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- "It's a myth... It's not science fiction."
- ―John Ostrander on Star Wars
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 has been the writer of many popular Dark Horse Comics, including Star Wars: Legacy, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi and has also contributed greatly to Star Wars: Republic, along with many other series. Many of his story arcs, such as "Twilight", "Darkness", and "The Clone Wars" stories, are available in trade paperbacks. He also worked on Star Wars: Vector. He was even 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]
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.
Cameo
Ostrander actually made a cameo in the Daring New Adventures of Supergirl 1, when the heroine, Linda Danvers, meets her new neighbor.[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]
Star Wars bibliography
Star Wars: Agent of the Empire
- Agent of the Empire—Iron Eclipse, Part 1 (2011)
- Agent of the Empire—Iron Eclipse, Part 2 (2012)
- Agent of the Empire—Iron Eclipse, Part 3 (2012)
- Agent of the Empire—Iron Eclipse, Part 4 (2012)
- Agent of the Empire—Iron Eclipse, Part 5 (2012)
- Agent of the Empire—Hard Targets, Part 1 (2012)
- Agent of the Empire—Hard Targets, Part 2 (2012)
- Agent of the Empire—Hard Targets, Part 3 (2012)
- Agent of the Empire—Hard Targets, Part 4 (2013)
- Agent of the Empire—Hard Targets, Part 5 (2013)
Boba Fett
Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm 1 (2012)
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm 2 (2012)
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm 3 (2012)
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm 4 (2012)
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force Storm 5 (2012)
- Dawn of the Jedi: The Prisoner of Bogan 1 (2012)
- Dawn of the Jedi: The Prisoner of Bogan 2 (2012)
- Dawn of the Jedi: The Prisoner of Bogan 3 (2013)
- Dawn of the Jedi: The Prisoner of Bogan 4 (2013)
- Dawn of the Jedi: The Prisoner of Bogan 5 (2013)
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 1 (2013)
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 2 (2013)
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 3 (2014)
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 4 (2014)
- Dawn of the Jedi: Force War 5 (2014)
Tales
- "Deal with a Demon" in Star Wars Tales 3 (2000)
- "Bad Business" — Star Wars Tales 8 in Star Wars Tales 8 (2001)
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
Republic
- Star Wars 19: Twilight, Part 1 (2000)
- Star Wars 20: Twilight, Part 2 (2000)
- Star Wars 21: Twilight, Part 3 (2000)
- Star Wars 22: Twilight, Part 4 (2000)
- Star Wars 32: Darkness, Part 1 (2001)
- Star Wars 33: Darkness, Part 2 (2001)
- Star Wars 34: Darkness, Part 3 (2001)
- Star Wars 35: Darkness, Part 4 (2001)
- Star Wars 36: The Stark Hyperspace War, Part 1 (2001)
- Star Wars 37: The Stark Hyperspace War, Part 2 (2001)
- Star Wars 38: The Stark Hyperspace War, Part 3 (2002)
- Star Wars 39: The Stark Hyperspace War, Part 4 (2002)
- Star Wars 40: The Devaronian Version, Part 1 (2002)
- Star Wars 41: The Devaronian Version, Part 2 (2002)
- Star Wars 42: Rite of Passage, Part 1 (2002)
- Star Wars 43: Rite of Passage, Part 2 (2002)
- Star Wars 44: Rite of Passage, Part 3 (2002)
- Star Wars 45: Rite of Passage, Part 4 (2002)
- Republic 46: Honor and Duty, Part 1 (2002)
- Republic 47: Honor and Duty, Part 2 (2002)
- Republic 48: Honor and Duty, Part 3 (2003)
- Republic 49: Sacrifice (2003)
