J. Michael Straczynski

Born July 17, 1954, J. Michael Straczynski built one of the more unusually wide-ranging careers in American popular storytelling, moving between television, film, prose fiction, and comic books with genuine fluency. He is perhaps best known outside comics as the creator of the science fiction television series *Babylon 5* (1993–1998) and its spinoff *Crusade*, and he later created *Jeremiah* and co-created *Sense8*. His film credits include the screenplay for Clint Eastwood's *Changeling* (2008) and contributions to *Thor* (2011) and *World War Z* (2013).

In comics, Straczynski's most sustained and celebrated work came during his 2001–2007 run on Marvel's *The Amazing Spider-Man*, which restored the title's critical standing and demonstrated his skill at balancing character interiority with large-scale plotting. He followed that with notable runs on *Thor* and *Fantastic Four*, and created several original series — including *Rising Stars*, *Midnight Nation*, *Dream Police*, and *Ten Grand* — through his own Joe's Comics imprint. For DC he authored the *Superman: Earth One* graphic novel trilogy and wrote *Wonder Woman* and *Before Watchmen*. His autobiography, *Becoming Superman*, appeared in 2019. A former journalist and early adopter of online fan engagement, Straczynski is widely credited as the first television producer to interact directly with audiences via the internet.