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.

Trivia

• JMS is the creator of the word spoo.
• The asteroid 8379 Straczynski, discovered in 1992 at the Kitt Peak National Observatory, was named in honor of Straczynski.
• Straczynski appears in a cameo role as a technician in the final episode of Babylon 5, which he also directed.
• In 2004 Straczynski was approached by Paramount Studios to become a producer of the ' series. He declined, believing that he would not be allowed to take the show in the direction he felt it should go. He did write a treatment for a new Star Trek series, and there are persistent rumors that he might be asked to develop another Trek series in the future.
• Straczynski is often credited as being the first TV producer to directly engage with its fans on Usenet and have their comment impact the look and feel of a show (in this case, Babylon 5).