What's The Appeal Of Rob Liefeld?

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  • Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
  • #robliefeld #x-force #deadpool #cable #marvel #imagecomics
    One of the favored punching bags of his particular era in comics history, Rob Liefeld has been routinely criticized, mocked, and lampooned for his highly individual approach to comic art. Despite this, Liefeld's brand has sold millions of units and he's created multiple characters who have become household names. So, despite all the ridicule, there's clearly a receptive audience out there. What do they see in him? This video attempts to explore the possibilities behind that question.
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 212

  • @joefell5311
    @joefell5311 Рік тому +37

    Over the years of comic book collecting since the 70's as a kid, Liefeld's art consistently conflicts me. At one point I'll look at a page or two and say "cool artwork". Then I'll flip the page and see the grotesque imagery in front of my eyes as I struggle to wrap my head around the incorrect perspective, pockets everywhere, BFGs that make no sense, weird spikes coming out of helmets and bad anatomy. It baffles me how he got this far in the industry but at the same time, his style is so unique that I sometimes can't turn my head from it and want to see a little more of it. I don't know if that's me being a sadist and wanting to see how badly he can draw or wanting more unusual imagery that I've never seen anyone else do because some of it can be good at times. There's no doubting when you see his artwork you can pinpoint exactly who it is immediately. That's what makes him a household name in comic book collecting, in my opinion. It's not great, it's sometimes not the worst but it's in a class all it's own.

    • @AndrewHarriston
      @AndrewHarriston Рік тому +2

      I agree and I think what made his art so unique at the time was that his art work was like a bad cult movie as in its definitely bad but bad in an awesome kind of way.

    • @joefell5311
      @joefell5311 Рік тому +2

      @@AndrewHarriston Exactly! Like trying to avert your eyes from a car accident about to happen. You don't want to see it, but you do. 😂🤣

    • @jazzlehazzle
      @jazzlehazzle Рік тому +2

      I love it bc I love it, and it’s awesome fun, warts and all. He’s a king of the sensational abstract, a master of exciting composition, and accuracy can go fk itself (and often should, or take a way-back seat). - His comics are just meant to be fun, which is literally the only thing that needs to be conveyed. It’s just about a mood or a vibe. He’s one of the greats at panels that just feel “FUN.” - (Also worth noting that when he wasn’t rushed for deadlines, or trying to juggle dozens of books and run a company, his accuracy was actually pretty darn good w/ plenty of elegance). Put aside anatomy, put aside that crippling literalism, and JUST. FEEL. FUN. (+/- big guns, big tits and hot babes, if that’s what teenage boys like, they should be allowed to enjoy with no shame). It’s explosive visual genius. And haters can wish and keep dreamin’ that they’ll EVER strike a chord like he did. His gestalts are some of the GOATs. ‘Nuff said.

    • @kaudsiz
      @kaudsiz Рік тому

      @@jazzlehazzle Preach!

  • @theexuberantmortalbeast6213
    @theexuberantmortalbeast6213 2 роки тому +10

    I was 15 when XForce 1 hit the rack. It was the visual appeal that hooked me.

  • @TimeCodeMechanics
    @TimeCodeMechanics 2 роки тому +10

    I was a huge fan of Liefeld! I’ve pointed out to people that there’s a little Kirby in Rob, but I was mocked for that. Ironically he’s working for Marvel right now.

    • @robi6317
      @robi6317 Рік тому +1

      there's as much Kirby in Rob as there is Neanderthal in all of us - dont even type those two names so close together

    • @TimeCodeMechanics
      @TimeCodeMechanics Рік тому +3

      @@robi6317 This is the kid of response I was talking about. LOL.

    • @seannyhan2254
      @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому +1

      @@TimeCodeMechanics
      To be fair, there's a little Kirby in all of us.

  • @cheeseburger12
    @cheeseburger12 Рік тому +19

    There is a line in a Warhammer book where Fulgrim is talking to an artist about how he can improve his art. Why his art is good and yet always missing something. And the artist offered a theory that he was so perfect in representing the realistic human that great art needed to exaggerate little for dramatic effect- or something along those lines. Thus, Fulgrim obsessed with perfection wouldn't ever be able to be a great artist even with his great skill. And of course, the Fulgrim got pretty angry with that.

    • @seannyhan2254
      @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому

      You get bonus points for the 40k reference.

  • @5StarFunk
    @5StarFunk Рік тому +23

    Liefeld's art was like dope graffiti turned into a comicbook. You were wowed my the colors and flash knowing the anatomy wasn't really right but still appreciated the artistry.

  • @ryancairns139
    @ryancairns139 Рік тому +42

    Liefelds bombastic and aggressive art style is significantly more entertaining than half the stuff being printed by Marvel now.

    • @jimflask1164
      @jimflask1164 Рік тому +1

      I agree. At the same time, when is the right time to study anatomy? For an artist to just wing it on one of the fundamentals to illustration. I can not find any excuse. Unless you're Jackson Pollack reincarnated. Learn anatomy. Save the internal organs for later.

