Todd McFarlane Interview: As I've Gotten Older, I Just Like Good Storytelling

[@SmokeDrawRepeat]

Every Todd interview makes you want to go out an accomplish your dreams.

[@ashevillecomics637]

Todd did an appearance with us November 2019, our sales went up nearly 1000% since. I thanked him, he said we'd have done it with or without him. My favorite guy in comics.

[@saturncrush]

Yes

[@turtleanton6539]

Right

[@rell127]

He is great at making people do things.

[@jamichealruiz8640]

Todd mcfarlane is underrated 🔥

[@KTF0]

Todd's the easiest guy in to interview. Interviewer: Hi Todd *Todd goes on rant *

[@nickangelo116]

Unreal. He got Todd McFarlane on the show. That is just super.

[@karelmartel1437]

I’m a Todd fan for over 30 years now and now he’s getting older I’m not only a fan of his art any more but also of his character. Great guy he is. And Chris, keep up the good work.

[@JR-ju3kj]

I've been reading comic books ever since around the same time I learned how to read,so comics have basically always been a part of my life for as long as I can remember anything. I've been a Todd fan ever since his Spider-Man run in 1990 and he's a big inspiration for me now as an adult,just as he was for me as a kid! His story is a big inspiration and motivator for me to want to work in the comic book industry and write my own comics.

[@archmage7813]

Ugh, one of the worst human beings ever. Classic narcissist. Good artist but terrible storyteller and terrible toy maker. But it's all about him in his world.

[@wmcg]

Props to you, Chris. The channel keeps getting better and better. Todd's the effin' man.

[@Cer_Eos]

Word!

[@thedude3692]

I would say he is the Stan Lee of our time

[@natebennett2269]

@@thedude3692 I agreed. Heck, maybe there oughtta be a dollar bill that says "In Todd We Trust" under a spawn logo!

[@JR-ju3kj]

@@thedude3692 I wouldn't go that far.Let's not get carried away. Keep in mind that Stan Lee created HUNDREDS of characters(some say he created over 1,000 characters but the number I generally hear is in the hundreds). There's never going to be another Stan Lee(or Jack Kirby)in comic books and as awesome as Todd is,he's no Stan Lee and while I would never dare to put words in his mouth,I'm sure even Todd,himself would say as much.BUT...there will always be future great writers,artists and innovators in the comic book industry(which is how,just like anything else,it will continue to survive and keep going by new people coming into it)and Todd has definitely been that and he has definitely made his mark in the history of comic books and he and the other Image Comics Co-Founders paved the way for creator-owned comics and creators having power and ownership over the characters they create and being able to make money off of them. But just as there will never be another Stan Lee,there will never be another Todd McFarlane(or another Jim Lee or another Erik Larsen or another Marc Silvestri or another Frank Miller or another Alan Moore and on and on).

[@JR-ju3kj]

@@thedude3692 Also,all of the characters that Stan created or co-created(just as is the case with Jack Kirby,Joe Simon,Bob Kane,Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster,Steve Ditko,Len Wein,William Moulton Marston,Bill Everett,Will Eisner and so on)are still here now and have outlived him and will continue to for many more years to come. Like Todd was saying,hopefully,Spawn will outlive him,as was the case with Stan's characters(and of course,the great Walt Disney's,too).Bob Kane has been dead for over two decades and The Dark Knight isn't going anywhere,right? Same thing with Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel both being dead since the 1990s and Superman's still here and still going strong.William Moulton Marston has been dead longer than Todd(and my parents)have been alive and Wonder Woman's still here! So,McFarlane is right,you want your creations to outlive you(just like how you want your children to outlive you).Whenever he passes away(and obviously,hopefully that won't be for decades to come),it will be interesting to see if Spawn will outlive him and if so,for how long. That's the same goal I have in wanting to work in the comic book industry-that I create characters that will still be around long after I'm gone(and many of the characters that I'm going to be using are public domain characters and have been around since before I was even born,so a lot of the characters I'll be using will still be around long after I'm dead,anyways,since they're in the public domain and anyone can use them). But since Todd OWNS Spawn and none of the people I mentioned(outside of Disney) owned the characters they created,I guess it's a little different.So I'm guessing Todd will pass the ownership and rights for Spawn maybe to a close friend or to one of his kids when he passes,similar to how Vince MacMahon said that when he dies(or retires),everything is in place so that people like his Son-In-Law,Triple H and his children will take over the WWE.

