While I've been well-known for trying to keep my fictional characters individual in their looks, it's an even greater challenge not only to make them individual but also identifiable.

George Perez

Categorized in : Challenge Looks Trying Individual

I've been to hundreds of conventions in my career. Sometimes I'm afraid I may get jaded by them. But then, I see a figure in bright colors walking up to me, and I smile. I thank them for reminding me of just how lucky I am to do what I get the honor to do every day of my life.

day me smile life

To clarify the facts to everyone, yes, I did have a heart attack. I was on a plane leaving from Los Angeles, CA, heading to Secaucus, NJ, for a comic convention when I started to feel some discomfort in my chest.

everyone feel heart facts

To tell you the truth, while I do enjoy the grand-scale elements, it's the personal scenes, the character moments that I really find satisfying. That's where I get to delve into the characters' minds and hearts. That's where they become living, breathing beings to me.

me you truth character

I always rate a convention by the lack of blisters from twiddling my thumbs.

lack always rate thumbs

I think one of the problems that comics has in dealing with superheroines is that they try to hard to make them superheroes. All they're doing is the same thing that men do. Just the idea that they're no different than men, except in how they look, always seemed a bit off to me.

problems look me men

The difference between Superman and Wonder Woman is not strength or power level or origin but the fact that she is a woman.

woman strength power wonder

I grew up on comics in the 1960s era, when 'Wonder Woman' was rather silly. She was an interchangeable female character plagued by bad stereotypes. She cried at the drop of a hat, she was worried about how she looked, all of that.

hat woman bad character

When I did 'Wonder Woman,' I was especially proud that I had both a very large straight female and gay male following.

woman gay proud wonder

Pretty much all I ever expected out of comics was page rate. You could make money doing sketches at conventions, and that could supplement your income. But page rate and some supplement, maybe, was all I ever expected.

your doing you money

Because several 'Titans' characters have been used in video games, I've got royalty checks for six figures. And I had no knowledge of this until I opened the mailbox, because I don't follow the video game world!

video-games game world knowledge

Wonder Woman is most definitely a feminist, or a humanist, in no uncertain terms. Her prime goal in life is to teach peaceful coexistence and equality.

woman equality wonder life

I've been drawing since I was five years old.

old five drawing years

Looking back, my style was pretty much Marvel house style - very large, thick characters, very musclebound, not very flexible.

looking back looking-back style

I can earn more in a single weekend of convetioneering than I would in an entire month drawing comics. And I get a pretty high rate drawing comics.

single weekend drawing i-can

Fans are hungry for original artwork.

original artwork hungry fans

There are artists who make their living now going to conventions... because now you can.

going now you living

One thing I'm particularly proud of is that a convention will usually ask me back for the next year, after I've only been at the show for a day or two, because of my rapport with the fans.

will day me proud

I have a fan base who are collectors.

fan-base base fan who

Moonlight is my theater group. They are my home. I feel greatly appreciated there. That type of satisfaction, money can't buy.

feel group money home

It wasn't until I went to my first comic convention while I was in high school that I got to see actual comic book artists and original artwork in real life, up close. That was when I first realized that this is what I wanted to do for a living.

high-school life book school