Much of the Shade's past is revealed through journal entries included in the "Starman" comics, including the flashback issues called "Times Past". They often deal with different Starmen, including Jack's father Ted, as well as other characters from the Starman mythos, such as Brian Savage. There were a total of 10 "Times Past" issues in the 80-issue series. "Excerpts" from the Shade's journal often replaced the "Starman" letters column, frequently giving additional background related to the story or background into Shade's motivations. These excerpts are written as prose, as opposed to a more traditional comic style, with occasional illustrations, and as journal entries being written by the Shade himself at different points in his existence.