The Maxx: Four Broken People And A Bunny
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- Опубликовано: 7 июл 2020
- A detailed overview of The Maxx, a thirty-five issue series published by Image Comics between 1993 and 1998. Written and illustrated by Sam Keith, with co-plotting and dialogue by William Messner-Loebs.
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#Comics #ImageComics #ModernAge #SamKeith #TheMaxx 
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I think one strongest memories from The Maxx is when Sara is talking to a block of clay later finding out it is her Dads severed head.
"It's just my... dad."
Really freaked me out back when that episode aired
Please don't let my spirit animal speak to me through a hypoglycemic poster. What a cruel world.
I still remember the last scene from the MTV version, where the trauma cycle is finally broken and everyone is freed to go on with life such as it is... and Maxx/Dave sheds the costume, returning to his true outback-- his garden where he uses small hand spades to plant flowers and other such things. I always thought the reason his Outback and Julie's connected and corrupted was due to their connection with nature.
I loved that series like no other, do you have any idea how hard it has been in the last what 30 years to not figure that show out and what it was actually representing, so I can continue to be fascinated by it's form. Good God I miss the Maxx
@@MatthewHolevinski can you tell me what is it about? A dont care to spoil the story
@@juanmanuelvallejo3987 well it's probably more prescient now than ever. Well it's about a lot of things bud. Loving things you can't, being powerless no matter how powerful you are, the simple things in life, the grass is always greener on the other side, contentment, solitude, righteousness, chivalry, discovery, enlightenment, mental illness, societal illness. It's a great story no matter the decade.
The animated series is the most perfect adaptation of anything, ever; with 2 very minor exceptions (the removal of Savage Dragon, and Pitt), it is a line-by-line, panel-by-panel EXACT recreation of the comic.
Wish I could say that about Song of Fire and Ice aka Game of Thrones. 😂
I liked Hammerhead though. And the detective.
@spacejockey pitt was a great character
@spacejockey yeah happened to Pitt anyways
What was the pitt about/like?
This broke my 10 year old self out of the the “read only marvel and dc” thing my young mind was focused on. It remains my favorite comic to this day. Thanks
It's def in my top 3, a brawl between The Maxx, Skydoll, and everything Sam and Max related.
For sure, The Maxx introduced me to what the comic medium could be.
Same. Whenever people ask if I prefer Marvel or DC, my answer has always been Image.
There was something magical about certain comics and cartoons in the 90's, The Maxx, Aeon Flux, even Spawn to a degree, they were weird and experimental and I feel like we don't get anything like that anymore. It was a very distinct style that lasted for a short time.
Truly..they got so good at animating that really isn't anything new they can do with the medium
Don't forget the evil ernie comics
"To be a writer(artist), you gotta have experience."
That line stuck with me ever since I read it as a child.
@Bobert Wiltshire I'd say it's true. If you never had real turmoil and experience you have no real reference for writing truly human characters.
You'd end up just making Modern Family instead of Shameless.
@@ZigealFaust I think you just need to attempt to understand and have empathy of the tormented mind, rather than being tormented yourself.
@@one_man_community One could argue there is not true understanding of something unless you experience it.
I can write cop dramas all day that are top tier, but I will know they will never really touch on 60% of what an actual officer could do.
It's why writers/directors hire people to tell them their own experiences.
Wait. Fuck.
That means you are right in you only need to be able to empathize with them.
Thanks for helping my outlook!
The Maxx was a bit too mature for me to understand back when the animation aired on MTV 25 years ago. I was simply mesmerized by the provocative visuals.
That's my relationship with Arkham asylum by Grant Morrison
The Maxx was the first story that showed me that there could be depth to comics.
Suck on that Alan Moore. Nah, it wasn't *first*, but it was a rare example of that depth.
MAXX is such a strange bit of the 90s comics time capsule. Did you ever see the short lived (6 or 7 episodes) animated series adapted from it on MTV? I recall enjoying it as a kid, as well. Great video as always, my man.
You can also watch it for free with ads on Vimeo
Yeah, The Maxx for me will always be the animated series by Chung. I saw it on MTV as a young teen and it set me off not only in my own art style, but made me interested in Dark Horse comics at the time. Much like Aeon Flux, the series kind of reminded me of Heavy Metal in the way that it was adult in nature without becoming porn.
Good point, I'm surprised he didn't bring it up in the video!
I may do a follow-up focusing on the animated series.
@@StrangeBrainParts "I may do a follow-up focusing on the animated series."
I'd love to see that.
I loved this comic. Still have copies I picked up as a kid. MTV's adaptation got me into it. Very deep and dark.
