History Creator / RobLiefeld

* SuperHeroPackingHeat: One of his signature elements, which he helped popularize for the NinetiesAntiHero. Many of his creations ''do'' have superpowers which they use, but a particularly egregious example comes from ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'': [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/youngblood-10-the-death-of-chapel/4000-99009/ Chapel]], mercenary extraordinaire. Even when he was the artist for ''X-Force'' in the early-1990s, its members were [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/x-force-9-underground-and-over-the-top/4000-35587/ drawn with guns]].
* TooManyBelts: Many of characters he designed have a large amount of belts and [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/x-force-8-flashed-before-my-eyes/4000-35484/ pouches]] [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/x-force-7-under-the-knife/4000-35378/ on them]], e.g., Cable, Domino and Shatterstar - granted, Cable is a soldier from the future, and Domino is a mercenary, but Shatterstar's characteristic weapons are a pair of swords.

* TooManyBelts: Many of characters he designed have a large amount of belts and [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/x-force-8-flashed-before-my-eyes/4000-35484/ pouches]] [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/x-force-7-under-the-knife/4000-35378/ on them]].

%%* TooManyBelts: With pouches on them.

* SuperHeroPackingHeat: One of his signature elements, which he helped popularize for the NinetiesAntiHero. Many of his creations ''do'' have superpowers which they use, but a particularly egregious example comes from ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'': [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/youngblood-10-the-death-of-chapel/4000-99009/ Chapel]], mercenary extraordinaire.

* SuperHeroPackingHeat: One of his signature elements, which he helped popularize for the NinetiesAntiHero. Many of his creations ''do'' have superpowers which they use, but a particularly egregious example comes from ''ComicBook/Youngblood'': [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/youngblood-10-the-death-of-chapel/4000-99009/ Chapel]], mercenary extraordinaire.

%%* SuperHeroPackingHeat: One of his signature elements, which he helped popularize for the NinetiesAntiHero.

%%* ShouldersOfDoom: Sometimes only one of them.

* {{BFG}}: Another hallmark of his artwork involves characters wielding a [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/x-force-9-underground-and-over-the-top/4000-35587/ large]] [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/x-force-4-sabotage-x-over-part-2/4000-34899/ futuristic gun]].

%%* {{BFG}}

* GunsAkimbo: As a comic book artist, in many action scenes he drew, there is always one dual-wielding character either firing one gun or both at the same time.

%%MOD NOTE: Please refrain creator bashing and overly negative edits.

%%* GunsAkimbo

%%* NinetiesAntiHero: Many of his characters.

* AuthorAppeal: Aside from his love of drawing highly deformed women, this also extends to male characters, for example, [[https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/LiefeldPackage.jpg this]].
* {{BFG}}
* BoobsAndButtPose
* CaptainErsatz: Numerous. Some based on other characters he also created.
** ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}: Original co-creator with Fabian Nicieza, began as a CaptainErsatz of DC's Deathstroke the Terminator for the Marvel Universe but quickly grew into [[HeroicComedicSociopath the loon we know and love]].

** Newmen: Similiar to original X-Men squad.
** Doom's IV: Similar to the Fantastic Four.
** [[http://hulkcollection.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/919noz.jpg Smash]].
** ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}: ComicBook/TeenTitans, began as a related project for DC, became more Expy under the writing direction of Alan Moore (along with Moore's Supreme, an Expy of DC's Superman).
* CListFodder: Most of his characters are like this. He created so many characters during his early ComicBook/NewMutants and ComicBook/XForce run that it was inevitable. One-note idiotic characters like Sumo were killed quickly, while most of the Mutant Liberation Front were either depowered or killed over the years.
* DarkAgeOfSupernames: Liefeld's character names and book titles often had some form of "blood," "death" or "kill" incorporated.
* DarkerAndEdgier: He tried very hard to be this. Too hard.
* EyesAlwaysShut: Nine times out of ten anyway. When they're open they quite often have no detail and are pure white. The technical term for this is "Youngblood's Disease", as coined by [[WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]].
* GagPenis: One critique mentioned that most of his male characters have what appears to be a snow shovel shoved down the front of their pants.
* GunsAkimbo
* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Even on the "[[DesignatedHero good guys]]."
* HandsInPockets: Seems to have an aversion to drawing feet.
* HeroicBuild: Yes, it's rather standard for a comic book artist but Liefeld has the noted tendency to just throw muscles everywhere.
* ImpossiblyCoolClothes: Pads, plates, mullets and pouches. Cooler than parachute pants or flannel shirts... maybe.
* MaleGaze: Oh so much.
* MostCommonSuperpower
* MsFanservice: Practically every female character. For most people they are Ms. FanDisservice - unless wondering where someone keeps her internal organs and how she makes her knees bend backward is your thing.
* MyNaymeIs: It's ''Liefeld''. Not "Liefe'''i'''ld"
* TheNineties: When he was the most successful and at his peak of popularity.
* NinetiesAntiHero: Many of his characters.
* OnlySixFaces: While his faces could vary -- often the same character would look different from one panel to the next -- certain design implements kept showing up in his work. Aside from the infamous pouches, almost all of his characters possessed gigantic plumes of fire-like hair, and an incredible amount had something around their eyes. ''FOUR'' characters -- Domino, Deadpool, Wildside and Reaper, all possessed round circles around at least one eye, and debuted literally within a few months of each other. Cable had one glowing one and one scarred one. Shatterstar had a star-shaped mark around one eye as well. That [[http://progressiveboink.com/archive/robliefeld.html "Liefeld's Forty Worst Drawings"]] linked up there has an entry featuring headshots of two women. They're completely identical except for their hairstyles. Then, just for fun, it challenges the uninitiated to try and figure out which one is supposed to be Hispanic.
* OurWeaponsWillBeBoxyInTheFuture
* ShouldersOfDoom: Sometimes only one of them.
* SignatureStyle
* {{Stripperiffic}}: All the girls he draws.
* SuperHeroPackingHeat: One of his signature elements, which he helped popularize for the NinetiesAntiHero.
* TooManyBelts: With pouches on them.
* WhiteHairBlackHeart
* XtremeKoolLetterz

As with the confrontational splash pages, Liefeld's approach to character and costume design was shocking excess in the wake of a fairly conventional period in superhero comics. This initially impressed comic-book readers as a powerful creative energy many likened to that of Creator/JackKirby ([[RebelliousRebel some]] still do, infuriating [[HateDumb others]]).

