Pat Jankiewicz

Patrick Jankiewicz, known more often as Pat Jankiewicz, is an American author, journalist, and media historian 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. He has lived in Southern California, and honed his writing skills while working in public relations and copywriting. He is the younger brother of Grosse Pointe Blank screenwriter Tom Jankiewicz, and actor Donald R. Jankiewicz.

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.

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.

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. 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.

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 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.