The comic-book artist Rob Liefeld often compares himself to famous people. At conventions, when he meets fans dressed as one of his characters, Mr. Liefeld says he feels like Gianni Versace. He likens his relationship with the contemporaries Todd McFarlane and Jim Lee to the intra-band conflicts of the Eagles. To illustrate the criticism he encountered after his meteoric rise in comics in the 1990s, he cites LeBron James and Britney Spears.

“Give me a celebrity, I’ll give you your haters,” Mr. Liefeld said in a recent telephone interview from his home studio in Yorba Linda, Calif. “Some people shine, and some people don’t like when they shine. Ask Barack Obama, he’ll tell you.”

He’s been panned for his drawing skill — articles titled “The 40 Worst Rob Liefeld Drawings,” “A Gallery of Rob Liefeld’s Anatomical Abominations” and “Worst Rob Liefeld Covers” are among his top Google mentions — and is known for contentious exits from Marvel and DC Comics. He even left amid infighting at Image Comics, the independent publisher that he helped found in 1992 with several high-profile illustrators.

In short, Mr. Liefeld has been among the most controversial figures in the comics industry. He is also one of most recognized and best-selling artists. And with the release on Friday, Feb. 12, of the movie adaptation of “Deadpool,” starring Ryan Reynolds as the sarcastic mutant mercenary title character, Mr. Liefeld may soon find an even wider audience.