    • @quentinhxc1
      @quentinhxc1 Рік тому +1

      That's because marvel contracts the art to overseas studios in Italy, Spain, and the Philippines so the writer doesn't give much creativity freedom to the artist due to language barriers. Hence why many artists produce cookie cutter art. Digital inking doesn't help the matter much either.

    • @namm1on
      @namm1on 9 місяців тому +4

      I see a lot of artist nowadays on UA-cam crap on rob liefelds work and then expect that they are going to be better. But when I see the people crapping on rob’s artwork, own drawings, I’m like what happened? They talk all that shit but their own artwork is worse lol

    • @seannyhan2254
      @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому

      No. It's not. The guy's a terrible storyteller. His page layouts, pannel composition, and pacing are very not good. I enjoy some Liefeld, here and there, but he's objectivly bad at sequential art.

  • @chase001
    @chase001 2 роки тому +4

    I quit reading in the 90s because of the art.

  • @Tamlinearthly
    @Tamlinearthly Рік тому +2

    "The face this statue makes is impossible."
    Yeah, he's also being torn apart by a sea monster, so, ya know, creative liberties and all that...

  • @eelliott74
    @eelliott74 2 роки тому +17

    Rob Liefeld is the CC Deville of comic artists. While neither is as technically proficient as their peers, they both make up for it with energy and style.

    • @kcsnipes
      @kcsnipes 2 роки тому

      Not sure of the reference but the explanation makes sense to me

    • @billsimpson1085
      @billsimpson1085 Рік тому +3

      Funny comparison as CC's bandmate published a comic through Rob's Maximum Press. Rikki Rockett was in the studio frequently in the later half of 95 and a bit in 96. I ended up doing quite a bit of the color work on Sister Of Mercy after Rob cancelled it and Rikki went off and published it by himself.

    • @allydrawsthings
      @allydrawsthings Рік тому +1

      incredibly on point comparison. CC shreds

    • @eelliott74
      @eelliott74 Рік тому

      @@billsimpson1085 I had no idea! That’s a cool connection.

  • @kennethbailey9802
    @kennethbailey9802 2 роки тому +15

    Robs the man, he made it work.

  • @pulsarstargrave256
    @pulsarstargrave256 2 роки тому +12

    Simply put, Liefeld just has a fun, exciting style and there's nothing wrong with that or anyone who enjoys it!

    • @seannyhan2254
      @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому

      said every cult member ever.
      Just kidding, you're not wrong.

  • @numbernine5044
    @numbernine5044 2 роки тому +11

    Rob's art changed as of late. I'd much liked his standard simplistic approach back on x-force and early youngblood. It showed that even his type of style could be streamlined and look fairly consistent if not sublime (but that was the point for some cartoonist).

    • @famousthaneus9810
      @famousthaneus9810 Рік тому +1

      His art has hardly changed over the years. He doesn’t get quite as wonky with the stylistic anatomy approach, but the fundamental issues are still blatantly there (overly boxy bodies and cat people faces with sunken noses and super dehydrated skin)

  • @billsimpson1085
    @billsimpson1085 Рік тому +2

    I worked at Extreme Studios in 95 and 96 as a computer colorist. I didn't want to be a colorist but it was a foot in the door. Quality control in the color department was a joke. Nobody used the same color pallet and you might have 15 different people on a single book. No wonder we fell under such criticism.

  • @metalmonkey0026
    @metalmonkey0026 Рік тому +6

    From from I've seen and heard of him Liefeld generally seems like a big kid at heart and to me that's why his art resonated so well with the kids of the 90s! The early 90s was in a lot of ways the punk rock movement of comics. It just tapped into the cultural zeitgeist of the Times.

    • @robi6317
      @robi6317 Рік тому +1

      i was there, no it didnt

    • @mstrider80
      @mstrider80 Рік тому +1

      He's also like a big kid in business. He takes your money and never returns with it or what he promised. Allegedly.

    • @metalmonkey0026
      @metalmonkey0026 Рік тому +4

      @@mstrider80 And yet he somehow keeps getting work in the industry.

  • @thedreamsoldierful
    @thedreamsoldierful 2 роки тому +4

    Looking back it looks kinda weird but it’s what was in demand at the time. Kinda like fashion

  • @LOLheyman
    @LOLheyman 2 роки тому +15

    I think the appeal was his art looked really cool, its comics about super heroes and mutants too many people nitpick his art saying his art isn't correct anatomy or the right proportions and say it doesn't look realistic. Guys like rob liefeld, Todd mcfarlane, sam kieth made comics look cool. I don't understand the obsession people have about comics needing to look proportionally and anatomically correct go to a high end art museum for that not a comic book shop.

    • @AlejandroHernandez-og8gp
      @AlejandroHernandez-og8gp 2 роки тому +2

      Tuvo tanto éxito solo por ser lo edgy entre comillas y cool que los nerds de esa época lo veían así esa es la única razón por eso hoy en dia todos notan lo malas que eran esas historias y arte todos crecen no sé quedan en el pasado si hicieran esas historias y dibujo hoy en día se considerarían cómics pendejon3s

    • @jimmyboy131
      @jimmyboy131 2 роки тому +1

      Start looking at different popular artists within comics and you'll see the difference. I would say that if you like Liefeld's art then you might also like modern art. So for museums I'd recommend the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Guggenheim museum, both in New York City. I'm not a fan of modern art so I won't go back to those places but there are many people who like them.

