Molly Knox Ostertag Explained

Molly Knox Ostertag
Birth Name:Molly Knox Ostertag
Birth Date:28 October 1991[1] [2]

Molly Knox Ostertag (born October 28, 1991) is an American cartoonist and writer. Her work includes the animated series The Owl House, webcomic Strong Female Protagonist, the middle grade[3] graphic novel series (The Witch Boy, The Hidden Witch, and The Midwinter Witch), and on the series Tales of the Night Watchman. She was named one of Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 in 2021.[4]

Early life

Ostertag grew up in upstate New York.[5] She attended Bard College and studied illustration and cartooning at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City,[6] where she graduated in 2014.[7] She moved from upstate New York to Los Angeles in 2016.[8]

Career

Comics

As a comics artist, Ostertag has been drawing the superhero webcomic Strong Female Protagonist written by Brennan Lee Mulligan since 2012,[9] and created the art for the fantasy comic Shattered Warrior written by Sharon Shinn (2017). Her first published work came in 2013 and 2014 when she drew two issues of Tales of the Night Watchman for So What? Press, "The Night Collector" (2013) and "It Came from the Gowanus Canal" (2014). The latter remains one of the series' best-selling issues.[10] [11] In 2016, some of her comics appeared in an anthology with other comic artists titled Chainmail Bikini.[12]

In 2017, Graphix published The Witch Boy, the first graphic novel written and drawn by Ostertag. It is the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Aster, who is intent on becoming a witch in a community where boys are expected to become shapeshifters. Fox Animation acquired the film rights in May 2017, and a sequel, The Hidden Witch, was published in 2018.[13] The third book in the series, The Midwinter Witch, was published in November 2019.[14] The Witch Boy was later described by Daniel Toy of CNN's Underscored as an "emotional, magical story [that] will grab young readers’ attention" which teaches readers the "importance of acceptance and love"[15] while reviewers said that the story of Aster, which begins in the first book, is "parable for gender conformity."[16] [17] Additionally, Aster's tomboy friend,[18] [19] Charlotte "Charlie," who has two dads, is described as not conforming to gender norms, even by the book's publisher, Scholastic.[20] [21] Other works of Ostertag's include the erotic comic Alleycat[22] and the comic How the Best Hunter in the Village Met Her Death, for which she received the 2018 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Story.[23]

Paste described Ostertag's character design as "deft and varied, with a thick, dark line that resembles that of Faith Erin Hicks", noting that she "mostly uses her figures' eyes and their body language to convey emotions."[24] A profile by SVA described her work as "consistently featur[ing] diverse casts of characters—multiracial, of differing gender expressions, sexual orientations, and abilities—whose adventures intertwine social justice and superheroes, peer pressure and magical powers", and noted that her "presiding interest lies in queer content in young adult work".[25] Additionally, Erica Friedman of Yuricon, a long time fan of Ostertag, praised her work, How the Best Hunter in the Village Met Her Death, calling it a tale that will resonate with those "who have come through their own dark forests and transformed into their true selves."[26]

In 2021, an Ostertag graphic novel, The Girl From The Sea, was published. She described it as "teen summer romance graphic novel" set in Nova Scotia, focused on the story of a 15-year-old Korean Canadian girl named Morgan falling in love with a selkie named Keltie.[27] She noted that it is somewhat based on her experience spending summers at Wilneff Island in Nova Scotia as a kid and called the book her "first serious foray" into the romance genre. The Girl from the Sea was a finalist for the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Original Graphic Novel/Anthology.[28]

In August 2021, Ostertag was among a group of creators with whom fellow comics writer Nick Spencer formed a deal with the subscription-based newsletter platform Substack to publish creator-owned comics stories, essays, and instructional guides on that platform.[29]

Animation

In animation, Ostertag has been working since 2014 as a designer for Star vs. the Forces of Evil and as a writer for The Owl House and ThunderCats Roar. In October 2020, she called on Amazon to let her make an animation "centered around Hobbit children in The Shire."[30] In January 2021, it was announced that Netflix was adapting her graphic novel, The Witch Boy, into an animated musical directed by Minkyu Lee.[31]

On December 11, 2020, a project by Ostertag for Disney Television Animation under the name Neon Galaxy was registered.[32]

