J. Michael Straczynski
J. Michael Straczynski
Joseph Michael Straczynski, known professionally as J. Michael Straczynski and informally as Joe Straczynski or jms, is an American screenwriter, television producer and director, and comic book writer. He is the founder of Studio JMS, and is best known as the creator of the science fiction television series Babylon 5and its spinoff Crusade, Jeremiah, and Sense8...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionProducer
Date of Birth17 July 1954
CountryUnited States of America
philosophy want rooms
My philosophy: find what it is you want to say, walk in the room, say it, and get the hell out.
compassion perfect unions
The American Way is an amalgam of our compassion, our strengths, our failings and our attempts to build a better world, a more perfect union.
information internet currency
On the Internet, inside information is currency, and there will always be counterfeiters among us.
years house looks
My house looks like it was decorated by a 14-year old with a platinum American Express card.
character opportunity age
The whole point of having great characters is the opportunity to explore them more deeply with time, re-interpreting them for each new age.
nice appreciate guy
There's a lot of comics writers out there whose work I appreciate and who are nice guys. I really want to work with guys I really respect and enjoy.
writing want contrast
There's a rule of writing: if everything is funny, nothing is funny; if everything is sad, nothing is sad. You want that contrast.
fiction mystery shock-and-awe
To me, science fiction is about the sense of mystery, the sense of awe. Not 'shock and awe', just 'awe.'
feet littles nervous
Anyone who sets foot into the 'Watchmen' universe and isn't just a little nervous should be given a few days of electroshock therapy. I've always considered 'Watchmen' to be one of the best graphic novels ever written, and when it came out back in 1986 I was as blown away as everyone else. Just masterful.
character focus stories
All you can do is focus on telling the best story you can with compelling characters. If you do it right, it will endure. If you do it wrong, it won't.
thinking television way
Again, one of the problems I have with television, as I mentioned before, is it's trivial in many ways, and I think that a lot of folks out there are looking for new metaphors and new ways of thinking about things.
children fighting supernatural-elements
A changeling is one child substituted for another. I couldn't find anything more apt. We had to kind of fight that supernatural element in the publicity, and I offered to try and find another title, but Clint liked it, and it stayed.
powerful guy world
The whole point of Superman, as originally created, was to be the ally of those who had no other allies. It put that magnitude of power, the most powerful guy in the world, in the service of those who had no hope, no chance.
fun writing differences
A story is a story is a story. The only difference is in the techniques you bring to bear. There are always limitations on what you can and can't do. But I enjoy that. Just like when you write a sonnet or haiku, there are rules you have to abide by. And to me, playing within the rules is the fun part. It keeps the brain fresh.