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Commonly considered one of the best comic book artists of all time, George Perez died at the age of 67. Perez drew the characters of “Wonder Woman” and “Teen Titans.” Pancreatic cancer took his life on Friday.
The artist announced last December he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Close friend Constance Eza posted about the loss on social media. She talked about Perez’s legacy and his art will be “revered” for years to come. However, she believes the legacy of the artist’s character is greater than that of an artist. “George’s true legacy is his kindness. It’s the love he had for bringing others joy — and I hope you all carry that with you always.”
Perez is most famous for his realism and attention to detail in his drawings. He was able to capture the power and the humanity of his characters. He co-created characters for “The New Teen Titans” such as Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, and Deathstroke. He was more than an artist, he wrote several critically-acclaimed comics such as “Wonder Woman.”
For his work as an artist, he won four Eagle Awards, two Jack Kirby Awards, an Inkpot Award, and a lifetime achievement Inkwell Award.
He was born to a Puerto Rican family in the South Bronx in 1954. He was 19 when he started drawing as an assistant for Marvel Comic’s “Fantastic Four” and “The Inhumans” under Rich Buckler. In 1974, Perez made his debut in “Astonishing Tales.”
In 1980, DC Comics approached Perez to produce the art for “The New Teen Titans.” This was a relaunch from Merv Wolfman’s comic book. The two artists had combined efforts [reviously on the “Fantastic Four Annual.” He penned for the breakout title for five years.
Perez teamed up with Wolfman again for the soft reboot of “Crisis on Infinite Earths.” This was a 50th-anniversary run for the DC Comics event series. It was a 12-issue limited edition series. Then, Perez joined the team and helped complete the artwork for a full “Wonder Woman” reboot.
By Jeanette Vietti
Sources:
Variety: George Pérez, Legendary ‘Wonder Woman’ and ‘Teen Titans’ Comic Book Artist, Dies at 67; by Wilson Chapman
Rolling Stone: George Pérez, Influential and Dynamic Comic Book Artist, Dead at 67; by Daniel Kreps
The Hollywood Reporter: George Perez, Legendary ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths,’ ‘Wonder Woman’ Comic Book Artist, Dies at 67; by Abbey White
Featured Image Courtesy of Gage Skidmore’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inline Image Courtesy of Eva Rinaldi’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License