{{Short description|American author, journalist, media historian, and actor}} {{Infobox person | image = Pat Jankiewicz by Gage Skidmore.jpg | caption = Jankiewicz in 2026 | occupation = {{Hlist|Author|journalist|media historian|actor}} | family = Tom Jankiewicz (brother) }} '''Patrick Jankiewicz''', known more often as '''Pat Jankiewicz''', is an American author, journalist, and media historian<ref name="JawsCompanion">{{cite web|last=Gold|first=Robert|title=Just When You Thought It Was Safe: A Jaws Companion|url=https://www.horrordna.com/books/just-when-you-thought-it-was-safe-a-jaws-companion-book-review|website=Horror DNA|date=20 October 2011 |access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref><ref name="BuckRogersReview">{{cite web|last=Britton|first=Wesley|title=Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: A TV Companion Reviewed|url=https://www.bookpleasures.com/websitepublisher/articles/7805/1/Buck-Rogers-in-the-25th-Century-A-TV-Companion-Reviewed-By-Dr-Wesley-Britton-of-Bookpleasurescom/Page1.html|website=Bookpleasures|date=1 December 2015|access-date=28 July 2025|quote=Media historian Patrick Jankiewicz offers the first in-depth exploration of Buck Rogers.}}</ref> specializing in companion books for genre media, and an actor. He has been a long‑time contributor to magazines such as ''Fangoria'', ''Starlog'' and ''Film Review''; and he has played many acting roles in television and film, centered on creature work.
== Personal life ==
Jankiewicz was raised in Michigan.<ref>{{cite web |title=#175 Don't Make Author Pat Jankiewicz Angry You Wouldn't Like Him When He's Angry |url=https://jeffisfunny.com/2022/10/175-dont-make-author-pat-jankiewicz-angry-you-wouldnt-like-him-when-hes-angry/ |website=Classic Conversations |publisher=Jeff Dwoskin |access-date=28 July 2025 |quote=Author Pat Jankiewicz shares his Michigan roots with listeners.}}</ref> He has lived in Southern California, and honed his writing skills while working in public relations and copywriting.<ref>{{cite web |last=The Daily Jaws |title=Interview With Author Pat Jankiewicz – Just When You Thought It Was Safe: A Jaws Companion|url=https://thedailyjaws.com/blog/2020/3/7/interview-with-author-pat-jankiewicz-just-when-you-thought-it-was-safe-a-jaws-companion |website=The Daily Jaws |date=7 March 2020 |access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref> He is the younger brother of ''Grosse Pointe Blank'' screenwriter Tom Jankiewicz, and actor Donald R. Jankiewicz.<ref>{{cite web|title=Film Inquiry Presents So Grosse, Such, Pointe, Much Blank #28: Pat Jankiewicz|url=https://redcircle.com/shows/so-grosse-such-pointe-much-blank/ep/7a7b1f55-8fcf-4929-8a1e-9c9124582403|website=RedCircle|date=22 August 2021|access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Pat Jankiewicz – Biography|url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0417715/bio/|website=IMDb|access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref>
== Writing ==
Jankiewicz began writing for genre magazines in the late 1980s, including articles, interviews and features for ''Fangoria'', ''Starlog'' and ''Film Review'', as well as working for years with the SyFy Channel. This background informed his research.<ref name="JawsCompanion" /> He contributed Star Trek profiles to ''Starlog'' in the early 1990s alongside writers such as Lee Goldberg and Craig Chrissinger.<ref>{{cite web |title=Starlogging Trek |url=https://www.startrek.com/article/starlogging-trek |website=StarTrek.com |access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref>
In 2014 his ''Fangoria'' article "Killer Thriller", revisiting John Landis's ''Michael Jackson's Thriller'' music video, appeared on the ballot for the twelfth Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.<ref name="Rondo">{{cite web |title=Here are the winners of Rondo XII |url=https://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/ |website=Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards |date=17 March 2014 |access-date=28 July 2025 |quote='Killer Thriller,' by Pat Jankiewicz, FANGORIA #326–327. Revisiting the John Landis/Michael Jackson video, which looms more influential than ever.}}</ref>
=== ''Just When You Thought It Was Safe: A Jaws Companion'' === In 2010, Jankiewicz’s first major work, the book ''Just When You Thought It Was Safe: A Jaws Companion'' (BearManor Media, 2010), examines the production of Steven Spielberg's ''Jaws'' and its sequels. Reviewer Robert Gold praised the book's extensive interviews.<ref name="JawsCompanion" />
=== ''You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry: A Hulk Companion'' === His 2012 book ''You Wouldn't Like Me When I'm Angry: A Hulk Companion'' is a detailed guide to the 1978–82 television series ''The Incredible Hulk''. The book surveys each episode and provides behind‑the‑scenes information about the production.
=== ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: A TV Companion'' === ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: A TV Companion'' in 2015 covers the TV series ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century''. In his review for Bookpleasures, media historian Dr. Wesley Britton wrote that the book offers the "first in‑depth exploration of ''Buck Rogers''" and described Jankiewicz as a "media historian".<ref name="BuckRogersReview" /> The volume includes new interviews and an episode guide.
=== ''The Greatest American Hero Companion'' === Jankiewicz later wrote ''The Greatest American Hero Companion'' in 2021, a reference guide to the 1981–83 superhero comedy series ''The Greatest American Hero''. Articles about the series have quoted his research; for example, a pop‑culture retrospective noted that Jankiewicz explained how the show was pitched as "''The Rockford Files'' with a superhero".<ref>{{cite web|title=The Greatest American Hero TV show facts|url=https://www.remindmagazine.com/article/|website=ReMIND Magazine|access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref> He also recorded audio commentaries for several episodes of the series, and in 2023 contributed commentary tracks for the Kino Lorber Blu‑ray release of ''Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'', where he was credited as a film/TV historian and author of the companion book.<ref>{{cite web|title=Kino Lorber Releases Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV Movie and Series Blu-ray Collection|url=https://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/12185-KINO-LORBER-RELEASES-BUCK-ROGERS-IN-THE-25TH-CENTURY-TV-MOVIE-AND-SERIES-BLU-RAY-COLLECTION.html|website=Cinema Retro|date=2023|access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref>
== Acting == In addition to his writing, Jankiewicz has appeared in small roles in films and television. He had bit parts in feature films including ''Beethoven's 2nd'' (1993), ''Fight Club'' (1999), ''K-PAX'' (2001) and ''The Rundown'' (2003), and he played various creatures in independent horror films, including ''The Prey: Legend of Karnoctus''<ref>{{cite web |last=Miller |first=ML |title=The Prey: Legend of Karnoctus (2022) |url=https://mlmillerwrites.com/2022/07/07/the-prey-legend-of-karnoctus-2022/ |website=MLMillerWrites |date=7 July 2022 |access-date=28 July 2025}}</ref> He has numerous uncredited appearances in episodes of many genre shows and ''Star Trek: Voyager'' as a Hanonian citizen and Klingon mourner, and he has lent his voice and likeness to several low‑budget productions.
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{IMDb name|id=0417715}} * [https://www.fangoria.com/ Pat Jankiewicz] at ''Fangoria''
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Jankiewicz, Pat}} Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American non-fiction writers Category:American male non-fiction writers Category:Horror writers Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)