Liquid television was the shit. People only remember eon flux from it.
I had very minute memories of that show when I was little, and was beginning to think it was nothing but a fever dream. Saw this thumbnail and finally found the name of that weird show I saw on cable one night.
still have mine. same reasons too
@@chefpunjab Liquid Television was where Aeon Flux was first on MTV, MTV Oddities came later with the Maxx and The Head
The Maxx really did more for me than the "mainstream superhero" Image line of McFarlane, Liefeld, and Lee,
I really was addicted to that title and Kieth's art in general,
I really hope we'll see some new comics project from him at some point
My mint condition copies of the Maxx are among the pride of my collection, great to see it here.
The art is fantastic and the page layouts are anything but conventional.
When I re-read it these days, the Maxx comics do date themselves heavily in the 90's, but there's genuine writing there that separates it. In a time when people where being dark because dark was cool, the Maxx wanted to linger and analyse what dark was, and ask why we ever wanted it. Sara's introductory monologue is distinctly 90's but very personal. She honestly represents a person bereft of purpose, instead of using those qualities to appeal to the era's aesthetic.
Tried to find a costume maker at New York Costumes/Halloween Adventures to make a cosplay outfit of The Maxx for Halloween, but the store employee assigned never got back.
Settled for bunny ears.
I’ve always loved The Maxx and Sam Kieth. I think you’re right that Br’er Lappin is a thinly veiled reference to Br’er Rabbit. It turns out that Lappin is an English/Irish surname and nickname for a timid person, and it derives from the French “lapin” which is the masculine for rabbit.
I remember reading the first few issues and watching the animated series.
My teenage brain understood some of the themes and it certainly wasn't your average comic book fair.
The depth of the story stuck with me and your video bought back those memories of the comic and the show.
Thank you for that dark little trip down memory lane.
Jeez I used to watch the cartoon show. It was in a line-up with "The Head" and "Aeon Flux".
Me too.Its really is a great cartoon show.
It holds up pretty well, too. I bought the DVD a while back. It was early in the Amazon Prime days, so I ended up getting the disc and also getting it digitally somehow. I like to rewatch it from time to time.
@@PaulDozierZZoMBiE13
What's the DVD lable, if you don't mind? I would love to watch those cartoons again. They were so ahead of their time.
Ahhh yes, "LIquid Television" on MTV!
@@revolutionday1 MTV Oddities!
"Very large man wearing a ridiculous outfit"
You just described me!!! 🤣
If I change a few words around it describes me: "A ridiculous man in a large outfit." Heh.
I watch the show on tv when i was young. The Maxx and Duckman raised me.
Fuck yeah! Duckman!
Very good video. My own interpretation of the comic was a study of characters with PTSD and the way they individually deal with it. I see we mostly agree.
PTSD...absolutely! Yes, I think we'd mostly agree.
Man what a good analysis, Freud and Jung would be proud of this masterwork, such a delight! thank you for this!
This was deep. It wasn't even in my recommendations, yet I found it - maybe I've found my way to the Outback...or it found its' way to me.
That was...wonderfully done. Editing and narration were great. I couldn't take my eyes off this video and trust me I get easily distracted.
Thank you very muchI I appreciate you taking the time to let me know you enjoyed the video. Thank you very much for watching and hopefully I'll have more in the future that's equally interesting.
Same
One of my all time favorite comics. Criminally underrated
I remember seeing this on the shelves back in the early 90's, when Jim Lee was on fire, but I never bothered to read it because the combination of cartoonish style with a deeply dark tone freaked me out as a kid. But I do have the Darker Image 1 comic from back then, now I appreciate it so much more. Thanks for this little history lesson and explanation of the story!
I picked up some issues as a kid and was entranced. I didn't understand what I was reading, but somehow I knew it was special and I should keep it, and keep it hidden. I wish I knew where those comics were.
This will always be my favorite 90's comic series.
I remember my older brother showing me all his comics from the 90s and he had one issue of the Maxx which I remember him saying he didnt like it cause it was "too out there" and I've always enjoyed those types of stories over the more traditional books, theres greater heart in the narrative
The Maxx was one of Images rare mature reads. Not by visuals of blood soaked violence or sex for sex, or vulgar language. It was a story dealing with very subtle and nuanced ideas, that happened to feature a 300 pound Bunny avatar.
Loved that Wolvie and Cyber fight back then, and The Maxx along with the Pitt was a staple for us and when the Maxx show hit liquid television it was a awesome treat.
I've always felt cyber was one of wolverines best nemesis
Wow it looks like youtube recommendations might have brought something unique for a change.