    • @cryamistellimek9184
      @cryamistellimek9184 Рік тому +1

      There’s being stylish and then there’s the things that Rob does, like giving captain American 3 fingers and legs as long as his arms.

  • @Phantoman7
    @Phantoman7 2 роки тому +20

    Liefeld's art is fun. Not perfect, but just really fun. That simple pure fun quality goes a very very long way.

    • @GeekHero_Bubba
      @GeekHero_Bubba 2 роки тому +3

      That's how Nintendo stays relevant no matter how much technology the other two cram into their systems.

    • @northprime_unlimited
      @northprime_unlimited 2 роки тому +1

      That’s what I’m saying

  • @raulzavala9061
    @raulzavala9061 2 роки тому +4

    I just noticed the Jubilee pic at 7:22 that Rob has drawn a left foot onto her right leg.

    • @seannyhan2254
      @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому

      Yeah, Rob had a thing about drawing feet. Sometimes I think half of his composition problems and anatomical distortion was to avoid having to draw feet.

  • @Darthvegeta8000
    @Darthvegeta8000 Рік тому +7

    He is fun. Fun cheesy over the top designs. I love Robs work in the 90s

  • @sisyphushappyxvx
    @sisyphushappyxvx Рік тому +4

    I've recently been re-reading a lot of that early Image stuff and, I must say, the first 3 issues of Youngblood, while incomprehensible in plot, are really exciting comics - and I think Liefeld's best artistic work. Had he worked with a competent writer and not insisted on running the show, I think that book could've been quite good.

  • @SeanWickett
    @SeanWickett Рік тому +2

    I never cottoned on to Rob's style. I'm an artist and even back in the 90s his anatomical choices baffled me, as did his popularity. At the time, it seemed he was popular because he broke into comics at such a young age and he brought that "extreme" aesthetic and energy with him.
    Thirty years later I'm glad he's still around. He is as energetic as his art, which is saying something considering what he's gone through professionally. It's impossible to deny his passion for the medium.

  • @ProfessorKenneth
    @ProfessorKenneth 2 роки тому +11

    Rob is bullshit....but he just tapped into the vein back in the 90s...lol.. 😂 I have no idea how he did it. He burns his bridges at DC and marvel...gets fired from image a company he helped created...lol...what's more to say...other than the obvious...

    • @powerbad696
      @powerbad696 2 роки тому

      He got fired from Image because of THEFT,Professor K,he stealing money from his GOOD friends. NOT COOL. And at DC,he was doing HALF-ASS work,plain and simpls.

  • @ataraxia7439
    @ataraxia7439 2 роки тому +6

    Don’t worry about having too much exposition. You know how to narrate things in such a way that they’re engaging even if it’s not clear where you’re going with it at first.

  • @keewatin427
    @keewatin427 Рік тому +4

    Becoming a comic fan and collector in 1989 at the age of 12, I was the perfect demographic to get sucked into the popular comics artists craze of the time, which I did with wholeheartedly. It wasn’t difficult to understand why Jim Lee and McFarlane were so popular with either their technical proficiency or charming style. With Liefeld it was a mystery, even now, why I was so drawn to his art style. It didn’t take long for me to realize that he was, in fact, a terrible artist with dogshit skills and I quickly grew to resent his success. I was lucky enough to have a legitimate professional comic artist living in my home town (Tom Grummett, artist of Superman). He would frequent the comic shop I was loyal to and one day I got brave enough to ask him why Rob Liefeld was so popular. He said he didn’t know, but that he thought I was because he draw in a way that kids could believe that they could draw as well. I knew it was meant as a slight and Tom was notorious curmudgeon, but oddly enough I think he got it. I can remember seeing Rob’s early New Mutants stuff and getting excited about it. It was all gas, no brake. Just like how a kid would draw when they started to master cursory art skills.

  • @ll7868
    @ll7868 2 роки тому +2

    Those mini-comics you would get with magazines like Wizard and #0 previews are worth more than the comics themselves in many cases. Alex Ross' Marvel Earth X sketches is worth looking for. If you're lucky you might come across a Deathblow/Cybernary flip-cover #0 preview from Image, a sweet little hard to find gem. Only a few made it to stores, it was recalled due to the death of Cybernary creator Nick Manabat before the first issue was released.
    The irony that collecting comics was made obsolete by collectors themselves looking to cash in makes me laugh sometimes, I bought comics to read, let other people read them, that was priceless. In the 70s we traded comics the same way we traded sports cards. There were no comic stores back then, finding every issue of every title you read wasn't easy, sometimes someone had an issue you needed and you had one they needed, same with sports cards, no cash required.

    • @ll7868
      @ll7868 2 роки тому

      Wizard also had a Heroes Reborn sketchbook, Jim Lee's Iron Man pages are awesome.

