The Whilce Portacio appreciation thread 2 2

[MattrixAlien]

Post your favourite Whilce Portacio art here.

I’m a fan of Portacio. His art always conveyed a sense of urgency and movement through slick, intensely detailed line work, with covers often capturing heroes in the heat of battle. He emerged and rose to stardom quickly during the copper age, just a step behind the likes of Jim Lee and Todd McFarlane. 

Here are two important issues from his Copper Age period. 

The Punisher Vol 2 #8 (1988) - First Punisher cover & interior pencils. His third cover overall.

 

Punisher Vol 2 issues 8-18 remains one of his longest runs on any title. It was the break through work which led to him being given the Uncanny X-men to draw.

Uncanny X-Men Vol 1 #282 (1991) – First appearance of Bishop.

Whilce co-creates X-men Bishop with the legendary John Byrne.

Over to you 

Edited August 1, 2021 by MattrixAlien
Added tags

[Sauce Dog]

Portacio was absolutely one of the top artists to shape my young comic collecting brain. Just how much I loved his X-Factor run (#63-69) cannot be put into words (I think I've only read it word for word three times maybe, but have flipped through the run just to follow the art countless times), however I can say his rendition of Archangel is the standard to which I measure all artists who draw the character. He nailed those wings perfectly; alien yet familiar, metal yet feathery organic, sharp yet...umm..even sharper.  

oh, and sparks...lots of sparks...he made sparks and other energy effects so great!

[MattrixAlien]

Wow! I need to get a hold of his X-factor run. Awesome art 

[grendelbo]

I dug Portacio after he first gained my attention in Punisher. I followed him through the X titles and into Image where he lost me. Unfortunately, while early he was influential, his style hasn't aged well with me.

I also began seeing Gary Cherone in every male face Whilce drew.

Still, these two books worked really well with his style.

[MattrixAlien]

On 8/2/2021 at 2:41 PM, grendelbo said:

I dug Portacio after he first gained my attention in Punisher. I followed him through the X titles and into Image where he lost me. Unfortunately, while early he was influential, his style hasn't aged well with me.

I also began seeing Gary Cherone in every male face Whilce drew.

Still, these two books worked really well with his style.

 

Sadly, not long after following the Copper age superstars to Image, a family tragedy and then a health crisis impacted his career. He peaked in the Copper Age. Thanks for sharing those Legion of the Night covers! Cool, dark & visceral stuff. From 1991 the last year of the copper age - depending on your definition

[Gatsby77]

I loved his work on X-Factor - I still remember reading # 63 with awe - and it was no mean feat given that I believe he followed Jim Lee's covers in 60-62.

Eventually went back and collected his early work (incl. Star Wars # 107 and Strikeforce Morituri # 1, 10).

But the delays on Wetworks killed it for me.

 

[HarrisonJohn]

He's my favorite of those early 90s artists

more X-Factor

[MattrixAlien]

Wow! Thanks Harrison John! Portacio's art on X-Factor Vol 1 run #63–69 (1991) is dazzling

[lostboys]

Love, love, love Portacio!

I don't care what the "get off my lawn" generation says...the 90s had the best artwork ever.

[Gatsby77]

While I prefer his later work, his Punisher run was worthy. Here's my favorite - Punisher # 10, which I think has *almost* reached Copper Age "classic cover" status.

And, if you weren't around at the time or didn't read it, Punisher # 10 features the same story as Daredevil # 257 - but each is told differently, from the perspective of their respective title characters.

[MattrixAlien]

I was hoping someone would post his awesome Punisher #10 cover  It's time Key Collector caught up and recognised it as a classic. Thanks Gatsby77! 

[nepatkm]

One of my favorite Portacio covers is Punisher #17.. 

[1dingo]

[1dingo]

[Otter1775]

I totally forgot I had this in my collection:

 

[Qalyar]

Portacio did the pencil work for the cover to this 2002 EverQuest tie-in book. It is probably not the greatest example of his style, but I believe it was one of the first comic art contributions he made following his health crisis in 2000.

[ganni]

God bless Whilce Portacio

[followtheleader]

Though I didn't like many of his Spawn, I really do like this one quite a bit. 

Patrick

[MattrixAlien]

Whilce did Dreadstar covers?! Cool. I've got the early issues of the original Jim Starlin Epic Dreadstar but it just kept going and I lost touch with it

[ganni]

Bump bump .....bump