[@captainnegativity9269]

Don't worry, you aren't required to call him the Toddfather. Just kiss his ring and you're set.

[@grug1343]

69 likes... noice

[@JR-ju3kj]

It's fine if people don't call him The Toddfather. He calls himself that enough for everyone! Ha! Ha!

[@bigpapaboomboom9735]

😂

[@saintsataniko2116]

Decades ago there was a really big comic that came out and the writer was at one of the first conventions I ever attended. I was pretty sheepish about getting books signed but I waited in line for this one guy and when it was my turn I just said "Hey" and called him by his first name. He looked up to see if I was someone he knew, realized I wasn't and looked down at the comic, signed it, and shoved it off to the side. While famous in the medium this guy wasn't a fraction as famous as Todd. So how Todd treats fans really is worthy of praise, because there are a lot of lesser names that never adopted his philosophy.

[@Groglor]

Hes probably not Canadian

[@AWESTRUCKPODCAST]

Wow, teared up a bit with Todd’s compliment to you at the end. You are an important part of the fandom. That was so nice and I I echo his sentiment. Thank you for this great interview.

[@mauriciomenaresart750]

X2... that was THE MOMENT!!!

[@SirMrHowell]

It's the most beautiful Christmas present this year! Thank you, Comic Tropes!

[@cha5]

How about an interview with Mike Mignola in 2021? And have a Merry and safe Christmas Chris.🎄

[@thewilhelmscream7912]

Mignola is a super nice down to earth guy, I met him at Emerald City Comic con and we just talked hellboy for a while when I was only a few volumes in, he was so excited to have me read more, so great!!!

[@truetype80]

I second this! Would love that

[@JR-ju3kj]

That would be awesome! I want to see him interview Jim Lee! If he can get Todd McFarlane,he should be able to get Jim Lee to do an interview.

[@davidmartin4532]

I would love to read a Hellboy & Spawn comic book! 😎👍

[@Halexx]

Wow. Todd the man himself. It must have been an exciting moment when he confirmed doing the interview. I'm so happy for you!

[@younggamer7218]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ6vd3qNdt6UoLc

[@EvilMP5]

I met Todd and his daughter back in 1994 at Fort Hood, Tx. He is an amazing guy and has an addictive personality that motivates you.

[@TAKTAK_Toys]

I like comics, but as an action figure collector I really enjoyed the part where Chris and Todd started talking McFarlane toys

[@raph3767]

Could've left a time stamp guy smh

[@jakejutras5420]

@@raph3767 or you could just watch the video?

[@archmage7813]

Really, his toys are probably the worst toys on the market.

[@MyEmoDiaries]

@@archmage7813then make your own toys or stfu

[@xvoidgamer]

@@archmage7813 I bought a few, they are not the worst compared with the same in the range price but they are not the best nor the worst.

[@MartinPittBradley]

Todd Macfarlane? Moving up man! Slamming “like” immediately out of respect

[@robertsyrett1992]

Spawn #1 was the first comic I "collected."

[@rockmanx6857]

Unfortunately,my copy was stolen along with over half of my original collection 😡🤬😡

[@jamichealruiz8640]

@@rockmanx6857 damn that sucks sadly I don't got any that's even worse I want spawn comics and toys frfr

[@djoneforever]

Todd is such an awesome guy. Gotta buy more of his books

[@TheJMuise87]

Great interview! Todd's self assurance and drive comes through so openly. Also it's awesome to hear someone this famous/successful simply likes people and thinks we should just treat each other well. Thanks for this Chris

[@Ratchetcomand]

Todd Mcfarlane is a huge inspiration for me and I love hearing interviews with him. He tells things how it is without any bullshit.

[@AbedG]

Great interview! Love that he's talking about the craft.

