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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!
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This episode is also brought to you by Athletic Greens. I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1 by Athletic Greens, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. I do my best with nutrient-dense meals, of course, but AG further covers my bases with vitamins, minerals, and whole-food-sourced micronutrients that support gut health and the immune system. 
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This episode is also brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs. Whether you are looking to hire now for a critical role or thinking about needs that you may have in the future, LinkedIn Jobs can help. LinkedIn screens candidates for the hard and soft skills you’re looking for and puts your job in front of candidates looking for job opportunities that match what you have to offer.
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[05:58] The wit, wisdom, and work ethic of Stan Lee.
[29:50] Todd’s four corners: video games, TV, movies, and toys.
[41:46] Learning the art of toycrafting and beating the industry at its own game.
[49:11] Dumb luck at Toy Fair.
[1:03:31] Toy marketing and distribution circa 1994.
[1:10:51] The play Todd made with a $3 million baseball.
[1:18:08] Todd gets in a hockey fight.
[1:24:12] Bringing Spawn to TV.
[1:27:57] Being the dumbest guy in the room can win you Emmy awards.
[1:31:17] Cancellation.
[1:32:38] Todd is bilingual — in art and business.
[1:38:50] How Todd finds time to create while managing his businesses.
[1:43:49] Brand matters.
[1:49:44] Making a music video, winning another Emmy, and almost killing Eddie Vedder.
[1:56:33] The momentum of success.
[1:59:15] The surface area of (dumb) luck.
[2:01:07] Building worlds that will endure.
[2:08:13] Building characters who will outlive their creator.
[2:15:13] Today will not be perfect, so lower the bar and dance if you want to.
[2:24:45] Is Todd’s wife married to a monster?
[2:30:50] Be the second person.
[2:35:48] Parting thoughts.
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Tim Ferriss

#643: Todd McFarlane, Iconic Comic Book Artist — Lessons from Stan Lee, How to Make Art that Outlives You, How to Compete with Corporate Giants and Win (While Having Fun), Dealmaking Strategies, War Stories from Wall Street and Lawyer Land, Taking Responsibility for Your Life, and Why Creators Need to Smash Limits

Athletic Greens

Shopify

Brought to you by LinkedIn Jobs recruitment platform with 800M+ users, Athletic Greens all-in-one nutritional supplement, and Shopify global commerce platform providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business.  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 [&hellip;]

The Tim Ferris Show Episode #643