Robservations with Rob Liefeld

Todd McFarlane revolutionized the toy business forevermore. He launched his Toy Line in 1995 and never looked back, permanently altering the way toys were sculpted, painted and manufactured. His achievements in toys cannot be properly measured, even more so than his impact on comics! Remembering the day that Todd revealed his toy aspirations to the Image Partners and the immediate whirlwind that f...

The biggest name in the history of comic books and super heroes, Stan Lee guided Marvel to unprecedented success not only in comics but in the comic book revolution of television and cartoons & films! Sharing over 30 years of memories with Stan, Rob Liefeld raises a glass in tribute, remembering the life and times of Stan Lee and his celebrated achievements and even a few misfires along the wa...

Halloween 1997, The biggest entertainment icon of his age and a comic book creator with a fresh screenplay head off the visit the big studio chief’s and attempt to sell the next big sci-fi tent pole! Mega-Entertainment Icon, Will Smith, teams with Comic Book Creator, Rob Liefeld, as they meet with Steven Spielberg and others in an effort to create an auction atmosphere for their new project THE MA...

Image X Month arrived in Sept. of 1994, a once in a lifetime switch of creative teams on established titles, which creator was taking on what title was supposed to remain a mystery until the comics were released. Now it can be told, the secret history of Image X Month! Why did it happen? How did it come together?  There were bumps along the way but it awakened a new creativity among the famed Imag...

Comic books went tribal in the 90’s! Image! Legend! Bravura! Cliffhanger! Guerilla! CrossGen! Everyone searched for a niche hoping to become a label that promised to deliver the next big thing. Rob and Jimmy discuss all the Tribes in comic books, the one’s the held together and the one’s that fell apart.

The DC 52 initiative was intended to launch a new Golden Age for the storied publisher, one that would make it more competitive with Marvel. The center of the launch failed to hold, pressure quickly mounted and tensions flared. Rob brings his first hand account to the lunacy permeated throughout the line as micromanagement created dissension among the ranks. 

In the world of publishing, DC Comics has been the hot button topic of 2020! The year kicked off with the surprise firing of Publisher Dan Didio, an abrupt restructuring of DC under new owner AT&T followed.  On top of it all, they drastically altered the distribution of their comics to consumers. Now in the face of new layoffs, rumors swirl as to the questionable future of publishing at the st...

No creator has impacted the last 20 years of comic books more than acclaimed author Robert Kirkman. Bursting on the scene with Invincible and The Walking Dead, he quickly established a singular voice that has carried his vision well beyond our local comic shops and into the upper echelons of pop culture. The Walking Dead is a phenomenon with hundreds of hours of television on AMC, his celebrated I...

Comic Books! We love ‘em and the epic tales they tell, but what exactly goes into shaping a particular body of work? Watchmen. X-Men. Fantastic Four. Justice League. No two were constructed the same. Rob conducts an examination of the process and methods various talents take in their approach to making the comic books you love! Plot? Full Script? Broad Outline? Phone call pitch? Which was used to...

Comic-Conventions are an institution that have grown in importance, influence and stature. They unite pop culture enthusiasts all over the world. In a year without conventions of any kind, Rob looks back on his own experiences, starting at age 12, across 40 years of attending conventions as both fan & professional and the relationships formed along the way.

A casual call to solicit a team up of Image Comics Youngblood with Valiant Comics Bloodshot grows into something much greater than originally anticipated. It’s a big giant inter-company crossover party! And how does Aerosmith figure into all of it! DeathMate delivers! 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles turned the comic book world on its ear and upended the entire  industry with its unprecedented, breakout success. Kevin Eastman & Peter Laird inspired a generation of young artists to launch their own creator owned franchises. Rob Liefeld followed on this path and recalls his own Hollywood adventures alongside entertainment giants, Tom Cruise and Steven Spielberg. 

Extreme Studios launched in 1992 and quickly became home to the most exciting artists of an age! The young talent developed at Extreme Studios would go on to contribute to the biggest, brightest and most successful pillars of today’s Pop Culture, including the biggest movie of all time! The Batman! Ben 10! Fantastic Four! Black Panther! Avengers:Endgame! Hear why Extreme Studios was a launch pad l...

