History Creator / RobLiefeld

%%** 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).

* SuperHeroPackingHeat: One of his signature elements, which he helped popularize for the NinetiesAntiHero. Many of his creations ''do'' have superpowers which they use, but they became associated with heavy artillery. One particularly egregious example comes from ''ComicBook/{{Youngblood}}'': [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/youngblood-10-the-death-of-chapel/4000-99009/ Chapel]], [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/scale_large/1/11307/406629-11099-97387-4-chapel.jpg 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]] (on this cover, 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).

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://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/watchmen2.jpg parodied]] and [[https://www.progressiveboink.com/2012/4/21/2960508/worst-rob-liefeld-drawings mocked]].

** ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}: Co-created with Fabian Nicieza, the character began as one for Creator/DCComics' ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} the Terminator for the Marvel Universe, both being mercenaries with similar designs (though Deadpool had more of a sense of humor than Deathstroke). However, Deadpool changed substantially when he was handed to other writers, notably Joe Kelly, and grew into [[HeroicComedicSociopath the loon we know and love]].

** ComicBook/{{Deadpool}}: Co-created with Fabian Nicieza, the character began as one for Creator/DCComic's ComicBook/{{Deathstroke}} the Terminator for the Marvel Universe, both being mercenaries with similar designs (though Deadpool had more of a sense of humor than Deathstroke). However, Deadpool changed substantially when he was handed to other writers, notably Joe Kelly, and grew into [[HeroicComedicSociopath the loon we know and love]].

%%** 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]].
** At one point, Liefeld made two of these in some way inspired by ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, using unpublished art from the ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' [[ComicBook/HeroesRebornCaptainAmerica Captain America book]] after he was taken off the initiative. At first, he planned to buy the rights for Fighting American and use him as the main character. A creator-owned character, Fighting American was created by Joe Simon and Creator/JackKirby, the original creators of Captain America, for a different company when they got unhappy that Atlas Comics (the company that would later become Marvel) had started a new Captain America book without them. The character started out as a pretty straight pastiche of their original version of Captain America, but went satirical after a couple of issues when they started giving the otherwise-interchangeable Communist spies names like Hotsky Trotsky. When Kirby's widow and Simon wanted more for the rights to Fighting American than Liefeld was willing to pay, he created a new character, Agent America, as a stand-in while negotiating to bring the price down. Liefeld eventually got the rights to Fighting American, but the new book resulted in a lawsuit from Marvel, partly because the artwork had been made for one of their projects. The lawsuit also concerned the changes Liefeld made to the character's design that made him look too much like Captain America, such as giving him a helmet with an eagle on the forehead. The character's shield was especially emblematic of this since Fighting American never had a shield. This was resolved by the court ordering that Liefeld change the costume and forbidding him from having Fighting American throw his shield.

** Agent America, interim stand-in for ComicBook/CaptainAmerica, using unpublished art from the ''ComicBook/HeroesReborn'' [[ComicBook/HeroesRebornCaptainAmerica Captain America book]], while Liefeld negotiated rights to reprise Fighting American. A creator-owned character, Fighting American was created by Joe Simon and Creator/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. Liefeld eventually got the rights to Fighting American, but the book resulted in a lawsuit from Marvel, partly because the artwork had been made for one of their projects. The lawsuit also concerned the changes Liefeld made to the character's design that made him look too much like Captain America; the character's shield was especially emblematic of this since Fighting American never had a shield. This was resolved by the court ordering that Liefeld change the costume and forbidding him from having Fighting American throw his shield.

** Agent America, interim stand-in for ComicBook/CaptainAmerica (using unpublished art from a Captain America project) while Liefeld negotiated rights to reprise Fighting American. Fighting American was created by Joe Simon and Creator/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. Liefeld eventually got the rights to Fighting American, but the book resulted in a lawsuit from Marvel over the changes he made to the character's design that made him look too much like Captain America; the character's shield was especially emblematic of this since Fighting American never had a shield. This was resolved by the court ordering that Liefeld change the costume and forbidding him from having Fighting American throw his shield.

** Newmen: Similar to original X-Men squad. Here we have an austere mentor, Proctor (a Professor X[=/=]Doom Patrol's Niels Caulder expy), and his five teenager students: Kodiak, a large furred monster; Byrd, a youth with bird wings under his arms; Exit, the resident teleporter; Dash, the only female and speedster, and Reign, who can shoot pink beams of energy from the horn/jewel stuck on his forehead. Among their enemies - Proctor recalls in a thought balloon - are "Quantum" and "The Brotherhood of Man".

** American Agent, interim stand-in for ComicBook/CaptainAmerica (using unpublished art from a Captain America project) while Liefeld negotiated rights to reprise Fighting American. Fighting American was created by Joe Simon and Creator/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 Captain America property (among other things, Fighting American was not allowed to throw his shield).