Hah! I hope that's the case. For whatever reason, the legendary algorithm has skipped over any material from this channel. I don't know why, but it has. Hopefully that's changing?
i remember watching the the cartoon on mtv as a kid
I remember only knowing about the Maxx from seeing his action figure when I was kid. After watching this it really pushed me more into checking this series out. Those last lines in the video hit me really hard .. thank you .
The Maxx is a series that deserves far more attention for the way it defied the conventions of its time and for how it still holds up as a great story to this day. While surreal with its setting and action from time to time, its characters feel grounded and human. Thanks for giving this series a spotlight, Overlord!
I agree. And thanks for watching!
thank you so much for putting this video together. I was at that time in the 90s in my late teens and the cartoon was an awesome thing to watch late at night. the artwork and voice actors were amazing and still hold up today. I can hear Julie, Mr. Gone, and Maxx in my head right now in 2020. I collected the comics up to the 1st arc. that was quite a journey into the outback. subbed!
This is still my favorite comic story ever printed. Love this, love Kieth's art, love the characters and the story in which they inhabit.
This was a good video, thanks for making it.
Gone's backstory will always haunt me, not just what happened to him, but the way he tells the story was so visceral.
I remember as a teen loving the MTV show. Weird how I never knew this was a comic.
You know, I completely forgot to mention the animated series. It's even more obscure than the comic itself...which is a shame.
Cool beans. I'm a poor RUclipsr so that's a purchase that may have to wait.
This is an excellent summary and breakdown
"why am I talking in....
poetry stuff?"
lmao ive always loved the Maxx and im stoked to see someone doing a video over this!
thank you!!
Very nice analysis of this incredible work. I had the first eight issues back in the 90’s, and it ignited my interest in mental health. Every time I read it I find something new. Now I’m a therapist. Thanks Sam for your influence on my life!
I love the animated adaptation of the Maxx so much. It's truly a work of genius. Same goes for the first half of the comic
Hey someone other than sal from comic pop remembers the MAXX and good video
This totally fucking rocks! The Maxx is one of the greatest comics of all time, but it's so surreal and dark and complicated that it just never connected with a wide audience. I'm very VERY happy to see that someone made a video about it and thrilled that such a fantastic job was done. For this video alone, you got a new sub. Good job and well done!
this is my all time favorite comic book series. thank you for doing a video on it. sam kieth is a brilliant artist.
I was genuinely hoping the early image foray would lead here
Honestly, I'm genuinely surprised at how many requests I've gotten for The Maxx. It was just time for it to be examined. I hope it was worth the wait!
Thank you for covering this! This was the only series I owned in it's entirety (the only thing I was missing was the Ash Can copy and Darker Image#1).
My favorite book so many moons ago. Sam Keith continues to inspire me and I am forever grateful.
Literally the best channel producing anything close to a bite sized yet still comprehensive comic exploration. You always seem to openly weigh the flaws with the fantastic each of these comic series or runs has fairly while openly admitting when something is fact, your opinion, or speculation. The essence of honest legitimate journalism and critique combined - such a rarity in these times and all your efforts are worthy of high praise as a result.
Thank you very much! That is high praise, indeed. I do try to be concise and objective. And when I'm not, I think it's my responsibility to mention my bias so there's context.
The Maxx was born at a time when interest in comic industry was experiencing a boom, and a lot of comic companies were comfortable enough with their cash flow they were willing to take risks in their business model. That's when they started using higher quality paper and inks, and including more stylized art. they also started using the graphic comic book format for a different kind of storytelling besides the traditional super hero stories. I remember flipping through The Maxx's pages and admiring the work, but I didn't buy any. I was already collecting a lot of other titles: the new Sandman, Shade, Hellblazer titles from the DC Vertigo line as well as the older Marvel comics X-Men and the other X-mutant books.
What an excellent synopsis! Extremely well done. I've been trying to explain this series to people for years when they ask about my isz tattoo, and I've never had the words.
My favorite series of all. Thank you.
Great video; the MAXX deserved way more love and attention.
I appreciate the no-nonsense narrative! Sometimes I listen to these pop culture videos and the guys are joking and laughing and talking about themselves and getting off-topic and I want to choke them... But this is to the point and very informative! I love The Maxx! Can't wait to watch the Howard The Duck video! He's one of my guilty pleasure favorite characters ever!
through all the mediocre content I see on youtube, it's so nice to find something truly thoughtful, and that imparts a true appreciation of the subject matter to the viewer. I really want this comic.