Other writings

From July to September 2020, Ostertag published a The Lord of the Rings fanfiction titled "In All the Ways There Were" which shipped Frodo Baggins and Samwise "Sam" Gamgee together, a story which became relatively popular.[33] She called the fan fiction an extension of her "Lord of the Rings obsession," even creating an alternate Twitter account on the subject, with the handle @hobbitgay, and stated she is also writing a romantic fan fiction "retelling the entire series from Sam Gamgee’s point of view." Furthermore, she stated that she saw The Lord of the Rings as a romance and argued that she rarely sees exploration of "romance as transformative," portrayed, in fiction, with authenticity. Additionally, in 2019, Ostertag created a fan comic depicting a post-credits scene of The Return of the King.[34]

In August 2021, Ostertag began writing a Substack newsletter about graphic novels titled "In The Telling".[35] [36]

In October 2021, she announced that she would be releasing a graphic novel entitled "Darkest Night" on her Substack in weekly installments for paying subscribers, which would focus on a relationship between a teenage cis girl (Mags) and a teenage trans girl (Nessa), and will later be released to general subscribers.[37] [38] The graphic novel will be published in a physical form, in a 480 page book, by Scholastic, in 2024. Ostertag called it a "laborious, really annoying process" and said she started the story from a "place of frustration." She also told TheGamer that she is ok with making "people uncomfortable" with her stories, and expressed a desire to have more "butch lesbians...fat characters...visibly trans characters...[and] super femme gay men" in her stories who are just "hanging out and existing" and said that despite abundance for queer media presently, people involved in productions for big companies are "afraid of getting it wrong".[39]

In media

In 2014, she appeared in the documentary She Makes Comics.[40]

Personal life

Ostertag is gay and married fellow cartoonist Nate "ND" Stevenson in September 2019.[41] Stevenson began working on She-Ra and the Princesses of Power at the same time he began dating Ostertag,[42] who was influential on the show "from the very beginning,"[43] coming up with a major plot twist in the show's final season.[44]

Ostertag is also a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, and has illustrated a campaign poster for Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman.[45]

Bibliography

Graphic novels

Graphic novel series

Other graphic novels

Role-playing games

Webcomics

Filmography

Film

TitleYearRoleNotes
She Makes Comics2014As herselfOriginal art in this documentary.
Water Dogs2014Concept art.
2016Original art in this documentary.

Television

TitleYearCredited asRoleNotes
WriterDirectorAnimation/Art
department
Star vs. the Forces of Evil2016–2019Prop design on 30 episodes and prop designer on 4 episodes
The Owl House2020–2023Staff writer on 36 episodes, story writer on 15 episodes, and writer on 5 episodes.
ThunderCats Roar2020Teleplay for 3 episodes.
Neon Galaxy TBACreator

Web shows and series

List of appearances in web shows and series
TitleYearRoleNotes
Critical Role2017Wendy DarlingDungeons & Dragons web series; Episode: "Once Upon a Fairytale Cruise"[48]
Adventuring Academy2019HerselfPodcast and web series; Episode: "Finishing a Campaign (with Molly Ostertag)"[49]

