Christopher Priest (comics)

Christopher James Priest (born James Christopher Owsley June 30, 1961 in Queens, New York) is an American writer of comic books who is at times credited simply as Priest. He changed his name legally circa 1993.

Priest (as "Jim Owsley") entered the comics industry as a Marvel Comics intern in 1978. He made his professional debut as a writer in 1982 at the age of 21. He joined Marvel's editorial staff shortly thereafter, working as assistant editor for Larry Hama on the Conan titles. Owsley was the editor of the Spider-Man comic books in 1985–1986. Professional and personal disagreements eventually led to his removal as editor and his leaving Marvel. Marvel's editor-in-chief, Jim Shooter, later recalled, "I fired Jim Owsley because his tenure as an editor was a train wreck. When I fired Jim Owsley, he thanked me. Seriously. He said, 'Thank you.' He admitted that he just wasn’t good at the administrative stuff (i.e., schedules). P.S.—there was plenty of work for him as a writer, so it was not such a big deal. In fact, it was like giving him a raise. He ... [was] meant to be a writer, not an expediter." Owsley's writing tenure on Power Man and Iron Fist concluded with Iron Fist's controversial death.

Moving to DC Comics, Owsley had a run as writer of Green Lantern when the character was exclusive to the anthology series Action Comics Weekly from 1988–1989. Owsley wrote the Green Lantern serial from issues #601–607, and left part way through a story arc and then returned from issues #621–635. He had worked with artists Gil Kane and Tod Smith during his first run, and then upon his return, with artist M. D. Bright. Owsley would write two Green Lantern Specials, the second issue concluding the plots left off from the end of Action Comics Weekly, with artist Bright drawing the latter issue. They would work again on the first issue of Green Lantern: Emerald Dawn limited series before Owsley departed. He edited several titles in DC Comics' Impact Comics imprint in 1991–1993.

As writer, Owsley/Priest worked on the series Conan the Barbarian, The Ray, Steel, Deadpool, and Black Panther vol. 3. He co-created the series Quantum and Woody, Xero, and The Crew, among others.

In 1993, he became part of the group of writers and artists that launched Milestone Media, a comic book publisher affiliated with DC Comics. He has said he was intended to become the company's editor-in-chief, but personal problems forced him to scale down his involvement to liaison between DC and Milestone.

Shortly afterward, he changed his name from "Jim Owsley" to "Christopher Priest" for reasons he has not discussed publicly other than in one interview's seemingly glib remark about becoming a priest if his marriage, which later ended in divorce, did not last. During Owsley's Green Lantern run, prior to his name change, he introduced a character named Priest. He has stated he was unaware of the British science fiction novelist Christopher Priest. Comics writer Christopher Priest refers to himself professionally as either the monomial "Priest" or "Christopher J. Priest".

After a decade-long absence from comics, he returned in 2014–2015 to write a Quantum and Woody miniseries for Valiant. He was chosen to write the DC Rebirth version of Deathstroke in 2016.

Priest is an ordained Baptist minister.