Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:59PM9 comments ›
Sun Apr 20, 2008 — by Aaron Rosenberg
Happy Birthday: John Ostrander
One of ComicMix's favorite writers!
Born in 1949, ComicMix creator/columnist John Ostrander loved comics from early on but initially followed a different love: religion. Raised Roman Catholic, Ostrander wanted to become a priest and attended a year of seminary before deciding it wasn’t right for him. Instead he turned to acting.
Ostrander was part of a Chicago theater company in the early '80s, and in addition to acting he co-wrote a play called Bloody Bess with William J. Norris. ComicMix Editor-in-Chief Mike Gold was starting First Comics at the time and had seen and liked the play—he knew Ostrander was a big comics fan and invited him to try his hand at writing comics. Ostrander wrote several stories for First’s Warp series before creating the character of GrimJack.
By the time First Comics closed in 1991, Ostrander was working for other comic companies as well, and he continued to do so. He has written The Spectre, Firestorm, Justice League of America, and Wasteland for DC, X-Men, Heroes for Hire, and The Punisher for Marvel, Lady Death for Chaos!, Eternal Warrior for Valiant, Star Wars: Republic for Dark Horse, and many many others. Ostrander has also written audio plays and short stories, and he currently writes for ComicMix, producing both a regular column and new issues of GrimJack and Munden's Bar.
Jump to comments (9)
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Comments (9)
Martha Thomases (6:03 PM on Sun Apr 20, 2008)
Many more happies, JO! I didn't realize we were practically twins.
Russ Rogers (9:12 PM on Sun Apr 20, 2008)
Happy Birthday, John. It's my daughter's 4th birthday today as well! :)
Elayne Riggs (5:23 PM on Mon Apr 21, 2008)
Happy belated, John! Missed you at the con!
Mike Gold (6:25 PM on Mon Apr 21, 2008)
Actually, John and I went back about a decade before First Comics, although we met through the Stuart Gordon connection. He's a fine stage actor and a great playwright; their loss is truly comics' gain.
Rick Taylor (4:40 PM on Tue Apr 22, 2008)
Many hugs, big guy! We were in Charleston with our extended family in Ireland.
I turned 50(!!!!!!) last week.
I know, whiner.
John Ostrander (5:09 PM on Tue Apr 22, 2008)
Ah, you're a pup! A PUP!
Rick Taylor (5:19 PM on Tue Apr 22, 2008)
OKAY,
Arf! Arf!
You and Martha!
I get no pity.
Anywho. The FIRST gang is special to me, I cut my teeth there.
I cherish the miles we have together. There are only a few people who follow me through almost the WHOLE mess.
More big hugz, bud.
Rick Oliver (8:40 PM on Wed Apr 23, 2008)
First Comics? Never heard of 'em. What kinda name is that anyway? (I'm still trying to convince people that "gargantumima" is much funnier than "ginormous".)
Rick Taylor (8:52 PM on Wed Apr 23, 2008)
I'm still waiting for the trades of Starsluggo and Alter Eggo.