AVENGERS/JLA #1

Topic: JLA/AVENGERS PANEL
posted 5/6/03 0:37 AM

Mr. Perez finished up the next two minutes of his opening comments with how a lot of people didn't know he was inking himself on the project. How his income went down 60% during the year he was exclusively working on JLA/Avengers since he has been working on page rate for the project (if that doesn't show his love for this project I don't know what will).

He also said next to "When is CRIMSON PLAGUE #3 coming out?" is the question he is asked the most is what is the status Of JLA/AVENGERS.

Mr. Perez then opened up the floor to questions.

To be continued...

Name: George Pérez
Date/Time: 3/3/2001 4:52 AM
Subject: Official at last.

Body: Although this should come as little surprise, it’s now official: CRIMSON PLAGUE is cancelled. Issue 2 was the last issue.
First of all, I want to apologize to everyone who will be hurt, angered, or otherwise disappointed by this news. I’m sorry that it’s taken me so long to address this matter, but there were several individuals and innocent parties who were going to be affected negatively if I announced CP’s cancellation any earlier. I also want to thank those who defended me when certain fans decided to vent their anger within these boards. While I do not condone the use of profane language on a public forum and cannot personally abide sheer rudeness, personal attacks and lack of courtesy toward others, I can certainly understand a fan’s feelings of betrayal. But, believe it or not, no one’s more hurt and disappointed about all this than I am. When all the figures came in on the released issues of CRIMSON PLAGUE, my personal loss was in excess of $20,000. If I continued working on the book with the sales figures being what they are, I was looking at a projected grand total loss of $50,000 for the entire series. There are a lot of reasons for this: One was the loss of Gorilla’s initial funding which forced us to work without pay and finance the books ourselves.

Another was the general doldrums of the industry. Another was the loss of production time caused by our scrambling to get ourselves reorganized and prioritizing paid work in favor of getting further ahead on our respective books, but at least helping to finance them. However, in my own case, health problems forced me off the profitable AVENGERS series and thus obliterated my main source of income that helped me keep the regrettably unprofitable CRIMSON PLAGUE afloat, albeit in a leaky boat.

Signing on as Senior Artist at CrossGen was a golden opportunity I couldn’t pass up. They offered me a more relaxed schedule with a good salary and, quite importantly, a medical benefits package that was superior to the ones offered by either Marvel or DC (who would both require greater page outputs to qualify for coverage). Originally, this would have allowed me the resources to continue CRIMSON PLAGUE—until fate intervened. CrossGen had already allowed me the freedom to work on the long-awaited JLA/AVENGERS project that was aborted on me almost two decades ago. And, as some of you may know, it has finally been green-lighted by Marvel and DC. I begin working on it in April for a late 2002 release (at the earliest), getting an extended leave of absence from CrossGen in order to work on it exclusively. With these two profitable projects finally in place, and with the chance to not only get myself out of heavy debt, but to actually come out financially ahead, there was just no getting around it. CRIMSON PLAGUE had to go.

Some have said that I don’t owe anything but the quality of my work to any fan. However, in this case I think I do owe something more. I owe all of you an explanation. I’m just sorry it took so long in coming. However, the one person I owe everything to is my wife, who has watched patiently, but concernedly, as my pet project, while emotionally and creatively rewarding, was wearing us both down physically, emotionally and financially. For those who will never pick up another thing I draw or write, I’m sorry to lose you. But, at the end of the day, my duty to my wife, to my household, far outweighs any fan’s disappointment. And whether you agree or approve of my decisions in that regard—quite frankly, is unimportant. I’m just sorry that your ire was fueled to such fiery intensity by my silence.

I’m assuming that this part of the Gorilla website will be removed eventually, although I’m not sure what this means for the entire site itself. There are 15 pages from the third issue that have been drawn that perhaps I’ll have printed somewhere someday, just so they find some audience. So, to DiNA:, Shannon, Bernie, Kevin, Cross, Nick and all of you who’ve seen me through the tough times: Thank you. You have my eternal gratitude and affection. I hope that my work on CROSSGEN CHRONICLES and JLA/AVENGERS will help soothe whatever disappointments and inconveniences I’ve caused you.

Take care,
George Pérez

Name: George Pérez
E-Mail: george@apenation.com
Date/Time: 11/24/2000 5:33 AM
Subject: CRIMSON PLAGUE delays

Body: In response to several concerned e-mails I've received, I figured I'd better explain why CP #3 isn't hitting the stands this year.
Due to personal, medical and financial complications, CRIMSON PLAGUE #3 has been delayed until April. My doctor says I have to work harder on getting my blood sugar and blood pressure levels closer to normal to avoid a more aggressive medication routine and the schedule I was following on CP was not allowing for that. That was, as most of you will recall, the reason I had to drop the highly profitable AVENGERS. Since I don't receive any money for writing and drawing CP until months after its release, I've had to fill my current schedule with paying work to make up for some of the down time. Image and Gorilla didn't want to cancel CP (since its initial numbers for issue #4 were quite promising) and are willing to wait until I get it done. This and other wonderful sentiments of support from fans and pros are very gratifying and encouraging. I have seven pages to go on the third issue and should be re-starting CP in January. In the meantime, I'm having a ball working on the 5-page WESTWIND preview for SECTION ZERO #6 and CROSSGEN CHRONICLES, which many are considering some of my best work ever. Hopefully, all you fans will agree.
Thanks for your concern and understanding,
GPz

Just thought I'd pass this along: I was looking at the schedule of upcoming comic releases at comiclist.com and I came across a new ship date for CRIMSON PLAGUE #3; it has apparently been pushed back from a November 29, 2000 (originally Previews listed it for an October release; see related CP#3 Will Be Late) release date to an April 4, 2001(!) release date. I certainly hope comiclist.com got the date wrong, but they're usually very reliable.

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From comiclist.com:

Crimson Plague #3  AUG001202   11/29   04/04
Spawn #101         JUN001019   11/15   11/29

The hunt for the CRIMSON PLAUGE begins -- but is DiNA: the hunted -- or the hunter? BLOOD TRAIL on sale in October!

Crimson Plague #3
(s/a) George Perez
(c) Tom Smith

"Award winning creator George Perez's groundbreaking series!" Deep within the underground catacombs of Mars, the MannaWorks 2 Police Department and the Planetary Special Task Force band together with EcoTech personnel to hunt down the beautiful killer that has been terrorizing the streets of the Martian industrial complex. But what good are even the most powerful weapons when they are set against a creature whose every would could spout horrible toxins capale of destroying them all ? And what exactly is brothel madam Lovely Rita's part in all this ? And what does all this have to do with EcoTech's orbiting observation satellite that suddenly explodes over the Earth ? The answers are blowing in the wind-like a plague.

FC 32pp $2.50