GEORGE PÉREZ RECEIVES CBLDF DEFENDER OF LIBERTY AWARD

GEORGE PÉREZ has been honored with the 2000 DEFENDER OF LIBERTY AWARD. Bestowed by the COMIC BOOK LEGAL DEFENSE FUND, this annual award recognizes outstanding efforts to promote and protect free speech in the comics community. The award was presented to Pérez by 1999 Defender of Liberty BRIAN PULIDO on April 28 following the Harvey Awards at the PITTSBURGH COMICON.

Pérez is an industry veteran whose work has delighted fans for more than a quarter of a century. His epic work on "The Avengers," "The Teen Titans," and "Crisis On Infinite Earths" is superhero storytelling at its finest. He 's found renewed popularity re-assembling "The Avengers" with writer KURT BUSIEK, and his creator-owned comic "Crimson Plague" will re-launch with Gorilla Comics this summer. In recent years, Pérez has proven himself a consistent and gifted fundraiser for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and other charities.

"I'd like to let everyone know just how important the CBLDF is to me," said Pérez, "and to the entire comics industry. If we want to be creative, if we want to have a real variety of work out there, work that not only indulges people's fantasies but challenges their intellect, than nothing should be so sacred or profane that it cannot be talked about, or written about, or drawn about. The day we let a small faction of society say not 'we don't like what you're doing,' but 'we won't allow you to do it,' that's the day that every single principle of this country starts to fall apart. And I will do my damnedest to be the last man standing on that day if I have to be. But with the CBLDF I won't have to be the last man standing. I'll have an army with me."

True to his words, Pérez has raised well over $15,000 for the CBLDF in the last three years alone. In the process, he's alerted countless fans and industry professionals about the very real censorship issues which affect everyone in the comics community. "My modus operandi at all comic conventions is to choose a charity and donate every cent that I make from doing sketches," said Pérez. "It's a lot more meaningful and beneficial than simply making a donation. And by sketching non-stop for a full three day show, I've found I can really raise a lot of money."

Pérez's stamina at these marathon sketching sessions is legendary. He'll often sketch for more than eight hours at a time, and he's been known to take sketch orders back to his hotel room to finish after the convention floor closes. "As my wife will attest, when I get home I suffer from a severe case of not being twenty. You may see me as Iron Man, but you don't see me at home when all the bolts start to fall out. I'm at full throttle at conventions because I get to watch the fans at their best. When you tell them where the money is going, the good vibes I get just make me want to do more. It's a great feeling to inspire a fan or another professional to help out. There's a lot of good out there, and I get to see it first-hand. I leave shows feeling incredible."

Fans of Pérez's work aren't the only ones to come out for these events. He' s often joined by his friends and fellow comics professionals, including Busiek, "Avengers" colorist TOM SMITH, and Crimson Plague models DINA SIMMONS and SHANNON LOWER. With their assistance, Pérez raised $3,000 over three days at Wizard World 1999, and over $2,000 in just one day at Megacon 2000. "The next show I do," he promised, "I've got some records to break!"

Pérez will be doing more charitable work, and not just for the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund. His next scheduled appearance is at HEROES CON (June 16-18 in Charlotte, NC) where he'll be raising money for the CBLDF and the Burned Children's Fund. After that, look for him at BIG EASY CON 2001 (Memorial Day weekend in New Orleans), where he'll be helping out the CBLDF before boarding MAKING WAVES, the second CBLDF fundraising cruise. Pérez has also raised thousands of dollars for the Make-A Wish-Foundation and to benefit those suffering from muscular dystrophy and diabetes.

"When I read about some of the cases the CBLDF funds," admitted Pérez, "I might be unfamiliar with some of the books involved. But that doesn't matter. I have the choice to read them or not. The fact that I have that choice is what makes the CBLDF so important. I don't want someone else telling me what I can and can't read. I'm a 45 year old artist, I should have that right.

"It's both an honor and an inspiration to be recognized with the Defender of Liberty," he continued. "I hope the fact that I'm such a mainstream comics artist makes my dedication to the Fund all the more meaningful. There are those out there who will try to stop a comic book because they say it might encourage a child to put on a cape and try to fly out a window! We've all got to be vigilant. I'll have no one to blame but myself if something were to happen to me and the CBLDF wasn't there because I didn't choose to support it when I didn't need to. None of us can afford to be complacent. If we love this industry, hard times and good times, we have to fight to protect it. No creator or retailer or fan should think themselves so safe that they don't need the CBLDF."

The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is a non-profit organization protecting First Amendment rights in the comics community. Donations and inquiries should be directed to the CBLDF at P.O. Box 693, Northampton, MA 01061. For more CBLDF news and information, pick up a copy of "Busted!," the Fund's free quarterly newsletter, or visit the CBLDF web-site at http://www.cbldf.org.