I think one of the most frustrating things to me about the comics business is when I see a comic book– done by an amazingly talented creator (or creative team)– that doesn’t get nearly the attention it deserves. One such book is THE PORTENT by Peter Bergting and published by IMAGE COMICS. Peter, I believe, makes the bulk of his living from magazine and game illustration– but fortunately for us, he also does comics. THE PORTENT is a quest fantasy story that has a blend of eastern and western visual elements. Peter’s artwork is a wonder to behold. There are Mignola influences to the way Peter handles light and shadow in his linework– and Peter does everything in this book… writing, penciling, inking and coloring. The colors are a perfect and gorgeous match for Peter’s moody linework– and the story is epic and moving. Anyone who is a fan of the fantasy genre– and anyone who is a fan of great artwork and writing in general– would be doing themselves a favor by buying this book. Lucky for us all, Peter and IMAGE are releasing the miniseries as a trade coming soon… and Peter was kind enough to ask me to draw a pinup for the collection. Unfortunately, I did have the time in my schedule to do the kind of finished piece I wanted to– but I was able to draw as finished a sketch as I could one recent morning. I thought I’d share it here with you folks.

And PLEASE, PLEASE…. go out and buy the trade of THE PORTENT when it hits shelves. It deserves your attention…. it’s a wonderful book.

This is Entry 293.

Mike