[@cyberpunkholiday]

Love to hear Todd talk! Also, glad you asked good questions Chris in that Todd doesn’t have to give his basic answers. This is good stuff!

[@JR-ju3kj]

It was an excellent interview and I really enjoyed it! Very inspirational!

[@jamichealruiz8640]

@@JR-ju3kj facts

[@paulmiller7838]

This was a great interview. Todd McFarlane was truly a great person to have on your show. Not just for his work in the industry but just for being such an awesome person.

[@solidkingcobra]

I had the pleasure of meeting Todd McFarlane a half a decade ago at an Image Expo. I see him as an elder statesman of the comic book industry. He's just a naturally nice guy, humble, and when he gave Chris the props that was genuine Todd.

[@mokwella]

A show about hardship in pursuing careers in the entertainment industry would be fascinating.

[@markwoodlock3838]

Check out the channel Film Courage. It's about that very thing! I'm a business owner and it's encouraged me through some brutal times during my first year.

[@lo1bo2]

I appreciate how Todd keeps Spawn at $2.99. One of the very few left.

[@Christian_Ada1]

Because it's not selling

[@Christian_Ada1]

Because it's not selling

[@daelen.cclark]

As a guy working on a comic script myself, there’s quite a lot of good pointers in here.

[@JR-ju3kj]

Good luck with your comic script! I want to write my own comic books,too and I got a lot of good of pointers and inspiration from the interview! Anyone trying to break into the comic book industry should heed Todd's advice and listen to what he has to say. He's successful,experienced,has been around a while now and he knows what works and what doesn't and what it takes to get to be where you want to be in life and accomplish your goals(and people can take that drive,focus and tenacity that Todd had to make it in the comic book industry and apply it to any area of life). My only issue with the interview was that Todd didn't seem to like being known as ''The Spider-Man guy.'' I get that he wouldn't want to be associated with his epic run on the Spidey books forever but at the same time,honestly? That's not the worst thing in the world,it really isn't. Being associated for the rest of your life with a great run on the Spider-Man books and helping revitalize and re-energize the character,isn't that bad.As long as people acknowledge everything else he's done,I don't see the problem with it.And even if some people don't acknowledge all of his other accomplishments and work and just see him as ''The Spider-Man' Guy'' forever ,I would compare it to how William Shatner and Sir Patrick Stewart both said that they're perfectly fine with being seen as Captain James T.Kirk and Captain Jean-Luc Picard and being associated with Star Trek for the rest of their lives,regardless of everything else that they've done in their long careers. Even if people just remember you for one good thing,it's still something,right?

[@jonmayhew4468]

Who has a better animated intro than comic tropes? nobody!

[@Notfritenite]

The Toddfather!! Amazing interview I could listen to him talk for hours.

[@timvanboening9432]

I finally was able to finish this interview. I love hearing him talk and how to the point he is. Growing up reading Spider-Man and Spawn, I loved his art, and I’m glad he’s made a solid career out of his art and vision.

[@AABB-bm9kk]

Happy Holidays to Chris and all the fans of Comic Tropes 🙂✌️🎄

[@facespaz]

Happy Holidays and Happy 10/10 avatar rating

[@crackedupmonk]

I’m at work but will be watching later tonight! So excited, hope to hear news on the new Spawn movie he’s promoted!

[@FleshWolf]

“What’s the end?” I feel that energy hell yeah 🤘🤝

[@theanalyst2018]

I will always treasure and highly appreciate todd mcfarlane especially his run on spiderman, it was huge and revolutionary especially the way he crafted his drawing with those organic and detail style..

[@MechaWrecka]

I could listen to Todd talk for hours. Fascinating guy.

[@RewMec226]

McFarland is definitely a legend I really respect. He's such a blue collar guy vision is so large for his company. Very great advice in this interview a very good questions in the interview.

[@SpookyGhost11]

This has definitely lifted my spirits, thank you.

[@alfredMonty]

As soon as I saw a new ComicTropes episode I was excited. Seeing Todd McFarlane is the special guest? What an absolute surprise to end this year on. Chris, thank you for making this all happen. Happy holidays to you and your loved ones.

