ɪn ɐ tˈuː θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪt ˈɪntɚvjˌuː, mək lˈaʊd lˈʊkt bˈæk ɔnðə nˈuː mjˈuːtənts æz "wˈʌn ʌvðə mˈoʊst fɹʌstɹˈeɪɾɪŋ ɛkspˈiəɹɪənsᵻz ʌv maɪ kɚɹˈɪɹ", ɹᵻkˈaʊntɪŋ hˌævɪŋ tʊ ˈɪŋk ðə ɡɹˈæfɪk nˈɑːvəl wˌaɪl ˌɔn hɪz hˈʌnɪmˌuːn ænd lˈeɪɾɚ ɡˈɪv ˌʌp dˌuːɪŋ pˈɛnsəlz ɔnðə ɹˈɛɡjʊlɚ sˈɪɹiz bɪkˈʌz hiː kʊd nˌɑːt kˈiːp ˌʌp wɪððə mˈʌnθli pˈeɪs æt ðə tˈaɪm ænd fˈɛlt hiː wʌz pɹədˈuːsɪŋ sˈʌbstændɚd wˈɜːk.
In a 2008 interview, McLeod looked back on The New Mutants as "one of the most frustrating experiences of my career", recounting having to ink the graphic novel while on his honeymoon and later give up doing pencils on the regular series because he could not keep up with the monthly pace at the time and felt he was producing substandard work.