youngblood 1 2017 feature Interviews 

Chad Bowers on Bringing “Youngblood” Into 2017

By | May 3rd, 2017
Posted in Interviews | % Comments

For comic readers of a certain age, the debut of Image Comics was a huge deal. “Youngblood,” the first ever Image book, represented the comics landscape of 1992 in a way that nothing else could even come close to touching. While the quality of the original run has been disputed – even by creator Rob Liefeld himself – the property has been surprisingly malleable. The book has been relaunched a number of times by a surprisingly robust list of creators – Alan Moore, Kurt Busiek, Robert Kirkman – and each iteration has its own unique tone.

However, no version of “Youngblood” has felt quite like this one. Released today, 25 years and change after the first “Youngblood” #1, the new take on the series, courtesy of writer Chad Bowers (“X-Men ’92,” “Down, Set, Fight!”) and first-time artist Jim Towe, looks to build on all the prior runs, but take the book in surprising new directions.

We spoke to Bowers – who, in the interest of full disclosure, is a Multiversity alum and a friend of this writer – about the book, working with both Towe and Liefeld, and what exactly we can expect from the series going forward.

This is obviously quite the different take on the property; what was the initial inspiration for recontextualizing the team in this way?

Chad Bowers: We’ve seen so many incredible takes on “Youngblood” in the last 25 years, and I think, on some level, and especially since the Alan Moore era, reinvention and recontextualization has worked its way into the very core of the Extreme Universe. That said, both Jim and I were really inspired by how on-point Rob Liefeld’s original “Youngblood” was, and how it felt both ahead of it’s time and very much of the day. So in trying to define our version of “Youngblood,” we took a good look around and literally tried to imagine what Rob Liefeld might do if he came up with “Youngblood” now. And naturally, the question “What would celebrity superheroes look like?” yields a very different answer in 2017 than it did in 1992. Where Rob looked to phenomenons like the NBA Dream Team as his model Youngblood, we’re pulling from Instagram and YouTube, and using the idea of self-made celebrities to really reframe the concept for the modern audience!

Did you and Jim have any restrictions placed on you in regards to who or what you could or couldn’t use? Or did Rob give you guys total freedom to develop the book/team in your own way?

CB: We’ve been given the keys to the kingdom, man. Rob put me and Jim together, told us to go wild, and then stepped out of the way. But him being hands off doesn’t mean we’re not looking to him for advice and guidance along the way. He’s made some very helpful suggestions, and I run things by him just to make sure we’re not stepping on his toes or interfering what he’s got planned for “Bloodstrike.” But really, beyond that, he’s never given us any guidelines or shot down and idea. We’re running “Youngblood” like any other Image book, and Rob’s happy to let us.

The use of the Help! app feels very 2017, and gives the book a nice grounding in modernity. Was there any fear of placing the book so squarely in a time and place, or was that intentional, much as how the first “Youngblood” series feels very much of its time and place as well?

CB: No, no fear or anything like that. Because as cool as the idea is, Help! is more of a catalyst in this first arc than anything else. It’s good shorthand for what the present day superhero landscape looks like, but it’s not the story, if that makes sense. The entire idea of celebrity is fleeting anyway. Today’s famous faces aren’t guaranteed to be tomorrows, and technology’s even worse off. But in much the same way Rob had Youngblood’s Away Team literally taking out Saddam Hussein in his first issue, we try to pull in as much of today’s world as possible, while telling a very human story underneath that’s strong enough to stand on its own.

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For fans of a certain age (like, say, us), “Youngblood” was a touchstone for our nascent comic fandom. How do you try to attract readers who don’t have that nostalgia connection to early Image work?

Cover to Youngblood #1 by Jim Towe

CB: You get a guy like Jim Towe to draw it. And that’s not a joke. Right from the beginning, having this “Youngblood” look like none of the previous iterations of the book was extremely important to me, and Rob too, I think. I was 13 in 1992, so you know I love those first few years of Image, but let’s face it, there’s an entirely different aesthetic and expectation of an Image book today, and you’ve got to work harder to make your mark. Jim’s about ten years younger than me, and without giving too much away, his comics origin story is so tonally in line with what’s going on in “Youngblood,” it’s almost scary. He’s literally a guy who went on Twitter and called out Rob Liefeld and got hired because of it.