[@marcuswalters8093]

It's amazing how much your show has grown. You must be so (rightfully) proud.

[@JoeAUnCloneD]

id listen to todds podcast once a week...he was most.inspiring to me personally this year, during a hard year. thank u

[@WayneBoucaud]

Again, great work Chris, I’ll be sharing to all and sundry, I’m a huge fan of Todd McFarlane, Spawn was my intro into the work of this man, i won’t go into detail but there are many reasons why I have a deep affection for that series, a huge thank you to Todd for that alone! Keep up the stellar work Chris, and thank you 🙏🏽

[@gazz_N7]

Such a legend. Great interview!!

[@moondog548]

Great interview! He's full of gold and you spun it out. ;-}

[@thewilhelmscream7912]

Todd The Bomb Macfarlane, what a boss, and a fun interview, I can't help but be motivated, way to go Chris, Merry Christmas!!!

[@ewalter23]

Great interview Chris. Have a great Christmas.

[@RacsoHillgreen]

You are an exceptional interviewer, Chris! This was extremely interesting. Thanks a lot!

[@badbabybear1]

Todd is awesome. Great interview. This channel is so underrated.

[@maris4137]

Wow. Congratulations on getting the Toddfather. I hope you can get the other Image Comics founders as well. A great Christmas gift to your subscribers.

[@briguy_81]

Expanding the publishing side!? I’m so freakin excited. I used to get all the stuff he’d put out. What ever he puts out, I’m in!

[@meierboy97]

Todd's praise of you at the end was really wholesome and well deserved, you do great work Chris! Wish you well in the new year.

[@SimoSakariAaltonen]

Good job, Chris and Todd!

[@ganjjabarsmedium2347]

I have a lot of respect for Todd's work ethic as well as his family ethic. Gunslinger Spawn is badass!

[@undead797]

Todd Mcfarlane if you're reading this buddy I just wanted to tell you that your writing is very much improved since the time I started reading Spawn.I started reading Spawn at issue 200 and have been on the ride since. I'm sure there are people that have read every issue since issue one. Gotta admit though sometimes your writing is totally out there and doesn't really come together but after reading issue upon issue as a reader I began to understand what you're trying to say and where you are trying to go with your comic book. I've learned your language, you seem to have a hard time articulating the awesomeness you see in your mind and have that completely translated into your comic. I have really seen a lot of improvement in your writing in your current arc of Spawn, more badass supporting characters, new characters, rewarding returns of characters for those who have read past issues and dare i say even improved dialogue! Not that Spawn has ever been completely abysmal in my opinion but sometimes it is a difficult read and I commend you for honing and improving upon you writing skills and realizing how important the story is. I'm sure you always knew that and have been trying to find a way to articulate it which is not as easy to you as penciling and inking. We all know you're a master at that. What I respect the most about the Spawn comic books is the unwillingness to reboot or rebrand just to sell comics to new readers who don't even really care about comics. That's why I started reading Spawn in the first place I was FED UP with marvel comics. I have been and will be purchasing every issue of Spawn till the very end and am anxious to see you improve your storytelling more and more to match your drawing skills and passion. Keep being a bad ass and sharing your world with us.

[@lucianoemmanuelramirez1304]

Seeing your comments and analisis of comics history is really a pleasure.. the love just shows through... hope you can keep doing what you do spreading comics culture for years to come..

[@superdopeimmaculateshow3491]

Great and special moment when Todd started interviewing Chris. Thank you for the episode.

[@samhillier9607]

Another great one. Thanks for doing it.

[@nh8444]

That beginning animation was great and I absolutely love the turtles arcade behind you. That’s my childhood good right there.

[@enriquevarela1522]

Always great to hear Mcfarlane speak, great advice in every sentence. Congrats to Chris and the show, growing and growing. Respect

[@jamescole7930]

Todd is right, your channel (and other’s like yours) is a great tool , and may I add an incredible enjoyable tool to promote, expose and encourage people to keep reading or maybe even just to try comics. You make it super fun to be a comic fan. Thank you. Keep up the great work.

[@mattmitchell5353]

Great interview! I could listen to Todd talk shop all day. Got to love his competitive drive.

