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Episode

#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
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1:52:47
Published: Thu Dec 01 2022
Description

Brought to you by MasterClass online video lessons taught by 180+ of the world’s best, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and Vuori comfortable and durable performance apparel.Todd McFarlane (@Todd_McFarlane) is an Emmy- and Grammy-winning director/producer and creator of one of the world’s best-selling comic books, Spawn. He is best known to many comic book fans for his work as the artist on The Amazing Spider-Man, for which he co-created Marvel’s top villain, Venom.Todd is the CEO of Todd McFarlane Productions, McFarlane Toys (one of the US’s top action-figure manufacturers), and McFarlane Films. He is also a co-founder of Image Comics, which debuted Spawn in 1992, selling 1.7 million copies of the first issue. In 1997, Spawn was made into an Emmy Award-winning animated series on HBO and a live-action feature film that grossed over $100 million. In 2019, Todd made history with Spawn #301, earning the Guinness World Record for longest-running creator-owned superhero comic book series.Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by MasterClass! With MasterClass, you can learn from the world’s best minds—anytime, anywhere, and at your own pace. With more than 180 classes from a range of world-class instructors, that thing you’ve always wanted to do is closer than you think.MasterClass’s cinema-quality lessons give you unparalleled access to renowned instructors, who share everything from how to execute specific techniques to insights about their craft that can be translated across many fields and disciplines. This holiday, give one annual membership and get one free! Go to Masterclass.Com/Ferriss today.*This episode is also brought to you by Vuori Clothing! Vuori is a new and fresh perspective on performance apparel, perfect if you are sick and tired of traditional, old workout gear. Everything is designed for maximum comfort and versatility so that you look and feel as good in everyday life as you do working out.Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet at VuoriClothing.com/Tim. Not only will you receive 20% off your first purchase, but you’ll also enjoy free shipping on any US orders over $75 and free returns.*This episode is also brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 overall mattress of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress to meet each and every body’s unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk-free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, Helix is offering up to 200 dollars off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chapters
This podcast episode is sponsored by Viori Clothing, a brand of performance apparel that is comfortable and stylish enough to be worn for various purposes, including working out or going out to dinner.
00:00 - 00:44 (00:44)
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Viori Clothing
Summary

This podcast episode is sponsored by Viori Clothing, a brand of performance apparel that is comfortable and stylish enough to be worn for various purposes, including working out or going out to dinner. One of the host's employees also gives a positive testimonial about the brand.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Helix Sleep is a premium mattress company that offers tailored mattresses to match individual sleep preferences.
00:44 - 06:59 (06:15)
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Helix Sleep
Summary

Helix Sleep is a premium mattress company that offers tailored mattresses to match individual sleep preferences. Take the Helix Sleep quiz at helixsleep.com/tim to find your perfect mattress in under two minutes.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Todd reflects on the way his personality has been shaped throughout his life and questions the value of seeking external sources for personal growth.
06:59 - 10:03 (03:04)
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Personal Growth
Summary

Todd reflects on the way his personality has been shaped throughout his life and questions the value of seeking external sources for personal growth.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker recalls how his relentless mails to General Motors resulted in him receiving a Scholarships for a Six Sigma program, and how he thought his future involved advertising for Michelin tires.
10:03 - 15:52 (05:48)
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Education
Summary

The speaker recalls how his relentless mails to General Motors resulted in him receiving a Scholarships for a Six Sigma program, and how he thought his future involved advertising for Michelin tires.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The comic book artist discusses the challenges and requirements for getting better and producing quality work while keeping up with publishing deadlines.
15:52 - 20:16 (04:24)
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Comic books
Summary

The comic book artist discusses the challenges and requirements for getting better and producing quality work while keeping up with publishing deadlines.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The highly anticipated comic book collaboration between Batman and Spawn is set to be released this year, with many expecting it to be the biggest comic book of the year.
20:16 - 28:23 (08:07)
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Comic books
Summary

The highly anticipated comic book collaboration between Batman and Spawn is set to be released this year, with many expecting it to be the biggest comic book of the year. Warner Brothers has prepared a large printing run for the release of this book.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Todd discusses the dangers of status quo and how many people throughout history have faced pushback when trying to innovate or do something different.
28:23 - 32:14 (03:50)
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Change
Summary

Todd discusses the dangers of status quo and how many people throughout history have faced pushback when trying to innovate or do something different.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The Comics Code was created in response to the wariness and fear that comic books were degrading the youth of America, leading to censorship in the comic book industry.
32:14 - 40:12 (07:57)
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Marvel Comics
Summary

The Comics Code was created in response to the wariness and fear that comic books were degrading the youth of America, leading to censorship in the comic book industry. When artist Bob Kane proposed a violent scene, the Comics Code held him back, but this resulted in the creation of Marvel Comics.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Actor and director Tim Robbins wanted to create a community of working actors that could support each other in their careers.
40:12 - 43:32 (03:20)
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Acting
Summary

Actor and director Tim Robbins wanted to create a community of working actors that could support each other in their careers. He saw a need for actors who desired steady work and a better quality of life, and from there, his vision for a new kind of acting community grew.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Todd McFarlane talks about his beginnings in the comic book industry and how he, along with other artists, decided to create their own books outside of the mainstream publishers like Marvel and DC, leading to the birth of Image Comics.
43:32 - 47:37 (04:04)
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Comics
Summary

Todd McFarlane talks about his beginnings in the comic book industry and how he, along with other artists, decided to create their own books outside of the mainstream publishers like Marvel and DC, leading to the birth of Image Comics.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The departure of Todd McFarlane, a maverick figure in Marvel Comics, would have been easy for the company to ignore.
47:37 - 50:40 (03:03)
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Marvel Comics
Summary

