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John Ostrander

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John Ostrander
"It's a myth... It's not science fiction."
―John Ostrander on Star Wars[src]

John Ostrander is a prolific comic book author who has written several titles set in the Star Wars universe, often with Jan Duursema as his artist.

Ostrander is currently the writer on Star Wars: Legacy for Dark Horse Comics. He also contributed greatly to Star Wars: Republic series, and many of his story arcs, such as "Twilight", "Darkness", and "The Clone Wars" stories, are available in trade paperbacks. He is also working on a new Dark Horse project titled Star Wars: Vector. He was considered as a writer for Star Wars: The Clone Wars, but not hired because the producer wanted writers with experience in TV animation. Ostrander would have written an episode involving Quinlan Vos.[1]

Contents

[edit] Biography

Originally an actor in a Chicago theatre company, he moved into writing comics in 1983. His first published works were stories about "Sargon, Mistress of War" published in the First Comics series "Warp", based on a series of plays by that same Chicago theatre company. He is co-creator of the character GrimJack with Timothy Truman, published originally as a back up story in the First Comics title, Starslayer, before going on to appear in a comic of the same name, again published by First Comics in the mid 1980s. First Comics ceased publication in 1991, and Ostrander went on to work at other comics companies.

Prior to his career in comic books, Ostrander studied theology with the intent of becoming a Catholic priest. His in-depth explorations of morality were later used in his work writing The Spectre, a DC Comics series about the manifestation of the wrath of God. His focus is on the character's human aspect, a dead cop named Jim Corrigan, and his exploration of moral and theological themes brought new life to a character often thought of as impossible to write. He has also worked on Firestorm, Justice League, Martian Manhunter, Manhunter, Suicide Squad, and Wasteland for DC.

Ostrander frequently co-wrote with his wife Kim Yale from the mid-1980s until her death from breast cancer in 1997. It was while working with her that he made what is probably his most lasting contribution to the DC Universe: the recasting of Barbara Gordon, the former Batgirl, into the information and computer specialist Oracle.

At Marvel comics, Ostrander has also worked on X-Men, Bishop, Quicksilver, Heroes for Hire and the Punisher.

Ostrander has also written for other comics companies: Hotspur for Eclipse Comics; Lady Death for Chaos! Comics; Magnus, Robot Fighter, Rai and the Future Force, and Eternal Warrior for Valiant Comics.

Ostrander has also written a Doctor Who audio drama for Big Finish Productions. Titled Deadman's Hand, the story was originally announced for release in 2004; it has since been delayed twice, and now appears on Big Finish's pages in a Future Releases section without any scheduled release date. As announced, the story was to feature the Seventh Doctor, Ace and Hex.

His work has won him a good deal of recognition in the comics field, including nominations for the Comic Buyer's Guide Award for Favorite Writer in 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000.

[edit] Cameo

Ostrander actually made a cameo in the Daring New Adventures of Supergirl 1, when the heroine, Linda Danvers, meets her new neighbour.[2]

John Ostrander in Supergirl

John Ostrander himself described the curiosity as follows:

It's true. Paul Kupperberg, who was writing Supergirl at the time, lived across the street from me. We're friends. So he popped me into the cast without telling me. This was just before or just as I was starting my own comics' writing career. I don't remember what happened to my alter-ego. Maybe I should have killed him off in Suicide Squad. Might've been appropriate.[3]

[edit] Star Wars bibliography

[edit] Boba Fett

[edit] Tales

[edit] The Clone Wars

[edit] Republic

[edit] Jedi

[edit] Legacy

[edit] Notes and references

  1. ↑ Dark Horse Forums - The Clone Wars TV SHOW on Cartoon Network: WOWOWOW
  2. ↑ Star Wars Legacy: Not Bad!
  3. ↑ Dark Horse Forums - John Ostrander used to be in Supergirl?!

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/John_Ostrander"