And then the rest is just story. You come up with something compelling, and make the best comic you can make, and hope it gets people excited. The good thing is, “Youngblood” has got one of the coolest, and most relatable high-concepts in all of comics, and even though we’ve tweaked some, I still think it’s pretty relevant, and the way we’re presenting it hopefully feels fresh and speaks to today’s audience as much, if not more than it did 25 years ago.

What do you feel is the right balance to strike between new characters and returning favorites? Similarly, how much are you writing for old folks like us, versus the 15 year old kid who might pick it up at their local shop?

CB: The main cast is made up of mostly new characters sporting some very familiar names. But when you’re reinventing a team property like “Youngblood,” I don’t think it’s necessary to toss out everything. I wanted to make sure we had some mainstays around – the JLA’s got J’onn (usually), the Avengers always try and have one of the big three of Cap, Iron Man, and Thor. And for me, Youngblood’s heart and soul has always been Badrock and Shaft. They’re literally the young blood of the original series, and that relatability is what originally attracted me to that home team of Shaft, Badrock, Vogue, Diehard, and Chapel. So those guys are in the book as a bridge between the old and the new, but that doesn’t mean they’re exactly the characters you remember.

We’re making a lot of changes, but thankfully, I’ve yet to see much resistance from the old school fans. They’re already the books biggest cheerleaders. Then again, where not dealing with the same kind of legacy as, say X-Men or Avengers, and that makes for a different kind of nostalgia. Old school Extreme fans love to reminiscence about the era and meeting creators and stuff, but it’s rare to hear them cite one definitive story or event, and that makes the job a little easier. I’m not up against a ‘Dark Phoenix Saga’ or something like that, so I can make some pretty drastic changes without immediately getting accused of destroying somebody’s childhood.

Jim’s art is magnificent, and about as far from Rob’s as one could reasonably get (that’s not a knock on Rob; one is metal and one is jazz). What has his collaboration brought to the book that wasn’t there when you started? Who can’t you wait for us to see Jim’s design for?

Some of Towe's artowrk that he sent to Liefeld on Twitter, and got him the gig

CB: Jim’s the absolute best! He’s an extraordinary talent, with a matchless work ethic, and what you’ve seen of “Youngblood” so far is him just getting warmed up! I’m serious, wait until you see the fourth issue… it’s a game-changer!

Most people know, I’m an OG “Youngblood” fan from way back, and I wear that badge proudly. This is a dream gig for me, but Jim’s excitement and his enthusiasm rivals even mine. He brings more ideas to the table than I can keep up with, and they’re all brilliant. Every one of them. It’s been a while since I’ve worked this closely with an artist, and he’s helped me steer this ship in all the right directions so far. I couldn’t want for a more passionate and devoted collaborator.

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As for what I want people to see him draw? Badrock in a tracksuit!

We’ve been friends for a long time now, and one of my favorite Chad-isms is when you take an idea that should never, ever work, and double down on it so hard that it makes perfect sense. So, I’m going to share my favorite Chad-ism from this issue, and want you to tell us all about it: President Diehard.

CB: Man, President Diehard is my favorite! Making him Commander in Chief was one of my earliest ideas, and I’m almost positive that’s what won Rob over. I’ve always been obsessed with the political landscape of superhero universes, and some of my favorite stories revolve around the idea of somebody in mask stepping into the role of President, or at the very least considering it, but I can’t think of another comic more primed for a superhero president than “Youngblood!”


Brian Salvatore

Brian Salvatore is an editor, podcaster, reviewer, writer at large, and general task master at Multiversity. When not writing, he can be found playing music, hanging out with his kids, or playing music with his kids. He also has a dog named Lola, a rowboat, and once met Jimmy Carter. Feel free to email him about good beer, the New York Mets, or the best way to make Chicken Parmagiana (add a thin slice of prosciutto under the cheese).

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