The departure of Todd McFarlane, a maverick figure in Marvel Comics, would have been easy for the company to ignore. However, when Jim Lee also left, an industry darling, it shook the comic book world and opened the door for other creatives to make similar career moves.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
A comic book writer recalls a chance meeting with the editor in chief of DC Comics, who told him he was welcome back if his writing career didn't work out.
50:40 - 56:48 (06:07)
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DC Comics
Summary

A comic book writer recalls a chance meeting with the editor in chief of DC Comics, who told him he was welcome back if his writing career didn't work out.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Creative community members who advocated for better pay, medical benefits, and more reasonable royalty rates forced media companies to eventually improve these working conditions.
56:48 - 1:03:39 (06:51)
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compensation, talent retention
Summary

Creative community members who advocated for better pay, medical benefits, and more reasonable royalty rates forced media companies to eventually improve these working conditions. Without these changes, top talent would have left the industry and left less successful creatives behind.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker suggests creating an uncomfortable environment for the other party during business negotiations to make them more willing to compromise and settle disputes quickly.
1:03:39 - 1:06:53 (03:14)
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Business Negotiation
Summary

The speaker suggests creating an uncomfortable environment for the other party during business negotiations to make them more willing to compromise and settle disputes quickly.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
A former mail room worker for Marvel Comics, who eventually moved to DC Comics, describes his rise to popularity in the comic book industry.
1:06:53 - 1:10:55 (04:01)
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Comics
Summary

A former mail room worker for Marvel Comics, who eventually moved to DC Comics, describes his rise to popularity in the comic book industry.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker expresses relief over a prior disagreement with a comic book writer, stating that their views were completely opposite.
1:10:55 - 1:15:29 (04:34)
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Comic Books
Summary

The speaker expresses relief over a prior disagreement with a comic book writer, stating that their views were completely opposite. He had assumed that readers had diverse interests but was surprised to find out that the readership was focused solely on comic books.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast episode features a conversation about the transition from penciling to inking, exploring the differences and challenges faced in the comic book art industry.
1:15:29 - 1:20:36 (05:06)
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Comic books
Summary

This podcast episode features a conversation about the transition from penciling to inking, exploring the differences and challenges faced in the comic book art industry.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The panel discusses the time constraints in comic book creation and the limited number of days given for pencillers and inkers to complete their respective tasks.
1:20:36 - 1:23:29 (02:53)
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Comic Book Industry
Summary

The panel discusses the time constraints in comic book creation and the limited number of days given for pencillers and inkers to complete their respective tasks.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, comic book artist Todd McFarlane discusses how his inking style affected the thickness of Spider-Man's webs over time and how the sales decline of Spider-Man led to the creation of the famous black costume with the white spider.
1:23:29 - 1:27:05 (03:36)
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Spider-Man
Summary

In this episode, comic book artist Todd McFarlane discusses how his inking style affected the thickness of Spider-Man's webs over time and how the sales decline of Spider-Man led to the creation of the famous black costume with the white spider.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, the guest recounts the story of how Spider-Man finally gets rid of the black costume in issue #300 of The Amazing Spider-Man and returns to the classic red and blue suit that everyone knows and loves.
1:27:05 - 1:31:24 (04:19)
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Spider-Man
Summary

In this episode, the guest recounts the story of how Spider-Man finally gets rid of the black costume in issue #300 of The Amazing Spider-Man and returns to the classic red and blue suit that everyone knows and loves.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Todd McFarlane shares his experience of meeting Jim Shooter, the imposing editor in chief, at Marvel Comics as a new artist in the industry.
1:31:24 - 1:35:56 (04:32)
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Marvel Comics
Summary

Todd McFarlane shares his experience of meeting Jim Shooter, the imposing editor in chief, at Marvel Comics as a new artist in the industry.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
John Romita Sr. discusses the classic look of Spider-Man which he helped to create, including the beloved spaghetti webbing.
1:35:56 - 1:39:58 (04:02)
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Spider-Man
Summary

John Romita Sr. discusses the classic look of Spider-Man which he helped to create, including the beloved spaghetti webbing.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
In this episode, Tim Ferriss explores the life and career of comic book legend Stan Lee, discussing his creative process, how he dealt with failure, and his influence on the world of pop culture.
1:39:58 - 1:45:02 (05:04)
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Stan Lee
Summary

In this episode, Tim Ferriss explores the life and career of comic book legend Stan Lee, discussing his creative process, how he dealt with failure, and his influence on the world of pop culture.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss' free newsletter, Five Bullet Friday, includes articles, books, gadgets, and other eclectic recommendations from his friends, including podcast guests.
1:45:02 - 1:49:41 (04:39)
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Newsletter
Summary

Tim Ferriss' free newsletter, Five Bullet Friday, includes articles, books, gadgets, and other eclectic recommendations from his friends, including podcast guests.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker recommends this particular athletic wear brand for lasting, comfortable and good-looking yoga, running, and loungewear, particularly their men's core short and super soft cotton yoga pants and jogger sweatpants.
1:49:41 - 1:52:48 (03:06)
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Athletic Wear
Summary

The speaker recommends this particular athletic wear brand for lasting, comfortable and good-looking yoga, running, and loungewear, particularly their men's core short and super soft cotton yoga pants and jogger sweatpants.

Episode
#639: Todd McFarlane, Legendary Comic Book Artist — How to Make Iconic Art, Reinvent Spider-Man, Live Life on Your Own Terms, and Meet Every Deadline
Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show