’s a lot of respect I have to give. It takes a lot of pride swallowing to try and mend a fence like that.

[@IYamJacobIyam]

​@@gezenewsmost people dont know whats good for them.

[@ZombieDasher]

​@Joeraffegames that's because so many people don't believe in forgiveness. they'd rather hold onto hate.

[@BeyondTrash-xe1vs]

​@@gezenewsSay what you really mean, you would rather others didn't try to mend their relationships. Not everyone is you though, and many people are open to forgiveness and redemption.

[@EpicUnicat]

​@@IYamJacobIyamyou don't know what's good for them either.

[@GoldenGrenadier]

If only Ken Penders could do this.

[@DougS45]

I am just loving your documentaries. You have a way about you that just draws a viewer in. I am going to slowly watch all of them and savor them as I know that you do not put content out that often. Keep up the great work!

[@drawforge3920]

Damn i didnt know there was a comic artist lore like that💀

[@boxandshades412]

Dude, he created Deadpool. A character so relatable yet had the ability to interact with us too! And the fact he had quite the career run from nothing gives him my highest respect.

[@redfo3009]

There’s no rules in art except plagiarism. Lichtenstein literally used red stickers on his paintings.. I think people who paid tons of money on art school were just jealous when they couldn’t get paid work because they are a dime a dozen..Haha

[@dntthe88]

​@@brendanflynn5004He was at first but they're not at all similar now

[@ThePainkiller9995]

literally the cringiest super hero and super heros blow in general lmao

[@TheBakuganmaster99]

​@@ThePainkiller9995And yet here you are watching this 18 min video.

[@broodingsoap9469]

He co-created him. Most of the work came from Fabian Nicieza. Rob mostly designed the suit but not the rest and yet everyone credits him for making DP alone. Almost a Bob Kane-Bill Finger situation

[@Renirhs]

As a fellow bad artist I'm happy to see that passion counts for alot.

[@StruggleoftheOutsider]

🖕these dweebs. X-Force baby.

[@knightshousegames]

As an aspiring good artist, 1, this cracked me up, and 2, Keep practicing, keep learning, you'll get better

[@noobmaster4412]

@@knightshousegames practice less improve more

[@dhruvsharma6826]

@@noobmaster4412 This is... oddly - the right answer. 😂 To rephrase it - I would say you need to practice the right / correct things - and never overdo something to the point that irreversible bad habits start to form - always work on different pieces and with differing styles. If there's 2 things that I, as a lifelong bad artist aspiring to become a good artist have learnt - is that firstly - you NEED to bring perspective in your artwork. I mean that in every sense possible - literal and figurative. Use perspective grids and principles when drawing - and take references from real life and the work of other artists. However - never copy artwork - look at a piece for some time - study it in your mind and let it internalize. Then put it down to paper on your own after a while and finish it. Then go back to the reference and look for mistakes. For difficult poses / perspectives, I sometimes make my own 3D models to create references that I can then use. Secondly - always keep things fresh. Never work on the same piece / in the same style for extended periods of time... your own glaring flaws in anatomy and perspective will become completely invisible to you and you will feel that your piece is perfect... only much later will you realize that you have created an abomination (like the infamous Captain America piece) - so always schedule enough time to give your eyes and your mind a break and come back to your work later - hopefully after working on something else or interacting with real life for a while.

[@noobmaster4412]

@@dhruvsharma6826 i mean sometime you just gotta go for it and do it and see how you actually do with art

[@justinskinner7483]

this is easily becoming my new favorite channel, well done.. great video

[@koth15]

Dude your work is genuinely my favourite comic content on KZbin I just binged them all now eagerly awaiting your next video

[@noleal08]

I love how this video ends in a positive note in favor of Liefeld's. His art maybe ridiculous but we gotta admit that we enjoyed his comics when we were young. His drawings still brings me nostalgia together with his IMAGE colleagues.

[@TaxMan1776]

I always loved his work, and I'm a Fine Artist.

[@Mezuzah87]

He was nostalgic because he was the only option you saw. Imagine if a capable artist had gotten to live their dream and the comics you could have had. The joke is you're defending living in the "bad alternate reality." lol.

[@noleal08]

He was not the only option I saw. There are a lot of great artists back then. I ain't defending anything. And there is nothing "bad" in having a happy memory with Liefeld in it.

[@randomdeliveryguy]

@@Mezuzah87 It's easy for you now to see they are "bad" because of how much we have today, that's like saying newton was dumb for taking so long to research calculus.

[@sotografik]

I just found out today how much liefeld influenced my style and taste, visually. Second to Todd. I had no idea.

[@nwshirts]

No artist creates more controversy than Liefeld. Love him or hate him, we're still talking about him.

[@Circuitssmith]

O… kay? That’s not really a measure of him as a person or artist.

[@thedukeofchutney468]

Arguably to some that’s the ONLY measure of art/artists.

[@insantic2197]

@@Circuitssmith I'd actually say it is. It just shows how much of an influence and impact he's had on the comic scene that he's still talked about to this day.

[@Circuitssmith]

@@insantic2197 Not to engage in hyperbole, but Hitler is an example of notoriety and influence not indicating quality of work or of a person. Hitler was not a good politician, he was successful by destroying politics. Liefeld is not a good artist, he became successful by destroying art.

