J. Michael Straczynski

Joseph Michael Straczynski (born July 17, 1954) is an award-winning American writer/producer of television series, novels, short stories, comic books, and radio dramas. He is also a playwright, journalist and author of a well-regarded tome on scriptwriting. He is most famous as the creator, executive producer and head writer for the science fiction TV series Babylon 5 and Crusade. Straczynski wrote most of the Babylon 5 episodes, notably an unbroken 59-episode run including all of the third and fourth seasons. He is also a noted participant in Usenet and other early computer networks, interacting with fans through various online forums (including GEnie, CompuServe, and America Online) since 1985. He is a friend and collaborator with speculative fiction author Harlan Ellison, a student and friend of Norman Corwin and an outspoken admirer of the work of Rod Serling.

Comic books

Straczynski has long been a comic aficionado, and wrote a few comics during the 1980s, namely an issue of Teen Titans Spotlight, The Twilight Zone, and Star Trek. With the exception of the Babylon 5 comics, television work took over most of his writing duties throughout the 1980s and 1990s, until 1999 when he started writing Rising Stars for Top Cow / Image Comics. Eventually he worked mostly under his own imprint, Joe's Comics, for which he also wrote the critically acclaimed Midnight Nation miniseries, and the illustrated fantasy parable Delicate Creatures.

Related Topics:
1980s - Teen Titans - The Twilight Zone - Star Trek - Babylon 5 - 1990s - 1999 - Rising Stars - Top Cow - Image Comics - Joe's Comics - Midnight Nation - Delicate Creatures

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Soon, Straczynski developed a good reputation in the comics industry, and Marvel Comics signed him to an exclusive contract with a highly regarded (and high selling) run on The Amazing Spider-Man, Marvel's flagship title, including the somewhat controversial ASM #36 where Spiderman deals with the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center and ASM #509-514 in which Peter Parker/Spiderman has to deal with the memory and past actions of his dead Girlfriend Gwen Stacy. Other successful titles for Marvel followed.

Related Topics:
Marvel Comics - The Amazing Spider-Man - World Trade Center - Gwen Stacy

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Straczynski's work for Marvel includes:

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• The Amazing Spider-Man - from Vol. 2, Issue 30
• Supreme Power - acclaimed 2003 reboot of the old Squadron Supreme
• Strange: Beginnings and Endings - miniseries detailing Doctor Strange's origins
• Fantastic Four - from Issue 527
• Dream Police - under the Icon Comics imprint
• The Book of Lost Souls - ongoing series, starting in September 2005, Icon Comics imprint
• Bullet Points - miniseries, 2006
• Silver Surfer - miniseries, 2006