- Republic 50: The Defense of Kamino (2003)
- Republic 54: Double Blind (2003)
- Republic 59: Enemy Lines (2003)
- Republic 61: Dead Ends (2004)
- Republic 62: No Man's Land (2004)
- Republic 63: Striking from the Shadows (2004)
- Republic 64: Bloodlines (2004)
- Republic 65: Show of Force, Part 1 (2004)
- Republic 66: Show of Force, Part 2 (2004)
- Republic 68: Armor (2004)
- Republic 69: Dreadnaughts of Rendili, Part 1 (2004)
- Republic 70: Dreadnaughts of Rendili, Part 2 (2004)
- Republic 71: Dreadnaughts of Rendili, Part 3 (2004)
- Republic 72: Trackdown, Part 1 (2004)
- Republic 73: Trackdown, Part 2 (2005)
- Republic 74: Siege of Saleucami, Part 1 (2005)
- Republic 75: Siege of Saleucami, Part 2 (2005)
- Republic 76: Siege of Saleucami, Part 3 (2005)
- Republic 77: Siege of Saleucami, Part 4 (2005)
- Republic 78: Loyalties (2005)
- Republic 81: Hidden Enemy, Part 1 (2005)
- Republic 82: Hidden Enemy, Part 2 (2005)
- Republic 83: Hidden Enemy, Part 3 (2005)
Jedi
- Jedi: Mace Windu (2003)
- Jedi: Shaak Ti (2003)
- Jedi: Aayla Secura (2003)
- Jedi: Count Dooku (2003)
- Jedi: Barriss Offee (cancelled)
Legacy
- Star Wars: Legacy 0 (2006)
- Star Wars: Legacy 0½ (2008)
- Legacy 1: Broken, Part 1 (2006)
- Legacy 2: Broken, Part 2 (2006)
- Legacy 3: Broken, Part 3 (2006)
- Legacy 4: Noob (2006)
- Legacy 5: Broken, Part 4 (2006)
- Legacy 6: Broken, Part 5 (2006)
- Legacy 7: Broken, Part 6 (2007)
- Legacy 8: Allies (2007)
- Legacy 9: Trust Issues, Part 1 (2007)
- Legacy 10: Trust Issues, Part 2 (2007)
- Legacy 11: Ghosts, Part 1 (2007)
- Legacy 12: Ghosts, Part 2 (2007)
- Legacy 13: Ready to Die (2007)
- Legacy 14: Claws of the Dragon, Part 1 (2007)
- Legacy 15: Claws of the Dragon, Part 2 (2007)
- Legacy 16: Claws of the Dragon, Part 3 (2007)
- Legacy 17: Claws of the Dragon, Part 4 (2007)
- Legacy 18: Claws of the Dragon, Part 5 (2007)
- Legacy 19: Claws of the Dragon, Part 6 (2008)
- Legacy 20: Indomitable, Part 1 (2008)
- Legacy 21: Indomitable, Part 2 (2008)
- Legacy 22: The Wrath of the Dragon (2008)
- Legacy 23: Loyalties, Part 1 (2008)
- Legacy 24: Loyalties, Part 2 (2008)
- Legacy 25: The Hidden Temple, Part 1 (2008)
- Legacy 26: The Hidden Temple, Part 2 (2008)
- Legacy 27: Into the Core (2008)
- Legacy 28: Vector, Part 9 (2008)
- Legacy 29: Vector, Part 10 (2008)
- Legacy 30: Vector, Part 11 (2008)
- Legacy 31: Vector, Part 12 (2008)
- Legacy 32: Fight Another Day, Part 1 (2009)
- Legacy 33: Fight Another Day, Part 2 (2009)
- Legacy 34: Storms, Part 1 (2009)
- Legacy 35: Storms, Part 2 (2009)
- Legacy 36: Renegade (2009)
- Legacy 37: Tatooine, Part 1 (2009)
- Legacy 38: Tatooine, Part 2 (2009)
- Legacy 39: Tatooine, Part 3 (2009)
- Legacy 40: Tatooine, Part 4 (2009)
- Legacy 41: Rogue's End (2009)
- Legacy 42: Divided Loyalties (2009)
- Legacy 43: Monster, Part 1 (2010)
- Legacy 44: Monster, Part 2 (2010)
- Legacy 45: Monster, Part 3 (2010)
- Legacy 46: Monster, Part 4 (2010)
- Legacy 47: The Fate of Dac (2010)
- Legacy 48: Extremes, Part 1 (2010)
- Legacy 49: Extremes, Part 2 (2010)
- Legacy 50: Extremes, Part 3 (2010)
Legacy—War
- Legacy—War 1 (2010)
- Legacy—War 2 (2011)
- Legacy—War 3 (2011)
- Legacy—War 4 (2011)
- Legacy—War 5 (2011)
- Legacy—War 6 (2011)
Notes and references
External links
- Talk with John Ostrander on his Official Message Board
The Official John Ostrander Discussion Thread on the Jedi Council Forums (Literature board) (backup link (threads/5863919/) not verified!)- Ostrander writes a weekly column and has new Grimjack stories published weekly at ComicMix.com