(CelebrityAccess) – George Pérez, an iconic Marvel and DC comic book artist, died on Friday (May 6) after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 67. A friend, Contance Eza, who wrote a few words in tribute on Facebook and Twitter, shared the news of his death.
“Everyone knows George’s legacy as a creator,” Eza’s statement reads. “His art, characters, and stories will be revered for years to come. But, as towering as that legacy is, it pales in comparison to the legacy of the man George was. 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.”
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/zputTLO2sF
— Constance 🐿 (@SunshineCVE) May 7, 2022
Pérez rose to prominence through his work with The New Teen Titans, which saw him revitalize Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire, with which he also co-created alongside Robin and Deathstroke. He also had two stints on Marvel’s The Avengers and the series, Crisis on Infinite Earth. Not only an artist, but he also wrote several comics, including a run on DC’s Wonder Woman.
Born in 1954 in the South Bronx, he began working for Marvel Comics at 19 as an assistant to Fantastic Four artist Rich Buckler. He would go on to do the art for multiple other Marvel titles, co-creating the White Tiger, the company’s first Hispanic superhero, with Bill Manto in “Deadly Hands of Kung Fu.”
In 1980, Pérez was approached by DC Comics to do the art for The New Teen Titans, a relaunch of the teenage superhero team. Pérez was with the title for five years, becoming the highest-selling comics for DC. He eventually returned to Marvel to pencil the event series “Infinity Gauntlet” and would act as an inspiration for the Marvel films Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. He announced his retirement in 2019.
Pérez served as a member of The Hero Initiative, a comic book charity dedicated to providing health and medical assistance for comic book professionals. Pérez was a co-chair of the non-profit’s board.
Pérez is survived by his wife, Carol Flynn. The official memorial for Pérez will take place this month during the comics convention MEGACON Orlando and will be open to the public.
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The DC comic book artist revered Neal Adams for bringing Batman back to the mainstream passed away Thursday (April 28) of sepsis. He was 80. His wife, Marilyn Adams, shared the news in a statement to numerous media outlets.
Adams began his comic book career in the late 1960s, and early ’70’s with a DC character named Deadman, then at Marvel with the X-Men and the Avengers, then back at DC with his most lasting influence, Batman.
He also influenced many artists and acted as a mentor to Bill Sienkiewicz, who would draw Moon Knight and New Mutants.
“It wasn’t until I sat at tables at conventions next to the same people I would watch treat my father with such reverence that I understood: He was their father, too,” his son Josh Adams said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. “Neal Adams’ most undeniable quality was the one I had known about him my entire life: He was a father. Not just my father, but a father to all that would get to know him.”
He and Stan Lee formed the Academy of Comic Book Arts to fight for benefits and ownership on behalf of writers and artists. After creative differences got in the way, Lee departed the Academy. Adams helped change the practice of comic book publishers keeping the original art by artists or even throwing the art away. The most significant case in point: Marvel returned art pages to Jack Kirby, the co-creator of Fantastic Four, Thor, Hulk, and the X-Men.
In addition to his wife of 45 years and Josh, survivors include two other sons, Jason and Joel; daughters Kris and Zeea; grandchildren Kelly, Kortney, Jade, Sebastian, Jane and Jaelyn; and great-grandson Maximus. His three sons and Zeea all work as artists in the world of comic books and fantasy.