[@enigmaticone6559]

@@Circuitssmith Don't agree with this take. There are tons of mediocre content out there, that doesn't make headlines and doesn't create a single blip in the radar. He obviously had some talent as an artist, at the start I think he was innovative, but he seemed to stop growing, and stopped improving on his own art at some point.

[@brenoferreiraferreira4409]

The truth is I know and I'm able to recognize Rob's mistakes and failures but I had loads of fun with his run on the Hawk & Dove and The New Mutantes so here goes a big thank you and hug in appreciation for his work . THANKS ROB LIEFELD AND A BIG HUG!!! Thanks for the great content and keep up with the good work matttt.

[@bryanclimer6378]

Honestly... such a solid vid, presenting all angles. Thanks for the vid!

[@Big_time_949]

I've heard Todd McFarlane speak before. His best advice to artists was, "If you're an artist then get your work out there. Don't worry about it looking perfect, just put yourself out there and sell it at a booth. The same with writing stories, don't worry about how good the writing or story is, just do it and put it out there." He explained that he's written plenty of bad stories and that all that matters is that you keep working towards your goals and put your stuff out there constantly. Those are the ones who get paid.

[@PurpleBox89]

There's a thing I read once in that same vein, To be a great thinker, you must become a good thinker, to be a good thinker, you must become a thinker. To become a thinker, you must first be willing to produce mediocre and downright awful ideas. Only through doing do you begin to improve yourself.

[@Dizerfullpower]

You could also do the same for a career track that has better chance of paying off

[@varnix1006]

This is very much the advice for content creation career. Even if it's shit, as long as you continue, you'll grow to become better. By putting yourself out there, there are chances you'll have a following of people that want to watch you grow.

[@ravenkushner]

I agree. That's great advice. You have to be willing to swallow your ego and learn "on the job." That's why so few persevere - it's really hard to do that, especially with how critical people can be.

[@tomsnowden6201]

Awful advice..no wonder there is so much fucking trash out there. Then anything that is slightly good is hailed as genius in a sea of shit.

[@SOPOAE1]

As someone who's 23 years old rn, I can't imagine the pressure of having success come at you like that. I makes sense he made so many questionable choices, like betraying ImageComics and his friends, and Mcfarlane. But, considering McFarlane was older, I think that in the end he never really resented him, or at least that would've been inmature on his part, they had to know he was just some 23-25 year old who flew to the sun too fast.

[@sun_beams]

Definitely an Icarus story like you said. Too much success, too fast is a curse. He blew up before he had the chance to fail and gain experience. That meant his first failure was going to be huge instead of just a learning experience. He is an amazing artist, he just seems like he never took a proper anatomy course to actually learn what muscles were where and was just going off of what he saw in ref images. I took an anatomy course at 33 and I was ashamed of stuff I'd been making for years that looked 'good enough' to check all the boxes but lacked the fundamental understanding of what was going on.

[@SOPOAE1]

@@sun_beams exactly! Most of the times we want everything fast, but like you say, the gift of slow success is gaining experience through small losses

[@lajeandom]

yea it's pretty normal at that age you're not really mature yet especially in a business environment. I kind of understand what he did and why he did it, and quite frankly I think that his proportion issues for his characters became more apparent than ever because he lost his friends and betrayed his partner

[@TheTurtle1100]

And this dude is writing comic books. Imagine athletes or musicians that young or younger. Being in the spotlight ain’t easy for sure

[@_munkykok_]

The reality is (if this story is true), it actually hit him already at 19, not 23. Since that's when he became a pro, one of a relatively few chosen. That was a huge thing.

[@goldengalsclazy]

You did an AMAZING job narrating this video. It was easy to understand and follow. Keep up the GREAT work! :)

[@ghostdogthakang67]

Thank you for this. Mr. Liefeld’s is one of struggle, success, failure and redemption that many can relate to and understand.

[@joelman1989]

I really appreciate you humanizing Rob and highlighting what made him successful. Since the 90, even during the hype, I never liked his art. But he is human. And I’m glad he’s continuing to grow.

[@Matt_Wilson01]

He was just a new generation of artist like Kirby, Kirby drew weird and was sneered at by his peers but his pages had power just like Robs do in their own way, being a liefeld hater is low hanging fruit, guys a genius in his own way, end of the day it’s comics not life drawing

[@joelman1989]

@@Matt_Wilson01 so, I actually didn’t like his art for personal taste. I had no idea if the backlash. I remember a few issues if his that got a lot of hype and I just did not understand why. Funny thing is when I learned of the hate, it deflated my disappointment with his work because I just didn’t want to be another hater.

[@Ungtartog]

Grifting made him successful. He blatantly stole everything.. half assed it, and had grunts fill in his lethargic shit drawings.

[@ProjectHumanWeapon]

Liefeld is a yewish name. This is nepotism explained away by an idiot who insults your intelligence.

[@carlcarlington7317]

The idea that rob liefeld is somehow an inherently bad artist is insane from the perspective of someone who’s never been able to draw a straight line in his life (myself)

[@Joe-sc8fu]

I know, I'm looking at his art in this video, and basically drooling at it. The only bad one I saw was the Captain America one.

[@arnecruz]

Yes. This guy talks like making comics is easy.

