Joshua Ortega is the author of the critically acclaimed novel ((FREQUENCIES)), which has been compared to such classic works of fiction as BRAVE NEW WORLD, FAHRENHEIT 451 and 1984. He has been featured numerous times on NPR, FOX TV, COAST TO COAST AM, and has also received coverage in the SEATTLE TIMES, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, and the MIAMI HERALD, in addition to many other major media outlets.

A former journalist, Ortega has also written for every major comic book company, including DC Comics, Marvel, Dark Horse, and Top Cow, working on high-profile properties such as Spider-Man, Batman, and Star Wars.

Ortega is currently working on ~VIBRATIONS~, the eagerly anticipated sequel to ((FREQUENCIES)), in addition to another novel, an original screenplay, and numerous comic book and graphic novel projects.

Recently, the good word on his Top Cow series, Necromancer, has been spreading. Check out the love:

4.5 (out of 5)
"NECROMANCER is a great book. Ortega's top-notch scripting is matched by
Manapul's gorgeous artwork, and the book is probably the best series launch I've
read this year...NECROMANCER has the makings of becoming a classic. Don't miss
out." –Hero Realm

Grade: A
"Dark. Powerful. Seductive. The must-read for fans of the supernatural."
–Paperback Reader

9 (out of 10)
"I loved this book...the team-up of Ortega and Manapul is a match made in
heaven."  –Comics Review

"A fantastic debut. The action is swift, the story flows smoothly from panel
to well-constructed panel...(NECROMANCER) has all the right stuff it needs to
stick around for a long time." –Broken Frontier

"Manpul’s pencils are beautiful...the characters and backgrounds are detailed
and the colors burst out of the page."  –ComixFan.com

***** (5 stars out of 5)
"Disturbing...horror is released here."  –Jazma Online

"Compelling...Ortega knows how to write a first issue." –Pop Thought

We sat down with the creator for a brief interview (and look for more from DF and Ortega in the weeks to come.)

DF: TELL US ABOUT FREQUENCIES AND YOUR INSPIRATIONS FOR THIS BOOK…
JOSHUA ORTEGA: ((FREQUENCIES)) is a novel set fifty years in the future in Seattle, in a world where people’s thoughts are monitored as elecromagnetic frequencies. The specifics of the thoughts aren’t known–it’s not telepathy or precognition–but certain behaviors are found to occur within a frequential spectrum. The book has been compared to BRAVE NEW WORLD, FAHRENHEIT 451, and 1984, as well as THE MATRIX and BLADE RUNNER.

It was released in hardback in 2003, and I did a 40-city book tour in support of it, along with a bunch of interviews in print and on NPR, talk radio, and even some television.

As far as where I got the idea...the world around us, basically. Beyond that there are all sorts of specifics, but when it gets down it, everything going on around us–politics, technology, philosophy, art, pop culture–played a part in influencing the work.

DF: FREQUENCIES HAS SPARKED UP A SEQUEL -- "VIBRATIONS" – TELL US ABOUT IT…
JOSHUA ORTEGA: ~VIBRATIONS~ picks up where ((FREQUENCIES)) left off, and follows the four main characters we met in the first book: McCready, Ignacio, Ashley, and Mason. It also expands the cast quite a bit, we learn more about the mysterious and enigmatic Gonpo, and the book not only serves as a sequel, but also a prequel of sorts, as we find out more about Adrian Wellor and his underground movement.

Fans of ((FREQUENCIES)) should really dig it, provided they’re up for some cool surprises...keep checking www.joshuortega.com for more info and for updates on release dates.

DF: SO, WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO COMICS?
JOSHUA ORTEGA: I’ve always loved the medium, so this has been a really natural evolution for me as a writer. Comics have a very natural feel for me, and I truly enjoy the collaborative aspects of the medium. Plus, the kid in me is always amazed that I can turn in a script and see it drawn by some of the world’s best pencillers...and then I get paid for it too! (Laughs) Yeah, comics are pretty cool...

DF:  DO YOU REMEMBER THE VERY FIRST COMIC BOOK THAT YOU READ?
JOSHUA ORTEGA: I’m not sure if I can remember the very first comic I read, but I know that the first comics that made a really big impression on me were the FANTASY MASTERPIECE books from the ‘70s that reprinted all of the classic Lee/Buscema stories. Those were amazing, and they hipped to some cool ideas and philosophy at a pretty young age. I also really enjoyed Perez’s AVENGERS from that same era, as well as the Lee/Ditko SPIDER-MAN reprints in MARVEL TALES.

