Kerry G. Johnson
Encyclopedia
Kerry G. Johnson is an African-American graphic designer
, caricaturist and humorous illustrator
.
He was born in Nashville
, Tennessee on September 30, 1966. He attended Hillsboro Comprehensive High School
, Columbus College of Art and Design
and The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
He specializes in caricatures but has created cartoons, illustrations and news graphic work (maps, information graphics
, feature page design) in his career in newspaper and publication design. In 2005, he illustrated a coloring book for the American Physical Society
about famous physicists. In 2005, he designed the official logo for the American Physical Society
.
He is the co-creator of the science based teen superhero SPECTRA. In 2011, Johnson worked with writer Rebecca Thompson and published their third comic book. Spectra, The Original Laserfest Superhero comic book for the PhysicsCental.com web site. Spectra, the main character, is also the mascot for Laserfest 2010, a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the laser.
In May 2008, he debuted his webcomic
, Harambee Hills. Harambee Hills is a diverse webcomic that follows the life observations of Gerard and those of his modern African-American family, co-workers and wacky neighbors of Harambee Hills, a fictional suburban neighborhood outside Washington, D.C. The webcomic’s characters often provide commentary on pop culture, entertainment, sports and top news stories.
He currently resides in Columbia, Maryland
with his wife, Tawanda W. Johnson, a press secretary, media specialist and co-writer of Harambee Hills, along with their daughter and son.
His cartoons, illustrations and information graphics have appeared in these newspapers:
Additionally, his work has appeared in magazines, web sites and other national media outlets including 60 Minutes, USA Today, KRT (Knight-Ridder Tribune Graphics) and Gannett News Service.
He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha
(ΑΦΑ) fraternity, the National Association of Black Journalists
(NABJ), the National Caricaturists Network, American Institute of Graphic Arts
(AIGA) and the American Physical Society
(APS).
He currently lives in Columbia, Maryland
with this wife, Tawanda W. Johnson, a press secretary, along with their daughter and son.
Graphic designer
A graphic designer is a professional within the graphic design and graphic arts industry who assembles together images, typography or motion graphics to create a piece of design. A graphic designer creates the graphics primarily for published, printed or electronic media, such as brochures and...
, caricaturist and humorous illustrator
Illustrator
An Illustrator is a narrative artist who specializes in enhancing writing by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text...
.
He was born in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, Tennessee on September 30, 1966. He attended Hillsboro Comprehensive High School
Hillsboro Comprehensive High School
Hillsboro High School is a comprehensive high school in Nashville, Tennessee. Established in 1939, the school is one of fifteen high schools in Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools. The school offers the IB Diploma Programme.-History:...
, Columbus College of Art and Design
Columbus College of Art and Design
Columbus College of Art & Design is a private college of art and design located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Originally founded in 1879 as The Columbus Art School, CCAD is one of the oldest operating art schools in the United States...
and The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio.
He specializes in caricatures but has created cartoons, illustrations and news graphic work (maps, information graphics
Information graphics
Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education...
, feature page design) in his career in newspaper and publication design. In 2005, he illustrated a coloring book for the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
about famous physicists. In 2005, he designed the official logo for the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
.
He is the co-creator of the science based teen superhero SPECTRA. In 2011, Johnson worked with writer Rebecca Thompson and published their third comic book. Spectra, The Original Laserfest Superhero comic book for the PhysicsCental.com web site. Spectra, the main character, is also the mascot for Laserfest 2010, a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the laser.
In May 2008, he debuted his webcomic
Webcomic
Webcomics, online comics, or Internet comics are comics published on a website. While many are published exclusively on the web, others are also published in magazines, newspapers or often in self-published books....
, Harambee Hills. Harambee Hills is a diverse webcomic that follows the life observations of Gerard and those of his modern African-American family, co-workers and wacky neighbors of Harambee Hills, a fictional suburban neighborhood outside Washington, D.C. The webcomic’s characters often provide commentary on pop culture, entertainment, sports and top news stories.
He currently resides in Columbia, Maryland
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
with his wife, Tawanda W. Johnson, a press secretary, media specialist and co-writer of Harambee Hills, along with their daughter and son.
