Undead Walking
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Robert Kirkman discusses meeting controversial comic artist Rob Liefeld

By Adam Carlson

BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JULY 29: Writer Robert Kirkman of 'Visionaries: Robert Kirkman's Secret History of Comics Docuseries' speaks onstage during The Walking Dead AMC/Sundance TV portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 29, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for AMC)
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JULY 29: Writer Robert Kirkman of 'Visionaries: Robert Kirkman's Secret History of Comics Docuseries' speaks onstage during The Walking Dead AMC/Sundance TV portion of the 2017 Summer Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on July 29, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for AMC) /
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The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman is considered a rebel in the comic book industry, but even he has nothing on Image Comics founder Rob Liefeld.

Robert Kirkman has become a household name in the comic book industry. The creator of The Walking Dead has been known to do whatever it takes to get his vision onto the pages of his comics, even if it means telling a lie or misleading publishers until they see his vision.

However, there is one man who makes Kirkman look like a saint. Rob Liefeld is one of the most controversial men in the comic book industry. As a self-taught artist, he rose up through the industry working with a unique art style that polarized the industry and a storytelling method that made him a phenomenon.

It isn’t just his overly-accentuated style that has made him controversial. Liefeld left a trail in his path as he made his way through Marvel, DC, and finally to Image Comics. Kirkman discussed meeting Liefeld for the first time during Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics as shared on the official AMC YouTube channel:

Kirkman’s admiration for Liefeld’s over the top style of artwork and storytelling shouldn’t be much of a surprise to fans of The Walking Dead. The pages of the monthly zombie survival comic series always have plenty of surprises and big situations with large artwork, splashes, and spreads when accenting an important storyline.

The story of meeting Liefield and getting compliments on his work was amazing. The fact that Liefeld went on to be a founder of Image Comics, which is the publisher for The Walking Dead is astounding. And hearing how grateful Kirkman is for everything done for him is something few comic fans new before this special aired on AMC.

For comic book readers who aren’t familiar with Rob Liefeld, odds are that you’ve seen his work and not even known it. Here are just some of the major projects he contributed artwork or writing over his career:

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That list sounds like a greatest hits collection of comic books, and the influence that Rob Liefeld and Image Comics have had on the career of Robert Kirkman changed just about everything and was a big part of what made his zombie survival drama franchise a reality.

Next: The Walking Dead comics have a long future ahead

For more great stories like this, be sure to check out Robert Kirkman’s Secret History of Comics on AMC. Even if you aren’t a huge comic book fan and only know a handful of titles, this show can help make you a true believer in the industry.

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