With only 8 comics, Image Comics shocks the comic book world when it becomes the #2 publisher in the summer of 1992! DC Comics regroups from being knocked from their precarious perch, creating an event that electrifies not only the company, but the entire world! The Death Of Superman!! How it all went down!  ...

A rousing discussion examining the stand out talents of the age! McFarlane, Lee, Silvestri, Larsen, Valentino, Portacio! Rob goes on a deep dive with guest host Jimmy Jay Exploring the methods, systems and approach that created the success of his peer group and the impact it carries today.

April 15, 1992, the day that launched Image Comic books!! What was supposed to be a routine comic book launch, turned into much, much more. Come for the helicopters! NWA! EAZY-E! DENNIS MILLER SHOW! YOUNG INDIANA JONES! A Golden Apple signing for the ages! One single comic book launched a revolution, putting the comics industry on its heels. Rob relives all the highlights of the craziest day of hi...

It’s the spring of 1992, and the table is set for the Image Comics Revolution. But, what exactly is Image Comics in the first place? What did Image Comics mean to the founding members of the company? Who named the company? Who designed the logo? Was Image Comics a label? A movement? Or an opportunity for change! Image Comics Founding Father Rob Liefeld lays it all out as the Image Explosion prepar...

The Secret Origin of Image Comics continues! In winter of 1992, the Top 3 Creators in comics struggle to find the next path for their talents. Todd McFarlane, fresh off the disappointment of his failed sports venture, aims to do Batman for DC Comics. Jim Lee and Rob Liefeld engage in talks with Marvel’s top rival, giving DC a chance to change the game forever! Will they? Also, a tribute to Rock n...

As theaters close and big blockbuster movies disappear from the schedule, Rob discusses the history of recent comic book films and their impact on cinema. Has “The Fever” broken, can it be re-captured? Where does the model go from here, will the lost momentum ever return? Also, back in 1992, as comic books big creators look to make big changes, DC Comics looks to tip the scales.

As 1991 comes to a close, new doors open and new opportunities are pursued by the top names in comics. Liefeld & Larsen huddle with independent publishers as they forge a new path outside Marvel! Todd McFarlane attempts to leave comics behind and sit in the Front Row with a bold sports endeavor. All roads will lead to the formation of a revolutionary movement that shakes comics to its core!

Things go SIDEWAYS as The Summer Of X concludes with a momentous cross-over event teaming two of Marvel’s hottest creators with their biggest franchises! Spider Man! Cable! Deadpool! Juggernaut! Liefeld & McFarlane! Rob gives a first person account of the non-traditional way this crossover came together with two of comic books most maniacal creators breaking all the rules and pushing all the b...

1991 ushered in a revolution for the X-Men titles as Marvel launched the Mutant Genesis event! The result was 2 record setting titles and over 12 million sales between X-Force #1 and X-Men #1. The work of re-shaping the already top selling X-Men line into an even more powerful blockbuster family of comics was no small feat. Rob recalls the daring moves and bold initiatives that saw Marvel’s most p...

She-Hulk, streaming soon on Disney Plus, first landed in 1979, Rob discusses the secret origin behind the creation of a female Hulk! Praise for the legendary Dan Jurgens and his Hall Of Fame career. Finally, Rob recaps the road to and experience of filming the Levi’s “Button Your Fly” campaign and being directed by Spike Lee!  ...

VENOM! BISHOP! DEADPOOL! DARKHAWK! A new age of comic book anti-hero arrived in the 1990’s! The West Coast Mafia Of Creators! The West Coast “Style” of drawing comics! Rob Liefeld & Jimmy Jay break down all the trends, tropes and triumphs of a break through era in comic books!  

As Cable’s popularity skyrockets, Rob tracks the trajectory of his dynamic new creation. As everyone at Marvel tries to get in on the action and capitalize on the momentum, Rob recalls the necessary gambles he took to ensure that his vision for the character would endure, a practice he’d continue all the way towards Cable’s debut on silver screen!