History of George Pérez in Timeline
George Pérez was a renowned American comic book artist and writer, celebrated for his detailed and dynamic artwork. He rose to fame in the 1970s through his work on Marvel Comics titles like Fantastic Four and The Avengers. In the 1980s, he achieved significant success with The New Teen Titans for DC Comics, which became a best-selling series. Pérez's iconic art style was showcased in DC's Crisis on Infinite Earths, and he played a pivotal role in relaunching Wonder Woman. His prolific career extended into the 2010s, collaborating with various publishers. He left an indelible mark on the comic book industry with his intricate illustrations, particularly his masterful handling of large, complex scenes.
June 9, 1954: Birth of George Pérez
On June 9, 1954, George Pérez was born in the South Bronx, New York City. His parents, Jorge Guzman Pérez and Luz Maria Izquierdo, were originally from Caguas, Puerto Rico.
October 1954: Marriage of Jorge Guzman Pérez and Luz Maria Izquierdo
In October 1954, Jorge Guzman Pérez and Luz Maria Izquierdo, the parents of George Pérez, got married. They had met in New Jersey while seeking employment opportunities.
May 1955: Birth of David Pérez
David Pérez, George Pérez's younger brother, was born in May 1955. Both brothers shared a passion for art from a young age.
1973: George Pérez Begins Professional Career
George Pérez's career in the comic book industry began in 1973 when he took on the role of assistant to artist Rich Buckler.
1974: Professional Debut in Astonishing Tales
In 1974, Pérez made his professional debut in Marvel Comics' "Astonishing Tales #25". He penciled a satirical two-page piece featuring the character Deathlok.
1976: Metafictional Story in Fantastic Four #176
A metafictional story arc was developed for "Fantastic Four #176" in 1976. Writer Roy Thomas and artist George Pérez collaborated on this storyline, where the Impossible Man visits Marvel Comics' offices.
1979: Eagle Award for Best Continued Story
George Pérez, alongside Jim Shooter, Sal Buscema, and David Wenzel, won the Eagle Award for Best Continued Story in 1979 for their work on "The Avengers" #167–168 and 170–177.
May 1980: Creation of Taskmaster
The superhero Taskmaster was created in May 1980 by writer David Michelinie and artist George Pérez. Taskmaster debuted in "The Avengers #195".
October 1980: Launch of The New Teen Titans
The New Teen Titans, written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by George Pérez, was launched with a special preview in "DC Comics Presents #26" in October 1980. It aimed to compete with the popular X-Men comics.
1980: Eagle Award for Best Comicbook Cover
George Pérez won the Eagle Award for Best Comicbook Cover in 1980 for "Avengers" #185.
June 1983: Lex Luthor's Battlesuit Design
George Pérez designed Lex Luthor's iconic battlesuit in "Action Comics #544" in June 1983. This design became a staple in the DC universe.
1983: New Teen Titans Drug Awareness Comic
A drug awareness comic book featuring the New Teen Titans was published in 1983. It was drawn by Pérez and produced in partnership with Keebler and The President's Drug Awareness Campaign.
1983: Inkpot Award Recipient
George Pérez was awarded an Inkpot Award in 1983.
1983: Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Award for Favorite Artist
George Pérez won the "Favorite Artist" award from Comics Buyer's Guide in 1983.
August 1984: Launch of The New Teen Titans Second Series
August 1984 saw the launch of the second series of "The New Teen Titans", again a collaboration between Marv Wolfman and George Pérez.
1984: Pérez Takes Leave from The New Teen Titans
To dedicate his time to the upcoming "Crisis on Infinite Earths" project, George Pérez took a break from working on "The New Teen Titans" in 1984.
1985: Jack Kirby Award Nomination
"The New Teen Titans" #50, a work by George Pérez, Marv Wolfman, and Romeo Tanghal, received a nomination for the 1985 Jack Kirby Award for Best Single Issue.
1985: Pérez Designs Covers for DC Heroes RPG
George Pérez designed the cover art for the DC Heroes roleplaying game in 1985, which was released by Mayfair Games.
1985: Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards
George Pérez was recognized at the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards, winning "Favorite Artist" and "Favorite Limited Series" for "Crisis on Infinite Earths" in 1985.
1985: DC Comics 50th Anniversary Honoree
In 1985, DC Comics recognized George Pérez as one of the honorees in their 50th-anniversary publication, "Fifty Who Made DC Great."
September 1986: Pérez Inks "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?"
In September 1986, George Pérez inked the first part of the two-part Superman story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" published in "Superman #423". The issue was penciled by Curt Swan and written by Alan Moore.
October 1986: Pérez Contributes to Batman #400
Pérez was one of the artists who contributed to "Batman #400" in October 1986, marking the 400th issue of the popular comic book series.
1986: Eagle Award for Favorite Artist (Penciller)
George Pérez won the Eagle Award for Favourite Artist (penciller) in 1986.
