John Ostrander!

[Gail Simone]

You know what's awesome? Having dinner with John Ostrander while he talks about the creation of Oracle and the Suicide Squad.

You know what's ALSO awesome?

Having another dinner with him the next day and hearing his Elmer Fudd impersonation and his impression of John Wayne reciting the lyrics to Broadway musicals.

You know what ELSE is awesome?

Having him give me a signed copy of the Star Wars Clone Wars gn he wrote, to give to my nephew who is Star Wars crazy!

You know what ELSE ELSE is awesome?

Seeing the ridiculously beautiful pages of SECRET PROJECT THAT I CAN'T MENTION.

This guy is one of my all-time comic heroes and he is as nice and funny and witty as anyone I've ever met.

AWESOME!

[FistofIron]

I get the impression the he's seriously awesome.:tongue:

[Cam63]

Sounds like you're having a crappy time alright, Gail.

[jamesfreeman]

Awwww Gail....YOU'RE SOOOOO LUCKY!!!!
I LOVE the work he did with Deadshot. Wait......
He doesn't want Deadshot back for a new Sucide Squad book, right? :frown:

[PatrickG]

John Ostrander
...
AWESOME!

I did an interview with him ten years ago about Superman. I've never seen anyone nail the character so thoroughly and so succinctly.

I could go either way on some of his writing, honestly (and it may be my own ambivalence about some of the characters he's worked with), but when he's ON, he's BRILLIANT and I love his thoughts, reflections and ideas on comics, characters, the works.

The man is severely underrated.

[fireSTRIKE!]

I'll always love John's work years ago when he was at First Comics, which was based here in Chicago... a comics company here in town that we could call our own homwtown favorites... it's a shame it never lasted... the comics that they all put out was phenomenal and memorable, as was John's work on Grimjack and Starslayer... god, now THOSE were some great days back in the 80's... I wish the First magic could have continued, but I guess it was never meant to be... tell John a long-time fan of his from his First days says "hello"... meeting him and Tim Truman was always a big thrill for me when I met them at a Downtown Loop comics convention back then when it only cost a buck or two for admission and autographs and drawn and inked artwork was FREE... I still have a Grimjack piece of artwork from Tim Truman that he also inked in black and red... beautiful...

[TCJohnson]

Tell him to tell his wife to make more comics! She drew one of Ostrander's comics and I loved it. It was so much fun! And I don't think she drew any more.

[Grazzt]

Tell him to tell his wife to make more comics! She drew one of Ostrander's comics and I loved it. It was so much fun! And I don't think she drew any more.

I thought she (assuming you're talking about Kim Yale) died of breast cancer in the late nineties. Or did he remarry?

[TCJohnson]

John Ostrander's first wife died of breast cancer in 1996. In 2003 he married an artist named Mary Mitchell. Mitchell was the artist on John Ostrander's Gotham Nights miniseries and I just loved her work on that. (SHe might have also been the artist on Gotham Nights II, but I could be wrong.)

[Sean Walsh]

I met him back at the Baltimore Con a couple years ago. Very nice guy, very pleasant and seemed interesting in talking to me, the gushing dork who was overly complimenting him for Suicide Squad and his Star Wars comics.

John Ostrander's first wife died of breast cancer in 1996. In 2003 he married an artist named Mary Mitchell. Mitchell was the artist on John Ostrander's Gotham Nights miniseries and I just loved her work on that. (SHe might have also been the artist on Gotham Nights II, but I could be wrong.)

OMG, I didn't know he married Mary Mitchell! Great news. :smile:

[Tetsuo_man]

I love the Grimjack comics. And honestly he is one of the creator top on my list of wanting to meet not only because of Grimjack (and also being the co-writer behind turning Babs into Oracle) but because of how nice he comes off in interviews and on the net.

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

Eh, most people here seem to prefer kitties.

[Tetsuo_man]

Eh, most people here seem to prefer kitties.

