A few weeks ago, Rob Liefeld flew to Arizona to see his latest comic fresh off the printers. Holding the books in his hands, he admired the artistry, from the quality of the paper to the feel of the spine. A few hours later, he boarded a return flight to California, carrying with him 80 comics across five different editions of Youngblood, the title that launched Image Comics in 1992.
It’s almost unheard of for a creator to hand-select every detail about a book, much less transport the copies themselves. But Liefeld wanted to try something new for the 33rd anniversary of Youngblood, with each edition of this comic only available to buy on his website, or at a one-day only signing Wednesday at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles.
The idea was last minute for Liefeld, who decided in late February that he wanted to celebrate the Youngblood anniversary with a new book, but noted there’d be no way to go through the normal production process with a publisher.
Each edition launching on his site will be available for just 24 hours, and then go away, never to be seen again.
Eventually, a version of the book will be published by Image Comics, which also celebrates its 33rd anniversary on Wednesday. But a few of the interior pages may change, as will the covers. And of course, the economics of mass publishing dictate that the paper and other qualities won’t be as top shelf as the small batch.
“I wouldn’t be able to give this product through traditional means. It’s heavy card stock and the nicest interior paper that you’ve ever seen. ‘To quote John Hammond in Jurassic Park, ‘we spared no expense,’” says Liefeld.
Liefeld also says that he will be reporting his grosses on this book, just like a movie studio reports box office numbers.
The creator, known for characters such as Deadpool and Cable, helped upend the comic book industry in 1992 when he and six other artists left Marvel to launch Image, the publisher that pioneered the idea of creators retaining rights to their work. Now, Liefeld notes the industry is at another shifting point, amid challenges with the print market. He sees going directly to fans for custom books as one avenue.
Says Liefeld: “I’m just out here experimenting. Why not?”
