The legendary artist for DC and Marvel Comics, the beloved George Pérez, has passed away at the age of 67 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Pérez, revered throughout the comics community, is survived by his wife of many years Carol, and his legacy will live on for years to come.
One of most critically acclaimed comic artists of the last 50 years, George Pérez gained prominence in the 1980s due to his incredibly detailed rendering of characters as well as his remarkable ability to create cohesive and beautiful group shots. Perhaps best known for his 1980 launch of The New Teen Titans with the writer Marv Wolfman, where the two created the characters of Starfire, Raven, and Cyborg, and transformed Dick Grayson's Robin into his Nightwing mantle, Pérez also had a long stint illustrating his rebooted Wonder Woman series and was integral to the Crisis on Infinite Earths event that changed the DC Universe forever. While some of Pérez's most well-known work comes from DC Comics, he actually got his start illustrating for Marvel Comics, and has been the artist for two incredibly popular Avengers runs, one with Steve Englehart in the 1970s followed by the 1997 series with Kurt Busiek.
George Pérez's close friend Constance Eza announced today on Twitter that Pérez passed away peacefully in his home, surrounded by family and friends, knowing how beloved he was by the entire world. Tributes and homages to the legendary Pérez have been pouring in for months from DC, Marvel, and independent comic creators, as Pérez announced in 2021 that his pancreatic cancer was inoperable and he was electing to not undergo treatment for it.
George Pérez was not just beloved by fans but also recognized as a tremendous talent by all of his peers, with the artist winning multiple Eagle Awards, Inkpot Awards, Jack Kirby Awards, and Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards, before being inducted into The Will Eisner Award Hall of Fame in 2017. Besides his tremendous ongoing contributions to the world of comics art George Pérez also served as the co-chairman of The Hero Initiative for years, a non-profit dedicated to helping support struggling comics creators, artists, and writers. Marvel and DC, after a big push from fans, agreed to release a special limited-run printing of Pérez and Busiek's famous JLA/Avengers crossover comic, with all benefits going towards The Hero Initiative in honor of Pérez's massive influence and impact on the history of comics.
In Constance's message on Pérez's passing, she notes that today, May 7th, is Free Comic Book Day, a day that George apparently loved, and implored fans of Pérez's work to try their best to enjoy the day in honor of him and his legacy. She also noted that George Perez's memorial service will take place at MegaCon in Orlando, Florida on May 22nd, and will be open to all those who loved Perez and his legendary impact to the world of comics. George Pérez and his creations will live on forever in a legacy admired by all, one that will continue to be honored by fans and creators alike for decades to come.
Source: Constance Eza/Twitter