When George Pérez announced that he was largely retiring from the comics space back in 2019, the much-acclaimed artist took the time to open up some of the personal reasons behind his decision, understanding that fans were bound to have questions. At the time, Pérez acknowledged how a number of ongoing health concerns effectively forced him to take a step back from creating comics comics as a whole. Today, Pérez shared another announcement about his health and future that’s tough but important to hear.
In a public post to the Facebook account Pérez has designated as the place for official updates about him, the 67-year-old artist — beloved for his work at DC and Marvel Comics, including iconic runs as the artist on Teen Titans, Avengers, Wonder Woman, Infinity Gauntlet, and of course, Crisis on Infinite Earths — shared news that he has been diagnosed with inoperable stage 3 pancreatic cancer, and now plans to spend as much of his remaining time prioritising the things in life that bring him joy.
“I have been given the option of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy, but after weighing all the variables and assessing just how much of my remaining days would be eaten up by doctor visits, treatments, hospital stays, and dealing with the often stressful and frustrating bureaucracy of the medical system, I’ve opted to just let nature take its course and I will enjoy whatever time I have left as fully as possible with my beautiful wife of over 40 years, my family, friends, and my fans,” Pérez said.
Speaking matter-of-factly about his desire to use his remaining time to let his fans know they’ve meant just as much to him as he has to them, Pérez explained his plans to be somewhat more active on social media, and to coordinate one last mass book signing where he’d like to hug everyone in attendance. The artist also added that while he knows that people are going to have more questions for him going forward, he wants people to understand that his time, attention, and privacy are precious to him and his loved ones right now.
“This is not a message I enjoyed writing, especially during the Holiday Season, but, oddly enough, I’m feeling the Christmas spirit more now than I have in many years,” Pérez said. “Maybe it’s because it will likely be my last. Or maybe because I am enveloped in the loving arms of so many who love me as much as I love them.”