[@thefartofthecards759]

Holy shi!. I've can't believe this. A god damn hero of mine

[@BranimalsTruth]

The intro is awesome man. You could have your own TV show with the quality you show. Merry Christmas!

[@bryanstickell429]

Gotta love Todd. He seems incoherent to most, but if you really follow closely he makes absolute sense. It's like he's stuck on an acid trip from his youth. 😄 A rebel and a hustler who made comic book history multiple times. Again, you've gotta love Todd McFarlane. By the way great interview, Chris! You're really shooting to stardom with your new content! Keep it up bro!

[@JR-ju3kj]

Sure,some see him that way.But who cares,right? I never thought Todd seems incoherent or stuck on an acid trip from his youth. I see him as being eccentric,quirky,driven,passionate about what he does and as a rebel and hustler and a successful artist/writer and businessman/entrepreneur. He blazed his own path and accomplished his goals and aspirations(and is still going strong),we should all be so lucky in whatever it is that we want to do in life(for me,it just so happens that I also want to make it in the comic book industry and become an entrepreneur,so hopefully,it will work out for me,too).

[@nickangelo116]

I've never seen him as incoherent at all. He is well-spoken and intelligent as far as I can tell. If anything, I think he might do cocaine. Just a hunch. I could be wrong

[@JR-ju3kj]

@@nickangelo116 Agreed.I don't know what the person defines as ''incoherent'' but I don't think Todd is incoherent at all.Not too get to political here but I would say that he's more coherent than the guy who currently has the Nuclear Launch Codes(at least until January 20th)and like you said,he is well-spoken and intelligent,as far as I can tell. I don't know,maybe some people are projecting onto him what they think he is.As I said before,I just think he's eccentric and quirky(which is easier to be when you're rich,by the way).

[@robtarlton2698]

Chris, you're spoiling us!! It was an absolute joy to see todd interview you ❤

[@carlonbass]

Man, what a dude. I'm more of a fan of Todd with every interview I watch. I love how organic and real he is. Awesome interview too. You asked all the right questions. VERY fun interview.

[@williamprior7831]

What an amazing gift from Comic Tropes and Todd. This was another great interview. Happy Holidays

[@crithon]

he's such a fascinating guy, been fallowing him for years. Good interview.

[@omegabeyond5390]

What a great Christmas gift for all of us fans! Thanks Chris for facilitating such an interesting conversations. Todd's praise of you and your channel near the end of the interview were very much deserved!

[@UNCANNYGEORGE]

Another great interview, Chris!!! Todd is the man!!!!

[@nrc91z]

Chris looks so happy in during this interview, and it make me happy. Like 42:30. Keep up the good work man. Much love.

[@psychepus-1715]

Chris you are the best guy thank you for this, this was so sweet i'm going to support you on patreon even tho i never supported anyone Merry Christmas to you and your family

[@ondreibazant-fabre2164]

Congrats from Mexico! As Todd said, you are a great promoter of the comic media. Hope you can do more interviews, enjoyed it a lot! PD: Loved that animated intro!!!

[@portland-182]

One of the calmest interviews I've seen Todd do. Less hustle more Todd. Great interview.

[@crazedzealots]

omg this is awesome Comic Tropes Chris and Todd the man Macfarlane together. this is amazing.

[@Carlos-xz3vi]

I recently discovered this channel. Great interview. Lovely to hear Todd talking about his family and how he puts family first and still is ultra succesful. Big change from the conventional narrative that a family would hold you back. Pretty inspiring.

[@kevinbeatsman6998]

Thanks for putting the work in and sharing this video. I've been listening to Todd jabber nearly all my life and I still love it. The guy is inspiring.

[@spyderpaul314]

Chris, this was great. Thanks to both you and Todd

[@111tomike]

I want to know more about the 'Samurai Santa' comic book in the background. But awesome interview! Great job!