  • @Geewunner4life
    @Geewunner4life Рік тому +1

    I've been trying to find the appeal of Rob Leifield since 1992 and I'm still as baffled now as I was then.

  • @oldb-1kenobi
    @oldb-1kenobi Рік тому +1

    I liked his Hawk and Dove and early work on the New Mutants but it got steadily more stylized as the 90s went on, it seemed rushed. When he's not rushed and he tries, his work is enjoyable, full of energy and just plain fun.

  • @tjbjjtkd
    @tjbjjtkd 2 роки тому +2

    I was a fan of his art style until I started seeing better artist. I don't know what his work looks like today, but I hope it has improved.

    • @seannyhan2254
      @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому

      It's a bit more polished, but, essentially the same.

  • @josenieves7514
    @josenieves7514 Рік тому +2

    He started the comic biz & never developed past the Image fame. Books were selling so why develope & improve his artwork? Many seasoned pros to assist & guide him on this but looks like his Image fame was enough for him to not bother...

  • @CaptPicard81
    @CaptPicard81 9 місяців тому

    I really appreciated his character design when I was a kid, his work just looked cool.

  • @GenericProtagonist118
    @GenericProtagonist118 6 місяців тому +1

    My opinion on Liefelds art as someone introduced to him through Linkara rants and multiple out of context panels of wonky anatomy. My opinion is that the one thing going for him is that, Yes, his work is extremely eyecatching. For all the right and wring reasons. But I'd also add that his work is misunderstood in some ways too and the best example is the infamous Captain America image. There was an artist on Tumblr that explained and showed in detail that the anotomy of cap is actually surprisingly proportional because he referenced a body builder pose. Unfortunately he neglected drawing the other arm which would have given context to the pose of his body and the placement of the sheild hiding parts of his body creating a messed up optical illusion.
    Rob Liefeld is actually a great artist but he makes several decisions that end up sabotaging it so nobody can truly see it.

    • @seannyhan2254
      @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому

      +5 for the Linkara reference. And, hey, he did change the therme song to remove the direct criticislm of Liefeld.

  • @traviswilcox3472
    @traviswilcox3472 Рік тому +3

    Sometimes bad is just bad & Liefeld art has always been bad.

  • @marcomcdowell8861
    @marcomcdowell8861 Рік тому +1

    Even in the 90s we knew Liefeld's style was over the top, but the books were fun and I kept cutting lawns and shoveling snow to buy them. The local comic book store owner literally waited at the door for us to get out of school so we could drop 20 bucks each. Of course he threw in a "special" for his favorite chumps lol. Our art teacher told us to never bring any of Liefield's books in because nothing had perspective hahaha, but he was ok with Jim Lee's Rogue and Psylocke.

  • @kcsnipes
    @kcsnipes 2 роки тому

    It was the jeans 👖 commercial that got us in the 80s and 90s

  • @jimgillespie6109
    @jimgillespie6109 Рік тому +1

    I'm not a huge Liefeld fan, but I don't hate his work either. I'm glad you used the word "enthusiasm," since I believe that's a key to why his work seems uneven/inconsistent: he's so eager to get to drawing the next page, he forgets to finish the one he's working on at the time. That energy comes through to the reader.
    Also, I like the statue's forehead. Seems okay to me.

  • @erickenneycreative
    @erickenneycreative 2 роки тому +3

    Fun ... its the only thing he has ever cared about and I salute him for it.

    • @professorpedropontes4402
      @professorpedropontes4402 2 роки тому +1

      I’m gonna f…in quote you and this will be my life motto. I’m not even kidding, buddy.

  • @luciferfernandez7094
    @luciferfernandez7094 2 роки тому +3

    Great argument, best about Liefeld after Groth’s who explains Liefeld through mannerism. To this day I’m sort of fascinated by the idea of a Rob Liefeld comic but, sorry to say, when I try to read or reread (or just look at) his stuff doesn’t holds up, specially when he got rid of the inkers and editors of his earlier books. And yeah, Liefeld’s stuff feels like drawn by a 12 years old who focus on imitating the “cool” of better artists but with no regard on building towards coolness. So when I was 12 I was hooked on X-Force and Image and what have you. Unfortunately I grew up, I do art myself and even nostalgia can save Rob’s crap - I may admire his tenacity to become a millionaire by selling it, but not his “art”.

  • @SuperMetalMage
    @SuperMetalMage Рік тому +1

    I've never seen any other of your videos. I wasn't prepared for an art history breakdown.

  • @alecaquino4306
    @alecaquino4306 Рік тому +1

    I dare say that his earlier work at Marvel and DC was much better than it became once he left to start up Image Comics. I'm sure that their editorial staff were better at reigning him in when his work started to get sloppy.

    • @seannyhan2254
      @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому

      He got a lot of help from inkers like Karl Kessel and Bob Wiacek, ealry on. By the time X-Force started, Rob was penciling and inking his comics. Once that happened, the wheels began to wobble - they wouldn't come off for another few years.

