A few weeks before the Nov 4 elections, one of the more dramatic Public Service Announcements (PSA) shown in the media to urge people to vote had the theme, "Use Your Power." The commercial showed an outstanding Filipino comic artist at work and said, "If you had the power to inspire and to make a difference, would you use it or would you waste it and strip it away? On Nov 4, use your power and vote." The producers couldn’t have chosen a better and more deserving artist born with a great talent than Whilce Portacio.
Not many Filipinos know that their kababayan, Whilce Portacio, is the genius comic artist behind such superheroes as Batman, Superman and the X-Men. Though his achievements show that Whilce has truly used his great talent to inspire and make a difference, what is even more inspiring is the man’s resiliency and determination to use his talents, in spite of almost insurmountable odds.
Born in Sangley Point, Cavite City, Philippines, Portacio later moved to San Diego with his family. He started out as an inker at Marvel Comics in 1985. Later he was given assignments as a penciller as well. Whilce became noted for his work on such popular Marvel Comic titles as The Punisher, X-Factor, and the Uncanny X-Men. Whilce used distinctive & original framing style together with his penciling style and when he was assigned to do the X-men, he then created the mutants Bishop & Fitzroy. He was also the one that gave Gambit’s new look that made him popular.
In 1992, Whilce left Marvel and co-founded Image Comics with six other high-profile artists. He had to withdraw from Image, however, due to his sister’s illness. Portacio eventually published his own title, Wetworks, in 1994.
Other notable series that Portacio has worked on include Stone and Marvel’s controversial Heroes Reborn storyline within Iron Man.
In August, 2000, Portacio fell into a diabetic coma as a result of a failing pancreas. He woke up a week later, thirty pounds lighter, and unable to walk, stand or even draw. In a blog, Whilce described in detail what he had to go through.
"I went into a coma and was admitted to Sharps Hospital in San Diego with a blood sugar of 1600bs. I made the record books with that sugar level, and the way (my) body fluids want to leave (my) body at that point. I guess that’s why I woke up having lost thirty pounds in that one week. What I looked like in Intensive care...they told me I looked like I had been floating in the river for ten days."
Amazingly, Whilce woke up from coma after a week. He went thru dialysis three times, stopped breathing once and could hardly do anything for six months.
He explained, "You can’t understand what my mind went thru that one day before August of 2000 I could draw with the ease that a lifetime of art training had given me and then in one day to wake up after losing one week in my life and all of a sudden thirty pounds lighter, not being able to walk, in fact barely being able to stand, but most important, not being able to draw anymore. My mind could see what I wanted to draw but my hand couldn’t accomplish it. It was six months before I could pick up a pencil again and draw SOMETHING, anything. It was a year later before I could draw somewhat like I use to. My biggest problem was not being able to "see" with my eye whether things like eyes and ears were aligned or even the same size. Sometimes I couldn’t even see if what I had drawn was any good at all."
Like the superheroes that he drew, Whilce fought his health battle. Only six months later he was able to pick up a pencil and draw, but it wasn’t easy.
"From 2002 to 2004, I thought I had it back," said Portacio. "But, as you could see by the uneven quality of some of my work then, like Storm Watch, I was still being affected by my diabetes."
But it’s hard to keep a good fighter down. The resilient comic genius just kept going and going. He described the restorative period from 2004-2006, as "joyous ones for me because my condition was under control most of the time and I was able to draw six issues of Wetworks and four issues of Batman with the style and quality very reminiscent of my old style."
In 2006, Portacio returned to his artistic duties at Wildstorm on Wetworks vol. 2, which was being written by Mike Carey. The new Wetworks series was short-lived though, lasting only 15 issues. He also began art duties on the new monthly DC Comics series Batman Confidential.
The comic artist has also been going places, being invited to teach and speak during conferences such as when he was the guest speaker at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in 2007.
Recently, Portacio was told by his doctor that his pancreas are failing. But, his attitude, as revealed in his blogs, show why this man is a winner. "This isn’t the end-all. There are many, many other diabetics worst off than I. For that, I thank GOD. I’ve got many, many, many years of productive art ahead of me. It’s just a matter of adjusting my life style to fit my condition," he said.
It certainly looks like Portacio has been able to adjust his lifestyle to fit his condition. Two months ago, Spawn #185 came out with Portacio providing the images.
Portacio feels very optimistic about the future. "Thankfully I can still draw. I am feeling great especially because now and for the last two years I can draw anything I want to...again," he said. Speaking about his comic heroes, Whilce says, "Wait till you see what I have in store for our guys and gals in gold. I’ve got so much planned for them. I am thrilled by the response so far to the storyline and can’t wait till you see what’s to come."
Yes, Whilce keep ‘em coming!
( Published on December 6, 2008 in Asian Journal Los Angeles p. A14)
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