1986: Jack Kirby Award for Best Finite Series
The collaboration between George Pérez and Marv Wolfman on "Crisis on Infinite Earths" earned them the Jack Kirby Award for Best Finite Series in both 1985 and 1986.
1987: Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards
In 1987, George Pérez achieved a trifecta at the Comics Buyer's Guide Fan Awards, winning "Favorite Penciler" and securing his third consecutive win for "Favorite Cover Artist."
1987: Revamping Wonder Woman
In 1987, George Pérez played a significant role in the relaunch of the Wonder Woman franchise. Drawing inspiration from the revamps of Superman and Batman, he worked as the plotter and penciler, aiming to tie the character closer to her Greek god origins.
March 1988: Inking Superman/Wonder Woman Story
Pérez inked John Byrne's pencils for the Superman/Wonder Woman story in "Action Comics #600" in March 1988.
1988: Return to The New Teen Titans
In 1988, George Pérez returned to "The New Teen Titans," which was renamed "The New Titans." He rewrote Wonder Girl's origin, incorporating changes from "Crisis on Infinite Earths." He worked on various issues, introducing Tim Drake as Robin in the "A Lonely Place of Dying" storyline.
July 1989: Taking Over Action Comics
Pérez took over "Action Comics" with issue #643 in July 1989. His roles included writer/penciller, co-writer/breakdowns, and providing breakdowns.
September 1989: Co-creation of Maxima
Along with Roger Stern, George Pérez co-created the character Maxima, who debuted in "Action Comics #645" in September 1989.
1989: Pérez Creates Cover Art for Champions RPG
The cover of the fourth edition of the Champions roleplaying game, released in 1989 by Hero Games, featured artwork by George Pérez.
April 1990: Departure from Action Comics
Due to a heavy workload from working on both "Wonder Woman" and "Superman," Pérez left "Action Comics" with issue #652 in April 1990.
1991: Trouble with DC Comics and Departure from Wonder Woman
In 1991, Pérez faced difficulties with DC Comics while working on the "War of the Gods" storyline in "Wonder Woman." He felt DC wasn't doing enough for Wonder Woman's 50th anniversary and disagreed with editorial decisions, leading to his departure from the title.
1991: Work on Infinity Gauntlet and Departure
Pérez started penciling Marvel Comics' "Infinity Gauntlet" miniseries in 1991 but couldn't finish due to personal stress related to the "War of the Gods" situation. Ron Lim completed the series.
1992: Pérez Concludes Work on Wonder Woman
George Pérez finished his five-year run as artist on "Wonder Woman" after issue #24 in 1992, though he continued as writer until issue #62.
1992: Guest Inker on Deathstroke the Terminator
Pérez worked as a guest inker on "Deathstroke the Terminator" issues #10-11 in 1992.
1993: Various Projects, Including Jurassic Park Adaptation
In 1993, Pérez worked on several projects, notably inking the "Jurassic Park" comic adaptation for Topps Comics. He also collaborated with Peter David on Marvel Comics' "Sachs and Violens" and "Hulk: Future Imperfect."
December 1995: Start of Silver Surfer Run
Pérez began his stint as writer on "Silver Surfer" vol. 2, starting with issue #111 in December 1995.
October 1996: Return to Teen Titans as Inker
Pérez returned to DC Comics in October 1996 to work on "Teen Titans" vol. 2. He inked the first 15 issues of the 24-issue series, which ran until September 1998.
December 1996: End of Silver Surfer Run
Pérez's run as writer on "Silver Surfer" vol. 2 concluded with issue #123 in December 1996.
1997: Crimson Plague Creation
Pérez started "Crimson Plague" in 1997, a creator-owned science fiction series about an alien with toxic blood.
September 1998: End of Teen Titans Vol. 2 Run
The "Teen Titans" vol. 2 series, on which Pérez worked as an inker, concluded in September 1998 after 24 issues.
June 2000: Crimson Plague Republishing
The first issue of "Crimson Plague" was republished in June 2000 by Gorilla Comics, a company Pérez co-owned. He discontinued the series due to financial difficulties.
2001: Pérez Returns to Wonder Woman
After nearly a decade, George Pérez returned to "Wonder Woman" in 2001. He collaborated with artist and writer Phil Jimenez on a two-part story spanning issues #168-169.
2003: "JLA/Avengers" Publication
In 2003, the "JLA/Avengers" story, illustrated by George Pérez, was published.
2003: JLA/Avengers Crossover
Pérez and Kurt Busiek, after their work on "The Avengers," collaborated on the long-awaited "JLA/Avengers" crossover, which was published in late 2003.
2004: Release of Unpublished JLA/Avengers Pages
Previously unpublished pages from the canceled 1980s "JLA/Avengers" crossover, drawn by Pérez, were released in the 2004 hardcover edition of "JLA/Avengers: The Collector's Edition."
