George Pérez, R.I.P.

Sad to note the passing of George Pérez at age 67 after an extended illness. 

I think the first time I really noticed his work was in 1980, when I started reading AVENGERS with this issue. Really enjoyed the book for a few months there.

This is around the time that he left Marvel to work for DC, which suited me fine as more of a DC reader. He and Marv Wolfman launched NEW TEEN TITANS within a few months, I think the first time I started reading an on-going book that lasted from the first issue. Because of varying schedules, there were a few months there where he drew the new issues of JLA, AVENGERS and NEW TEEN TITANS. Quickly became one of my favourite books, and was up there for quite a few years. pretty much until newsstand availability of comics dried up locally. A few years later when I started going to direct market stores one of the first things I did was find out what Pérez was up to, which turned out to be WONDER WOMAN, and a return to TITANS just announced. Picked up a lot of back issues of WW to catch up, and really like that run. Enjoyed the too-brief return to TITANS as well.  

Lots of his work and details on his life available on-line.  Here are a few favourites you might not see on other sites:

From the run of "Dial H" where readers designed the various one-shot characters. Pérez did a few of the covers, which must have been an extra special treat to the readers who submitted those characters.

A nice illustration for a benefit book which captures a lot of the best qualities of his work.

A page from that first AVENGERS issue I picked up. Love his version of these characters.

An unusual art combo as Pérez inks over Sergio Aragonés.  He did a few other more short stints as inker over more traditionally compatible artists, including some really nice work over José Luis García-López and Curt Swan.

This was the first of his run of WONDER WOMAN I picked up, and maybe still my favourite cover of many great ones on that run.

From a goofy little short written by Joe Cavalieri from Pacific's VANGUARD ILLUSTRATED #6 [1984].

A nice science fiction frontispiece from MARVEL PREVIEW #20 [1980] for a reprint of an early story he did from 1975, "War Toy", with Tony Isabella and Rico Rival.