[@spelunkingmonkey7630]

There’s levels to it. There are people that can’t draw art, people that can but do it poorly, people that can and do it well, and people that can and are great artists. As far as traditional comic artists, Alex Ross is one of those that I would put as the few that are great.

[@themonsterunderyourbed9408]

Ah yes. The old "You have to be Gordon Ramsay to know if something tastes bad or not." complete BS of an argument.

[@DeathGripsIsOffline696]

@@themonsterunderyourbed9408 nobody in this comment thread brought that up, what are u talking about

[@timyoung487]

Great video and so succinct. Seeing the forgiveness between Todd and Rob after countless battles brought a tear to my eye. It's funny how when we're all young, so many of us are entitled, hungry for power, forget the kindness of veterans/experienced staff who give us a chance. Anyways I pray for Todd and Rob that the rest of their lives are blessed and just as exciting without toxic decisions and sin encroaching their door. Peace all🙏

[@ZOMBGiEFart]

Dude I found your channel recently and now I'm hooked! With that said, Liefeld was a big influence for me as an artist back in the day. I was in Junior High when Youngblood came out, all the things people shit on him over were a non-issue during those years, nobody cared about the feet, or the pockets, etc. I remember Wizard had him as one of their Top 10 artists for years because he drew cool characters with big ass guns and a lot of action, us 90s kids ate that up like candy. I enjoy his art even now, it's not perfect but it has its place in the world of comics.

[@Jaymo00]

I used to be a Rob Liefeld hater, but this story is so charming! I’m really happy he was able to achieve his dreams and help his family :)

[@alexkoronec4326]

Remember that there's the who clean up the work, the penciler along with the inker

[@mizzogames]

Same here

[@fuzzypanda1684]

How is being insanely lucky charming?

[@doggyhotpot]

@@fuzzypanda1684 It wasnt luck he worked extremely hard to become successful and he was talented while passionate about his comics. He made his comics successful with his powerful and entertaining artstyle

[@fuzzypanda1684]

@@doggyhotpot I'm not saying he wasn't talented or hardworking. But I am saying that he was very lucky, had many things fall perfectly into place, met a lot of the right people at the right time, and benefitted from a lot of lucky breaks.

[@Nerdsonearth]

My buddy Ben shared this and I think it sums it up perfectly: “I've seen a few quality defenses of his work. I don't think anyone ever doubted the was some skill there, but like this video points out he never had the chance to really grow his talent before he became wildly successful. It's a good lesson on how failure is a better teacher than success. Regardless, the closing video with him and McFarlane was quite touching.”

[@GrimFelArt]

This!! He just went up, up, up. Never had a flop that he had to learn from and pick himself up out of. He never had a big fail during his rise that could have made him take a step back and say "okay, these are the critiques I'm seeing, this is what I need to work on" and he was so young, and full of that youthful hubris and ego. Failure, while it sucks when it happens, is the best way to make someone look inward and try to figure out what went wrong and how to improve. You can't grow as an artist, musician, chef, etc., etc. if all you ever get is praise. You're just gonna stagnate. And then you can see as his art evolved he was gong for these really dynamic, perspective-focused poses and panels, but he didn't have the anatomical knowledge to actually back up those decisions. I love his eye for dynamic posing and lighting, but it's the execution that just doesn't work. I don't think he's a "bad" artist per se, more just one who never got any chance to grow. As an artist (not a comic artist but still) myself, I'm glad I had the failures I have, because while it feels shitty, it's always helped me take a closer look at my own work and adapt.

[@wwalton]

For me this is why l love animations and comics/anime as a medium you don't get these completely different or wacky styles in live action "not that live action movies are bad I still love them to" whether it's Mob Psycho, Chainsaw Man, Demonslayer, or Berserk I ALWAYS love seeing even the minor differences in artstyle compared to it's brothers in the medium I'm currently head over heels with Tokyo Revengers by Ken Wakui that shit pretty

[@DaveGrease-og8oo]

Please we definitely need content on the other Artist's. This is amazing. You've covered some of child hoods and filled in the gaps before the internet.

[@chinonsovictor6531]

Mr Matt this is absolutely amazing! Thank you so much for sharing this guys' stories so well. It's a huge inspiration for me. 🙏🏽

[@joedavis9842]

I'm glad that they made up and repaired their relationship. Having a someone go from a mentor, inspiration, and motivation to a competitor and "enemy" is not easy.

[@thelastperfectman4139]

It’s ridiculous to say he couldn’t draw. He had his own style and had a unique vision. That’s the heart of art.

[@justs_]

Not to mention that there’s stuff out there with absolutely abysmal art in a traditional sense like Japan’s original One Punch Man webseries and Mob Psycho 100 but fans eat it up because ONE, the artist of said works has immense passion for creating comics and it shows through it’s comedic yet deeply personal stories, ofc learning fundamentals help but a comic is nothing without passion.

[@makokx7063]

Exactly. Style is so much more important than technical skill. There are a ton of isekai mangas out that have incredibly perfect drawings that are super boring and generic. One Piece looks like a toddler with parkinsons drew it and it's the most sold manga in history.

[@SimonBuchanNz]

Well... yes: you can learn technical stuff, or even style with some effort. The complaints are that he *didn't* learn any of the technical stuff: in fact he got worse and worse. And it doesn't explain the failure to ship, either. Not that I hate the guy or anything!

