Comic book legend George Perez made a revelation on social media that stunned the entire geek community. Perez, one of the most celebrated artists in the industry and is best known for his work on both Marvel and DC Comics and the acclaimed JLA/Avengers crossover comic announced on his official Facebook page that he's been diagnosed with Stage 3 pancreatic cancer which according to him is surgically "inoperable".
What's even more heartbreaking is that according to Perez himself, he's only been given six months to live. In a lengthy and emotional post on Facebook, the Teen Titans, Wonder Woman, and Avengers artist bravely revealed his diagnosis to his followers, saying that it was something he didn't enjoy writing. Still, he's thankful for the support his fans and colleagues have given him throughout the years.
He wrote: "To all my fans, friends, and extended family, It's rather hard to believe that it's been almost three years since I formally announced my retirement from producing comics due to my failing vision and other infirmities brought on primarily by my diabetes. At the time I was flattered and humbled by the number of tributes and testimonials given me by my fans and peers. The kind words spoken on those occasions were so heartwarming that I used to quip that 'the only thing missing from those events was me lying in a box."
Perez continued: "It was amusing at the time, I thought. Now, not so much. On November 29th I received confirmation that, after undergoing surgery for a blockage in my liver, I have Stage 3 Pancreatic Cancer. It is surgically inoperable and my estimated life expectancy is between 6 months to a year. 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 possibly with my beautiful wife of over 40 years, my family, friends, and my fans."
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Our thoughts and prayers go out to George Perez and his family during this very difficult time in his life. More importantly, we extend our gratitude to him for being extremely dedicated to his craft and for inspiring legions of fans the world over through his timeless art.
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