Kim 2008, by John Ostrander

John Ostrander

John Ostrander started his career as a professional writer as a playwright. His best known effort, Bloody Bess, was directed by Stuart Gordon, and starred Dennis Franz, Joe Mantegna, William J. Norris, Meshach Taylor and Joe Mantegna. He has written some of the most important influential comic books of the past 25 years, including Batman, The Spectre, Manhunter, Firestorm, Hawkman, Suicide Squad, Wasteland, X-Men, and The Punisher, as well as Star Wars comics for Dark Horse. New episodes of his creator-owned series, GrimJack, which was first published by First Comics in the 1980s, appear every week on ComicMix.

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13 Responses

  1. Rick Taylor says:

    John – Life does throw us curves, it’s how we field those that gets us through. I remember the talks Kim and I had about how devastating the effectsof AIDS had been on both our families and friends. I found great comfort in those discussions.

    She was always amongst one of the first to volunteer for the AIDS Walk team Martha, Phyliss and I chaired for DC.

    She always contributed to making that day really upbeat and fun where normally I’d be just about ready to fall apart inside.

    I really miss her smile.

  2. Elayne Riggs says:

    *snif* I miss Kim too. Thanks for the remembrances.

  3. Marilee J. Layman says:

    Wonderful memories, John. I know Mia and Glenn McDavid – they come to Minicon.

  4. Rick Taylor says:

    I really like stories about how couples come together.When it's comics folk, there's no way you could script this kinda stuff.:)

  5. Howard Johnson says:

    John–Great column. I can't believe she's been gone ten years. She was wonderful, all right…

    • John Ostrander says:

      Thanks, Howard. Kim would have adored being mentioned in your your great new bio on Del Close (thanks for the copy, btw). I suppose it’s not impossible that wherever she and Del are they’re discussing magic and the like. Kim was possibly and Episcopal Wiccan.

  6. Michael Davis says:

    I have a serious short term memory problem and limited long term memory for things unless they are major events in my life. I remember the moment when you introduced me to Kim and the moment I heard that she passed.It seems like forever since the last time I saw her and it feels like I just saw her yesterday.

  7. Hilary Barta says:

    John,

    Kim was so full of life she bubbled. I can still hear her getting excited about the Foody story she wrote for me. She would burst out in a laugh–no mere girlie giggle for Kim–more of a full on snort. This type of unguarded enthusiasm was new to me. I’d met far too many in comics who projected a wall of jaded sophistication, perhaps from having to survive all those difficult geeky years. Here’s to Kim.

  8. Rich Markow says:

    John,
    Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Kim & you.

  9. C. Straw says:

    John: There I was 10 years ago. I was 30 without a clue and still reeling from some body blows life gave me. I was working at a comics shop and reading every backissue of The Grinner I could get my hands on. I don't remember exactly when I heard about your loss, but I do remember my feelings at that time. You wrote something somewhere that simply reflected the love that I had/have for my wife. You said it all so clearly. At that time I would never have imagined being married.. Until I read what you wrote and realized that in my heart I already was. I proposed somewhat later. After some bumps and stumbles we got it together. My son is 4. Marriage is fun (relatively). You and Kim helped get me there. Thank you Both.Peace & Blessings.-Clyde Straw

  10. Russ Rogers says:

    The Long Memory of the Internet

    I Googled "Kim Yale" after reading this tribute and the first thing that popped up was another tribute written five years ago.

    http://www.comicscommunity.com/boards/ostrander/?noframes;read=1001#Responses

    Thinking of John and Kim and how John’s writing improved under Kim’s influence and how Kim came to be involved with comics under John’s influence (I fondly remember her issues of Manhunter), I was reminded of Reed Waller and Kate Worley. "Omaha the Cat Dancer" became SO much better a comic after she started writing for it! So I Googled Kate Worley. (I guess I’m in a mood.) I was sad to discover that she had also died of cancer. Here is a nice tribute page to her at: http://www.kateworley.com/

    Thank you, John, for this loving tribute to Kim.

  11. Anonymous says:

    The news of Kim's passing was, bar none, the worst birthday present I ever got.You two were great together, John.