J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski(July 17, 1954 - ), (full name Joseph Michael Straczynski, often shortened to the initialism JMS in common usage) has been a writer and/or producer for numerous television shows, including Jake and the Fatman, Murder, She Wrote, The New Twilight Zone, Captain Power, The Real Ghostbusters, Babylon 5, Crusade, and Jeremiah. He is the creator of Babylon 5 and Crusade.He is the author of three horror novels -- Othersyde, Demon Knight, and Tribulations -- and a compilation of short stories, Tales from the New Twilight Zone.
He has been the writer for many comic books, including Midnight Nation (Top Cow) and Rising Stars (Top Cow), both of which he created, and Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel). In 2003 he was hired by Marvel Comics to reboot the Squadron Supreme series; the new series went on sale in August 2003, and was titled Supreme Power. Upcoming Marvel comic book work will include a Doctor Strange miniseries.
He has finished producing the second season of Jeremiah, a post-apocalyptic science fiction television series for the cable network Showtime, and is preparing a big-budget studio movie version of Rising Stars and Midnight Nation, and is currently working on other science-fiction television projects.
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.
He has written the book The Complete Book of Scriptwriting, which has been found insightful to many aspiring authors. In the book Straczynski cites Mignon McLaughlin: "Anyone can write. The trouble with writers is that they can't do anything else." Throughout the book it becomes clear that he perceives himself as one of these hopeless writers.
References
