In comparison to controversial filmmakers, comic creators are fairly tame. There are a few controversial creators in the medium, but generally speaking, the writers and artists who earn fans' ire aren't awful humans inherently. Take, for example, Stan Lee and Rob Liefeld. Depending on who you ask, both men are either respected veterans of the medium or shady hucksters that are overrated and overpaid. Both for different reasons in terms of specificity but bound by a similar critique on a macro level. Stan Lee and Rob Liefeld both received a wealth of respect when the zeitgeist was on their side, but their reputations began to wither in appreciation as the decades marched on.
Lee's legacy gets marred by the disproportionate ratio of celebrity to creative output during his run in the 60s. Some question if Lee even deserves any credit for the Fantastic Four, Hulk, and Spider-Man, as certain fans choose to give the lion's share of praise to Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko, respectively.
Liefeld's biggest sin is his lack of artistic consistency. His work is simultaneously definitive of the 90s and a punchline that encapsulates the era's worst tropes and ideas.
That's why I find the video linked above so fascinating. In the 30-minute drawing lesson, Stan Lee, Rob Liefeld, and Todd McFarlane talk shop about the funny book business of the 90s. McFarlane and Liefeld are practically glistening from the abundance of praise and paychecks they received during the era, while a convivial Lee coaches from the sidelines.
In the video, all three men merely share laughs and anecdotes far removed from the criticisms they'd endure in later decades. It's a cool little time capsule that lets fans see the men in the way they should be remembered: as professionals.