[@thoticcusprime9309]

wrong, anyone can draw, he's just bad at it. he just does designs, which is nothing

[@SafetyKitten]

He was clearly not perfect in terms of anatomy, but I don't think anyone in their right mind is saying he couldnt draw. Don't cover up for bad anatomy etc though with "style" and "vision" - thats not a good thing for anyone to do. Take your losses and learn from them, dont take your losses and pretend theyre wins.

[@kylemartinez6514]

Thanks for sharing this! really well done, incredible production, pacing, and narration.

[@sahanrohanatilaka7441]

Thank you for this video. I wasn't expecting to watch the entire thing, but I loved your storytelling. As a kid I loved comics; as an adult I appreciate the backstory and oft neglected narrative behind the comic business.

[@Undying3001]

As a 8 year old in the mid 90s, this was the coolest art I had ever seen.

[@robi6317]

...cuz you didnt compare it to the better stuff

[@Undying3001]

@@robi6317 I was 8

[@Frey-Doh]

The secret was all the pouches 🤫

[@curious9904]

​@robi6317 as a kid, excessiveness is damn cool, because it stimulates the imagination with more material to work with, as adults it might look stupid but 20 guns on someone’s back was the most badass shit ever when you didnt know how unpractical it was

[@fredmdbud]

and then you grew up

[@user-et9de2hs5l]

I inked for Marvel for a number of years, and I did a page or two of Rob's pencils. A VERY well-known comic artist was visiting, took a look at one of the pages, noticed a head that Rob had drawn, and simply said, "Rob should know there's a skull in there." And he redrew the head! Note: I made him write a note to Bob Harris in the border that he's done this instead of me, so I wouldn't get "in trouble."

[@jd6473]

Sounds like John Byrne haha

[@theiscarface]

Do you know how some writers get into that industry?

[@user-et9de2hs5l]

@@jd6473 Never met the man. This artist is *hint* based out of the San Francisco Bay Area. As am I.

[@user-et9de2hs5l]

@@theiscarface Wish I could help you. I started out as a self-published artist/writer (Fish Police), them, with the help of the above-mentioned artist, got my first inking job at Marvel. But that was all 30+ years ago and I have no idea how the industry works now.

[@Doc_Fun]

@@user-et9de2hs5l I know you're trying to avoid naming names out of respect, but I've gotta ask; does this unnamed artist's name start with an "S"?

[@MrIbBeier]

THANK THANK YOU, for such a compelling story, I LOVED IT, You are such a good story teller of his life, and I love how You end it on a positive note. THANK YOU!!!

[@michaelcoglianese4292]

Good video! Love his work along with McFarland’s and several others. Brings me back to why I started reading comics to begin with, the stunning visuals caught my attention and the amazing stories gripped my imagination! 😎

[@CarlosGarcia2]

This dude influenced so many kids. I remember creating my own characters as a teen and putting pouches on them and giving them swords all because of him. His characters were just so damn cool lol.

[@laserbeam1620]

Same!

[@TaxMan1776]

Agreed. I loved it

[@PhysifistEngineering]

Me too, lol.

[@BeyondBaito]

Same and I grew up in the 2000s!

[@greencreekranch]

The two of them reparing their friendship is truely beautiful. Cause thats what true friendship is. Being able to say "sorry dude, i was young, i was stupid and i was a dick, I'm sorry" and the other one accepting it. Leaving the company a friend started to go back to the company ypu wanted to run away from together is a bit of a dick move. But not it's also just human to not pass on 3 million bucks

[@Majesticon]

I vividly remember that HAWK AND DOVE comic, it was an absolute blast. He definitely brought his A game for sure. Like there's some weird clunky moments but his storytelling and pacing and style are just great in this comic!

[@andu1854]

One cool thing I will remember about Rob, who was at a comic convention in SF in 90, was very cool to everyone who stood in line and he talked about the changes he was making to New Mutants. (Became X-force but no mention of Deadpool) and he took requests to draw character (with in reason, he wasn’t doing the What if Wolverine) for free, all you had to do was provide the cardboard and he drew me Cannonball (I saw His Wolverine so I went with a less known character)… still have the drawing in a frame on bookshelf. So I had a positive experience meeting him, he seemed like a pretty chill guy and to not charge was an added bonus but I would have paid like 10 if that was the case

[@mayssm]

As much as people hate on him, the dude has a crazy work ethic. The reason he kept getting work and kept making $$ despite his art being subpar is he got results and hit deadlines whereas other people struggled to do that. Sometimes just being consistent, showing up, and being reliable trumps all the talent in the world.

[@zyxyx6754]

The difference between an amateur and a professional is consistency. An amateur going from 100% to 60% to 100% again is far worse than a professional staying at a respectable 80%.

[@mouserr]

he cost marvel money from me, when he took over the title i preferred i stopped buying. the art went to crap he ruined characters for his own agenda and doesnt deserve a second thought

[@sanctuarypest2212]

This is all on a dice roll. Don't count on it.

[@IIst1ckybrainzII]

@@mouserroh shut up

[@RogerioPereiradaSilva77]

JESUS CHRIST!!! I can't believe I lived enough to see people _praising_ Rob Liefeld for his "crazy work ethic" and for "hitting deadlines". What a crazy timeline we're living in!

