Fanboy Rampage: Rob Liefeld & Erik Larsen Tag Team On John Byrne

There had been several artists over the years who had drawn "off-model," but most of the time this meant restoring characters to their…

— John Byrne Says… (@JohnByrneSays) February 25, 2015

…original looks, as when Walt Simonson went back to Kirby's first drawings of the Destroyer, The first artist I really remember going…

— John Byrne Says… (@JohnByrneSays) February 25, 2015

…off model in a kind of "This is how I do it" way was Paul Smith. I've told before the story of Dave Cockrum and I looking as Smitty's… — John Byrne Says… (@JohnByrneSays) February 25, 2015

…pages as they came in, and Dave commenting about Storm, "I guess we were drawing her wrong!" Later we began to see the Singer becoming… — John Byrne Says… (@JohnByrneSays) February 25, 2015

…ever more important than the Song, until the proto-Image boys arrived, and then being on-model became something to deliberately shun.

— John Byrne Says… (@JohnByrneSays) February 25, 2015

@JohnByrneSays It's amazing how, 25 years later, this guy still holds a grudge. — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

NotJB: @ErikJLarsen As I recently quoted, JB dislikes the Legion of Super-Heroes for pranking Superboy in 1958. 25 years is like yesterday.

— John Byrne Says… (@JohnByrneSays) February 25, 2015

@JohnByrneSays I can understand still thinking stories were crappy 60 years later but take the hit for your own career choices. — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@JohnByrneSays The audience moved on because he couldn't hold their attention. — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@JohnByrneSays And also–didn't he draw Superman off-model with that lump of hair on his head and Clark's new look? — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@JohnByrneSays It's awfully hypocritical to damn the Image guys for drawing off-model when he did the same.

— Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@ErikJLarsen @JohnByrneSays Image founders did not make John lose his mojo and draw like crap!!! His deal with the devil expired on its own — robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays Ouch. — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

NotJB: @ErikJLarsen @robertliefeld If this gets back to ByrneRobotics, I never commented on JB's art. Was those darn "Image Boys" — John Byrne Says… (@JohnByrneSays) February 25, 2015

@JohnByrneSays @ErikJLarsen his work was untouchable from 77-85. He was perfect. Then he changed his style/approach.

— robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 25, 2015

@JohnByrneSays @ErikJLarsen his work was untouchable from 77-85. He was perfect. Then he changed his style/approach. — robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays I think his effort to "keep up with the times" hurt him, actually. — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@ErikJLarsen @JohnByrneSays he came back from DC with a different approach to his work. West Coast Avengers… Namor… — robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays Those started out okay–pretty straightforward–then he started emulating @Todd_McFarlane's page layouts.

— Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays (Or, what he THOUGHT were @Todd_McFarlane page layouts). — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays Overlapping panels–inset panels–weird borders, etc. pic.twitter.com/dYNzCE9bIw — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@ErikJLarsen @JohnByrneSays I see it! — robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 25, 2015

@ErikJLarsen @JohnByrneSays his style changed. His faces were always very appealing, attractive. Then they were very different.

— robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays And then it just got lazy and unimaginative. Readers felt he was dogging it. pic.twitter.com/5q9krBlYO5 — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@ErikJLarsen @JohnByrneSays growing up my buddy said "JB draws every here exactly how you want them to look. Then one day… No more." — robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays I actually thought the first few months or so that he was making a serious effort. — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays He started inking his own stuff after a few months and it got ugly.

— Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@ErikJLarsen @JohnByrneSays yes. Looked like Don Heck to me not the sleek Neal Adams meets 70's anime that I drooled over. — robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 25, 2015

@ErikJLarsen @JohnByrneSays Simonson still looks like Simonson, Perez/Perez, Neal Adams still looks like Neal. Byrne, no resemblance. — robertliefeld (@robertliefeld) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays Faces became lazy. Generic shorthand. It was as if he was bored drawing them. No care was taken. — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@BizzaroHendrix @robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays I can see that. His later work just feels like he's going through the motions.

— Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@StephenParry80 @robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays Trio is the saddest Byrne comic I've ever read. Minimal effort, generic everything. — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015

@robertliefeld @JohnByrneSays Now they frequently look like victims of Joker gas. They look insane. pic.twitter.com/bdYFiH94Am — Erik Larsen (@ErikJLarsen) February 25, 2015