Pierce Askegren
Encyclopedia
John Pierce Askegren of the Louisiana
Askegrens, was an American author
best known for his work in adaptations of licensed properties.
, where his parents performed as high wire walkers. After his father took a job with a railroad company, Askegren’s parents finally settled in Sterling, Virginia
where he attended junior high and high school. He became an aficionado of comic books and other pop culture, and as an adult wrote or co-wrote novelization
s featuring the Silver Surfer
, Fantastic Four
, Spider-Man
, and other Marvel Comics
characters
Askegren attended Madison College in Harrisonburg
, Virginia
, in the early 1970s. While there, Madison College obtained full university status and he graduated from James Madison University
with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. During his college years, Askegren dabbled in a singing career in and around the Shenandoah Valley and Washington D.C. areas. He performed as Johnny Pierce in Mr. Pierce and the Piercetones and the band The Young Men and the Sea. His group disbanded during the summer following his 1977 graduation.
Askegren got his start in the comics industry in the late 1970s writing short stories for Warren Publishing
's black-and-white horror-comics magazines Creepy
and Vampirella
. After a chance meeting with millionaire Herbert Haft
, chairman and chief operating officer of the Dart Group, Askegren went to work for Haft's son, Robert, at Crown Books
, working at various stores before culminating at the Rolling Valley Mall location. He left during the late 1980s and went to work in the defense industry where he was a logistician, editor, and technical writer.
Askegren began his reentry into pop culture by corresponding with Greg Theakston
in the early 1990s. Askegren eventually became the copy editor for Theakston's Bettie Pages while submitting his prose to publishing houses. Askegren's first work, 'The Broken Land' in "The Ultimate Silver Surfer" was published in 1995 and other stories followed. His last short story, "Try and Try Again," appeared in the anthology Time Twisters, released posthumously. In 2010, his Buffy the Vampire Slayer novelization, After Image, was rereleased along with two other Buffy books. At the time of his death, Askegren was a resident of Annandale, Virginia
.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
Askegrens, was an American author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
best known for his work in adaptations of licensed properties.
Biography
Pierce Askegren began life in the circusCircus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
, where his parents performed as high wire walkers. After his father took a job with a railroad company, Askegren’s parents finally settled in Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 27,822.It is located northwest of Herndon, east of Ashburn, and west of Great Falls, and includes part of Dulles International Airport and the former AOL corporate headquarters...
where he attended junior high and high school. He became an aficionado of comic books and other pop culture, and as an adult wrote or co-wrote novelization
Novelization
A novelization is a novel that is written based on some other media story form rather than as an original work.Novelizations of films usually add background material not found in the original work to flesh out the story, because novels are generally longer than screenplays...
s featuring the Silver Surfer
Silver Surfer
The Silver Surfer is a Marvel Comics superhero created by Jack Kirby. The character first appears in Fantastic Four #48 , the first of a three-issue arc that fans call "The Galactus Trilogy"....
, Fantastic Four
Fantastic Four
The Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
, Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, and other Marvel Comics
Marvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
characters
Askegren attended Madison College in Harrisonburg
Harrisonburg, Virginia
Harrisonburg is an independent city in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia in the United States. Its population as of 2010 is 48,914, and at the 2000 census, 40,468. Harrisonburg is the county seat of Rockingham County and the core city of the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, in the early 1970s. While there, Madison College obtained full university status and he graduated from James Madison University
James Madison University
James Madison University is a public coeducational research university located in Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. Founded in 1908 as the State Normal and Industrial School for Women at Harrisonburg, the university has undergone four name changes before settling with James Madison University...
with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. During his college years, Askegren dabbled in a singing career in and around the Shenandoah Valley and Washington D.C. areas. He performed as Johnny Pierce in Mr. Pierce and the Piercetones and the band The Young Men and the Sea. His group disbanded during the summer following his 1977 graduation.
Askegren got his start in the comics industry in the late 1970s writing short stories for Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing
Warren Publishing was an American magazine company founded by James Warren, who published his first magazines in 1957 and continued in the business for decades...
's black-and-white horror-comics magazines Creepy
Creepy
Creepy was an American horror-comics magazine launched by Warren Publishing in 1964. Like Mad, it was a black-and-white newsstand publication in a magazine format and thus did not require the approval or seal of the Comics Code Authority. The anthology magazine was initially published quarterly but...
and Vampirella
Vampirella
Vampirella is a fictional character, a comic book vampire heroine created by Forrest J Ackerman and costume designer Trina Robbins in Warren Publishing's black-and-white horror comics magazine Vampirella #1 . Writer-editor Archie Goodwin later developed the character from horror-story hostess, in...
. After a chance meeting with millionaire Herbert Haft
Herbert Haft
Herbert H. Haft was a Washington, D.C. based businessman who was famous first for the development of discount stores in the drug store, bookstore, and auto part businesses, and later as a corporate raider...
, chairman and chief operating officer of the Dart Group, Askegren went to work for Haft's son, Robert, at Crown Books
Crown Books
Crown Books Corporation was a bookseller headquartered in Lake Arbor, an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, near Largo and Upper Marlboro. It was founded in the Washington, D.C., metro area by Robert Haft in 1977...
, working at various stores before culminating at the Rolling Valley Mall location. He left during the late 1980s and went to work in the defense industry where he was a logistician, editor, and technical writer.
Askegren began his reentry into pop culture by corresponding with Greg Theakston
Greg Theakston
Greg Allen Theakston is an American comics artist and illustrator who has worked for numerous publishers. In addition to his many contributions to books and magazines, he is known for developing the Theakstonizing process used in comics restoration. He has used the pseudonym Earl P...
in the early 1990s. Askegren eventually became the copy editor for Theakston's Bettie Pages while submitting his prose to publishing houses. Askegren's first work, 'The Broken Land' in "The Ultimate Silver Surfer" was published in 1995 and other stories followed. His last short story, "Try and Try Again," appeared in the anthology Time Twisters, released posthumously. In 2010, his Buffy the Vampire Slayer novelization, After Image, was rereleased along with two other Buffy books. At the time of his death, Askegren was a resident of Annandale, Virginia
Annandale, Virginia
Annandale is a census-designated place in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 41,008 at the 2010 census, down from 54,994 in 2000 due to the splitting off of the western part of it to form Wakefield and Woodburn CDP's.-Geography:...
.
Franchise novels
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer
- After ImageAfter Image (Buffy novel)After Image is an original novel based on the U.S. television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is set early in the second season of the TV show.-Plot summary:Sunnydale Drive-In reopens with a dusk-to-dawn festival of classic B movies...
(2006)
- After Image
- Fantastic FourFantastic FourThe Fantastic Four is a fictional superhero team appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The group debuted in The Fantastic Four #1 , which helped to usher in a new level of realism in the medium...
:- Countdown to Chaos (1998)
- AliasAlias (TV series)Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006...
(with J. J. Abrams)- Collateral Damage (2005)
- Spider-ManSpider-ManSpider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
:- Spider-Man and Iron Man: Sabotage (1997)
- Spider-Man and Iron Man (1997) (with Danny Fingeroth)
- Gateway to the Stars: Marc Miller's Traveller (1998)
- The Avengers and the Thunderbolts (1998)
Series
- Inconstant Moon:
- Human Resource (2005)
- Fall Girl (2005)
- Exit Strategy (2006)
Anthologies contributions
- The Ultimate Super-Villains (1996)
- The Chick Is in the Mail (2000)
- Time Twisters (2007)