~ finis ~

 It is at times like these that one discovers, 

acknowledges and admits 

that the geeky teenager inside is still alive. 

WHEN OUR DEAREST COMIC-BOOK 

ARTISTS... DIE. 

YouTube reminds us of the other Neal Adams: 

And though this is interesting and all... 

Let's hear it from the Neal Adams: 

Denny O'Neil 

~the wordsmith~ 

a frequent collaborator of Adams 

passed away more than a year 

earlier... there was a touching 

tribute to him in the pages 

of the 80th anniversary 

of GREEN ARROW

special 2021 issue 

DEATH... COMES IN THREES 

it is said often... 

And the third death, announced 

~not by some harbinger 

but by the metastasis specialist~ 

hits the fanboy in me 

the hardest: 

GEORGE PÉREZ 

 I imagine George, now, on the other side 

joining a vast crowd of assembled souls 

~many legendary names, some completely unknown~ 

and they greet him with warmth, open arms 

and matching smiles, much like his own trademark grin 

- in a tremendous all-encompassing epic scene 

just like all the awesome artwork he accustomed us to 

all throughout his great, long career drawing for us! 

Adding insult to injury, 

on top of an inane YouTuber who chooses 

to call Pérez ''a Marvel artist'' 

when the majority of his landmark work 

was really done at DC ~ 

YouTube also manages to 

remind us that there is, also, 

another George Perez... 

They've been going away 

one-by-one, over time: 

Don Newton, Jim Aparo, 

Bob Haney... 

Stan Lee, most recently too... 

Jack Kirby, Paul Norris, 

Curt Swan... 

But when the comic-book creator 

who goes on... is one as pure, 

as devoted to his art 

as George was 

-he declared it many times; 

that all he ever wanted to do, 

to be, was comic-book artist 

unlike chaps like Stan 

that had always dreamt of 

Hollywood glitz- 

and when what takes him away 

from the fandom he created 

is such a horrible disease... 

It is just so very tragic. 

Tragedy on an even greater level 

than any of his best tales 

of strife, calamity... and death. 

I had, once upon a blue moon, 

dreamt of weaving such sagas 

with you George ~ 

it was twenty... 

twenty-five years ago? 

You were lending your name 

legacy and credibility 

to the Florida-based outfit 

called CROSSGEN...

The great promises of 

creator-owned paradise 

and unlimited pathways 

to create on several platforms 

turned out to be all smoke 

and mirrors - and they had 

used you, George... 

and abused me, dreamers 

like me... 

with empty promises 

that were simply not 

sustainable. 

Yet, I always think of it 

with fondness ~ 

because the all-too brief 

time that this prospect 

of working with George Pérez 

was nearly *there* 

~ the dream seemed plausible 

to see The George Pérez 

plot with me and draw 

my characters now, as 

he had drawn the heroes 

of my childhood. 

It was just a dream, 

of course ~ 

never meant to be. 

To have been given 

the privilege to enjoy 

your bewildering storytelling 

and magnificent art style 

on Justice League of America, 

Avengers, New Teen Titans, 

CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS... 

and so many other titles 

all these years 

of my fortunate formative 

years of life... 

THANK YOU. 

+++