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. 1188844643460337664. MollyOstertag. somehow trapped all the birthday balloons at the top of my page...I'm 28!. Molly Knox. Ostertag. Oct 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20200229211739/https://twitter.com/mollyostertag/status/1188844643460337664. February 29, 2020. live.
  2. 1188979278945193985. Gingerhazing. It's my wife's birthday, have you heard?. ND. Stevenson. ND Stevenson. Oct 28, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191029010448/https://twitter.com/Gingerhazing/status/1188979278945193985. October 29, 2019. live.
  3. Web site: Molly Ostertag Books, Author Biography, and Reading Level . . October 28, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028201522/https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/authors/molly-ostertag/ . October 28, 2019 . live.
  4. Web site: Molly Knox Ostertag . 2022-04-29 . Forbes . en.
  5. News: Molly Knox Ostertag . November 3, 2020 . . 2020 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20200921031024/https://literary-arts.org/bio/molly-knox-ostertag/ . September 21, 2020 . live.
  6. News: Burnett . Matia . Fall 2017 Flying Starts: Molly Ostertag . November 24, 2018 . . December 15, 2017 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20200716101338/https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-authors/article/75655-fall-2017-flying-starts-molly-ostertag.html . July 16, 2020 . live.
  7. News: Kit . Borys . Fox Animation Picks Up 'Witch Boy' Graphic Novel (Exclusive) . November 24, 2018 . . May 31, 2017 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20190327102136/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/fox-animation-picks-up-witch-boy-graphic-novel-1009031 . March 27, 2019 . live.
  8. News: Boode-Petersen . Trine . Where Are They Now: Molly Ostertag . November 3, 2020 . . December 15, 2017 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20201103230701/https://wayfinderexperience.com/wayfinders-blog/where-are-they-now/where-are-they-now-molly-ostertag/ . November 3, 2020 . live.
  9. Web site: Ostertag . Molly . April 15, 2023 . Strong Female Protagonist- About . 2023-04-16 . SFP.
  10. News: Barista by day, blogger by night ... paranormal P.I. by late night? . . September 12, 2013 . November 29, 2018 . Arrant, Chris . November 30, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181130113147/https://www.cbr.com/barista-by-day-blogger-by-night-paranormal-p-i-by-late-night/ . live.
  11. News: What is Lurking in Brooklyn? Find out in "Tales of the Night Watchman Presents: It Came from the Gowanus Canal" #4 [Preview] ]. Multiversity Comics . March 17, 2014 . November 29, 2018 . Salvatore, Brian . August 29, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180829124236/http://www.multiversitycomics.com/previews/what-is-lurking-in-brooklyn-find-out-in-tales-of-the-night-watchman-presents-it-came-from-the-gowanus-canal-4-preview/ . live.
  12. News: Marie . Lisa . 'There Have Always Been Women In Comics' – The Testament Of She Makes Comics . March 28, 2021 . . March 27, 2015 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20210125030107/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/female-gamers-unite-chainmail-bikini-features-40-comic-creators/ . January 25, 2021 . live.
  13. News: Fabbri . Megan . Interview: Discussing Witch Boy, The Hidden Witch new release, & more with Molly Knox Ostertag . November 30, 2018 . . October 1, 2018 . June 23, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200623221953/https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-discussing-witch-boy-the-hidden-witch-new-release-more-with-molly-knox-ostertag/ . live.
  14. Web site: The Midwinter Witch . Kirkus Review . October 28, 2019 . October 28, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028201505/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/molly-knox-ostertag/the-midwinter-witch/ . live.
  15. Web site: Toy . Daniel . The best graphic novels for readers of all ages, from kids to adults . . September 12, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200911201847/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/11/cnn-underscored/best-graphic-novels/index.html . September 11, 2020 . September 11, 2020 . live.
  16. Web site: The Witch Boy [Review] ]. August 7, 2017 . . November 4, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191028203022/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/molly-knox-ostertag/the-witch-boy/ . October 28, 2019 . live . Ostertag’s story is straightforward, acting as a parable for gender conformity that’s pitched just right to middle-grade audiences..
  17. Web site: Brown . Hillary . Rosberg . Caitlin . Foxe . Steve . Stewart . C.K. . The 20 Best Kids Comics of 2018 . October 28, 2020 . . November 4, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200813123407/https://www.pastemagazine.com/comics/comics/the-20-best-kids-comics-of-2018/ . August 13, 2020 . live . In this second book, Aster is facing...the gender dynamic he’s been struggling against.
