Tellos Colossal Volume 1…

A look at the wondrous work of Mike Wieringo and Todd Dezago…

I received the massive Tellos Colossal book a few days following Mike’s untimely death. I had ordered the book as soon as it was scheduled for publication. I was hooked on the story from when it was first published in the nineteen nineties and followed all of the consequent adventures in the patchwork worlds of Tellos and its lovable characters.

It isn’t the first time I have re-read the story, but in this wonderfully produced version it is like seeing it all again and the plus for me was having all the covers reproduced and the additional prologue and prelude chapters, which I missed the first time around and the sketch book section.

The production values are fantastic and give credence to my views that comics should first and foremost return to the throw-away mindset of yesteryear, affordable and accessible by all, with a high quality, high end book production of this quality coming along later to celebrate the work in all it’s intended grandeur.

The story is wonderfully written and illustrated throughout and tells the twisting tale of a young boy and his friends. I won’t spoil the story for those that haven’t already seen it, as I hate to spoil things like that, but I will say you will be doing yourselves an enormous favour if you seek a copy out. It is the kind of book every school and library should have on their shelves, and I for one will be promoting it as such on my travels as both an artist/writer and also as an educator.

It is one of those rare instances in a world filled with true horror, evil acts, and fear, whereby we are shown a glowing light to fill our lives with wonder and the thought of “if only” and “what if…?”

For one brief moment this comic work shone like a beacon amongst a sea of quite often depressing tales, with resonances of reality and life at it’s most brutal and savage and heartless worst.

For this reason alone I would strongly suggest that you all go out after reading this Blog and buy or borrow and then buy a copy of your own to have for as long as you live to look at when times seem quite at their worst. There are some quite poignant and incredibly moving phrases that one comes across in the reading of this tome. The tale is after all a heart warming and uplifting one, which shows what can be achieved against the odds, when all seems lost…a true tale of HOPE!

I spoke to Todd a number of times, via email, following Mike’s passing and he told me that Mike had seen an advanced printing of the book before the sad event.

The sad thing about finishing this particular book, just now, is the knowledge there can now, unfortunately, never be a sequel by the same team. There is one thought I would like to add as a last word on this though, and that is, like the characters within the story would say; Mike’s memory will live on forever immortalised by this story and he will for all his family, friends and fans of his work be forever…

“By Thy Side…”

Until next time have fun!

Tim Perkins…
September 11th 2007