Robservations with Rob Liefeld

The 90’s Storm of New Talent and Characters strikes the industry with a bang! A mysterious new figure emerges to shake things up in the X-Men Universe, the brainchild of young wunderkind Rob Liefeld, CABLE!  Rob recounts the swirl of activity and negotiations that brought Cable to life in the pages of New Mutants!  ...

The Decade of Dominance arrives! Sales shattering comic books and characters arrive on the scene! Bold new creators hit it big and change the comic book landscape forever! The decade of Venom, Cable, Deadpool & Harley Quinn continues to resonate powerfully in pop culture today. It all starts with the Batman movie and the summer of 1989!

With Marvel’s frivolous lawsuit to prevent publication of the all new Fighting American defeated, Rob releases a new comic series to much acclaim. The best and biggest names in comic books contribute to an epic run of all-new Fighting American adventures. To further honor the legacy of Joe Simon & Jack Kirby, Fighting American toys are released! 

In the immediate aftermath of Heroes Reborn, Rob Liefeld pacts with Joe Simon & Roz Kirby, the widow of Jack Kirby, to bring back the legendary patriotic icon, FIGHTING AMERICAN! But Marvel Comics has other ideas and does not want Rob to portray another patriotic hero so soon after leaving Captain America. Marvel seeks to thwart this alliance from seeing print, even filing a lawsuit! The comic...

All things Heroes Reborn related are parsed and dissected as Rob and Jimmy discuss the thrills, chills and behind the scenes turmoil surrounding this seminal event in the history of Marvel Comics! Bonus – Rob answers your Heroes Reborn questions posted on social media! 

With the team of Rob Liefeld and Jim Lee broken apart, the Heroes Reborn event limps to a disappointing conclusion, hampering Lee’s attempt to merge Marvel and Wildstorm. Marvel Entertainment regains complete creative control of their characters even as they spiral through a bankruptcy that hampers production of their titles. Which title does Rob favor the most out of the entire saga? The answer w...

The much anticipated Heroes Reborn titles arrive, Avengers #1 becomes the top selling book in that title’s history, but is it enough to stave off Marvel’s pending bankruptcy? Chaos erupts as Jim Lee works behind the scenes to take over Marvel and run it from his La Jolla studio! Rob Liefeld relives his first hand account of Marvel’s most dramatic period! 

Marvel Comics’ recruitment of top Image founders Rob Liefeld & Jim Lee to restore sales on the flagship titles of the Marvel Universe have the industry buzzing with excitement. Conflicts arise within Image Comics and tensions begin to boil over as the launch of Captain America & The Avengers is near! 

In 1996 Marvel turned to their two best-selling creators, Rob Liefeld & Jim Lee, making them an offer they could not refuse! These two creators were given a chance at history, charged with turning around the fortunes and sagging sales of Marvel’s former Icons, Captain America, Avengers & Fantastic Four. The publisher outsourced all creative control to Liefeld & Lee. Rob examines the be...

The X-Men franchise becomes an absolute cash cow for Marvel, spin-offs and bi-weekly schedules shift power in the industry enriching publisher, retailers and creators alike. Rob details the bold moves by Marvel that paved the way for everything that would follow! 

A surge of new talent ascends on the comics industry. Young, hungry voices looking to find the platforms to boost their artistic signals scramble to get regular assignments. A comic no one wants to draw, Hawk & Dove, becomes the vehicle for one young creator to blast off into the stars. Rob charts his own path creating the New Dove, contributing to DC Comics cannon, the behind the scenes confl...

The winds of change were shifting in the comics industry, the old guard was fading and a new class was ready to take the industry by storm. Rob details a chance encounter with Todd McFarlane in 1988 during San Diego Comic-Con that was the beginning of a formidable alliance, one that would challenge, change and alter the comic book landscape forever.  

The Original JLA/Avengers with George Pérez! Neal Adams X-Men Graphic Novel! Kirkman & Liefeld’s Killraven! This week Rob examines the deep cuts behind comic books most infamous unpublished projects! The feuds, ego’s & agenda’s that kept us from instant classics in any age are discussed at length. The 2nd X-Men/Titans crossover that was lost in the process! The Untold Tales of Untold Tales...