[@gamingwithstand6886]

I don't have a problem with Rob. He had a hard life as a kid and he's sorry for the mistakes he's made. All is forgiven.

[@ArtwithAmarBrisco]

Many had hard lives as a kid, myself included. He just wanted enough and got lucky at the write time. In 1987 I didn't have his confidence and his study of influences.

[@powerbadpowerbad]

Show me a person who hasn't made mistakes,bad decisions in their life,there isn't one.Rob had TOO much success at an early age and a lot of it was over whelming for him.Glad he's in a better place now.And McFarlane was getting on Liefeld in that one segment,but,he's one to scold,he's done some pretty shady stuff also.Neil Gaiman ring a bell ???? LOL.

[@joeracer302]

He’s still drawing shit comics to this day.

[@bryna7]

That has nothing to do with why he was a successful artist when he wasn't that good...

[@voltinator]

@@bryna7 Rob Liefeld's strength was knowing how to shake up tradition by introducing characters into Marvel that specifically questioned the moral center of the established books. Cable, Domino and Deadpool along with many others basically rebelled against the teachings of Charles Xavier as well as the traditional format of comics in general, thanks Deadpool, which to teenage brains was like adding sugar crust to bacon. However Rob's downfall is that without a established heroic base like Marvel's Xmen or the Avengers his characters are all sizzle and no steak. His characters in Youngblood weren't rebelling against, well, anything so they were about as exciting as a firework released the day after July 4th. To this day I don't know what Youngblood's purpose is and what themes they stand for? Are they young people standing against old???

[@SalaryOtaku]

Great story, and hearing Rob get emotional while talking to Todd at the end is heartwarming.

[@michaeleverett2597]

I was a hug fan of the New Mutants and Rob's run was legendary and the thing I loved about his art WAS that it looked so different than anybody else's.

[@phillybul30]

Rob Liefeld seems like a good guy! I used to hate on his art too but his love of comics is real and you can’t hate on that. And he created Deadpool and Cable

[@sawtooth808]

While your comment on Rob Liefeld is coming from a good place, there are exceptions. For Steve Ditko. I co created Dr Strange, and Spider Man, and The Question (idk about that feel free to correct me). The dude was an unhinged Libertarian Bircher. Rob L is no Steve Ditko, and that’s a good thing.

[@phillipcummings3518]

@@sawtooth808 Imagine calling a shut in comic artist unhinged. Rob Liefeld did a kickstarter comic roughly 10 years ago and never fulfilled it. He owes fans money and is a thief.

[@Tadoka_Inamo]

Co-created Deadpool with Fabian Nicieza and Cable with Louise Simonson.

[@HTx78]

Deadpool… a smart mouth anti-hero with super healing sounds like a lot of existing characters. example - wolvervine - a gruff smart mouth hero with super healing

[@theslickrips5904]

@@phillipcummings3518the dude clearly states that he hates him because of his politics. These kind of people are a cancer to fandom.

[@learrus]

These guys absolutely wrecked shop in the 90s, all of us kids were studying their art like our lives depended on it, which they sometimes have. The drama and unpredictable events that happened leading up to Image and all that was so crazy. I had no idea Rob was so young during all that!

[@powerbadpowerbad]

Yeah,Rob was a youngster,19 yrs old as a pro artist,trying desperately to help/feed his family.He had to grow-up fast,real fast,life doesn't play games,but,at least he was getting paid to do something he-LOVED-and had-GREAT-success and broke comic sales records.Instead of bashing his art ( which is the norm on the internet ) I SALUTE him for his success in the comic field.

[@volumedealer2716]

​@@RepentandbelieveinJesusChristGay!

[@billdecompsa4705]

​@@volumedealer2716no u!

[@DroppedMyMarbles]

@@billdecompsa4705 i didn't roam around the roman countryside with a bunch of dudes washing men's feet

[@liberatumplox625]

Unbased

[@garybuettner7920]

This is a fantastic video. Well balanced and not mocking. I lived through that period and it’s cool to see some details that I didn’t know about.

[@TTW3CODY]

shadow hawk and youngblood are the reasons I am into comics the wildcats also up there for me. i loved the way they looked. I still remember finding a box full of shadow hawk at a garage sale and being so excited when the guy said take them all he just let me have them, i walked away the happiest little kid carrying a pampers box full of comics. I'll always have that memory. image is great I'm glad that they happened. thank you shadow hawk, thank you to all the amazing people at image for making my childhood.

[@bluetwinkiesaregood]

I’m not a fan of his artwork. But, it’s respectable that he took care of his sick dad. I’m sure he’s a good person. When people make fun of his work just take it as a grain of salt.

[@Ludithchris]

Dawg has better lines than you. Horrendous anatomy tho.

[@mouserr]

when he used the destruction of a title to get his own title pushed 'good person' went out the window

[@monojojo7840]

He made a name for himself by oversexualizing comicbook characters who were mainly targeted towards children at the time. How tf could he be a good person?

[@delefaleyimu5573]

@@monojojo7840 This is a bit silly. Every comic artist from that era (before and after too) sexualized characters. It was the norm - he was not bucking trends, he barely knew them, simply copied what worked. You think he's a bad person because of the industry that spawned him? That seems like a targeted attack for no reason.

