Cover for Alpha #5

[Flightpath07]

Meh...I am not sure that I saw enough of his work to actually be a "fan" of his (for instance, I had never ever seen anything resembling that image posted above!). Remember, I dropped comics by 1991, and did not pick them up again until 2006 or 2007. Therefore, everything I have seen of Rob's, has pretty much been in hindsight. I just remember reading some of his comics and thinking that they looked okay; X-Force comes to mind, as does some classics like Youngblood. I always was a fan of Image comics in the 90's when i discovered them, and I beleive Image was founded by Rob and some other frustrated artists.

More than his art, RL for me was always about "fighting the establishment". What little I knew about him, which granted was far less than i know now (the computer is a wonderful tool), for me he was always the little guy with great ideas who struck out on his own and took on the big corporations (and, to a large degree, won). You have to love somebody like that.

The fact that Youngblood was based on heroes he wanted written into Teen Titans when he pitched writing for them (and was subsequently turned down), amazes me. I find him brilliant in that regard. His ability to create fascinating characters, ranks right up there with the greats (Lee, Ditkas, Byrne, Claremont - I think he deserves that type of recognition for his character work).

His artwork - well, for me, the iconic image of his work in the superhero genre as an artist, is the women he drew. God, that man musta had cojones, to draw every woman so incredibly chesty, and actually get away with it! Lol. So, when i think of his art, I think of disproportionate in a whole different sense that what you think when you view that Captain America pic above (shudder!).

As wikipedia states, "In 1989, Liefeld moved to Marvel where he became the penciller for The New Mutants, starting with issue #86. He is generally credited for turning this lowest-selling title of the X-franchise into a financial success. The New Mutants series was retitled X-Force (vol. 1), whose 1991 debut issue sold four million copies, setting an industry-wide record later broken by Jim Lee's X-Men (vol. 2) #1." Dang! That's pretty dang impressive!

That, to me, is the Rob Liefeld I think of. Never written him a fan letter. He isn't gonna make even my top-ten list fo favourite artists. But, creatively, I think he is a genius (much the way I think Alice Cooper is a genius!).

And that's all i have to say about that.

[Le Messor]

I think Alice Cooper is a genius!

Cool! I got tickets for September. (Sydney)

I was going to reply to this image but there is just so much wrong with it I don't know where to begin

How 'bout the perspective on the chest, making it look like it's facing two ways at once?

- Le Messor
"I’d love to, but I want to spend more time with my blender."

[Alpha Rider]

How 'bout the perspective on the chest, making it look like it's facing two ways at once?

- Le Messor
"I’d love to, but I want to spend more time with my blender."[/QUOTE]

It's one of Caps Super powers from the serum.

[Alpha Rider]

But, creatively, I think he is a genius (much the way I think Alice Cooper is a genius!).

And that's all i have to say about that.

There are alot of geniuses(?) in comics. Though the way the industustry is set it's hard to figure out who is and isn't. Liefeld and six other (Jim Lee, Valentino, Selvesrti, McFarlane, Larsen, and Pichacio (?) left Marvel to form Image. The bases was for more creater control, money and so forth. They saw their pay cheques and saw how much there books were selling and saw how much money Marvel was making so they decided to form there own company where they have the bigger piece of the pie and control over the charaters. Image was a good idea at the time, but with no one to answer to, they were late with there own books and started to venture off into doing other stuff like toys. But in the end of it they became what they hated the most. They became another Marvel. Image did some good things for comics like shifting the spotlight to smaller and indipendent companies. They also did some bad, foucusing so much on drawing instead of story telling and stories itself they started to lose some of there fan base, and when the bottom fell out Image suffered just like everyone else did in comics.
I still have no idea what Wild Cats is about.

[DelBubs]

I think the consensus is that that is not a very good picture, so maybe we should leave it at that

[Flightpath07]

I HATE W.I.L.D.Cats! Tried to read seeveral issues; couldn't understand anything, it was like reading a bad comic in a foreign language.

Please remember, Liefeld admits that the guys who formed Image were not very good artists. Rob also had no formal art training. Yet he still got hired by Marvel to draw comics for them!

[Legerd]

I HATE W.I.L.D.Cats! Tried to read seeveral issues; couldn't understand anything, it was like reading a bad comic in a foreign language.

Same here. I picked up a #1 issue way back when to see what it was like, and hated everything about it. The story was awful, the dialogue was lame, the characters all seemed to be ripoffs of Marvel or DC characters, the art was ugly... I think the inking, and colouring was okay, but beyond that I couldn't see any appeal whatsoever.

[Alpha Rider]

I HATE W.I.L.D.Cats! Tried to read seeveral issues; couldn't understand anything, it was like reading a bad comic in a foreign language.

Please remember, Liefeld admits that the guys who formed Image were not very good artists. Rob also had no formal art training. Yet he still got hired by Marvel to draw comics for them!

The reason why no one who gets hired as a comic book artist never really had any formal training is if you go into college or university at the time (90's) and say you want to become a comic book artist they'ed turn you around and kick you out the door. I know, because that's what I told OCAD and other art schools at the time. They all had this view from the 30's or 40's mentality, that you only did comic book work if you had no other choice or were looking for some serious work, and if you did do comic work, you'd change your name so that your legitamate work would not get effected.

So alot of comic artist were people that knew how to do story telling and draw good. That's why I'm still dumbfounded by Liefeld. Take a look at Youngblood #1 and look how the costume changes for the charater named Sentinal(?) (They guy with the yellow shoulder pad(s) and helmet). But also to get into comics you have to bug the crap out of the editor till you get some work, like McFarelane did.

[DelBubs]

Wild C.a.t.s was never my favourite Image comic. I did enjoy Stormwatch though. From Stormwatch we got Ellis's take on the team and then 'The Authority'. From that we can see how 'Planetary' came about and so on. Some good stuff came from Image, but in some departments it never measured up to the big two.

[Le Messor]

in some departments it never measured up to the big two.

Power Girl?

[Flightpath07]

The reason why no one who gets hired as a comic book artist never really had any formal training is if you go into college or university at the time (90's) and say you want to become a comic book artist they'ed turn you around and kick you out the door. I know, because that's what I told OCAD and other art schools at the time.

Alpha Rider, are you secretly Rob Liefeld in disguise?

I have got to say, even though I "accidentally on purpose" hijacked this thread a wee bit, this has been a fun conversation! In a year or two, we'll have to revisit this, do a whole thread on Liefeld and Image!

[Alpha Rider]

Awh man my cover is blown. But I did work in the comic book industry with some big name artist and companies, and was schooled in what was going on in the industry. However that was in the past and I have no plans on ever going back. Too many pre-madaonnas. Everyone is *****y about the other guy can't draw or write, but jealous because they don't have the big name project like the other guy. What a bunch of whinning babies.

[Flightpath07]

Awh man my cover is blown. But I did work in the comic book industry with some big name artist and companies, and was schooled in what was going on in the industry. However that was in the past and I have no plans on ever going back. Too many pre-madaonnas. Everyone is *****y about the other guy can't draw or write, but jealous because they don't have the big name project like the other guy. What a bunch of whinning babies.

And now you have piqued my curousity. But I will refrain from asking you anything you do not wish to volunteer. Hopefully you have found happiness and contentment in other employment since?

[Alpha Rider]

I have nothing to hide. Anyone wishes to ask me anything about my past or present employment is fine by me. As for my happiness, I'm very happy, probably the happest i've ever been.

[Le Messor]

I have nothing to hide. Anyone wishes to ask me anything about my past or present employment is fine by me.

Where were you on November 22, 1963?