BLACK COSTUME SPIDER GIRL! U.S. AGENT! GREY HULK! As the Bronze Era of comics begins to fade, and the talent flees to DC Comics, Marvel throws a Hail Mary with new costumes and identities for their familiar icons to stoke sales and renew interest. Rob is joined by Jimmy Jay as they discuss the decisions and corporate influences that marked an end of an era. 

The single most dominant force in the history of comic books! No one has had greater impact than JACK “THE KING” KIRBY, the architect of the Marvel Universe, his influence continues to shape pop culture to this day. Wether introducing the world to CAPTAIN AMERICA in World War 2 or imagining the birth of the Marvel Universe, Jack never stopped amazing comic readers young and old! He roared back to...

“THE ACTION COMES ALIVE AS YOU READ” a slogan on each and every POWER RECORD, featuring the biggest super hero & sci-fi franchises of an era! Spider Man! Fantastic Four! Hulk! Captain America! Star Trek! Planet Of The Apes! Rob Liefeld takes you back to the birth of comic book merchandising where Power Records and their read along action took off alongside Marvel Slurpee Cups, Marvel Mego Doll...

The breakout star of the best selling X-Men franchise is awarded his own showcase, with Frank Miller and Chris Claremont, two of comic books biggest super stars, at the helm. Rob Liefeld examines the origins of this innovative mash up of East meets West that defined the groundbreaking Wolverine mini-series which owes a debt to the influence and impact of James Clavell’s epic SHOGUN, setting the st...

In 1986, DC Comics, seeking a total reinvention of Superman, recruited John Byrne, Marvel’s brightest star, to relaunch their storied franchise and make him accessible to a younger generation. Byrne accepted, making drastic alterations to Superman’s origins as well as relations with key characters like Lex Luthor and Batman. Rob walks you through Byrne’s long standing affection for the character a...

The Kirby Clones! The Adams Effect! The movers and shakers of comic book influences, the styles that launched an army of imitators! Barry Windsor Smith! Jim Steranko! Stephen Platt! Rob and Jimmy delve deep into the source of so many Legendary styles and influences that shaped a generation of comic book images! 

Since the heyday of Stan Lee, The Editor In Chief has always held a special position of power and influence at Marvel, guiding and shaping the path of the prolific publisher. However, not every EIC is created equal, with some exhibiting major creative moves and business acumen while others floundered! Who makes the grade? Rob examines the achievements across 35 years worth of EIC’s and the legacie...

Mini-series and Cross Over events arrived in the 80’s, signaling a huge shift in dynamics between publishers, retailers and fans. It changed comic books forevermore! Was it all just a happy accident? Rob examines the origins behind the Rise of Corporate Events and the toy company arms race that fueled the most successful Marvel comic book of a decade! 

Career connections are the result of extended runs that create crucial bonds between readers and creators! Rob shares the most important career advice he ever received from the one and only Todd McFarlane. One run may be all any title needs to launch a lifetime of impact and influence. Rob covers the inevitable but unlikely rise of Arthur Adams and the success of Legion of Super Heroes under Kieth...

Rob Liefeld is joined by guest host Jimmy Jay as they take a deep dive into Dark Knight Returns and Watchmen, the two most acclaimed comic book publications in the history of the genre. Frank Miller and Alan Moore, along with Dave Gibbons, impacted the culture in a manner not seen before or since! Both released in 1986, they were transformational works that altered every aspect of comic books! We...

Gwen Stacy! Elektra! Captain Marvel! Flash! Phoenix! Tragic and unexpected deaths ushered in a new era of mature comics that challenged fans and readers. Rob revisits the stories that shocked him and broke his heart, showing the emotional power of graphic storytelling across a dynamic age that transformed comic books! 

What happens when the two biggest players in the business finally get ready to rumble? How did Marvel & DC create The Battle Of The Century! How does Watergate connect to this most seminal of events? Who are the uncredited superstars that worked behind the scenes to make this the biggest moment of an era? Rob walks you through the creative decisions that elevated this monumental achievement!