Invincible Creator Defends Extreme 90s Comics, Citing Deadpool Creator as Major Influence

Robert Kirkman is known for his successful 2000s-era comics like Invincible and The Walking Dead, but the famed writer is keen to cite the “extreme” comics of the previous decade as major influences on his work. Kirkman lists Image Comics founders like Todd McFarlane, Rob Liefeld and Erik Larsen as hugely influential on his own work, defending an era of comics that most are quick to dismiss altogether.

Kirkman describes his enthusiasm for the era in the back-matter to The Walking Dead Deluxe #84, talking about how 90’s Image comics influenced his famous black-and-white zombie book. “I’ve made no effort to hide my love of ’90’s comics in the past,” Kirkman writes, “or how I idolize the Image Comics founders.”

Of course, Kirkman’s work, from Walking Dead to Invincible and beyond, is extreme and intense in its own ways, displaying that the spirit of the ’90s has carried on, if not the style.

Robert Kirkman Cites “Extreme” ‘90’s Comics As A Huge Influence

For Kirkman, these classic works provided a framework for crafting comics that have a strong visual impact:

“So much of what I do is based on the work of (Erik) Larsen,(Jim) Lee, (Rob) Liefeld, (Todd) McFarlane, (Marc) Silvestri and (Jim) Valentino. In particular, the work of Erik Larsen and Rob Liefeld, heavy action, cool cliffhangers, etc. was a real source of inspiration.”

At first glance, the only commonality one might be able to find between The Walking Dead and the classic Image Comics launch titles in the nineties is the “I” logo in the corner box of the cover. However, Kirkman is quick to point out that the original Image titles’ propensity for splash pages and big “page turn” moments left an indelible impression upon him as a young reader, aspects which he later incorporated into his own comics.

“I truly feel like the excitement and drive of [The Walking Dead] is one of the keys to its success,’ Kirkman writes. “I’m telling you, it comes from those brilliant nineties’ comics that a lot of snobs sure like to look down on.” Erik Larsen’s Savage Dragon in particular seems to be a touchstone for Kirkman, an influence seen most especially in Invincible. The way Kirkman built an entire superhero universe in one book and frequently subverted genre expectations owes a clear debt to Larsen’s work.

Invincible Teamed Up With Image Comics Heroes of the 1990s

Robert Kirkman’s perennial indulgence in brutal violence, and willingness to dive into more adult subject matter, also recall Savage Dragon, which often played like classic Marvel Comics stories, only written and drawn for an older audience. Kirkman was eventually able to directly pay homage to these Image Comics influences in the “Invincible War” crossover in Invincible #60, which saw the titular hero teaming with original Image heroes Spawn, Youngblood, Cyberforce, Silverhawk and the Dragon – a line up Invincible fit into seamlessly.

The founders of Image Comics emphasized action at the expense of everything else, often resulting in stories that were exciting to look at, but didn’t always make much sense from a story perspective. However, Kirkman took this visually exciting style and applied it to his own work, resulting in comics that were dynamic and exciting, as well as being relentlessly narratively satisfying. In that way, Walking Dead and Invincible creator Robert Kirkman pays homage to the original Image Comics founders and redeems an oft-maligned era in comics history.