What about meeting John Ostrander with kitties?

[Aspield]

John Ostrander is AWESOME.

I am fully jealous.

His Star Wars stuff is just wickedly good.

[JohnOstrander]

Do you know what is a DELIGHT? Meeting Gail Simone and discovering how MUCH we have in common.

Also learning how much fun Scott is. He has a deep sense of silly that I truly admire.

I do admit that reading some of this thread may make me blush to death. . .but that doesn't mean anyone should STOP!:smile:

Gail, it was a great pleasure finally meeting you face to face and that alone would have made the whole trip worth it. You're not only one of the best new writers to come up in the past few years but a truly lovely person.

All the best

-- John

[Joshua Pantalleresco]

Do you know what is a DELIGHT? Meeting Gail Simone and discovering how MUCH we have in common.

Also learning how much fun Scott is. He has a deep sense of silly that I truly admire.

I do admit that reading some of this thread may make me blush to death. . .but that doesn't mean anyone should STOP!:smile:

Gail, it was a great pleasure finally meeting you face to face and that alone would have made the whole trip worth it. You're not only one of the best new writers to come up in the past few years but a truly lovely person.

All the best

-- John

Hawkworld is one of the best series I've ever read. I don't read your stuff as often as I'd like, but between this, Suicide Squad and your many other contributions to comics I think you're my all time favorite comics writer.

Thanks for many good comics.

JP

[Red Jack]

Suicide Squad. Oracle. Spectre. Martian Manhunter.

You RULE.

[Cam63]

Do you know what is a DELIGHT? Meeting Gail Simone and discovering how MUCH we have in common.

Also learning how much fun Scott is. He has a deep sense of silly that I truly admire.

I do admit that reading some of this thread may make me blush to death. . .but that doesn't mean anyone should STOP!:smile:

Gail, it was a great pleasure finally meeting you face to face and that alone would have made the whole trip worth it. You're not only one of the best new writers to come up in the past few years but a truly lovely person.

All the best

-- John

You know she's gunna print the above and laminate it so she can keep it under her pillow, right ?

[Theophilus]

I'm only familiar with Spectre, but that was some killer work.

And John, you wrote perhaps my second favorite Joker story ever...where Corrigan gives him a conscience transplant. Brilliant stuff.

[fireSTRIKE!]

Do you know what is a DELIGHT? Meeting Gail Simone and discovering how MUCH we have in common.

Also learning how much fun Scott is. He has a deep sense of silly that I truly admire.

I do admit that reading some of this thread may make me blush to death. . .but that doesn't mean anyone should STOP!:smile:

Gail, it was a great pleasure finally meeting you face to face and that alone would have made the whole trip worth it. You're not only one of the best new writers to come up in the past few years but a truly lovely person.

All the best

-- John

thanks for some great work, John, it's much appreciated... and from one hometown Chicago boy to another, welcome to CBR... hope to see you around these here parts at You'll All Be Sorry...

[Slam_Bradley]

Ostrander & Mandrake's Spectre was the best non-Vertigo book of the 90s. The Kents was just an incredibly underrated western.

[Red Jack]

I'm only familiar with Spectre, but that was some killer work.

And John, you wrote perhaps my second favorite Joker story ever...where Corrigan gives him a conscience transplant. Brilliant stuff.

Throw in FIRESTORM and THE KENTS too.

The Kents, especially, is a fantastic piece of alternate history at least on par with anything Turtledove ever did. Dunno where it stands in the current canon but, if you never saw it, you missed out.

There's a reason Clark Kent grew up to be Superman and it doesn't have a thing to do with being an alien from a dead world.

Find and read THE KENTS.

[Theophilus]

Throw in FIRESTORM and THE KENTS too.

The Kents, especially, is a fantastic piece of alternate history at least on par with anything Turtledove ever did. Dunno where it stands in the current canon but, if you never saw it, you missed out.