  • @TyGosketch
    @TyGosketch Рік тому +1

    Rob Liefeld is the reason why I am an artist today. His work was exciting. We didn't ask him to be perfect, we asked him to excite us. And that he did. The same with McFarland (The GOAT) Look at his Spiderman covers. Anatomically they don't make sense at all, but is there anything more beautiful? Nope.

  • @stephencenteno2
    @stephencenteno2 Рік тому +1

    As a collector in the 90’s, I only got X-Force and The New Mutants because it’s a part of the X-Men storyline. He only got popular because he rode the coattails of Jim Lee, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri etc. who are way far better artist than him. It’s like a 13 year old aspiring artist that never progress artistically. Even Picasso learned the rules first before breaking them. Rob never learned the basics. He knew so little and ran with it. His art didn’t aged well. It’s crap then and it’s crap now.

  • @benderchump
    @benderchump Рік тому +4

    He's like Corey Feldman,rode the 90's Image wave without self awareness.

  • @Jaddaprog
    @Jaddaprog 9 місяців тому +1

    A lot of people dont realize. The problem isnt just the art. Its also about the visual story telling. A lot of the image guys werent good at visual story telling when they were on their own.

    • @RogerioPereiradaSilva77
      @RogerioPereiradaSilva77 8 місяців тому

      Agreed. The Image guys were largely trying to imitate Art Adams and Michael Golden with varied degrees of success and while some grew up to be decent storytellers on their own in terms of sequential art - like Jim Lee and Mark Silvestri - others mostly tackled pages with very few panels, almost pinup-like and without any flow from one panel to another. Liefeld was the worst of the bunch in that regard.

  • @retrosuperheroart2202
    @retrosuperheroart2202 Рік тому

    One word (well two actually..) Michael Jackson! If you look at his videos they look ridiculous now. But when you were a kid in the 80s and 90s it just hit the core of your cool meter. I loved Liefeld back then. When I looked at the art I didn't linger on the fists under guns or feet. You just read the comic right. Boom Bam!! I think they did some research once in a university where they filmed comic book readers eyes, to see what they actually look at. They mainly read the text and look at the art for a split second. Especially the first time you read a comic. So then it makes perfect sense that you overlook the anatomy and perspective. Great video by the way!!

  • @AudioAndroid
    @AudioAndroid Рік тому

    There's a reason we have more than one Font and the same should be said about Comic Art

  • @rocketshipevan
    @rocketshipevan 5 місяців тому

    I still like his Marvel stuff. After Marvel (and even starting in XForce) he started trying to refine his style by adding lots of detail and it seemed to only steal what made it so great to begin with, the energy and action of his art.
    I think its great how many UA-cam videos are out there about whether his art sucks or not. That by itself is a great achievement!

  • @cha5
    @cha5 Рік тому +2

    His work was always painfully eye gouging to me whenever I looked at it, And I'll never forget that time he gave Captain America cleavage.
    Give me Art Adams over him anytime.

  • @jimflask1164
    @jimflask1164 Рік тому

    Everyone is a critic. His drawings were passing the editors. I remember a lot of these comics.

  • @ARCWuLF
    @ARCWuLF Рік тому +1

    Honestly, I pretty much hated Liefeld from the beginning; I collected most of Marvel's "Atlantis Attacks" annuals one year, of which Liefeld pencilled several. Once I saw that She-Hulk's hair part made her skull about three feet long and The New Mutants were just drawn like hot garbage (compared to the amazing Brett Blevins), I instantly took a disliking to him. Although he *has* improved, I still can't get into his art.
    Thanks for posting!

    • @seannyhan2254
      @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому

      Sadly, I had not appreciation for Brett Blevins, at the time. He truely was underappreciated.

  • @principalitycidade4323
    @principalitycidade4323 2 роки тому +18

    To each his own, but Liefeld managed to help capture the 90s feel with his fellow image alumni and not to mention he is dominating nfts not defending just giving credit where its due

  • @chrislane6474
    @chrislane6474 Рік тому +1

    His work is generally terrible, but it has a distinct “style”, and it’s extremely flashy in a way that was appealing to a lot of comic fans in the ‘90s. I remember a really old quote from an interview with Frank Miller where he said that great comic artists learn how to draw realistically first, and then develop a stylized approach of their own. Liefeld seems to have skipped that first step.

  • @3dartxsi
    @3dartxsi Рік тому +1

    In fairness, he's better than late era Frank Miller.

  • @bobbyallen8621
    @bobbyallen8621 Рік тому +2

    dynamism, it was all there ever was to his art. his color pallet, his anatomy, all of it was pure dynamism

  • @toddsands6000
    @toddsands6000 2 роки тому +1

    I have to hand it to Rob Liefeld, his books drew attention. I personally never collected the New Mutants or any of the X-Titles simply because I personally preferred collecting Daredevil, the Silver Surfer, Iron Man, the Avengers and the Fantastic Four. But I must hand it to Liefeld, his artwork drew attention, and I respect that. Yes, I've heard of many stories that Liefeld consistently failed to meet deadlines, did not know how to draw hands and feet and was not the best artist when it came to drawing backgrounds. I will concur, drawing comics is not as easy as some art critics make it out to be. And because of that, I give Rob Liefeld a lot of credit.
    My favorite artists personally when I collected books were John Buscema, John Byrne, John Romita Jr (Jr Jr), George Perez, Ron Lim, and Barry Windsor Smith. I was always drawn to those artists.

