News of Mike Weiringo's passing recently had me wishing to reread TELLOS, the fantasy series he co-created with writer Todd Dezago in the late 90's. I'd ordered the TELLOS COLOSSAL HC, first through Amazon, then through IST when Amazon delayed its release date.
:rolleyes: While waiting, I managed to locate my collected issues, and started my reintroduction to
TELLOS-- A magikal patchwork world made up of a myriad of different realms, populated by Creatures of Myth and Legend, a Fantastic Land filled with Adventure around every corner and Danger at every Turn! All at once, I was again enveloped in the travails and travels of young Jarek and his companion, Koj-- a talking tiger warrior.
(it's not a C&H fetish, honest!
)
Jarek is The One destined to save Tellos from the evil of Malesur, ruler of Hin (Tellos' equivalent to Hell). Along the way to find The Other who will help him empower the d'jinn Oge K'tion and defeat Malesur, Jarek is joined by the pirate, Serra; thieves Rikk and Hawke; and an ancient mystic, Thomestharustrah.
The story ran 10 issues, along with a Prelude and Prologue. Todd revisited the series several times with various one-shots, with Mike contributing covers and/or pin-up pages, but I was always hoping the two would make a bigger return to Tellos. When I first heard about the oversized collection, I was so excited! Apparently, so were they; they were planning another journey to Tellos when...
Having the over-sized HC right now makes the loss of 'Ringo all the more palpable. And his passing makes me wish Tellos was real, a land where his adventures continue. Anyone knowing the outcome of the original series will appreciate the irony in that, I hope.
"By Thy Side..." 
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