Unfortunately, efforts to quickly develop numerous properties for ImageComics to compete for shelf-space with the established mainstream publishers resulted in a glut of Liefeld-style designs and many artists suddenly working in the Liefeld/Lee/Silvestri "ImageComics" style. It was too much. Contrasting Liefeld's own crude work to that of so many (often more polished) artists working in similar styles stripped the wunderkind of his mystique.

That most ImageComics titles also eschewed using dedicated writers didn't help matters. Though there were exceptions, and writing quality varied, the rottenest apples are best remembered.

As with the confrontational splash pages, Liefeld's approach to character and costume design was shocking excess in the wake of a fairly conventional period in superhero comics. This initially impressed comic-book readers as a powerful creative energy many likened to that of JackKirby ([[RebelliousRebel some]] still do, infuriating [[HateDumb others]]).

Despite this notoriety, several of the characters he created have gone on to become long-running mainstream A-list properties (most notably {{Comicbook/Cable}} and SelfDemonstrating/{{Deadpool}}), and he continues to find (or create) regular work in the comic-book industry.

** {{Deadpool}}: Original co-creator with Fabian Nicieza, began as a CaptainErsatz of DC's Deathstroke the Terminator for the Marvel Universe but quickly grew into [[HeroicComedicSociopath the loon we know and love]].

** {{Youngblood}}: ComicBook/TeenTitans, began as a related project for DC, became more Expy under the writing direction of Alan Moore (along with Moore's Supreme, an Expy of DC's Superman).
* CListFodder: Most of his characters are like this. He created so many characters during his early ComicBook/NewMutants and ComicBook/{{XForce}} run that it was inevitable. One-note idiotic characters like Sumo were killed quickly, while most of the Mutant Liberation Front were either depowered or killed over the years.

Despite this notoriety, several of the characters he created have gone on to become long-running mainstream A-list properties (most notably {{Comicbook/Cable}} and {{Deadpool}}), and he continues to find (or create) regular work in the comic-book industry.

** American Agent, interim stand-in for CaptainAmerica (using unpublished art from a CaptainAmerica project) while Liefeld negotiated rights to reprise Fighting American. Fighting American was created by Joe Simon and JackKirby for a different company, but went satirical after a couple of issues when they started giving the otherwise-interchangeable Communist spies names like Hotsky Trotsky. This affair resulted in a lawsuit, resolved by the court ordering that Liefeld eliminate certain similarities to the CaptainAmerica property (among other things, Fighting American was not allowed to throw his shield).

Massive HypeBacklash followed, which [[SeinfeldIsUnfunny gave Liefeld the distinction of being one of the most influential and successful comic artists, and one of the most broadly disparaged]]. Suffice to say that in recent years he is heavily [[http://www.interney.net/blogs/media/blogs/melhoresdomundo/walief1.jpg parodied]] and [[http://progressiveboink.com/archive/robliefeld.html mocked]].

* CListFodder: Most of his characters are like this. He created so many characters during his early NewMutants and {{X-Force}} run that it was inevitable. One-note idiotic characters like Sumo were killed quickly, while most of the Mutant Liberation Front were either depowered or killed over the years.
* TheDarkAgeOfComicBooks: Back then, he was king.

* WhiteHairedPrettyBoy

* DarkAgeOfSupernames: Liefeld's character names and book titles often had some form of "blood," "death" or "kill" incorporated.

* ScapeGoatCreator: Catches the blame for every abomination of the 90s superhero era.

* WhiteHairedPrettyGirl

* SuperHeroPackingHeat: TropeCodifier and TropeMaker.

* OnlySixFaces: While his faces could vary -- often the same character would look different from one panel to the next -- certain design implements kept showing up in his work. Aside from the infamous pouches, almost all of his characters possessed gigantic plumes of fire-like hair, and an incredible amount had something around their eyes. ''FOUR'' characters -- Domino, Deadpool, Wildside and Reaper, all possessed round circles around at least one eye, and debuted literally within a few months of each other. Cable had one glowing one and one scarred one. Shatterstar had a star-shaped mark around one eye as well.
** That [[http://progressiveboink.com/archive/robliefeld.html "Liefeld's Forty Worst Drawings"]] linked up there has an entry featuring headshots of two women. They're completely identical except for their hairstyles. Then, just for fun, it challenges the uninitiated to try and figure out which one is supposed to be Hispanic.

** {{Deadpool}}: Original co-creator with Joe Kelly, began as a CaptainErsatz of DC's Deathstroke the Terminator for the Marvel Universe but quickly grew into [[HeroicComedicSociopath the loon we know and love]].

** The fact that that guy vaguely resembles BruceDickinson makes it even worse.

* OverTheShoulderPose

* EyesAlwaysShut: Nine times out of ten anyway. When they're open they quite often have no detail and are pure white. The technical term for this is "Youngblood's Disease", as coined by [[AtopTheFourthWall Linkara]].