George Perez

At some point in 1975, after a couple years without them, I was able to locate an alternative place to buy my new comics. I found a drug store that was a mile from my house, so I hoofed it over there each week for new comics. 

Amongst the offerings was I *think* the first Avengers issue I ever picked up. Maybe I got one earlier, but this was definitely the first memorable one. It was Avengers #141, that featured the world’s mightiest heroes going up against the Squadron Sinister. 

The cover sported art by Gil Kane and John Romita sr., a fantastic duo. The issue was written by Steve Englehart, who had a good feel for the team. The man who *inked* the issue was Vince Colletta. Possibly the worst professional inker in the history of the art form. 

But none of that matters, because the artist who did the pencils was a young guy named George Perez, and his artwork spoke to me. He was fairly raw with his rounded style, but he was bold and exciting. His stuff was also able to shine through the crappy inks. This guy’s art was fun and powerful. It was how *I’d* like to draw. 

Over the next few years, I’d enjoyed Mr. Perez’s pencils (with better inkers) on the Avengers and the Fantastic Four, enjoying every minute of it. 

The only down side was the fact that he seemed incapable of doing more than five issues in a row. That was very irritating to me at the time, until I learned it was because of a medical issue. Something to do with his hands. I’m not sure if this was the start of his battle with diabetes or something else. I was just happy to get any issues from him.

In 1980, he jumped over to DC comics, where, in addition to a stint on Justice League of America, and co-created The New Teen Titans, where, amongst other things, he actually made Robin cool. No mean feat. The *most* impressive thing he did though, aside with carrying the book for five years with his art, was get better.

This wasn’t just a matter of improving with age as you ply your craft, learning this and that. No, George rededicated himself to taking a giant leap forward in his art, using more reference and doubling down on anatomy. 

He didn’t *have* to do this. He was already arguably the most popular and best selling comic artist in the industry in 1980. He simply could have kept on going as he was, but he still went the extra mile to make himself even better, and it showed.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is a pro of the highest order.

It was the early ’80’s, he was better than ever, and highly in demand. Then, the opportunity of a lifetime for any comic artist opened up. Marvel and DC were planning  a special crossover event, JLA/Avengers. The two most high profile teams of the era, together in a four issue series, and George was slated to draw it. 

It fell through though, due to editorial arrogance and miscommunication. We did get a look at the pencils for the whole first issue though, and it was a tantalizing taste of what might have been. We’ll never know exactly how good the story would have been, only that the pencils would be fantastic. The killing of the project broke a lot of people’s hearts, but none more so than George.

But time moved on. George left the Titans and did a long stint on Wonder Woman. He eventually moved to bigger projects in the later ’80’s, such as The Infinity Gauntlet. Sound familiar? George drew the first three of six planned issues. 

Why only three? Because A) George was always in huge demand, B) because he’s a nice guy and C) he could never say no to a project, even when he should have and best/worst of all D) detail. 

George was always very busy, always a lovely man, who was loved by *everyone*, not only as a comic artist, but as a person at conventions, you name it. Beloved. He loved drawing comics, superheroes, big stories with more detail than almost anyone in comics. Had he skimped on some of the details, he might have been able to meet his obligations, but if he did that, he wouldn’t be George. He’s always loved adding details. Look at most any costume he designed. Pity the poor artist who followed him!

There were several projects he should have said no to, but he couldn’t help himself. Universally beloved or not, he found himself in hot water with editors after a certain point. He eventually vowed to get control of his schedule, and he did. 

In the 1990’s, he stepped back up to the plate and began a sizable stint on the reboot of the Avengers again, this time with writer Kurt Busiek and it was again, magnificent. Around the turn of the century, that once in a lifetime opportunity came back *again*, as DC and Marvel righted an old wrong, by planning a new JLA/Avengers series, almost 20 years after the last attempt, with Busiek and Perez at the helm. 

The original idea back in the early ’80’s was to consist of four, twenty four page issues featuring the existing teams. This one was four, *forty eight* page issues, which would go on to include every single member of both teams from the last 40 years EVER, plus every villain they ever fought. 

This was George Perez’s dream come true. Mine too. I still refer to it as the single greatest comics story ever. It certainly was the pinnacle of George’s career as a comics artist. 

After that, the years rolled on, with George moving on to many other projects, but also continuing more of his charitable work, providing commissions and having a ball going to conventions where he continued to be, without a doubt, the most loved guy in and around comics.

Because George knows what it was like to be a fan and he never, ever forgot it. He always paid it forward. It was appreciated. 

But even though he was still only in his 50’s, his diabetes had started to affect his vision, slowing him down, until he had to retire from comics all together a few years ago. He’d become blind in one eye, and had distortion in the other. For anyone, this is a horrible thing. For a visual artist, just another added level of hell. 

And at the beginning of December, on his Facebook page, he announced he was diagnosed with inoperable cancer, with a life expectancy of six months to a year. 

I’d go on about the bizarre happenstance of fate, or, if there is some higher being pulling the strings, that he really, really is a loathsome piece of crap–by all indications– but there’s not much point. WTF, karma?

In this instance, diabetes has destroyed a man’s livelihood and taken his eyes. Cancer is simply piling on. 

But George is now receiving an amazing amount of love and support from so many people. It’s an instance where the clock is now ticking, but George will know exactly how much he is appreciated, and yes, loved. 

Too often, the person in question doesn’t get the opportunity to know these things until it’s too late. But George knows. 

George also decided to not go the chemo route to *maybe* extend his life. For a guy who’s enjoyed as robust a life as he has, I can understand not wanting to live out your finals days in a deteriorating state. An extra couple months like that maybe doesn’t seem worth it to him. And, in the time he has left, he’ll still have some semblance of sight.

He’ll see the love. 

I was going to flood the rest of this piece with images, but while I’ll put a few up here, check out George Perez’ Facebook page and hell, just do a google image search on George Perez art. You won’t regret it. 

And thank you George.