Bibliograph

Becoming Superman, my journey from poverty to Hollywood, with stops along the way at murder, madness, mayhem, movie stars, cults, slums, sociopaths, and war crimes, J. Michael Straczynski ; introduction by Neil Gaiman

Type

Label

Becoming Superman, my journey from poverty to Hollywood, with stops along the way at murder, madness, mayhem, movie stars, cults, slums, sociopaths, and war crimes, J. Michael Straczynski ; introduction by Neil Gaiman

Language

eng

Illustrations

platesportraitsillustrationsphotographs

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Becoming Superman

Responsibility statement

J. Michael Straczynski ; introduction by Neil Gaiman

Sub title

my journey from poverty to Hollywood, with stops along the way at murder, madness, mayhem, movie stars, cults, slums, sociopaths, and war crimes

Summary

In this memoir, the acclaimed Hollywood writer reveals how the power of creativity and imagination enabled him to overcome the horrors of his youth and a dysfunctional family haunted by madness, murder and a terrible secret. Joe was raised by damaged adults—a con-man grandfather and a manipulative grandmother, a violent, drunken father and a mother who was repeatedly institutionalized—and grew up in abject poverty, living in slums and projects when not on the road, crisscrossing the country in his father’s desperate attempts to escape the consequences of his past. To survive his abusive environment Joe found refuge in his beloved comics and his dreams, immersing himself in imaginary worlds populated by superheroes whose amazing powers allowed them to overcome any adversity. The deeper he read, the more he came to realize that he, too, had a superpower: the ability to tell stories and make everything come out the way he wanted it. But even as he found success, he could not escape a dark and shocking secret that hung over his family’s past, a violent truth that he uncovered over the course of decades involving mass murder. This memoir lays bare a story of creation and darkness, hope and success, a larger-than-life villain and a little boy who became the hero of his own life. It is also a compelling behind-the-scenes look at some of the most successful TV series and movies recognized around the world

Target audience

adult

resource.variantTitle

My journey from poverty to Hollywood, with stops along the way at murder, madness, mayhem, movie stars, cults, slums, sociopaths, and war crimes

Classification