[@kalega311]

Great interview. Lots of neat insights from both of you. I love his points about the nuances and intricacies ("art theory" as he stated) that go into artistic aspect of products (whether it be video games, comics, movies, etc), that the general consumer or viewer does not notice or take for granted. It is one of the most interesting things to me about artforms - the "science" behind what works, why we like what we like, etc. Another thing almost alluded to was writing serialized characters vs your own characters. It was the length of story discussion, but I thought it woulda been neat to dive deeper into the mentality of writing serialized characters compared to creator-owned characters, regardless of story length.

[@jakegrave261]

This was so awesome that you got to talk to Todd. Love watching your channel grow.

[@erichunter846]

Bravo! Thanks for the pep talk.

[@GodLovesComics]

Well I already have the name for Todd's podcast...ToddCast, and the format is a perfect fit because much of what Todd says these days amounts to motivational speaking. I don't actually read Spawn but I find it inspirational that he hopes to keep working on it for 30 more years. And also that he wants to expand publishing now when all print publishing looks to be at its most bleak, and needs the shot in the arm he provides.

[@dankusmemeus7093]

It shows especially in recent spawn comics

[@disturbedone8731]

I like how Todd is showing Chris respect and actually saying his name every time he's talking to him. It shows that Todd sees him as an individual Rather than just another interview to go ahead and move along as quickly as possible. Todd McFarland may be super successful and Rich but he hasn't let it go to his head. he has good heart And he knows the majority of his fan base are the average Joe And without them he wouldn't be at the level of success he is today.

[@mrmanjumac3454]

The way he talked abt his family life made me think that too. Seems like a really cool dude

[@davidmartin4532]

Great interview Chris! Glad Todd is only 1/2 way through his awesome career so we can look forward to more great stuff! 😎👍

[@josecoba6998]

WOW THIS A REAL XMAS PRESENT!!!! that first anecdote describes very well Todd's great character and how close and loving he is with fans.... he always congratulates me on my birthday on fb for real! And that MAKES THAT WHOLE DAY SPECIAL... Love the guys so much! LEGEND

[@johnburwood6692]

Great interview.. You guys covered some things that aren't in other McFarlane interviews I've seen. I've met him a few times and he's a super nice guy. He really thinks of others and he wants to help people reach their true potential.

[@shanechebsey6532]

Todd is always a massive inspiration. Great interview

[@rob-brown]

great interview chris!!

[@niklashegg]

This interview is underrated

[@beneads5]

Amazing! Great episode. Chris your questions were compelling. Thank you

[@eburns-nc]

Wow, what a great interview on both sides of the conversation. Thanks for making this available.

[@raydillon]

Man, I love McFarlane. Always so inspirational. Doesn't get enough credit for being humble and down to earth, or caring about comics and fans. Can't wait for the second half of his career and what he'll do. Really hope he does that podcast too. Great interview!!

[@jonnymars7164]

hollyshit hes famous famous ... this is awesome you deserve interviews like this

[@AkiDave]

Todd is such a king 🤧

[@entennstudio]

Marvel and DC should go to Mcfarlane’s lectures and learn from the man. It doesn’t matter how much he says: “when the crowd goes to the right, I go left’’, because while he’s doing it he always keeps at least one of his eyes on the fans. Always. He knows what the fans want and gives it to them. It’s a symbiosis, and his success is a clear proof of that.

[@kgdrummerboy]

Excellent interview, comic-brother, I really enjoyed it! I could/would say lots of positive things about Todd but, reading below..they've already been said and iterated, and I'd be preaching to the choir(not that that's a bad thing, in this case). Mad respect to the Toddster, and you, thank-you!

[@andrealso7]

Saudações do Brasil! Ótima entrevista. Pura inspiração! Obrigado.

[@thoforn]

Loved it Chris..Comics is pure art for me and good ideas..

[@brandonaskew2428]

I met Todd at a surprise comic signing in Asheville a couple years ago. He was more than gracious, took the time to meet all the fans, of which hundreds showed up. His talent is only matched by his enthusiasm for what he does.

[@NelsonStJames]

Holey Moley, a celebrity finally acknowledged how people go overboard over celebrities simply doing stuff that average people do everyday! I've become a Todd McFarlane fan all over again.

[@IzzysIssues]

That was so cool! I've heard before that Todd was really brash but his encouragement and wisdom that was shared in this was fantastic