The following is a statement from George Perez regarding his health and hospitalization during the East Coast Comic Convention:

I am so genuinely flattered, humbled, and grateful for all the emails, texts, phone calls and messages that I’ve received regarding my latest medical situation. 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. It was mild and sporadic at first, but became more intense after I checked into my hotel in New Jersey.

I called the front desk and they called for an ambulance. I also phoned my longtime friend and art agent Spencer Beck, who contacted my wife Carol, who was visiting friends in England. He figured correctly that news of my affliction and possible speculations could fill the social networks, and didn’t want Carol to find out that way. At first it was speculated that I may have had blood clots that may have reached my heart or lungs, but a second EKG determined that I had indeed suffered a heart attack with some rather severe blockage in some of the vessels.

As of this writing, I have already undergone one operation to place a stent to clear the blockage on the right side of my heart and am scheduled to have the left side taken care of today. So far, recovery has been going well and life should be relatively normal after that, although I may have to pull back on the non-stop sketching-marathons that people have come to expect from me at conventions. There may even be a few cancelations, depending on medical advice.

I apologize in advance to those I may disappoint. With this new medical wrinkle added to my past issues regarding my eyesight, there are likely a good number of you feeling a bit sorry for me. Please, don’t be. I’ve had a great run and have been blessed not only with a great career, but also, thanks to all of you nice people buying video games, t-shirts, action figures, collected editions, and watching all those movies and TV shows, my royalty income allows me financial security for life. There are so many of my peers who do not have that luxury. Unfair, but true. So, if these bits of misfortune do need to happen to someone, let it be me. Granted, my output may be curtailed, but I will still be drawing, and loving it as much as ever. Thank you all for caring.

See you in the funny papers.

George Pérez

For those of you who wish to send Mr. Perez your well-wishes, you can email him at gpzpacesetter@mac.com