Trivia

Launches Babylon5scripts.com and starts releasing all 92 scripts he wrote for Babylon 5. First TV writer in history to ever publish all their scripts for a show. When done it will total 14 volumes and 6,000+ pages of material. (October 2005)

Once spotted a young man dressed as a Narn at a science fiction convention. Straczynski was so impressed at the craftsmanship of the costume that he remarked, "You came out of my head, but I know for a fact that you don't work for me.".

He is a very big fan of Neil Gaiman and named an Alien species after him in Babylon 5.

In 2003, Straczynski rescued a Maine Coon (a breed of cat) kitten that had fallen into a landscaping drain in his yard; a 16-hour operation which ultimately involved digging up large portions of the yard and calling out the fire department and a number of plumbers. Buddy is now doing well, and rules the Straczynski household with a velvet paw.

Has a degree in clinical psychology and one in sociology.

In addition to his successful television career, has found new stardom as a writer of comic books. As the new writer of the Amazing Spiderman, he managed to triple that book's sales in less than a year.

A frequent speaker at conventions and seminars, Straczynski has spoken to crowds in the thousands in England and throughout the United States. He has also spoken at a variety of universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Lab (which pronounced Babylon 5 one of the three seminal American science fiction series, the other two being the original Twilight Zone and Star Trek series) and UCLA.

First met Harlan Ellison in person when both were walking the picket line during the Hollywood Writer's Strike in 1991.

When speaking to a crowd he always stands, never sits. The reason is that he feels that as a writer or a screenwriter he works for the public, and an employee never sits in front of his boss.

As a struggling young writer he telephoned Harlan Ellison for advice. Ellison replied, "The reason your stories are being rejected is because you're writing crap. Stop writing crap!".

During season four of Babylon 5 he would frequently dunk his hands in ice water, because they were so sore from writing.

Creator and "father" of scifi-show Babylon 5, which won two Hugo Awards.

While working on the Rising Stars series for Top Cow, he met one of the assistant publishers at LAX airport, who excitedly told him about interest in the project from a movie studio. According to his contract, such talks had to be pre-approved by Straczynski first. It was then that he knew that his publisher was not adhering to their contract.

Cracked a molar while nervously grinding his teeth in preparation for pitching Babylon 5 to studio executives. He opted to continue with the pitch instead of having emergency dental work and doing it the next day.

Despite the prevalence of religious figures and symbols in his stories and shows, he is a self-professed atheist.

Got the idea for ''Midnight Nation'' in 1978 when he had just gotten out of a bad relationship and was going through a period of severe depression in which he would wander the streets of San Diego at nights and was astonished to find that the streets were filled with poor and homeless people at night.

His father did not approve of his writing aspirations, going as far as to tear up all of his comic books when he was a teenager. This incident was later used in an issue of the ''Before Watchmen'' prequel series when Dan Dreiberg/Nite Owl's father did the same with his superhero memorabilia.

His grandparents lived in the area which today belongs to Belarus, and fled to America from the Russian Revolution.

He used more than 6,000 different sources of information for his screenplay for 'Changeling' so he could title it "A true story" rather than "Based on a true story".

Stated publicly he was willing to knock on the door of every Babylon 5 fan and personally apologize for the third season episode "Grey 17 Is Missing", considered one of the weakest episodes of the series. He stated that for the show, the good episodes took one, perhaps two days at most to write, but this one took two weeks, and he was especially regretful about including the Zarg in the episode.

Has said that he doesn't write comics for money, but simply because he loves them.

Said to have come up with the inspiration for Babylon 5 while taking a shower.

Although he attended his 20-year high school reunion, he only found one former classmate who "sort of" remembered him.

During college, he wrote articles for his school newspaper The Daily Aztec with such frequency that it became known among fellow students as ''The Daily Joe''.

It was his idea to include a Transgender character among the cast of ''Sense8 (2015)''.

Claims to have read the Bible cover to cover, twice.

His family had moved 21 times by the time he was age 17.

He quit The Real Ghostbusters (1986) out of protest, after the ABC network hired a consulting firm to "fix" the show from its second season onward. This led to the executives demanding several changes, which led to a significant decline in the quality and the ratings, from which the show never recovered. After the network begged for Straczynski to return, he agreed.

He was a host of "Hour 25", a weekly science fiction talk radio show in L.A. for 5 years.

Has said that he grew up very poor.

Currently writing Amazing Spider-Man, Supreme Power, and an upcoming Doctor Strange project for Marvel comics (November 2003)

Due to a long history of alcoholism in his family, he is a strict teetotaler.

Writer, co-producer and co-director, "The Adventuers of Apocalypse Al," a 20-episode radio drama series for the Canadian Broadcasting System. Produced February 2006, to air Summer 2006, starring Cynthia Dale. (February 2006)

His last name is pronounced STRA-ZIN-SKI.

Wrote the comic book series Rising Stars, Midnight Nation, and the one-shot Dream Police for comic book publisher Image/Top Cow's imprint "Joe's Comics." He also wrote a hardcover all-ages storybook, Delicate Creatures.

Announced at WonderCon 2008 that the uncompleted Crusade series was "finished" i.e., there would be no further work done on it.

Straczynski's "Changeling" was selected as one of 20 films in competition at the Cannes Film Festival 2008.

Releasing the last three issues of his original comic book, Rising Stars, following a multi-year delay. (November 2004)

Writing Thor and Lost Heroes for Marvel Comics, as well as writing two new big-budget features on assignment, one for Universal Studios, the other for Paramount. (November 2006)

He wrote the final pre-Flashpoint issues of both Superman and Wonder Woman.

Holds the distinction of being the first person in television history to personally write every episode in a season of an episodic TV show. He wrote every episode for both the third and fourth seasons of Babylon 5, and wrote the majority of the other three seasons.

Announced that his film Babylon 5: The Memory of Shadows had been cancelled. (February 2005)

Good friends with the late Harlan Ellison.

Winner of the Inkpot and Eisner Awards, San Diego International Comic Arts Exposition, 1993 and 2002, respectively.

Lives in Los Angeles.

Comics: Now also writing The Fantastic Four, The Book of Lost Souls, Squadron Supreme, and Bullet Points (miniseries), all for Marvel Comics. (March 2006)

Is called 'Joe' by his friends, family and co-workers.

In 1979, Straszynski wrote for a sci-fi radio program called "Alien Worlds". It ran for 26 episodes between 1979 and 1980.

He is on the autism spectrum and has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome.