The story
Founded by Jeph Loeb and Rob Liefeld in 1997.1
Background
Extreme Studios and Maximum Press
In 1992, seven high-profile comics artists left Marvel Comics to form their own publisher, where comics creators could publish creator-owned material without having to give up copyright-control to their characters. The seven artists (bar Whilce Portacio, who opted not to become a full partner) formed a partnership among their individual studios, and published their comics under the over-arcing Image Comics banner. Image's early titles were distributed by Malibu Comics (a company chosen for its good marketing and distribution practices), while Image established itself independently. The studios were: Todd McFarlane's Todd McFarlane Productions, Marc Silvestri's Top Cow Productions, Jim Lee's Wildstorm Productions, Erik Larsen's Highbrow Entertainment, Jim Valentino's ShadowLine, and Rob Liefeld's Extreme Studios.
Extreme Studios's Youngblood became the first comic released under the Image banner, and became the first independent (non-DC/Marvel) title to be a number-one best-seller since DC and Marvel became dominant. Other Extreme titles published through Image included: Badrock, Bloodstrike, Brigade, Team Youngblood, Youngblood Strikefile, Glory, Prophet, Supreme, Troll and New Men. In 1993, the company had signed a deal with Amblin Entertainment to develop content for motion pictures and television.
Titles thought not to fit with the Image brand were self-published under Liefeld's separate imprint: Maximum Press. These titles included Asylum, Avengelyne, Warchild, Law and Order, Black Flag, Risk, and even licensed properties such as the classic sci-fi TV show Battlestar Galactica (based on the original 1978–1979 TV series). After Liefeld's departure from Image in 1996, Maximum Press began publishing some of Liefeld's Extreme titles (including Glory and Supreme), before Awesome Entertainment came into being.
History
After acrimonious disputes with the other founding partners (not least over allegations of irregularities surrounding Liefeld's separate imprint Maximum Press), Liefeld and Extreme Studios broke from Image Comics in 1996, and became "Awesome Comics." Shortly thereafter, Liefeld found a new publisher — writer-producer Jeph Loeb — and additional financing from both John Hyde (Film Roman CEO) and Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, newly Chairman of Platinum Studios. Platinum Studios continues to play an integral part in Liefeld's comics work. (Liefeld had previously worked with Rosenberg, the founder of Malibu Comics, Image's original distributor, which (post-Image) had been sold to Marvel, in 1994.)
Awesome Comics continued many of the popular Extreme series, as well as launching new titles, including The Coven and Lionheart by Loeb and artist Ian Churchill. Perhaps Liefeld's best move, and the one for which Awesome's output is best known, was the decision to hire acclaimed comics writer Alan Moore to breathe new life into several of Extreme/Awesome's comics and characters. Although Moore's first output for Liefeld came when Extreme was still publishing under the Image banner, the majority of his work was done under Awesome, with several issues (of Supreme) also being published by Maximum in-between the two imprints.
1997
Awesome Entertainment Preview by Churchill, Liefeld, and Platt (cover by Liefeld and Jonathan "Jon" Sibal)
Contains 12-page preview of Awesome's comics: Agent: America, The Coven, and Re:Gex
Coven: Special Exclusive Edition #1A (red), 1A (gold)
Read the full text
Kaboom preview flipbook
Judgment Day Sourcebook by Moore, Sprouse, and Veitch (cover by Liefeld; American Entertainment exclusive)
Re:Gex (A! List) Ashcan (cover by Liefeld)
Black-and-white preview, sketches
Supreme
Supreme #1–42 were published by Image Comics; Supreme: The New Adventures #43–48 by Maximum Press; and Supreme #49–56 and Supreme: The Return #1–6 by Awesome Comics.
Supreme #49 (May 1997) by Moore, Mark Pajarillo, and Veitch (cover by Liefeld and Sibal)
Supreme #50A, 50B (June 1997) by Moore, Sprouse, and Veitch (covers by Sprouse and Liefeld)
Includes a pin-up gallery featuring the work of Dan Jurgens and Al Gordon, Ian Churchill and Norm Rapmund, Adam Pollina and Sibal, Liefeld and Sibal, Ed McGuinness and Gordon, J. Morrigan and Rapmund, Jeff Matsuda and Sibal, Brian Murray and Liefeld, Sprouse and Gordon, Melinda Gebbie, Veitch, Stephen Platt and Lary Stucker.
Supreme #51 (July 1997) by Moore, Morrigan, and Veitch (cover by Liefeld and Sibal)
Supreme #52A (Sept. 1997) by Moore, Morrigan, and Pajarillo; O'Neill, Veitch, and Mooney (cover by Sprouse)
Supreme #52B (Sept. 1997) by Moore, Morrigan, and Gordon with Veitch (cover by Sprouse)
Originally intended as an "80-page Giant", Supreme #52 was split into two comics, "52A" and "52B".
Supreme #53 (Oct. 1997) by Moore, Sprouse, and Gordon (cover by Sprouse)
Supreme #54 (Nov. 1997) by Moore, Gebbie, Sprouse, Veitch, and Morrigan (cover by Sprouse)
Supreme #55 (Dec. 1997) by Moore, Gil Kane, and Sprouse (cover by Sprouse)
Supreme #56A, 56B (Feb. 1998) by Moore, Sprouse, and Veitch (covers by Sprouse and McGuinness)
Judgment Day
Judgment Day (Alpha) #1A, 1B, 1C, 1D (June 1997) by Moore, Giffen, Jurgens, Kane, Liefeld, Platt, and Pollina (covers by Gibbons, Liefeld, and Dan Panosian)
Judgment Day (Omega) #2A, 2B (July 1997) by Moore, Dodson, Liefeld, Platt, Skroce, Sprouse, and Starlin (covers by Gibbons, Liefeld, and Panosian)
Judgment Day #3A, 3B (Oct. 1997) by Moore, Churchill, Johnson, Liefeld, Marat Mychaels, Nocon, Veitch (covers by Gibbons)
Judgment Day Aftermath #1A, 1B (Jan. 1998) by Moore and Kane (covers by Pollina and McGuinness)
Fighting American #1A, 1A (gold), 1B, 1C, 1D, 1L (Liberty edition, Comic Cavalcade exclusive), 1L (gold), 1R (Comic-Con exclusive), 1ROB (Comic-Con signed) (Aug. 1997) by Liefeld, Loeb, and Platt
Fighting American #2A, 2B (Oct. 1997) by Liefeld, Loeb, and Platt
Coven #1A, 1A (chrome), 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H, 1I, 1J, 1K, 1 (American Entertainment exclusive) (Aug. 1997) by Loeb and Churchill (covers by Liefeld, Pollina, and Churchill)
Coven #2A, 2B, 2B (gold + DF) (Sept. 1997) by Loeb and Churchill
Coven #3A, 3B, 3C (Nov. 1997) by Loeb and Churchill
Re:Gex preview flipbook
Coven #4A, 4B, 4C (Jan. 1998) by Loeb and Churchill
Re:Gex preview flipbook
Coven #5A (+ DF), 5B (+ DF) (March 1998) by Loeb and Churchill
Re:Gex preview flipbook
Coven #6 (+ DF/2000) (July 1998) by Loeb and Churchill
Re:Gex preview flipbook
Chapel vol. 3, #1 (Sept. 1997) by John Stinsman
Kaboom #1A, 1A (gold), 1B, 1C, 1D, 1 (DF) (Sept. 1997) by Loeb and Matsuda (covers by Matsuda, McGuinness, and Sale)
Kaboom #2A, 2A (gold), 2B, 2JEFF (Wizard signed) (Oct. 1997) by Loeb and Matsuda (covers by Matsuda)
Kaboom #3A, 3B, 3 (DF) (Nov. 1997) by Loeb and Matsuda (covers by Matsuda and Liefeld)
Fighting American Rules of the Game #1A, 1B, 1C, 1 (DF/2500), 1 (DF signed/500) (Nov. 1997) by Loeb and McGuinness (covers by McGuinness and Liefeld)
Fighting American Rules of the Game #2A, 2B, 2C (Jan. 1998) by Loeb and McGuinness (covers by McGuinness and Liefeld)
Flipbook with preview for Swat
Fighting American Rules of the Game #3A, 3B (March 1998) by Loeb and McGuinness (covers by McGuinness and Liefeld)
Awesome Holiday Special #1A (gold), 1A (white) (Dec. 1997) by Liefeld, Loeb, and Moore; Churchill, Liefeld, Matsuda, and Skroce
Youngblood/Kaboom flipbook
Awesome Holiday Special #1B (Dec. 1997) by Liefeld, Loeb, and Moore; Churchill, Liefeld, Matsuda, and Skroce
The Coven/Kaboom flipbook
1998
Awesome Preview by Moore and Peterson; Starlin and Platt; Liefeld and Loeb (cover by Liefeld and Peterson)
Glory/Re:Gex flipbook. Contains 8-page black-and-white "Glory and the Gate of Tears"; Fighting American; Re:Gex. Exclusive convention preview from San Diego Comic-Con.
Scarlet Crush #1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E (American Entertainment edition), 1F (Jan. 1998) by Stinsman with Rapmund (covers by Sprouse, Liefeld, Skroce, Churchill, Stinsman, and Rapmund)
Scarlet Crush #2A, 2B, 2C (Feb. 1998) (covers by Stinsman, Rapmund, Peterson, McGuinness)
Coven Fantom Special (another Universe exclusive) #1, 1 (gold) (Feb. 1998) by Loeb and Churchill (covers by Churchill, Horie, and Rapmund)
Kaboom Prelude Ashcan (American Entertainment exclusive) #1, 1 (gold) (Feb. 1998) by Loeb and Matsuda (covers by Matsuda and "Jon" Sibal)
Youngblood
Youngblood vol. 3, #1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1D (gold), 1E, 1F, 1G, 1H (gold), 1H (DF/1000), 1I, 1J, 1K, 1K (silver) (Feb. 1998) by Moore and Skroce (covers by Matt Banning, Churchill, Gordon, Liefeld, McGuinness, Peterson, Booch, Platt, Rapmund, Skroce, Sprouse, Lary Stucker, Wieringo, and Jae Lee)
Youngblood vol. 3, #2A, 2B (Aug. 1998) by Moore and Skroce (covers by Liefeld and Sibal, Skroce and Stucker)
Coven "Fan Appreciation Edition" (March 1998) by Loeb? and Churchill? (cover by Churchill)
Reprints issue #1
Fighting American Dogs of War Preview (July 1998) by Starlin and Platt
Black-and-white convention preview
Menace Preview (Aug. 1998) by Jada Pinkett Smith and Dan Fraga
Exclusive Menace preview and Coven sketchbook from Comic-Con
Six-String Samurai Ashcan (Aug. 1998) by Hawkins, Liefeld, Fraga, and Stinsman (black-and-white cover by Liefeld)
Six-String Samurai #1 (Sept. 1998) by Hawkins, Liefeld, Fraga, and Stinsman (cover by Liefeld)
Coven #1 (black-and-white) (Sept. 1998) by Loeb and Churchill
Fighting American Dogs of War #1A, 1B, 1T (Tour edition) (Sept. 1998) by Starlin and Platt (covers by Liefeld and Platt)
Fighting American Dogs of War #2A, 2B (Dec. 1998) by Starlin and Platt (covers by Liefeld and Platt)
Fighting American Dogs of War #3 (May 1999) by Starlin and Platt
Re:Gex #1A, 1B, 1B (Wizard World Special Edition), 1C, 1D (Double Trouble Edition: Blue), 1D (Double Trouble Edition: Red) (Sept. 1998)
Re:Gex #0A, 0B, 0C (Dec. 1998) (covers by Liefeld, Pat Lee, Alvin Lee)
Menace #1A, 1B, 1C (Nov. 1998) by Smith and Fraga (covers by Fraga and Liefeld)
1999
Awesome Preview '99 (Jan. 1999) (front cover "Supreme" by Ross; back cover "Lionheart")
Awesome/Lionheart flipbook. 24-pages of black-and-white sketches.
Coven vol. 2, #1A, 1B, 1C, 1D, 1AY (DF), 1BY (DF/5000), 1Y (DF chrome/5000), 1Z (DF chrome 2/5000) (Jan. 1999) by Loeb and Churchill (covers by Fraga, Liefeld, Edwin Rosell, Churchill, and Rapmund)
Coven vol. 2, #2A, 2B, 2AY (DF) (March 1999) by Loeb and Churchill (covers by Churchill and Rapmund)
Coven vol. 2, #3 (June 1999) by Loeb and Churchill (covers by Churchill and Rapmund)
Coven vol. 2, #4, 4AY (DF) (Dec. 1999) by Loeb and Churchill (covers by Churchill and Rapmund)
An 8-page story issued as the flipside to Lionheart #2.
