Given that George left us only 24 hours ago, it seems fitting that today we take a look at the final portion of the PEREZ: ACCENT ON THE FIRST E Fanzine/Portfolio that Omnibus published in 1977, one of the first instances when George’s work was singled out among his peers for praise and attention. This was still very early in his professional career and he was continuing to develop his skills–his work would grow far more accomplished and polished in time. But these pieces all do have the enthusiasm of youth and of somebody who is doing exactly what he wants to be doing.
The Tom Brevoort Experience 
Tom, what was “The Death Squad” (coming in 1978)?
LikeLike
It was a creator-owned science fiction-based series that George was planning to do. But nothing ever happened with it. In 1978, there were far fewer outlets for such work.
LikeLike
Thanks for the reply! I thought I had missed a Perez goodie!
LikeLike
RIP, again, to a true legend. I bought his first Avengers comic with the Beast bouncing through Manhattan, inked by Vince Colletta. George Perez is a major influence on my work. This is a very sad day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A magnificent artist, gone far too soon but left a treasure trove of great work.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t like every story he illustrated but I did love the way he illustrated everything of his I read. We’ve lost yet another of the top tier greats.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Another one of “The Greats” has left us, but we still have his work and the memories it inspires.
LikeLike
That Spectre is very Aparo-influenced. The face, and the way Aparo drew abdominal muscles. Looking at these “proto” Perez pics, especially what might be a John Carter drawing, it’s possible to see where either Starlin influenced George’s early stuff, or they shared similar influences. But George did some fine tuning that moved his art much farther from Starlin’s. George’s Beast’s face & Starlin’s Pip the Troll’s. I know George worked w/ Rich Buckler. That may have helped guide George to a more naturalistic approach as he progressed. Strange to see Wolverine in that Cockrum costume for one of the Imperial Guard, the “Timber Wolf” analogue. I remember it was supposed to be Logan’s new suit. I’m glad it didn’t last.
He was one f the greats. His characters’ emotional expressiveness. His page layouts. He told thoughtful, difficult, labor intensive stories as well as anyone, and better than most.
LikeLike
Didn’t most artists homage Aparo on the Spectre to some degree through the decades?
LikeLike
There’s homage & there’s copying. I mean George was just starting out. His own Spectre years later was uniquely his, the way he would come to draw the human figure. Not dumping on anyone, just noting the obvious.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A very quick note, as I have one of the originals from Pérez : Accent on the First E. In fact, I was one of the models in an era long before the term “cosplay” had been invented.
George’s first art book was reproduced from his pencils, _not_ inked. The quality of the scans might not have been ideal – the book dates from forty-five years ago – and the printing wasn’t perfect. George Pérez was striving to create a body of work with that book that would show the incredible variety of subjects and themes that he could offer. I would say that he succeeded as the years to follow the publication proved his ability to take on about anything he tried to accomplish.
Any “flaws” in what is taken as inking are very much a product of scanning/printing in that period and the modern scans from the decades-old book. The quality of the penciled originals, which I saw most of in that period as he drew them, is incredibly better than what most people see now.
LikeLike