RUclips just recommended this video out of nowhere. I didnt even knew about this comic and now Im desperately searching to read it. Great video! I just subscribed to your channel. Kind regards from Uruguay!
this comic and the show on MTV was definitely a big factor in my formative teenage years
This, in my eyes, is a masterpiece of raw human emotion. Thank you for the enlightenment, I’ve never heard of this.
"I will talk at you later"
Now I'm subscribing.
This story was so different that I have never and will never forget it. It's part of why I chose the name Max for my avatar shortly after I graduated from high school.
Thank you for explaining it with so many details and right explanation
I had this video on hold for a while due spoilers. Now that I have finished reading the Maxx series. This was a nice over view of the series. Congrats and thanks for the upload. With a side note, I am comment #500. Yay me 😊 🛋️
Refreshing to see the RUclips algorithm actually work and suggest me something I enjoy. Subbed.
Pretty good wrap up of The Max. I was there on release day and had bought them all. Between The Max and The Pit, I was very in my zone as a fledgling who had finally left home and was trying to make my way. Thanks for hopefully opening this little box for other readers to investigate and enjoy.
I wasn't big into comic books but the one series I really got into was The Maxx. I had the whole collection and it was quite a challenge to track down every issue. Even had the rare glow-in-the-dark #1, signed by Sam Keith. Somewhere along the way, when I moved from one apartment to another, I lost all my comics. Maybe one day I'll start collecting this series again. Thanks for this video, was a great trip down memory lane!
Binge watched The Maxx series and the movie a long while back. Longest four hours or so of my life. Great video 👌
Excellent piece man! I red the Maxx a couple years ago and it’s definitely a recommended read.
this kinda stuff is why you're the best guy out there
Thank you. You are too kind. There's a lot of material like this that's overlooked and I do what I can to draw some attention to it.
The Maxx brought me to this channel, but I stayed and watched other videos because of the overall quality and content is just that good. Subscribed. Keep it up.
Thank you and thank for watching! I will continue to do my best.
My dad had the VHS when I was a kid, and he didn't let me watch it until I was an older teen in the early 2000s. It was creepy, but I loved it.
awesome channel! glad i found it. Your review of The Maxx was 10/10!
Thanks for uploading! I never got around to catching up with The Maxx.
All I've known about The Maxx was MTV Oddities. I never knew that was such a minor part of the franchise.
With The Maxx being homeless and mentally ill < I'm surprised he wasn't picked up by Marvel. Maybe Joker would have been The Maxx had he been picked up... with Joaquin Pheonix playing Mr Gone instead of the Joker (y'know, seeing as he did get picked up by DC instead)
I somehow get the feeling that a film adaptation of The Maxx will never happen despite the 1990s nostalgia kick, Paramount prbably still hold the rights and you'd have to practically change the story completely to get a PG-13/12A certificate... or even to avoid an R/NC-17/18 certificate.
The maxx was put out by image comics, which was a company created by a number of the biggest artists from marvel, so that the artists could retain copyright control over their characters. This hurt marvel, and probably D.C. comics on many levels (not sure if many of the artists had been working for D.C.) they lost artists that drew fans, and lost any future characters and stories that they would've used their talents to create, to boost future interest and sales, and even caused an immediate drop in stock at marvel of stock shares dropping by $3.25 a share. So, marvel, probably doesn't want any part of helping anyone from image comics, and everyone from image probably doesn't have the greatest interest in selling off their stories and characters to the bigger companies, not to mention, the maxx, as shown was so strange, that it's biggest draw was the strange talent of sam keith, so i don't know that anyone would want to pick up where he left off, or could in any feasible way, especially since, if you want to tell these types of stories you could probably do it without these somewhat generic characters, it was a odd thing that worked for what it was, and in a video format was coveted in that mtv animated series in an almost complete fashion, and in one of the most faithful ways I've ever seen or could hope for, and don't see any reason to risk trying yo reproduce as a 2 hour live action superhero movie, that is more mental drama than action
Man, such a great analysis. Great video.
Subscribed just because anyone awesome enough to cover The Maxx deserves to have his bell rung
The MTV cartoon series got me into the comics and remains one of my favorites to this day.
I bought the tv series on iTunes...it is heavy, and confusing but there is such an eerie beauty to it that keeps me watching ...I didn’t even know there was a comic series...thanks for sharing your insight
incredibly thorough and thoughtful, bravo, thank you sir, still possibly my favorite comics ever!!!!! surprised you didn't mention the animation, but it didn't really add mich to the early part of the series it followed fairly closely, so i guess it doesn't really matter that much, but there were a couple more interesting series from Kieth worth checking out after the couple you mentioned too, still need to catch the Arkham stuff myself.....)