Avengelyne #1A, 1B, 1C, 1D (March 1999) by Liefeld and Fraga (covers by Liefeld, Stinsman, and Pat Lee)
Glory #0A, 0B, 0C, 0C (DF/3000), 0E (DF sketch), 0F (DF bikini), 0G (DF sketch signed/2000) (March 1999) by Moore and "Brand" Peterson (covers by Peterson, Churchill, Fraga, and Liefeld)
Reprints Awesome Preview story.
Alan Moore's Awesome Universe Handbook #1A, 1B (April 1999) by Moore, Ross, Skroce, and Sprouse (2 covers by Ross in a 3:1 ratio)
Contains 17 pages of black-and-white Ross sketches; 6 pages of notes on Glory; 6 pages of notes on the new Youngblood; Supreme poster by Sprouse and Gordon; 3-page preview from Youngblood #3.
Supreme: The Return
Supreme #1–42 were published by Image Comics; Supreme: The New Adventures #43–48 by Maximum Press; and Supreme #49–56 and Supreme: The Return #1–6 by Awesome Comics.
Supreme: The Return #1A, 1B, 1C (May 1999) by Moore and Sprouse (covers by Fraga, Liefeld, Ross, and Sprouse)
Supreme: The Return #2 [2B?, 2C?] (June 1999) by Moore and Starlin (cover by Liefeld)
Supreme: The Return #3A, 3B (Nov. 1999) by Moore, Matt Smith, Veitch, and Baikie (covers by Liefeld and Smith)
Flipbook with preview of Brigade.
Supreme: The Return #4 (March 2000) by Moore, Smith, and Veitch (cover by Liefeld)
Supreme: The Return #5 (May 2000) by Moore, Churchill, and Veitch (cover by Churchill)
Supreme: The Return #6 (June 2000) by Moore, Liefeld, and Veitch (cover by Liefeld)
Coven: Dark Origins #1A, 1B, 1B (platinum), 1B (red) (July 1999) by Loeb and Churchill (covers by Churchill, Rapmund, and Matt Yackey)
Flipbook with preview for Black Seed.
Kaboom Preview (Comic-Con special preview of 2nd series.)
Kaboom vol. 2, #1A, 1B, 1C, 1C (blue foil signed), 1D, 1E (silver), 1E (gold foil, 1/50) (July 1999) by Liefeld, Loeb, and Grant (covers by Grant, Matsuda, Fraga, Liefeld, and Madureira)
Kaboom vol. 2, #2A, 2A (silver), 2B (Aug. 1999) by Liefeld, Loeb, and Grant (covers by Grant, Rapmund, and Madureira)
Kaboom vol. 2, #3A, 3B (Dec. 1999) by Liefeld, Loeb, and Grant (covers by Grant)
Awesome Adventures #1A (+ DF/4000), 1B, 1C (Aug. 1999) by Moore and Skroce (covers by Ross featuring Suprema)
Continues from Youngblood #2.
Lionheart Ashcan #1 (Wizard World '99) (July 1999) by Churchill and Loeb (cover by Churchill)
Lionheart #1A (DF), 1B, 1C, 1D, 1E (Aug. 1999) by Churchill and Loeb (covers by Churchill, Rapmund, Grant, and Arthur Thibert)
Lionheart #2A, 2B (Dec. 1999) by Churchill and Loeb (covers by Churchill, Rapmund, and Adams)
Flipbook with Coven #4.
2000
Prophet #1A, 1B (March 2000) by Liefeld, Robert Napton, Churchill, and the Walker Bros. (Chad and Eric)
Flipbook.
Prophet Legacy by Liefeld, Napton, and the Walker Bros. (covers by Jim Lee and McFarlane)
Brigade vol. 3, #1A, 1B (July 2000) by Stucker (covers by Liefeld and Grant)
From Wikipedia’s article on Awesome Comics, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4