  18. Web site: Labrise . Megan . Molly Knox Ostertag . November 2, 2017 . . November 4, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201104161454/https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/molly-knox-ostertag/ . November 4, 2020 . live.
  19. Ostertag . Molly . Alex Dueben . Halloween Q&A: Molly Ostertag on 'The Witch Boy' . Online . SmashPages . October 30, 2017 . November 4, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180412005731/http://smashpages.net/2017/10/30/halloween-qa-molly-ostertag-on-the-witch-boy/ . April 12, 2018 . live .
  20. Web site: Stepaniuk . Casey . Eight Trans-Inclusive Fantasy Books for Harry Potter Fans . October 28, 2020 . . November 4, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201101094532/https://www.autostraddle.com/eight-trans-inclusive-fantasy-books-for-harry-potter-fans/ . November 1, 2020 . live . With the help and encouragement from Charlie, a girl from outside his community who also doesn’t conform to gender norms, Aster becomes brave enough to try practising his magical skills..
  21. Web site: The Witch Boy . 2020 . . November 4, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201104171619/https://scholastic.asia/en/books/witch-boy . November 4, 2020 . live .
  22. News: Rude . Mey . Drawn to Comics: Molly Ostertag's Smut Comic "Alleycat" Will Tickle Your Furry Bone . November 24, 2018 . . September 26, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200526133017/https://www.autostraddle.com/drawn-to-comics-molly-ostertags-smut-comic-alleycat-will-tickle-your-furry-bone-395229/ . May 26, 2020 . live.
  23. Web site: Leblanc . Philippe . Rounding up the 2018 Ignatz Award Winners and SPX Controversies . . September 21, 2018 . November 3, 2020 . August 18, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200818064023/https://www.comicsbeat.com/rounding-up-the-2018-ignatz-award-winners-and-spx-controversies/ . live.
  24. News: Brown . Hillary . Sharon Shinn & Molly Knox Ostertag's Shattered Warrior is a Manifesto on the Strength of Vulnerability . November 24, 2018 . . May 24, 2017 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20181125030825/https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2017/05/shannon-shinn-molly-knox-ostertags-shattered-warri.html . November 25, 2018 . live.
  25. News: Drew . Emma . SVA Alum Molly Ostertag Celebrates The Queer Geekdom Of Flame Con . November 24, 2018 . . 14 August 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200621093130/http://www.sva.edu/features/sva-alum-molly-ostertag-celebrates-the-queer-geekdom-of-flame-con . June 21, 2020 . live.
  26. Web site: Friedman . Erica . Western Comix: How the Best Hunter in the Village Met Her Death . . May 23, 2018 . November 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200507192747/https://okazu.yuricon.com/2018/05/23/western-comix-how-the-best-hunter-in-the-village-met-her-death/ . May 7, 2020 . live.
  27. Ostertag . Molly . Avery Kaplan . COVER REVEAL: Molly Knox Ostertag's new graphic novel, THE GIRL FROM THE SEA . Online . . August 26, 2020 . November 3, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200904125447/https://www.comicsbeat.com/cover-reveal-girl-from-the-sea/ . September 4, 2020 . live .
  28. GLAAD Announces Nominees For The 33rd Annual GLADD Media Awards. GLAAD. January 19, 2022.
  29. Web site: Comic Book Writers and Artists Follow Other Creators to Substack. Gustines, George Gene. The New York Times. en-US. live. August 9, 2021. January 10, 2023. August 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210809151655/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/09/business/media/substack-comic-books.html.
  30. News: Sowa . Alexander . Lord of the Rings: We REALLY Need a Hobbits Animated Series . November 3, 2020 . . October 21, 2020 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20201101121411/https://www.cbr.com/lord-of-the-rings-need-hobbits-animated-series/ . November 1, 2020 . live.
  31. News: Del Rosario . Alexandra . 'The Witch Boy': Netflix To Release Animated Musical From Oscar-Nominated Director Minkyu Lee . January 28, 2021 . . January 28, 2021 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20210204114412/https://deadline.com/2021/01/the-witch-boy-netflix-oscar-nominated-minkyu-lee-animated-musical-1234682006/ . February 4, 2021 . live.
  32. Web site: WebVoyage.
  33. Web site: Molly . Ostertag . In All the Ways There Were . November 3, 2020 . . September 28, 2020 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20201103215931/https://archiveofourown.org/works/25095466?view_full_work=true . November 3, 2020 . live.
