Alex Johns
Encyclopedia
Alex Johns was an American
film
and television producer
. Johns is best known for his work as the co-executive producer
of more than seventy episodes of the animated television series Futurama
. He also the co-executive producer of the 2006 film
, The Ant Bully
.
Johns was born in Roseville, California
, on August 23, 1966. He was the grandson of actor Steve Cochran
(1917-1966). Johns graduated from Escalon High School in Escalon, California
, in 1984. He attended both San Diego State University
and the University of California, San Diego
.
He began his career in the film industry
by colorizing classic black-and-white
movies in the late 1980s. Johns was successful in this work despite the fact that he was colorblind, which he kept a professional secret. He began working in television in the 1990s on the series, The Ren & Stimpy Show.
Matt Groening
, the creator of Futurama
, hired Johns to work on the show. Johns would eventually co-executive produce more than seventy episodes of Futurama
during his career. Groening also gave Johns a prominent production role in the 1999 Christmas
television special
, Olive, the Other Reindeer
, which starred Drew Barrymore
and Ed Asner
.
Film director
John A. Davis
hired Johns to co-executive produce the 2006 computer-animated film, The Ant Bully
. In a professional twist, Johns had actually fired Davis from the production staff of Olive, the Other Reindeer in the late 1990s due to tactical and budgetery reasons. Davis spoke of the unusual situation in an interview in 2010 explaining, "Alex was in the uncomfortable position of telling me I was being replaced, but to hear his spin, it sounded like I was getting a promotion! He was awesome...He did such a great job firing me, I had to hire him! (for The Ant Bully)." The film went on to gross more than $28 million at the U.S. domestic box office
.
Alex Johns died on August 7, 2010, of a brief illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
in Los Angeles
at the age of 43. He is survived by his mother, Xandria Walker, four brothers - David Cimino, Michael Johns, Christopher Johns, Daniel Johns - and his life long friend, Scott Utley. He was predeceased by his father, Wendell Johns.
The 100th episode of Futurama, The Mutants Are Revolting
, was dedicated to the memory of Alex Johns. The episode aired on September 2, 2010,
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
and television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
. Johns is best known for his work as the co-executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
of more than seventy episodes of the animated television series Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
. He also the co-executive producer of the 2006 film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, The Ant Bully
The Ant Bully (film)
The Ant Bully is a 2006 American computer-animated film written and directed by John A. Davis based on the 1999 children's book of the same name by John Nickle...
.
Johns was born in Roseville, California
Roseville, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Roseville had a population of 118,788. The population density was 3,279.4 people per square mile...
, on August 23, 1966. He was the grandson of actor Steve Cochran
Steve Cochran
Steve Cochran was an American film, television, and stage actor, the son of a California lumberman. He graduated from the University of Wyoming in 1939...
(1917-1966). Johns graduated from Escalon High School in Escalon, California
Escalon, California
Escalon is a city in San Joaquin County, California, United States. The population was 7,132 at the 2010 census, up from 5,963 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, in 1984. He attended both San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
and the University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Diego
The University of California, San Diego, commonly known as UCSD or UC San Diego, is a public research university located in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, United States...
.
He began his career in the film industry
Film industry
The film industry consists of the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking: i.e. film production companies, film studios, cinematography, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post production, film festivals, distribution; and actors, film directors and other film crew...
by colorizing classic black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
movies in the late 1980s. Johns was successful in this work despite the fact that he was colorblind, which he kept a professional secret. He began working in television in the 1990s on the series, The Ren & Stimpy Show.
Matt Groening
Matt Groening
Matthew Abram "Matt" Groening is an American cartoonist, screenwriter, and producer. He is the creator of the comic strip Life in Hell as well as two successful television series, The Simpsons and Futurama....
, the creator of Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
, hired Johns to work on the show. Johns would eventually co-executive produce more than seventy episodes of Futurama
Futurama
Futurama is an American animated science fiction sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening and David X. Cohen for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series follows the adventures of a late 20th-century New York City pizza delivery boy, Philip J...
during his career. Groening also gave Johns a prominent production role in the 1999 Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
television special
Television special
A television special is a television program which interrupts or temporarily replaces programming normally scheduled for a given time slot. Sometimes, however, the term is given to a telecast of a theatrical film, such as The Wizard of Oz or The Ten Commandments, which is not part of a regular...
, Olive, the Other Reindeer
Olive, the Other Reindeer
Olive, the Other Reindeer is a CGI animated Christmas television special written by Steve Young, and directed by Oscar Moore. The feature was produced by Matt Groening's The Curiosity Company and animated by DNA Productions...
, which starred Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
and Ed Asner
Ed Asner
Edward Asner , commonly known as Ed Asner, is an American film, television, stage, and voice actor and former president of the Screen Actors Guild, primarily known for his Emmy Award-winning role as Lou Grant on both The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spin-off series, Lou Grant...
.
Film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
John A. Davis
John A. Davis
John A. Davis is an American film director, writer, animator, voice actor and composer known for his work both in stop-motion animation as well as computer animation...
hired Johns to co-executive produce the 2006 computer-animated film, The Ant Bully
The Ant Bully (film)
The Ant Bully is a 2006 American computer-animated film written and directed by John A. Davis based on the 1999 children's book of the same name by John Nickle...
. In a professional twist, Johns had actually fired Davis from the production staff of Olive, the Other Reindeer in the late 1990s due to tactical and budgetery reasons. Davis spoke of the unusual situation in an interview in 2010 explaining, "Alex was in the uncomfortable position of telling me I was being replaced, but to hear his spin, it sounded like I was getting a promotion! He was awesome...He did such a great job firing me, I had to hire him! (for The Ant Bully)." The film went on to gross more than $28 million at the U.S. domestic box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
.
Alex Johns died on August 7, 2010, of a brief illness at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Originally established as Kaspare Cohn Hospital in 1902, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center is a non-profit, tertiary 958-bed hospital and multi-specialty academic health science centre located in Los Angeles, California, US. Part of the Cedars-Sinai Health System, the hospital employs a staff of over...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
at the age of 43. He is survived by his mother, Xandria Walker, four brothers - David Cimino, Michael Johns, Christopher Johns, Daniel Johns - and his life long friend, Scott Utley. He was predeceased by his father, Wendell Johns.
The 100th episode of Futurama, The Mutants Are Revolting
The Mutants Are Revolting
"The Mutants Are Revolting" is the twelfth episode of the sixth season of the animated sitcom Futurama and is the 100th episode of the series. It aired on Comedy Central on September 2, 2010 as a mid-season finale, with remaining episodes broadcast in November 2010 and in 2011. In the episode, the...
, was dedicated to the memory of Alex Johns. The episode aired on September 2, 2010,