  • @maximusprime3459
    @maximusprime3459 Рік тому +1

    Everybody whos anybody at that time in the 1990s was a fiend for the X-Men...hence the overuse of the Liefeld style plus his making nearly identical teams made up of generally identical looking characters once Image Comics dropped. I hear he was considered at one point to do a Titans spinoff for DC and the character Shaft was how he wanted to redesign Arsenal/Speedy.
    Thankfully this never came to pass.

  • @olewyrdd
    @olewyrdd Рік тому

    I agree with Deadpool. but haven't looked at any new Liefeld's art. Back in the late 80's/early 90s, I did love his art for the other Xmen titles.

  • @mountpennart
    @mountpennart Рік тому +1

    Art History AND comics? Instant subscription. Nice job.

  • @johnminehan1148
    @johnminehan1148 Рік тому +1

    He appeals to other people who hate to draw feet . . . .

  • @DennisCNolasco
    @DennisCNolasco Рік тому

    Liefeld in the 90s reminds me of what's happening with manga today. IMO, one of the reasons (not mentioning storytelling and other factors) why manga blows away current mainstream western comics is because the art is drawn to be cool, dynamic, and fun. They're drawing what fans want to see! Haven't seen anyone complain about big eyes and small mouths in a long time!
    Some manga (especially on early runs of popular manga) aren't even drawn that good technically, but people still love it. On top of that, each mangaka's style can be vastly different than another mangaka. Current mainstream western comics are too safe and boring with established house styles of the publisher.

  • @Spongemonkey26
    @Spongemonkey26 Рік тому +9

    Liefeld's art is the kind that looks amazing at first glance, but little things begin to jump out the more you look at it.
    With that said, it's still better than 95% of what is currently being produced today..

  • @powerbad696
    @powerbad696 2 роки тому +2

    Liefeld might not be the best,you might not his art,but he's made a very good career out of it and paid very well,also.he started out very,young with no formal art training,did a commercial with Spike Lee.X-Force no-1 sold 5 million copies,it set a record that only Jim Lee beat,helped form Image Comics,was a partner. Had his own studio.Walked around conventions with 10,000 dollars in cash on his person and had checks for 6 figures. Not bad for a not-so good artist,wouldn't you say.He had a lot of success at a young age.

  • @seannyhan2254
    @seannyhan2254 5 місяців тому

    Trust me, you had to be there. Liefeld, Lee, MacFarlane, Larsen and Silvestri were doing stuff that didn't look like anything else on the stands. The best artist you can think of, working today, can only hope to enjoy a fraction of the popularity of the Image founders. It wa a case of right place, right time. Liefeld's art wasn't always (or even often, IMO) good, but you couldn't ignore it. Karl Kessel did a LOT of heavy lifting on that Hawk and Dove mini, to make it look as good as it did.

  • @vernonhampton5863
    @vernonhampton5863 2 роки тому

    bullets. the pockets are fie bullets.

  • @redturner2325
    @redturner2325 2 роки тому +1

    Great objective overview, thanks for the video!

  • @fadedportalmaster9745
    @fadedportalmaster9745 Рік тому

    Little pockets are the appeal of liefield

  • @mahrimen
    @mahrimen Рік тому +1

    Surprised you didnt mention his plagiarism.

  • @artenthusiast5936
    @artenthusiast5936 2 роки тому +1

    i was a liefeld fan in the 90s primarily because of his inking style. the lines were kinetic, frenetic.... it looked like he was having a blast. it's amazing how that translates across a static medium like comics. the stories kinda sucked after xforce. it's when he got others to ink that it became bad for me. they didn't have his lines. his storytelling was always kinda so so. now he has "matured" but his lines are so dull, likely because he is trying to be more refined, that all his storytelling and anatomical weaknesses are glaring. in my opinion. i don't like it anymore but i still feel kinda nostalgic when i see his name on the racks.

  • @tahnadana5435
    @tahnadana5435 Рік тому +1

    to me? nothing, i discovered euro comics first

  • @MrPonytron
    @MrPonytron Рік тому

    Liefeld's artstyle is admittedly strange, but, did leave an impact, whether it be positive or negative. It has its charm, in my opinion

  • @HazmatCrowl54454
    @HazmatCrowl54454 7 місяців тому

    Christ, even when people “defend” this man, it’s backhanded. People just WANT to hate this guy.

  • @robertrostad3930
    @robertrostad3930 Рік тому +1

    A lot of effort on your part, and attention on ours, for an affable, not very bright kid who traced over the masters but never learned the basics. Kids have no taste, they’ll like whatever you put in front of them. Critics should briefly dismiss the dismal.

