George Pérez, the iconic comic book artist known for his work on Teen Titans, The Avengers and a plethora of other major superhero titles has sadly passed away. The beloved artist had been battling pancreatic cancer and had announced his diagnosis last year. Pérez was 67 at the time of his passing.
George Pérez’s death was confirmed on Saturday by close friend Constance Ezra, who has been keeping fans updated on the artist’s health over the past several months. Ezra took to Twitter to break the difficult news to the fans. While she expressed sadness over the loss of her friend, she also shared her gratitude for the immense support Pérez and his loved ones have received during his illness:
We are all very much grieving but, at the same time, we are so incredibly grateful for the joy he brought to our lives. To know George was to love him: and he loved back. Fiercely and with his whole heart. The world is a lot less vibrant without him in it. He loved all of you. He loved hearing your posts and seeing the drawings you sent and the tributes you made. He was deeply proud to have brought so much joy to so many.
What makes the occasion even more bittersweet is that today marks Free Comic Book Day. Given how much the comic book icon loved the day, Constance Ezra stated that she hopes fans will enjoy the day and remember his contributions to the industry, as she believes he would’ve “loved.” You can see her statement in its entirety down below, along with a sweet photo of the great comics contributor and his wife, Carol:
Thank you. All of you, for the love and support you have shown George through all of this. It meant the world to him. pic.twitter.com/zputTLO2sFMay 7, 2022
Born in New York City on June 9, 1954 to Puerto Rico natives, George Pérez got his start in the comic book business as an assistant to late Marvel and DC artist Rich Buckler. After making his debut with Marvel’s Astonishing Tales in 1974, Pérez established himself as a fixture at the company, though he’d get true recognition for his work on The Avengers, which began with issue #141. From there he’d also collaborate with others on titles like Fantastic Four and The Inhumans. He also co-created notable characters like Taskmaster, whose mimicry was brought to life in Black Widow last year.
The artist and writer would truly rise to prominence through his work on The New Teen Titans for DC in the ‘80s. It was here that he reteamed with FF writer Marv Wolfman to put a fresh spin on the team of adolescent superheroes. Their interpretation became a success, with George Pérez receiving particular praise for his art layouts (which featured numerous characters in panels), and they would become signature staples of his work. He and Wolfman would also receive greater recognition for their later work on the Crisis on Infinite Earths storyline, which revamped the comic book company’s continuity. The story inspired an Arrowverse crossover of the same name, which rewrote that franchise’s history. Pérez and Wolfman also received nice tributes during the event.
The comics scribe also worked on Wonder Woman, Superman and other notable titles and storylines throughout the remainder of his career. He eventually retired from the industry in 2019 and cut down on public appearances due to health issues.
This news is very crushing, especially given that the comic book community just lost Batman and X-Men artist Neal Adams at the end of April. But George Pérez leaves an indelible legacy on the comic book world, though Whether someone is checking out a book from one of his runs or watching shows like Titans (streamable with HBO Max subscriptions), they’ll be indulging in work that has his fingerprints on it. So while he leaves a massive void within the medium, it’s comforting to know that his work will certainly live on.
We here at CinemaBlend extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of George Pérez during this difficult time.