  34. News: Stubby the Rocket . This Lord of the Rings Fan-Comic by Molly Ostertag is the Perfect Post-Credits Scene . November 3, 2020 . . September 12, 2019 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20200129030753/https://www.tor.com/2019/09/12/this-lord-of-the-rings-fan-comic-by-molly-ostertag-is-the-perfect-post-credits-scene/ . January 29, 2020 . live.
  35. Web site: King. Jade. 'I'm Fine I'm Fine Just Understand' Is A New Substack From She-Ra's Noelle Stevenson. TheGamer. October 5, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211006172148/https://www.thegamer.com/noelle-stevenson-substack/. October 6, 2021. live.
  36. Web site: Terror. Jade. Saladin Ahmed, Molly Ostertag Also Join the Substack Revolution. Bleeding Cool. August 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210810005923/https://bleedingcool.com/comics/saladin-ahmed-molly-ostertag-also-join-the-substack-revolution/. August 10, 2021. live.
  37. Web site: Varona. Henry. The Owl House Writer Launches New Graphic Novel on Substack. Comic Book Resources. October 29, 2021. October 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211029133221/https://www.cbr.com/owl-house-molly-ostertag-substack-darkest-knight-graphic-novel/. October 29, 2021. live.
  38. Web site: Molly Ostertag Serializes New Graphic Novel "Darkest Night" On Substack. Carter. Reid. Multiversity Comics. October 29, 2021. October 30, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211029113128/http://www.multiversitycomics.com/news/ostertag-darkest-night/. October 29, 2021. live.
  39. Web site: ND Stevenson And Molly Ostertag On The Future Of Queer Storytelling. King. Jade. November 22, 2023. November 29, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231123014904/https://www.thegamer.com/nd-stevenson-molly-ostertag-interview-thought-bubble-nimona-deep-down-queerness/. November 23, 2023. live.
  40. News: Wolf . Tony . 'There Have Always Been Women In Comics' – The Testament Of She Makes Comics . March 28, 2021 . . March 27, 2015 . en . https://web.archive.org/web/20210125020930/https://bleedingcool.com/movies/there-have-always-been-women-in-comics/ . January 25, 2021 . live.
  41. 1175955520311545857. MollyOstertag. Thank you @mynameiskeely for officiating our wedding and surprising us with a mini D&D session, truly it was perfect. Molly. Ostertag. September 23, 2019. November 3, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20190923022543/https://twitter.com/MollyOstertag/status/1175955520311545857. September 23, 2019. live.
  42. Ostertag . Molly . Molly Ostertag . MollyOstertag . 1261016853322756096 . May 14, 2020 . Big feelings today! . May 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200515022352/https://twitter.com/MollyOstertag/status/1261016853322756096 . May 15, 2020 . live. This text comes from her note attached to the tweet. A tweet following this says that ND began working on the "show bible" (likely meaning the show pitch and backstory) in 2016.
  43. Stevenson . ND . ND Stevenson . Gingerhazing . 1261049759982215168 . May 14, 2020 . I also need to dedicate a post to @MollyOstertag, who has been my rock and protector for the last five years. We started dating right when I began work on She-Ra, and I can't overstate how influential she was on the show from the very beginning. . May 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200515022840/https://twitter.com/Gingerhazing/status/1261049759982215168 . May 15, 2020 . live.
  44. Stevenson . ND . ND Stevenson . Gingerhazing . 1261050253576298497 . May 14, 2020 . For example, I went over to her place to write the initial pitch, and at one point I said "ugh I need a twist for this show" and without even looking up Molly goes, "Planet's a weapon." So, you can thank her for THAT . . May 14, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200515023123/https:/twitter.com/Gingerhazing/status/1261050253576298497 . May 15, 2020 . live.
  45. DSA Los Angeles . Democratic Socialists of America . DSA_LosAngeles . 1309625686512922624 . September 25, 2020 . It's by @MollyOstertag !!! . en . July 7, 2021 . https://twitter.com/DSA_LosAngeles/status/1309625686512922624 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20200925232115/https://twitter.com/DSA_LosAngeles/status/1309625686512922624 . September 25, 2020 . Also verified by her tweet
  46. Web site: July 6, 2021. Dungeons & Dragons Teams Up With HarperCollins for Young Adult Novels and Graphic Novels. 2021-07-06. ComicBook.com. en.
  47. Web site: Hall. Charlie. 2021-02-23. Next Dungeons & Dragons campaign book reboots the many realms of Ravenloft. 2021-04-06. Polygon. en.
  48. Web site: November 20, 2017 . Critical Role One-Shot: Once Upon a Fairytale Cruise . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20201109025737/https://geekandsundry.com/critical-role-one-shot-once-upon-a-fairytale-cruise/ . November 9, 2020 . March 6, 2022 . Geek & Sundry.
  49. March 20, 2019 . Finishing a Campaign (with Molly Ostertag) . YouTube. May 14, 2022 . CollegeHumor.

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