[@wenweru1]

​@monojojo7840 I was gonna say "lots of characters in cartoons in comics I digested as a kid had sexualized characters, so it wasn't just him," but now I realize he's probably the reason behind that.

[@Brick_Science]

Another great story! Very well written, love these!

[@GAME_0VER-AKA-DEATH]

Ayo I’m surprised to see you here. I do agree with what you said though. Also, I’m first

[@rexparker0623]

@@GAME_0VER-AKA-DEATHnobody asked

[@HoldenWalker-nk2lx]

@@rexparker0623he was just surprised that they commented and you are just being a dick for no reason

[@Creamysour]

The kid who got hired just by one look at his drawings and the video title is “How this terrible writer made millions”

[@noone-be1zg]

​@@Creamysourit says "terrible artist" with quotations

[@burgercore]

Just discovered this page. Awesome story and presentation, can’t wait to see more.

[@GregoryFliearman]

As a kid in the late 80's I have so many of these books in my collection that I bought of the Spinner rack... remember one of those... Love to see more from you on the Image story. Thanks for such a great delivery of comic history. Well done

[@shiftybat7318]

When we were kids you 'knew' bad guys were bad but the way he drew Sabretooth and Juggernaut just made them so much more compelling than their dimensional character. Drawing intention isn't easy. The sneer of the face, the curl of the claws and tension of muscles. I can only wish I had that kind of attention to detail.

[@user-vm8qc3vz2w]

Don't care if he is a good artist or not. After learning he was working on three jobs so he can provide for his father 's treatments and care giving, he has earned my outmost respect.

[@QuestionQuestionMark]

In the 70’s at that, back when shit was crazy cheap. In modern day you can do a lot with three jobs. Just goes to show honestly.

[@powerbadpowerbad]

Mine too.But,I knew about Rob's father,I bought the dvd on the formation of Image Comics many years ago.I too wanted to be a pro artist,but,my famiy's fiancial situation was brutal.I lived in a very,crime infested neighborhood in Philly with my 5 sisters and mother ( my mother worked )so I joined the navy at 18 and used my signing bonus to get them outta of that war-zone. LOL.We nick-named our neighborhood-LITTLE-BERUIT !!! LOL. Yeah,it was THAT bad !!! This was during the early 90s,Philly had 700 murders a year and that doesn't include robberies,thefts,shootings,etc,etc,..it was a hot mess.You'd come home from work and your apt was ranshacked,your belongs gone.I saw people get robbed in the daytime,stabbed,shot,etc,etc,..had to get outta there-ASAP.

[@paul1780]

WOW!! You started this Channel this year. This video was well researched, written, with so much content. Look forward to your Channel's growth. Cheers 🍻 Definitely sharing with video with Friends.

[@TheAlmightyDuke]

Thx buddy, real nice clip. Realy lifted up two of THE Artists of my Childhood. Remember, when I was in 5. Grade and Spawn, Black Spiderman, and First Blood Comics and trading Cards were THE thing to know and have. Realy enjoyed the video.

[@Gadget-Walkmen]

"Grade and Spawn, Black Spiderman," uhhhhh what? Who are these? What?

[@apresmidi153]

I'm mostly a painter who doesn't really care for comic book art and never heard of Liefeld this was a fascinating video to watch. The anatomy in these is certainly weird at times but as compositions I actually really like them in a way I don't for a lot of other comic art. That Captain America drawing is a hoot though!

[@jans2887]

If you find something to like even in Liefelds art, you will love the good ones!

[@psychedelictacos9118]

I blame the editor as much as Liefeld for letting that drawing get published!

[@jamesmcdonald8180]

@@psychedelictacos9118 I'm not an expert on the subject, but I have read that the infamous Captain America drawing was never published.

[@system-error]

Check out the actual comic for more hoots. Liefeld is one of the all-time great American cultural surrealist-satirists. There's an incredible bistable illusion on the very first page of issue one, Captain America is standing there and you can't tell if he's facing you or has his back to you. Liefeld is a genius, it's not enough to simply say he is a great, we must say that he is a great genius.

[@sensaiko]

He becomes increasingly lazy with his art, (In fact, that's not uncommon in the industry) and when yours bases are not solid enough that happens.

[@apg897]

I remember Liefeld being an inspiration. If you were even a decent artist, you figured "if he could make it so can I". I had no idea about his dad. I'm glad he was able to help his family.

[@powerbadpowerbad]

Me too.I think that's what drove him to success at an early age ( he had to become man of the house at an early age ) he dared to succeed.Rob didn't have time to wine and moan about becoming a pro comic artist,he made it happen.Did he stumble along the way and make mistakes ??? YES. Like we've all done in life,do and say DUMB &&&&. LOL. He did more than the average person ( and had more success )before he turned 30 than most people.Owning and running your own business at 25 is a HUGE responsibility,now it's the norm,but,back then it the exception.Instead of fitting the norm on the net ( which is bashing Rob ) I chose to focus on his success and i salute him for it.

[@apg897]

@powerbadpowerbad Having that kind of motivation keeps you hungry and keeps you grinding for sure.

[@powerbadpowerbad]

@@apg897 AGREED.Rob had to grow up fast and become the bread winner and man of the house also.No time to lag around,he had the role of being the father then.Nothing but respect for Rob from me.

[@Username-qu1jt]

Don't like his personality, but I like his dedication

[@FactsOverFeelingsLoser]

​@@Username-qu1jtWtf is wrong with his personality?

