BCC: George Perez Spotlight Panel

CBR reports: Among the first events to pull people out from lines in Artist Alley was the Spotlight on George Perez panel, highlighting the legendary artist and Guest of Honor's 35 years in the comics industry.

Perez began with some news for Titans aficionados. Though he said he is turning down more work than he can possibly accept right now, Perez's parter-in-crime Marv Wolfman apparently found the plot to a Titans graphic novel entitled "Games" that was lost long ago. The book will be out by October of 2010 and will run 120 pages.

"It cannot come out later than 2010 if we want the anniversary to mean a damn thing," Perez said, after explaining that the release of "Games" would mark the 30th year since his and Wolfman's "New Teen Titans" began.

The first five pages had already been drawn and inked by Perez, while the next 25 were inked years ago by Al Vey. Perez also related that DC would be resurrecting the comic book dimensions from when the book was initially drawn and plotted to print "Games." As Perez begins to draw the final 90 pages over the next year, Mike Perkins ("Captain America") will ink his pages. Perkins is now Marvel-exclusive but had a waiver in his contract that would allow him to help Perez finish this Titans graphic novel.

"Anyone who saw Mike ink me at CrossGen knows what a good match we make," Perez said.

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When asked if he'd be interested in writing again, Perez stated simply, "I don't think I ever want to write again." He expounded on that by saying that writing in comics nowadays takes a special kind of intestinal fortitude with the universes being so integrated and crossovers being such popular fare. Perez also explained that he was offered a position as the writer of "Teen Titans," but would have had certain story mandates he needed to follow and that didn't interest him. He explained it was the company's right to ask for these things with their characters, but if that is the case. he'd rather just draw.

"I'd rather leave it to guys with a lot stronger guts and a lot less fragile ego than I have," he said.