Rob Liefeld facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rob Liefeld |
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Liefeld at the 2022 WonderCon
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| Born | Robert Liefeld October 3, 1967 Fullerton, California, U.S. |
| Area(s) | Writer, Penciller, Inker, Editor, Publisher |
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Notable works
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| Awards | Inkpot Award (2012) |
Robert Liefeld (born October 3, 1967) is an American comic book creator. He is a famous writer and artist. In the 1990s, he helped create popular characters like Cable and Deadpool. He worked on Marvel Comics' The New Mutants and X-Force.
In 1992, Liefeld and other artists left Marvel. They started their own company called Image Comics. This allowed creators to own their comic book characters. The first comic from Image was Liefeld's Youngblood #1. Liefeld is known for his unique drawing style.
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Early Life and Comic Dreams
Rob Liefeld was born on October 3, 1967. He grew up in Anaheim, California. His father was a minister, and his mother was a secretary.
Rob loved comics from a young age. He decided early on to become a professional artist. He started by tracing comic book art. In high school, he took art classes. He also went to comic book conventions. There, he met famous artists like George Pérez and John Byrne. These artists greatly influenced his work.
Starting His Comic Career
After high school, Liefeld took more art classes. He worked odd jobs while practicing his drawing. He sent his art samples to smaller comic publishers. He was a bit nervous to send them to big companies like Marvel Comics and DC Comics.
Around 1985, he sent samples to Gary Carlson of Megaton Comics. Carlson liked Rob's clear storytelling. He also saw the influence of artist George Pérez in his art. Carlson felt Rob wasn't quite ready for professional work yet. But Rob kept sending improved samples.
Eventually, one of Rob's drawings was used in Megaton #5. His own superhero team, Youngblood, first appeared in print in Megaton Explosion #1.
Success with DC and Marvel Comics
Liefeld went to a comic convention in San Francisco. He showed his art to editors. An editor from Marvel Comics offered him a job. His first published story was in Warlord #131 for DC Comics in 1988.
Next, he drew the five-issue miniseries Hawk and Dove for DC. This work made him known to many comic readers. Soon after, he started working for Marvel Comics.
In 1989, Liefeld became the main artist for Marvel's The New Mutants. He helped make this comic very popular. It became a big financial success.
With The New Mutants #98, Liefeld took more control. He drew, inked, and planned the stories. The series ended with issue #100. It was replaced by a new team called X-Force. The first issue of X-Force in 1991 sold four million copies! This was a record for the comic industry. Special variant covers and trading cards helped boost sales. X-Force #1 is still one of the highest-selling comic books ever.
In 1990, Liefeld even appeared in a TV commercial for Levi's jeans. He talked about his comic career and his creation, X-Force. He was also interviewed by Stan Lee in a 1991 documentary.
Leaving Marvel and Starting Image Comics
Liefeld's relationship with Marvel changed in 1991. He planned to publish a comic with a rival company. This caused some tension with Marvel.
In 1992, Liefeld and several other popular artists left Marvel. These artists included Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, and Erik Larsen. They formed their own company, Image Comics. Each founder started their own studio under Image. Liefeld's studio was called Extreme Studios.
His superhero team series Youngblood was the first comic published by Image. The first issue had some mixed reviews. Liefeld later admitted he was disappointed with the early issues. He explained that production problems affected the quality.
Other comics from Liefeld's Extreme Studios in the 1990s included Brigade, Bloodstrike, Glory, and Avengelyne.
In 1996, Liefeld's studio worked with Marvel again. This was for an event called "Heroes Reborn." Liefeld was to work on The Avengers and Captain America. However, the agreement ended after six issues.
Awesome Comics and New Directions
In 1996, Liefeld left Image Comics. He started a new company called Awesome Comics. This new company focused on creating new characters and stories.
Liefeld also hired famous comic writer Alan Moore. Moore wrote for Youngblood and Glory. His most praised work for Liefeld was on Supreme. Moore won an award for his writing on Supreme in 1997. Awesome Comics stopped operating in 2000.
Work in the 2000s and Beyond
In the 2000s, Liefeld returned to his old characters. He drew covers and art for Marvel's Cable and X-Force.
In 2004, he worked with Fabian Nicieza again on an X-Force limited series. He also drew covers for Cable and Deadpool. That same year, Liefeld started Arcade Comics. He planned to bring back Youngblood again.
Liefeld and writer Jeph Loeb worked together on Onslaught Reborn in 2006. In 2007, Liefeld and writer Robert Kirkman tried to revive Killraven.
In July 2007, Youngblood returned to Image Comics. This was the first time in ten years Liefeld and Image worked together. Liefeld took over writing and art duties for the series' final issue. To celebrate, all seven original Image Comics founders appeared together at the 2007 San Diego Comic-Con.
Recent Work
In 2010, Liefeld returned to the Deadpool character. He drew for the Prelude to Deadpool Corps series. He also became the regular artist for Deadpool Corps.
In 2011, he worked on a new Hawk and Dove series for DC Comics. This was part of The New 52, a big relaunch of DC's superhero comics. He later took on other DC titles like Grifter and Deathstroke.
Liefeld also brought back his own characters. New comics like Avengelyne, Bloodstrike, Glory, and Prophet were released.
In 2016, Liefeld made a small appearance in the Deadpool movie. He also worked on a graphic novel called Deadpool: Bad Blood. In 2017, it was reported that Liefeld was working on a movie deal for his Extreme Universe characters.
In July 2020, IDW Publishing released Snake Eyes: Deadgame. This was a G.I. Joe-related series. Liefeld co-wrote and drew for it. Around the same time, he started a podcast called Robservations. He talks about the comics industry on his podcast.
On October 12, 2023, Liefeld showed a short film trailer for Bloodstrike. This was based on his 1993 Image Comics series. Bloodstrike is about a team of assassins who are brought back to life. Liefeld hopes the trailer will help create a Bloodstrike film.
On February 5, 2024, Liefeld announced he would retire from writing or drawing Deadpool. He said he wanted to stop while his work was still strong. He felt it was time to say goodbye to the character after 33 years.
