Legendary comic book creator George Pérez says he has inoperable cancer
George Pérez, who worked on The New Teen Titans, Crisis On Infinite Earths, and more iconic books, has pancreatic cancer
Aux News George Pérez
The comic book community is expressing its love and appreciation for George Pérez today, after the writer and artist who worked on some of the biggest and most popular comic books of all time announced that he’s been diagnosed with inoperable Stage 3 pancreatic cancer and is only expected to live for another “six months to a year.”
Pérez hasn’t actually worked in comics for a few years, having retired due to health problems from everything but convention appearances and commissioned drawings, but the impact of his best work is still felt today. In the early ‘80s, after working at Marvel on The Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and on the big cosmic crossover “The Korvac Saga,” Pérez went to DC to work with writer Marv Wolfman to launch The New Teen Titans.
It ended up being one of DC’s biggest books of the era, and the one that introduced now-beloved characters like Raven, Starfire, Cyborg, and Deathstroke The Terminator. Earlier this year, Wolfman and Pérez even appeared as themselves on an episode of Teen Titans Go! on Cartoon Network.
Impressed by their work on The New Teen Titans, DC then let Wolfman and Pérez loose on one of the all-time great comic book events and the one that established the model for a lot of comic book events going forward: Crisis On Infinite Earths. The miniseries blew up DC’s overly complicated multiverse and gave Pérez a chance to draw pretty much every DC character ever, and he even got an Easter egg shoutout when The CW’s superhero shows staged their own version of Crisis On Infinite Earths.
Pérez later worked on an influential Wonder Woman arc that served as a major reference point for Patty Jenkins’ movie, and in the ‘90s he went back to Marvel to do the art for another now-iconic comic book crossover event: The Infinity Gauntlet. Pérez only worked on the first few issues, but after a decade of Marvel movies that lifted from those comics, anyone who touched The Infinity Gauntlet has made an undeniably pronounced imprint on popular culture.
In the announcement about his diagnosis, Pérez says that he decided to forego “chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy” in favor of spending the time he has left with his family, friends, and fans. He plans to “coordinate one last mass book signing” for people and hopes to make one last public appearance” so as many fans as possible can get photographs with him—”with the proviso that I get to hug each and every one of them,” he adds.
Here’s how he ends his statement:
This is not a message I enjoyed writing, especially during the Holiday Season, but, oddly enough, I’m feeling the Christmas spirit more now than I have in many years. Maybe it’s because it will likely be y last. Or maybe because I am enveloped in the loving arms of so many who love me as much as I love them. It’s quite uplifting to be told that you’ve led a good life, that you’ve brought joy to so many lives and that you’ll be leaving this world a better place because you were part of it. To paraphrase Lou Gehrig: “Some people may think I got a bad break, but today, I feel like the luckiest man on the face of the Earth.”
26 Comments
This is the man who specifically put in his contracts that, if Marvel and DC ever did a JLA/Avengers comic, he was allowed to drop whatever he was working on to draw it. Fun fact: He got tendinitis drawing this
Spam the hell out of this article with as many Perez art pages as possible.
One of the great covers. Just astonishing.
Seriously, what a freakin’ legend. And imo, JLA/Avengers was a really good book.
Slightly incorrect: He wasn’t under contract with anyone at the time, but he threatened to sign an exclusive contract with a pub(I think it was Crossgen?) unless Marvel and DC get off their asses and do JLA/Avengers, as they’ve previously said they would want him to do it. His threat worked.
The way I recall it was that he indeed was under an exclusive with Crossgen at the time but had it written into his contract as an exemption.As a small thank you, he actually put the Crossgen logo into a couple of panels of JLA/Avengers.By the time he was finished with it in early-mid 2004, Crossgen was done and Perez started picking up work at DC again.
That bit where Superman picks up Thor’s hammer and Cap’s shield to take on the big bad… that’s it, that’s enough reason in and of itself for the comic. (Wish I could post a pic, but effin’ Kinja won’t let me.)
That Avengers/JLA cover is easily one of my favorite of Perez’s work, as is this:An ass kicking cometh.
On the one hand, this totally sucks. Especially considering Perez is only in his late 60s. On the other hand… Perez has earned every bit of adoration and praise that he’s garnered over the years. He’s created iconic characters that will live on generations, characters that have helped people in their lowest moments. And he’s left a profound impact on the comics industry. What I’m saying is… Perez is the kind of once-in-a-generation talent that we rarely see, and he will definitely be missed.
Perez’ art is what I picture DC’s trinity in. His art was definitive, lithe, graceful, dynamic, and beautiful.
A phenomenal artist, and if this statement is anything to go on, a very classy guy.
I’m absolutely devastated by this news.I started reading comics during the Liefeld/Lee/McFarlane era but Perez has always been one of my favourite artists. The sheer level of detail, the facial expressions, the clean lines. Just magnificent. Returning to comics in the early 2000s after skipping the late 90s, I got the joy of his excellent JLA/Avengers.His work has brought much joy to me over the years and I was actually lucky enough to meet him a couple of times at conventions over the years, including once with Marv Wolfman. My signed copies of of DC Comics Presents and New Teen Titans 1, as well as the memories of getting to speak with them and enjoy their company for a few minutes are things I will always treasure.While feeling very blue about this, it’s been amazing to see the outpouring of love for him from so many comics figures including Liefeld, Busiek, Brevoort, Marz etc.
Goddammit. Legend. One of the first artists I started paying attention to by name as a kid because I was so impressed and inspired.
I love George for the New Teen Titans (one of the greatest comic book runs) or Crisis (one of the greatest event comics), but the first time he ever got my attention was Deadly Hands of Kung Fu #19, where he and Bill Mantlo introduced me to the first Latino martial arts superhero, the White Tiger. From the very beginning, Perez had a special something that just drew you to his work.
Tom Brevoort tweeted something amazing about that earlier today – After Perez announced his retirement, he agreed to do a final page of artwork for Marvel and went with White Tiger as the character he wanted to draw. It was a lovely page.
White Tiger was one of Perez’s earliest creations, and the hero was a Puerto Rican from the Bronx, just like him. For a comics fan turned professional artist that must have been a dream come true, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that character holds a special place in Perez’s heart.
Aw dammit.
Godspeed, Mr Perez.
George did a page in his “New Teen Titans” run where it was a double column of four panels each. Each panel featured ONLY the eyes of each Titan, but looking at it, you knew EXACTLY who was who. Just on the eyes alone That’s how incredible his art has been.(Because in truth, it’s actually more difficult than one thinks to draw individual faces yet make them instantly recognizable.)And I’ll be forever grateful that he decided to do both the art and writing for “Wonder Woman” post-Crisis. His involvement gave her the boost to Trinity level we recognize today.
The panel I mentioned. Just incredible.
This blows. Such an exceptional talent, such a good man, too. I hope he lives the rest of his days in peace.
Very sad
Fuckin’ sad. My first exposure to him was Hulk: Future Imperfect.
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