I love The Maxx in ways I cannot express. It sad, hopeful, and beautiful
this video had us insta subscribe we look forward to bingeing your channel, been looking for a channel like yours for years, vs the usual that focuses only on the big names and doesn't dig into the meaning.
Tremendous video. Please do more about the early years of Image.
I completely forgot that The Maxx existed. It was such a surreal comic that was weirdly endearing.
The Maxx was the first non-superhero comic I ever bought. It shocked me! Sam Keith is still my favorite artist. His writing can be a bit much at times, but I've grown to like it over the years. We're finally getting the rest of Arkham Dreams, it's been a loooong wait! I don't know why RUclips randomly decided to recommend this video, but I'm glad they did, I'm enjoying going through your channel.
As a kid I was very drawn to this. As an adult to hear the psych analysis of it shows the depth I was unaware of and makes it even better
I was in love with the show in the 90s, and over the years I got all the main stories of the Maxx, but didn't read much of it. I found this video very interesting, also I always thought Gone was calling the Maxx "burlappin" as in burlap/homeless. Quite an eye opener!
This was a really good video essay! The Maxx was my first comic (what a place to start, right?) and I revisit it every once in a while because it's so multi-layered. I explain it to people as "an extended therapy session disguised as a superhero story."
This feels amazing, what a magical and dark series this was, I love how raw and unapologetic it feels when you describe the depth and layers of this incredible and abstract drama. It reminds me of the Spawn animated series where it looked like it was going to be a superhero cartoon but it was really a dark and dirty drama with some supernatural elements and many conspiracies. I gotta check this out.
Brilliant explanation of a story that's almost impossible to explain! Thanks!
Fantastic vid, man. The Maxx is supreemeemeem.
I cried just listening to your synopsis. I think i need to check out this series, and start going back to therapy.
Awesome analysis. Great work as always.
I could have seen The Maxx going off and doing his own thing in the World and the Outback not terribly unlike Hellboy
Sam Kieth is my all-time favorite artist. I've always thought of him as a combination Jack Kirby and Robert Crumb meets avant garde. I first discovered Sam during his work on the Marvel Comics Presents... stories. I've been a great admirer ever since. When The Maxx came out I was an instant fan. And to this very day I still think it's the absolute best comic book Image ever published. The artwork was quirky, yet beautiful, and the stories were never afraid to approach the darkest and most sensitive topics. And thanks for bringing up the Batman/Maxx crossover. I was wondering what had happened to it. I hope we see the last two issues by the end of the year like you stated were set for release because I was thoroughly enjoying it, even if it wasn't perfect. By the way, did you ever see The Maxx TV series on MTV? If so, what did you think of it?
I saw bits and pieces of it many, many years ago. And I did search it our here on RUclips while I put this video together. But it other than a few short clip I couldn't find anything. I remember it being good...but my memories are very hazy.
@@StrangeBrainParts You can stream it on Amazon Prime for $1.99 an episode, or $18.99 for the whole series. I remember enjoying it very much at the time. Not sure how close it was to the comic, but I remember liking it a whole lot better than Spawn.
He and Bill Sinkiewicz were definitely ahead of their time with their crazy awesome and unique styles.
the animation is a pretty interesting interpretation of his artwork, and fairly faithful to about the first third of the story in the books, then suddenly diverging into an oddly abstract sort of "ending", but impressive and experimental; they really try to make his art come alive! i still prefer the voices in the old audio cassette though, if you want to get obscure.....D
Recently found this channel. I really appreciate the dedication to early indie comics. I looked and couldn't find a video on the Pitt, and tv tropes and wikipedia is letting me down. Just an idea.
William Messenger-Loebs did my favorite run on The Flash. I was just a kid then and his book was my real intro to comics. I loved it. I remember staying to watch The Maxx on MTv.
I love this comic and the show. Need to reread it. Excellent video.
Glad to hear this synopsis, as I have the entire series in individual issues but have never read it; only flipped through each issue and absorbed the wonderful art style. So, before now, I had no idea what the comic was actually about despite having the whole series. I love Julie's tummy in this: 9:50
Well done had no idea even more of a fan now
man has it been a long long time since ive read and watched this series, i vaguely remembered it till i saw this vid. then it all comes rushing back.
i got into reading Maxx because there was an anime show on MTV once upon a time that showed it as a cartoon series. i always remembered it being deeply psychological, which is what was so enjoyable about it.
I remember watching this on MTV as a kid. I was awestruck by the show, now I NEED to find the comics.