George Perez, a legendary comic book artist who famously wrote and pencilled for “Wonder Woman” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths” comics, has died. He was 67.
A statement posted to his personal Facebook page announced his death, writing that he died Friday with “family by his side.” Perez had previously been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
“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 today without him in it,” the statement read. “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.
George Pérez was orned on June 9, 1954. He came to prominence in the 1970s, pencilling The Avengers for Marvel Comics, and returned to the franchise in the 1990s. In the 1980s, he pencilled The New Teen Titans, which became one of DC Comics‘ top-selling series. George Pérez pencilled DC’s landmark limited series Crisis on Infinite Earths, then relaunched Wonder Woman as both writer and pencil for the rebooted series. In the meantime, he worked on other comics published by Marvel, DC, and other companies into the 2010s. He was known for his detailed and realistic rendering and his facility with complex crowd scenes.
George Pérez was born in the South Bronx, New York City, to Jorge Guzman Pérez and Luz Maria Izquierdo, both from Caguas, Puerto Rico, but who did not meet until approximately 1949 or 1950, after both had settled in New Jersey while searching for job opportunities. They married in October 1954 and subsequently moved to New York, where Jorge worked in the meatpacking industry while Luz was a homemaker. George’s younger brother David was born in May 1955. Both brothers aspired at a young age to be artists[3], with George beginning to draw at the age of five.