  • @Oldguitar57
    @Oldguitar57 2 роки тому +1

    That is a great question...cause I dont get it

  • @Rodrigo_Vega
    @Rodrigo_Vega 2 роки тому +4

    I too, sometimes rejoice in poking fun at Liefeld's terrible anatomy and 90s edginess, but your insight of _why people like it_ is really quite interesing and made me ponder a bit about how to make good impactful art. Good video.

    • @Nikp117
      @Nikp117 2 роки тому +1

      Why are you speaking like that

    • @Rodrigo_Vega
      @Rodrigo_Vega Рік тому

      @@Nikp117 Like what? xD
      Other than accidentally writing "sometimes" twice while rephrasing I really can't tell. Maybe because I'm not a native speaker? Did I say something particularly strange?

  • @bladestar2322
    @bladestar2322 Рік тому +1

    Half of his Characters have triangle hair and no feet. LOL

  • @SmokeyCronie666
    @SmokeyCronie666 5 місяців тому

    Gteat video! I really enjoyed this. I woudknt say im a fan of robs work overall but you gotta respect the ENORMOUS impact his art had. And for all the people criticizing his art? Well 1. As you put it, art is subjective but 2. Im an experienced artist, working my ass off to be a comic artist and i can NOT draw like rob. I cant do a fraction of what he can even if i can draw feet.
    Yes his stuff is absurd and bombastic but that can also have its charm. Anyways, rant over. Happy to see we may be getting over all of this Rob hate ✌️

  • @you2449
    @you2449 Рік тому

    I love Liefeld, & Loved the cover of YoungBlood #1. But Man, that first issue was so bloody Awful!! It was like an Insult to anyone stupid enough (like Me) to buy it! It turned me off Image and 90s comics in general. Until the amazing KC in '97.
    Still love Liefeld. But give that man an Editor! Pleez!

  • @WeWillAlwaysHaveVALIS
    @WeWillAlwaysHaveVALIS Рік тому

    Glad to have discovered the channel

  • @jbbrolic
    @jbbrolic 2 роки тому +1

    Early Liefeld (New Mutants and X-force) is some of my favorite stuff. Ridiculous grimaces and facial expressions is my favorite part, and how serious it is while also being cartoonishly overdone in some ways. His early Extreme/Image work was a continuation of the same art style but the writing was largely awful (although the line course corrected later.) Since then I still like it but it's more mid level proficient work with much of that signature uniqueness of the early stuff gone, I wouldn't rank him as a top artist since.

  • @qwellen7521
    @qwellen7521 Рік тому

    Remember how R.L Made a Captain America Comic so bad it killed a man?

  • @Cerospace
    @Cerospace 3 місяці тому

    I will just never understand the appeal, back then or now.

  • @nicholasdickens2801
    @nicholasdickens2801 Рік тому +1

    Is there one?

  • @ThorneIdentity
    @ThorneIdentity 5 місяців тому

    his appeal is simple. his art, while extremely flawed in every way, PERFECTLY encapsulates and represents how 12-year-olds interact with comics when they first discover them. GIANT, BOLD images, in perpetual motion, bright (garish?) colors that almost glow on the page and simple/simplistic stories that don't require much knowledge or brain power to consume and understand. This is not a dig. That's how art works.

  • @ll7868
    @ll7868 2 роки тому +2

    Rob is the comic artist equivalent of Steven Seagull the fake martial artist. They both exploit their fanbase into thinking they're legit, Steven with camera angles and Rob with perspective drawings. What Rob does is go through the motions of drawing like Stephen goes through the motions of pretending he knows how to fight. Steven had shakey cam and edits, Rob covers everyone in body armour and foot-fog. It's like that time Steven wouldn't change out of his riot gear on his reality cop show because underneath he was shaped like a Rob Liefeld's character like Cable would look like under his armour, an anatomical nightmare.

  • @sca8217
    @sca8217 Рік тому +2

    "... His detractors may not have a leg to stand on."
    Sarcasm duly noted.

  • @sitoudien9816
    @sitoudien9816 Рік тому

    HIs style is not out of place along side some manga. He's not Bob Kane who hired artists and took credit for it. Andy Warhol did that too.

  • @kolkkoartist
    @kolkkoartist 2 роки тому +3

    many times i ask myself if rob would have been mangaka would he have faced so much hate?
    my awnser is no.
    I also ask myself is there point to been artist if you hafto draw realisticly my awnser is also no.
    Artist is not and shoulden*t be complete camera.
    Rob is entertainer and only crime he could make is draw something boring and to me he has never done that.
    Great video and i can't wait for more!

    • @AlejandroHernandez-og8gp
      @AlejandroHernandez-og8gp 2 роки тому

      Si creeme seguiría siendo malo jajaja hasta los japoneses odian historias estúpidas y mal arte

    • @drmidnight2419
      @drmidnight2419 2 роки тому +2

      I don't think that it can be considered art to begin with.

  • @powerbadpowerbad
    @powerbadpowerbad Рік тому

    Rob's art fitted the times when he was at his peak,if his art was hitting now ( 2022)he'd be ROASTED on line !!!! LOL.Rob had a LOT of success for being a not SO good artist,I salute him.

  • @pathevermore3683
    @pathevermore3683 Рік тому +1

    I hate feet.