* BoobsAndButtPose: As usual for the period, his female characters fall into the Main/{{BadGirlComic}} trope: sexy (anti-)heroines that pose provocatively for the "camera". Examples include [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/avengelyne-5-the-hand-of-god-part-2-of-3/4000-304656/ Avengelyne]], Glory, [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/re-gex-special-preview/4050-45750/ Genie]] (from ''Re:Gex''), [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/vogue-2/4000-116467/ Vogue]] (from ''Youngblood'').

* BoobsAndButtPose: As usual for the period, his female characters fall into the Main/{{BadGirlComic}} trope: sexy (anti-)heroines that pose provocatively for the "camera". Examples include [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/avengelyne-5-the-hand-of-god-part-2-of-3/4000-304656/ Avengelyne]], Glory and [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/re-gex-special-preview/4050-45750/ Genie]] (from ''Re:Gex'').

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://cdn.bleedingcool.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/watchmen2.jpg parodied]] and [[http://progressiveboink.com/archive/robliefeld.html mocked]].

%%** Doom's IV: Similar to the Fantastic Four.

** Newmen: Similar to original X-Men squad. Here we have an austere mentor, Proctor (a Professor X[=/=]Doom Patrol's Niels Caulder expy), and his five teenager students: Kodiak, a large furred monster; Byrd, a youth with bird wings under his arms; Exit, the resident teleporter; Dash, the only female and speedster, and Reign, who can shoot pink beams of energy from the horn/jewel stuck on his forehead. Among their enemies - Proctor recalls in a thought balloon, are "Quantum" and "The Brotherhood of Man".

He is also credited as a pioneer of the NinetiesAntiHero. Many stylistic advents in superhero comics of the 1990s are inaccurately attributed to Liefeld, such as the sharp, thin-lined Crowquill inking style that he (and others) cribbed from contemporaries such as Dale Keown, Creator/ToddMcFarlane, Art Adams, and Creator/JimLee.

%%** Newmen: Similar to original X-Men squad.

He is also credited as a pioneer of the NinetiesAntiHero. Many stylistic advents in superhero comics of the 1990s are inaccurately attributed to Liefeld, such as the sharp, thin-lined Crowquill inking style that he (and others) cribbed from contemporaries such as Dale Keown, Todd [=McFarlane=], Art Adams, and Jim Lee.

Robert Liefeld (born October 3, 1967)is an American comic-book artist. His unique style ([[HeroicBuild exaggerated anatomy]], pouches, excessive hatching, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment pouches]], panel-bursting splash compositions, and [[RuleOfThree pouches]]) is widely recognized.

Rob Liefeld is a comic-book artist. His unique style ([[HeroicBuild exaggerated anatomy]], pouches, excessive hatching, [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment pouches]], panel-bursting splash compositions, and [[RuleOfThree pouches]]) is widely recognized.

** In ''Youngblood'' flipbook story in the first issue, one of their members telekinecly pops the head of a Saddam Hussein stand-in on the page, and the panel only shows blood gushing from his head.

* 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]], [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/scale_large/1/11307/406629-11099-97387-4-chapel.jpg 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]] (on this cover, 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).

* DarkerAndEdgier: While not the first to push the envelope when it comes to comics, he did not shy away from some darker and edgier contest in his work (YMMV if it was a success of not):

%%* DarkerAndEdgier: He tried very hard to be this. Too hard.

* 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]].

* ShouldersOfDoom: As part of the heroes and villains' ensemble, they [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/extreme-sacrifice-1-extreme-sacrifice-part-1-of-8-/4000-106496/ often wear]] https://comicvine.gamespot.com/a/uploads/original/2/23334/1327611-ybmax1mt9.jpg two]] [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/youngblood-1/4000-98999/ shoulderpads]] (sometimes, only one).

* ShouldersOfDoom: As part of the heroes and villains' ensemble, they [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/extreme-sacrifice-1-extreme-sacrifice-part-1-of-8-/4000-106496/ often wear two]] [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/youngblood-1/4000-98999/ shoulderpads]] (sometimes, only one).

%%** Newmen: Similiar to original X-Men squad.

* {{Stripperiffic}}: The female characters he drew and/or created wear what basically amounts to a bikini. Some examples include [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/avengelyne-glory/4050-20285/ Glory and Avengelyne]].

* 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]] (on this cover, 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).

* GunsAkimbo: As a comic book artist, in many action scenes he drew, there is always one dual-wielding character either [[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/x-force-8-flashed-before-my-eyes/4000-35484/ firing one gun]] or both at the same time.

%%* {{Stripperiffic}}: All the girls he draws.

%%* BoobsAndButtPose