There's a reason Clark Kent grew up to be Superman and it doesn't have a thing to do with being an alien from a dead world.

Find and read THE KENTS.

Is it in TPB?

[Red Jack]

Is it in TPB?

I'm going to say, "Yes." I don't know ti for a fact but I can't believe they didn't do a compilation.

[Slam_Bradley]

Is it in TPB?

It's out of print but it was collected.

http://www.amazon.com/Superman-Kents-John-Ostrander/dp/1563895137/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245253843&sr=1-1

[LewisH]

I'd really love a new Spectre project with him involved in some way

[Corrina]

Ostrander & Mandrake's Spectre was the best non-Vertigo book of the 90s. The Kents was just an incredibly underrated western.

What Slam said.

[Gail Simone]

Wow.

I just read John's note.

If anyone needs me, I'll be over the moon somewhere. :)

[Flying Saucers Over Oz]

So, when you land, will you still be in Tokyo or will you have landed in Oregon or someplace and you'll have to go all the way back?

[ScottyQuick]

Do you know what is a DELIGHT? Meeting Gail Simone and discovering how MUCH we have in common.

Also learning how much fun Scott is. He has a deep sense of silly that I truly admire.

I do admit that reading some of this thread may make me blush to death. . .but that doesn't mean anyone should STOP!:smile:

Gail, it was a great pleasure finally meeting you face to face and that alone would have made the whole trip worth it. You're not only one of the best new writers to come up in the past few years but a truly lovely person.

All the best

-- John

Mr. Ostrander, can I just geek out and say what you did with Barbara Gordon was one of the most original and best moves any comic creator has ever done? Because truly, 'twas (Oracle is awesome :D!)

[Cam63]

I see the site's hiccupin' again.

[Cam63]

Wow.

I just read John's note.

If anyone needs me, I'll be over the moon somewhere. :)

...In space, no one can hear you yell, " YAHOOOOO !!! "

[MacQuarrie]

Do you know what is a DELIGHT? Meeting Gail Simone and discovering how MUCH we have in common.

Also learning how much fun Scott is. He has a deep sense of silly that I truly admire.

I do admit that reading some of this thread may make me blush to death. . .but that doesn't mean anyone should STOP!:smile:

Gail, it was a great pleasure finally meeting you face to face and that alone would have made the whole trip worth it. You're not only one of the best new writers to come up in the past few years but a truly lovely person.

All the best

-- John
Just so you know: "The Kents" was part of my son's history curriculum. It's just that good.

(Ah, the joys of homeschooling.)

[MacQuarrie]

Throw in FIRESTORM and THE KENTS too.

The Kents, especially, is a fantastic piece of alternate history at least on par with anything Turtledove ever did. Dunno where it stands in the current canon but, if you never saw it, you missed out.

There's a reason Clark Kent grew up to be Superman and it doesn't have a thing to do with being an alien from a dead world.

Find and read THE KENTS.

I wish there were a sequel, "The Waynes", following a young Irish immigrant as he rises to wealth and success in the Industrial Revolution, and how his ethics and principles impact his son, grandson and eventually, great-great-grandson, Bruce. There could be lots of stuff about Cornelius Vanderbilt, John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, William Randolph Hearst, and all the political maneuverings they engaged in.

[Larry Dixon]

Do you know what is a DELIGHT? Meeting Gail Simone and discovering how MUCH we have in common.

Also learning how much fun Scott is. He has a deep sense of silly that I truly admire.

I do admit that reading some of this thread may make me blush to death. . .but that doesn't mean anyone should STOP!:smile:

Gail, it was a great pleasure finally meeting you face to face and that alone would have made the whole trip worth it. You're not only one of the best new writers to come up in the past few years but a truly lovely person.

Completely quoted for truth :)

Great to see you here John, we hope you'll visit often and feel at home. I, too, enjoy your wonderful work, and so does my mighty wife.