Extreme Studios changed to Awesome Comics or Awesome Entertainment in 1997, is an American comic book studio that was formed in 1992 by Image Comics co-founder Rob Liefeld.
Extreme Studios and Maximum Press[]
In 1992, Liefeld and several other popular artists left Marvel Comics to form Image Comics. Each of the co-founders created their own studios within Image, such as Top Cow and Wildstorm. Liefeld's Extreme Studios was the first to release a comic under the Image brand, Youngblood. Some titles that did not fit the Image brand were self-published under Liefeld's Maximum Press imprint (later on even publishing some of Liefeld's various Image Comics titles after his departure from Image in 1996). Maximum Press published titles such as Avengelyne, Warchild, Glory, Supreme, and even licensed properties such as the classic sci fi TV show Battlestar Galactica (based on the original 1978-1979 TV series).
Departure from Image Comics, and launching Awesome Entertainment[]
After acrimonious disputes with the other founding partners, Liefeld left Image Comics in 1996. The following year, he partnered with Malibu Comics founder Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and reorganized his publishing ventures from Extreme Studios and Maximum Press into Awesome Comics. Liefeld hired acclaimed comic book writer Alan Moore to revive many of his creations, which had declined in popularity. Moore wrote a few issues of Youngblood and Glory, but his most lauded work for Liefeld was on Supreme, which played on the character's more generic traits in a clear tribute to the Mort Weisinger-era Superman. Moore even wrote a crossover event limited series called Judgment Day, which featured all of the Awesome Comics universe of characters together. Awesome's initial releases, including entirely new properties like Kaboom! created by Jeff Matsuda, were generally received more favorably by critics than the Extreme and Maximum lines had been. One of the major releases from Awesome was a revival of the classic patriotic comic book character Fighting American created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, which Liefeld had acquired the rights for. However, Awesome eventually collapsed under the burdens of internal disputes among its partners, the abrupt departure of its primary investor, as well as its unpredictable publishing schedule, its erratic content and Liefeld's growing unpopularity with comics consumers.