[@HeroLAT]

Incredible content and love the pacing and production. Keep em coming!

[@hypernovawolf]

This was well done and very respectful to all parties

[@BH-vh3iu]

People who weren't there probably won't be able to properly fathom the impact McFarlane, Liefeld, Larsen, Lee had back then. Before them I didn't even know who artists were, for the most part their styles were indistinctable from each other, with some exceptions. When these guys hit the scene, wow, you could tell right away who they were for their distinctive styles, and they made comics so visually exciting and impactful, something completely new and groundbreaking.

[@illyph9963]

💯

[@PainInTheS]

Yup...probably the most exciting times ever in the industry.....from 'The dark knight returns' to the creation of Image and comics exploding all over the place. The 90's get a bad rep but this pathetic industry as it truly is now, could only wish for these days to return. Back then they were fun.....now you have woke sorry excuses for comics.

[@BoozeAholic]

​@@PainInTheS I prefer Rob over modern comic art like Derek Charm's Squirrel Girl. Who cares about correct anatomy when the art looks like generic skinny fat geeks that you see on the street? Manga is rarely anatomically correct but they outsell the hell out of comics & have far better writing too. One Piece is ugly but the world building is as deep as Lord of the Rings. As much hate as Image gets, they release stuff like Invincible which has ok art but much better writing than anything from modern DC & Marvel. Invincible followed the Manga ethos of the story carrying serviceable art.

[@HeyThreshold]

That they become superstars it's true but they also got a huge hand from Marvel's incredible marketing machine in that and it is mentioned in the video too. To say though that, before them, artists were indistinguishable from one another is an atrocity cause people like Kirby, Ditko, Romita Sr., Neil Adams, Miller, Mignola, Golden, Steranko and so many more have styles that are immediately recognisable and have all had a huge impact on the medium. Anyhow, after the Image guys left Marvel learned their lesson and made sure to never pump artists to that level of stardom ever again: the stars were the characters and so it has remained.

[@BH-vh3iu]

@@HeyThreshold I meant that I didn't know who they were and that I wasn't able to distinguish them. I'd buy a Spider-Man comicbook for Spider-Man, not for any artists. But when I got a Spider-Man comicbook by Todd McFarlane it stood out and I wanted to know what was going on with that, because it looked so striking and fresh. The same goes for Liefeld and the others, Keown's Hulk stood out for me too. The first Image titles were exciting, but they kinda lost the appeal after a while. A lot of the Image stuff isn't very good, unfortunately.

[@ninetailsnet]

For those who didn't know, liefeld is the one who created and draw Deadpool

[@ravinraven6913]

for those that don't know, this guy is telling you info that.......they say in THIS VIDEO, big red truck eh? Glad he knows it wasn't Stan lee, like everyone else. Like they forgot the actual artists, most fans give the finger to Jack Kirby and just say it was all stan lee....But thanks for telling us something we hear in this video. why don't you just tell us EVERYTHING?

[@QTG128]

​@@ravinraven6913sheesh man no need to dunk on them, its no big deal

[@NazriB]

Lies again? Serie A Leader True Anal

[@blockyround2160]

He made the original design but the character in the form of 'the merk with a mouth' was made by someone else entirely I can only give him credit on the design one of the few good ones he's made.

[@Sovereign1701]

Half true. He was created by Liefeld and Fabian Nicieza, but most of what people like about Deadpool was thanks to Joe Kelly's input later.

[@FreedomDiaries1]

Great video and story. Thanks for the insight into what happened.

[@nicholasgilvin6396]

I would like to see other artists featured in your videos. Great content as usual, keep up the good work.

[@BrianRevas]

Seems like he went through a lot of the same things many young people do when they first achieve success. He just did it on a bigger scale. Glad life worked out for him. I have always enjoyed his art style, I like the imperfection of it personally.

[@arthurzimmerman4363]

Drugs that what happen

[@akmaldanial67]

15:24 "He ROBS, he LIES, and he FAILED" From his name, Rob Liefeld lol

[@TLA-ml2lg]

I can't imagine anyone hating his work. Back in the 90s this was the biggest craze and I was a big fan of his stuff. He made every character with bigger muscles than I ever seen in the comics. There is even a couple of cartoons that came out from his titles.

[@aunderiskerensky2304]

I was actively collecting in this era, man it was a time. I remember a bunch of these issues the day they launched. I had no idea how interconnected this all was though. Wow, nice work!

[@johnpenguinthe3rd13]

At 2:45, Liefeld's art had this "energy, dynamism, and intensity which makes it stand out". And that's why Liefeld was extremely popular in the 90's (with his art helping to sell MILLIONS of comics, far more than the vast majority of other comic artists). Your average person does not give a damn if something is slightly out of proportion or whatever, they just want something that's exciting that leaps out from the page (so to speak) and creates excitement. Liefeld delivers on that and that's why he was (and still is at times) far more popular than most artists. Not saying everything he draws is great, but most of his stuff looks cool and FUN and EXCITING. That's what most people want and it's the reason why a lot of modern comic artists are failing hard and not selling comics... their stuff might be in better proportion, but it's boring as hell and very generic to the point where most people don't even remember who the hell the modern comic artist is and it's so bad no one wants to pay money for their art. With Liefeld, love him or hate him, you are going to get something that's going to get a reaction from someone and it's NOT going to bore the person viewing it. And in my humble opinion, 90% of Liefeld's art looks really FUN and EXCITING and it's always a joy to see his art (just wish he were better at keeping deadlines. That's been his biggest problem... he sometimes takes forever to put stuff out).