DF: YOU’VE GOT A LOT MORE WORK COMING UP, FROM A VARIETY OF PUBLISHERS AND WITH A VARIETY OF TITLES, SO WHAT STANDS OUT?
JOSHUA ORTEGA: The story I’ve written for Dark Horse’s THE AMAZING
ADVENTURES OF THE ESCAPIST is entitled “Imagine That...” and it’s essentially a riff on the old Marvel WHAT IF... books from the ‘70’s, written in that style and I believe that editor Diana Schutz will also be pairing me with an artist from that era. My story asks: “Imagine that Tom Mayflower had been raised by the Iron Chain?” It was a great story to write, I’m really happy with the way it came out, and being that I’m a big fan of Michael Chabon’s THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF KAVALIER & CLAY, it was really nice to hear that he liked the story as well. Diana Schutz has been a pleasure to work with as well, and she truly deserves her rep as one of the best editors in the biz.

My Batman story is for LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT, and it’s entitled “The Gun.” Essentially, this is the story of the gun that killed Batman’s parents, who owned it afterwards, and how it finally makes its way back to Gotham after 30 years...no release date on this one yet, but I’m hoping that it will see print sometime in 2006. Joey Cavalieri edited this one, and he’s also been really great to work with.

APHRODITE IX, or AIX as I like to call it, is still up in the air due to multimedia reasons. I’d still like to do the title, I’ve got a pitch in that Marc Silvestri really likes, but we’ll have to see how the Hollywood stuff shakes out...hopefully some more news on that front soon!

DF: DO YOU TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH IN WRITING NOVELS AS OPPOSED TO WRITING COMICS?
JOSHUA ORTEGA: Storytelling and plot-wise, no, though the process for writing the two is very different for me. It takes m a while to warm up to writing prose, since I need to fully immerse the reader in the story without any help from an artist. I can jump right into comics, adding detail when I need it, or just letting the artist do their thing and keeping my descriptions minimal. As I said, for me there’s a very natural rhythm to comic scripting.

DF: ANY PLANS IN MAKING YOUR CREATIONS INTO FILM?
JOSHUA ORTEGA: There have already been some negotiations about a ((FREQUENCIES)) film, though nothing has been inked yet. I think it would make for an incredible film, it’s very visually dynamic, and I’ve always imagined Johnny Deep in McCready’s role. In fact, McCready’s speech patterns were actually patterned after Depp (circa mid-’90’s).

Considering the recent announcements of Top Cow properties to hit the big screen (THE DARKNESS and MAGDALENA), it’d be great to see THE NECROMANCER join them as well. Abby is a great character, and I think the fantasy-horror elements would make for some good box office possibilities if it was done properly...

I also wrote a short film this year that debuted at the Seattle International Film Festival, and will be making the rounds at Sundance and a few of the other festivals as well. The film is entitled “...Loves Martha” and it’s an over-the-top comedy in the vein of a Farrely Bros. film or one of the Zucker/Abrahams films of the ‘80’s. I co-wrote it with director TJ Martin (A DAY IN THE HYPE OF AMERICA), and we had a lot of fun working on it together.

DF: IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERTED ISLAND, WITH A PORTABLE DVD PLAYER THAT HAD ENOUGH POWER TO WATCH ONE LAST FILM, WHAT WOULD THAT FILM BE AND WHY?
JOSHUA ORTEGA: If I didn’t like the island, I’d probably choose CASTAWAY...I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I’d hope I could get some ideas from it!

If I really liked the island, then I’d probably choose STAR WARS since it was the first film I ever saw...making it also be the last film would have a nice closure to it, don’t you think?

DF: ABSOLUTELY, YOU’D BETTER HOPE THE FORCE WOULD BE WITH YOU… LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE’VE BEEN TOLD THAT THE BEST ADVICE TO GIVE SOMEONE WHO IS BEGINNING A WRITING CAREER, IS TO WRITE WHAT YOU WANNA WRITE.  WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT ADVICE AND WHAT'S THE BEST ADVICE YOU WOULD GIVE SOMEONE?
JOSHUA ORTEGA: Definitely good advice. Write what you are inspired to write. If you are not inspired, it’s probably gonna show through in your work...if you don’t want to write it, people probably won’t want to read it either, let alone buy it.

Also, if you’re looking at writing as a *career* and not just a hobby, then be open to writing for different media. These days, it really behooves a writer of fiction to be a storyteller first and foremost...if you can take your storytelling craft into various media, you really increase the likelihood of making a livelihood.

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