  • @theflint7692
    @theflint7692 2 роки тому +3

    Great take, intentional un-realism.
    The similarities between Kirby and Liefeld are something that not enough people talk about. It's probably heresy to say this, but Kirby didn't understand the same parts of anatomy as Liefeld (mainly joints, or where parts connect). Whereas Liefeld covered them up with pieces of gear (shoulder pads, etc.) Kirby just drew "tubes" connecting the different body parts.

    • @RogerioPereiradaSilva77
      @RogerioPereiradaSilva77 2 роки тому +3

      I'm sorry but I have to correct you there. Kirby could draw realistic figures - and he even worked with different genres such as romance comics that were popular during the 50's and early 60's - but he chose to draw the way he drew purely because he could draw those pages faster. I'll concede that Kirby stood out because of his dynamic poses and sense of movement on a page, not because his figures were 100% anatomically correct. But that was a deliberate stylistic decision so that the man could draw 02 or 03 fully penciled pages a day (and did so for many years). Rob, on the other hand, doesn't really have the same skills and his "simplified style", if you want to call it that way, is mostly result of his failure to imitate popular 80's artists he grew with but by sheer luck struck a chord with the readers of the time. Rob's figures look very stiff and there is no flow from one panel to another in his comics. Plus the man can't keep up with a schedule to save his life whereas Kirby frequently worked on multiple comics at the same time. Really there is no comparison.

    • @theflint7692
      @theflint7692 2 роки тому

      @@RogerioPereiradaSilva77 all good points 👍

  • @eugeniosabater8449
    @eugeniosabater8449 2 роки тому +2

    3:22 I know this is a black dude but c'mon!!!!!!!!! 3:55 And Logan's left forearm looks devastating!

  • @jasoncaldwell0613
    @jasoncaldwell0613 2 роки тому

    i just made the same exact face of the sculpture in the mirror and it looks accurate to me.

  • @nazaxprime
    @nazaxprime Рік тому

    The expression is stressed and It's simple, divine inspiration manifest... It's not meant to be a common expression.

  • @cto1gg
    @cto1gg 2 роки тому +7

    Like him or not, The New Mutants was a boring book until Rob Liefeld came on board. While I liked Claremont's writing on X-Men, The New Mutants literally could put me to sleep. Even when Bill Sienkiewicz was put on the book with his amazing art, the stories were boring. Then when Louise Simonson starting writing the book it became worse. She didn't have half the talent of Claremont but was just as verbose! Snore fest. Rob made the book fun, which is generally how I describe his work, even to this day. Fun.

  • @RealTimePogo
    @RealTimePogo Рік тому

    Pouches can be anything. Think Batman utility belt.

  • @seanodeli7031
    @seanodeli7031 2 роки тому +5

    Rob got successful as a bad artist weird anatomy bad perspective manic energy
    Now to a degree that all works in comics to a point but eventually you have to tell stories that keep your audience coming back
    I bought a lot of his books by the time of Youngblood I was done he couldn’t deliver on anything close to a regular sched
    He was so late w the valiant crossover they basically just gave up and published it without him
    His heroes reborn stuff just awful
    His early DC and his new mutants stuff tho fantastic
    He couldn’t write or plot to save his life tho
    His career as a business man speaks volumes fired how many times ? Outed from image the company he founded. Fired from heroes reborn Lost his rights to how many characters over a bad business deal ?
    The 90s are over he never adapted last that

  • @mikewhiterobot
    @mikewhiterobot 7 місяців тому

    I think the appeal of Rob's work is the energy and excitement. If you've ever seen him in an interview, I think it's safe to say his art reflects his energy/personality. It's interesting to look at/observe, but touch and go with the storytelling with little value/depth beyond getting your attention and holding it for a minute or two😁
    I think he's got his appeal, found his audience, and found a way to pay the rent with it. I say "Good for him" - most of us struggle with achieving that. Channels that make fun of him or point out all his "flaws" are just pathetic and uncreative. He's got flaws in his art. How is that anything new or interesting to hear about? They're probably the same kind of people who make fun of handicapped people or make fun of children who draw badly. It's cruel, and pathetic and really unnecessary. Just be happy for the guy, he's not hurting anyone (that I know of) he just likes to draw what he likes to draw and can luckily people will pay him to do it. Honestly, I envy the guy.
    Your summary of stuff in a blender is bang on 👍💯

  • @anthonycarlisle6184
    @anthonycarlisle6184 5 місяців тому

    13:12...THAT THING is NOT Glory! Wtf was rob doing?

  • @SanjuroJoe
    @SanjuroJoe 2 роки тому +3

    90% of the people that criticize liefeld probably cant draw at all. I think its important also to remember that these are cartoons....lol

  • @contrabandresearch8409
    @contrabandresearch8409 2 роки тому +2

    Rob Liefeld excelled at character design, 2 page spreads and covers. His talents were wasted on panel to panel stuff.

  • @tun-tunninc.6492
    @tun-tunninc.6492 Рік тому +1

    Hmm, this guy really can't draw hands or feet. 🤣🤣