2005: Hero Initiative, Cameo Appearance, and City of Heroes Tribute
In 2005, Pérez was co-chair of The Hero Initiative, a comic industry charity. He made a cameo appearance in the "Teen Titans" episode "Go." The MMORPG "City of Heroes" named a zone "Pérez Park" in his honor.
April 2006: JSA Contributions
Pérez was a guest artist for "JSA" #82 (April 2006) and provided cover art for issues #82-87.
May 2006: Wonder Woman Cover Art
In May 2006, Pérez illustrated a variant cover for the "Official Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide" (36th edition) featuring Wonder Woman.
2007: The Brave and the Bold Collaboration
In 2007, Pérez collaborated with writer Mark Waid on the first ten issues of DC's "The Brave and the Bold" (vol. 2).
2008: Work on Infinite Crisis
Pérez worked as a fill-in artist on "Infinite Crisis," a sequel to "Crisis on Infinite Earths." He continued his involvement in DC's Crisis trilogy with "Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds" in 2008-2009.
2009: Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds
Pérez worked on "Final Crisis: Legion of 3 Worlds" in 2008–2009, thus contributing to every chapter of DC's Crisis trilogy.
2010: Pérez Contributes to Wonder Woman #600
George Pérez created both the cover art and some of the interior art for "Wonder Woman #600" in August 2010.
September 2011: DC Comics Launches
In September 2011, DC Comics launched a new Superman series written by George Pérez, who also contributed breakdowns and cover art. The interior art was done by Jesús Merino and Nicola Scott. Pérez worked on the series until issue #6. Additionally, "The New Teen Titans: Games" hardcover graphic novel, reuniting the creative team of Wolfman and Pérez, was published in the same month.
July 2012: Departure from Superman
In July 2012, George Pérez explained that his departure from the Superman series was a reaction to the level of editorial oversight he experienced. He cited inconsistent reasons given for rewrites, the inability of editors to explain basic aspects of the New 52 Superman's status quo, and restrictions imposed by having to be consistent with the Action Comics series.
October 2013: Eye Surgery Announcement
In October 2013, George Pérez revealed that he would undergo laser and injection surgeries to address hemorrhaging in his left eye, which had caused blindness.
September 2014: Sirens Comic Launch
George Pérez wrote and drew six issues of his own creation, "Sirens," from September 2014 to December 2016, published by BOOM! Studios. The science fiction miniseries features a group of women with extraordinary powers who fight against evil across time and space.
December 2016: Conclusion of "Sirens"
In December 2016, George Pérez concluded his six-issue miniseries "Sirens," a science fiction story about a group of powerful women fighting evil across time and space.
May 2017: Heart Attack and Recovery
While traveling to a convention in May 2017, George Pérez was admitted to a hospital due to chest pains resulting from a heart attack. He underwent a procedure to have a coronary stent fitted.
2017: Wonder Woman Film Acknowledges Pérez's Influence
Director Patty Jenkins acknowledged the impact of George Pérez's work on Wonder Woman in the 2017 film "Wonder Woman". Jenkins recognized his contribution as significant as that of the character's original creator, William Moulton Marston.
2017: Judas Contract Adaptation
Pérez collaborated with Marv Wolfman on a direct-to-DVD adaptation of the "Judas Contract" storyline from "Teen Titans," which was scheduled for release in 2017.
January 2019: Ongoing Health Issues
By January 2019, George Pérez was managing multiple health issues, including diabetes and problems with his vision and heart. These ongoing health challenges contributed to his decision to retire.
January 2019: Retirement Announcement
In January 2019, George Pérez formally announced his retirement due to various health issues. He shared his plans to continue producing a limited number of convention-style head sketches on commission and attend a limited number of conventions.
December 2021: Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis
In December 2021, George Pérez revealed that he had been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer following surgery for a blockage in his liver. Given a prognosis of 6 to 12 months, he chose to forgo treatment.
May 6, 2022: Death of George Pérez
George Pérez passed away on May 6, 2022. He was a renowned comic book artist known for his work on titles such as "The New Teen Titans", "Crisis on Infinite Earths", and "Wonder Woman".
2022: Tributes and Reprint for Charity
In early 2022, both DC and Marvel Comics included tributes to George Pérez and his work in their publications. They also jointly approved a limited-run reprint of the 2003 "JLA/Avengers" story he illustrated to benefit The Hero Initiative. The reprint was significant as it had been long delayed due to disagreements between the rival publishers.
2022: Inkwell Awards Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award
In recognition of his lifelong achievements in inking, George Pérez received the Inkwell Awards Stacey Aragon Special Recognition Award (SASRA) in 2022.
June 2023: Release of Wonder Woman Historia: the Amazons Omnibus Edition
An omnibus edition of the "Wonder Woman Historia: the Amazons" miniseries was released in June 2023. The miniseries, inspired by George Pérez's work on Wonder Woman, explores the origins of the Amazons and Hippolyta's rise to queen.
2024: Film Dedication
The 2024 film "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part One" was dedicated in memory of George Pérez.
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