[@PosthumanHeresy]

You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons.

[@charpool169]

Sam Keith who made the maxx I feel like fits a lot of that description as well, from a technical standpoint sure there's flaws you could point out but from an energy standpoint he definitely delivered on conveying that

[@rooty]

Slightly lol

[@reefread1234]

Rob has real passion for the story and comic book universe its contagious in the quick clipo f him his passion is obvious and inspiring

[@ComicDrake]

Dude, I love how much you've exploded out of nowhere! Your visuals, storytelling, and presentation are all top notch. Welcome to ComicTube!

[@abdoucisse894]

Truly welcome.

[@felosia631]

I legitimately thought this was you when I clicked on it but I'm so happy I found yet another great comictuber

[@thedarkknight4366]

ComicDrake my guy!!!

[@nathanwoodcockn7184]

To say he had no skill is rediculous

[@fuzzylumpkins6034]

I never hated on any artist or write as I only cared about the comic. My brain adjusted imperfections. If I didnt like your comics (DC) I didnt read it or buy it. I never once gave any thought to the artist or writer or anything behind the scenes until McFarlane because he changed Spiderman for me forever in the biggest possible way and Liefield gave me Deadpool helping me accept my humour and what I really liked. The issue today with social media and comic cons then is too many people look behind the curtain and lose the magic, suddenly having an opinion that no one asked for. If you do not like the content, leave it. That is an opinion that matters. These guys worked their asses off whether they were talented or not, our purchase was their paycheck.

[@mookiewilson4166]

There’s no arguing with the style and art which lands with people. I hated his art, but if most people felt the same as me, he wouldn’t have had a fraction of his success. May we always make room for artists who aren’t our cup of tea and hope there’s always going to be new talent showcased to see if it strikes a chord with the readers.

[@akiramenai4973]

I remember thinking the New Mutants art was pretty cutting-edge and I liked it. I was a big fan of Buscema before that, loved Byrne's work (but not his faces so much) and also Ron Lim in the Infinity stuff. But his work did stand out as being pretty different, while also appealing to me.

[@schadenfreude6274]

@mookiewilson4166 This proves that you actually have no taste in good art. :)

[@yurilouback6331]

I think his art from the early 90's with the New Mutants and X-Force was pretty descent. But yeah, it only kept getting worse and worse

[@ev6558]

Seems like one of the main criticisms people level against him is that he just draws stuff that looks cool to kids, and the grown men making those criticisms assume he is the one who is wrong and not themselves for still being obsessed with comic books at the age of 47.

[@tonynittoli4792]

I’m with you on the style. I just couldn’t get into image (including spawn). When valiant hit the scene with shadow man and Turok dinosaur hunter though, I was hooked. Can’t deny the men over at image for have the balls to leave marvel though. I was too young to pay attention to drama though.

[@simonwinn8757]

That sideways comic sounded so dope, it was literally playing with the dimensions when changing realities.

[@r3dsnow757]

I guess it was too meta for em at the time

[@kpenis17]

when have corporations had artistic vision lol

[@Unculturedcurrency]

I’m not even into comic history but you got me hooked. Second video so far. Subbed

[@JonesyTerp1]

Never heard of this cat before watching this story, but it intrigued for sure. And it reminded me of something I saw recently. A man was wearing a t-shirt which had the approximate phrase, "Every person we meet is fighting a battle we know nothing about." The Liefeld/McFarland thing is an interesting story; yet at the same time, it is also a cliched story of youth, talent, money and competing ambitions.

[@illyph9963]

As someone who was teen in 90’s and comic nut, I can confirm this is 💯 accurate about how game changing it was, those x-force books were like 🔥 back then, the day #1 came out we were waiting in line for comic shop to open, lifeild, and McFarland completely changed the “style” of comics, and the influence is still felt today, it was huge point in comic history aesthetic wise

[@Robd07]

I remember all that! It was a special time for kids to collect comics! McFarlane art was pure excitment!

[@metsrus]

I prefer the Kubert brothers actually. But then again i'm partial to x-men

[@firefly44220]

I remember. Sad we don’t have anything like that anymore. Kids are missing that excitement and don’t even know it

[@danielwagner2034]

I also remember. Funny thing is that one of our comic collector friends loved Liefelds style, while the rest of us already hated his barrel chested footless abominations right away. I remember lots of making fun of his artwork.

[@BetterThanKanye]

Same! I was a teen too and when his stuff came out it blew me away. I used to draw and even mimicked his tattered signature box. I do remember getting and not liking that Captain America issue but it wasn’t about the art, it was more about the story direction they were going in post onslaught with all most their comics.

[@JVF5793]

This is probably the most fair look at Liefeld's art I have ever seen. You are able to show the criticisms against him in an objective way without being one of those people that takes glee in bashing him, while also pointing out his good qualities. This is a great video!

[@MySceneTVLA]

Guy, I love how you use awesome background music in your video! It flows it greatly and makes the video that much more enjoyable. Great video!!