His cartoons, illustrations and information graphics have appeared in these newspapers:
- The Nashville BannerNashville BannerThe Nashville Banner is a defunct daily newspaper of Nashville, Tennessee, United States, which published from April 10, 1876 until February 20, 1998...
(defunct newspaper) - Columbus Dispatch (Ohio)
- North Hills News Record (Warrendale, PA)
- Valley News Dispatch (Tarentum, PA)
- New Pittsburgh Courier
- Pittsburgh Post-GazettePittsburgh Post-GazetteThe Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, also known simply as the "PG," is the largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.-Early history:...
- Pittsburgh Tribune-ReviewPittsburgh Tribune-ReviewThe Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, also known as "the Trib," is the second largest daily newspaper serving metropolitan Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
- Greensburg Tribune-Review
- The Baltimore SunThe Baltimore SunThe Baltimore Sun is the U.S. state of Maryland’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides coverage of local and regional news, events, issues, people, and industries....
- The Baltimore Examiner
- The Los Angeles Times
- Chicago Tribune
- N.Y. Newsday
- APS News American Physical SocietyAmerican Physical SocietyThe American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
- The Muskegon Tribune (Michigan)
Additionally, his work has appeared in magazines, web sites and other national media outlets including 60 Minutes, USA Today, KRT (Knight-Ridder Tribune Graphics) and Gannett News Service.
Awards and honors
Kerry G. Johnson has won over 20 Awards for his work in graphic design and illustration including:- 2010, Glyph Comics AwardsGlyph Comics AwardsThe Glyph Comics Awards recognize the best in comics made by, for, and about people of color from the preceding calendar year. While it is not exclusive to black creators, it does strive to honor those who have made the greatest contributions to the comics medium in terms of both critical and...
nominated in the Rising Star category, presented by the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACCECBACC- ECBACC :The East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention, Inc. is a 501 non-profit community-based organization focused on education, literacy and the arts....
) - 2008, first place: the National Arts Program for Illustration
- 2002, 2001, 1996, first place: Press Club of Western Pennsylvania’s Golden Quill Award for News Illustration
- 2002, Society for News DesignSociety for News DesignThe Society for News Design is an international organization for professionals working in the news sector of the media industry, specifically those involved with graphic design, illustration, web design and infographics....
Award of Excellence for Photo illustration - 2001, judge: Pittsburgh’s 2001 ARTWorks Competition
- 2001, 1998, 1994, 1993, first place: Pittsburgh Black Media Federation’s Robert L. Vann Award for Feature Illustration
- 2000, second place: National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Heritage Award for Editorial Cartooning
- 1996, first place: National Association of Black JournalistsNational Association of Black JournalistsThe National Association of Black Journalists is an organization of African American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C...
NABJ Award for Art and Design - 1994, first place: Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association’s Award for Graphic Illustration
He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
(ΑΦΑ) fraternity, the National Association of Black Journalists
National Association of Black Journalists
The National Association of Black Journalists is an organization of African American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C...
(NABJ), the National Caricaturists Network, American Institute of Graphic Arts
American Institute of Graphic Arts
AIGA is an American professional organization for design. Organized in 1914, AIGA currently has more than 22,000 members throughout 66 chapters and more than 200 student groups nationwide...
(AIGA) and the American Physical Society
American Physical Society
The American Physical Society is the world's second largest organization of physicists, behind the Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft. The Society publishes more than a dozen scientific journals, including the world renowned Physical Review and Physical Review Letters, and organizes more than 20...
(APS).
He currently lives in Columbia, Maryland
Columbia, Maryland
Columbia is a planned community that consists of ten self-contained villages, located in Howard County, Maryland, United States. It began with the idea that a city could enhance its residents' quality of life. Creator and developer James W. Rouse saw the new community in terms of human values, not...
with this wife, Tawanda W. Johnson, a press secretary, along with their daughter and son.
Books
- PhysicsQuest 2008: Nikola Telsa and the Electric Fair
- SPECTRA #1: The American Physical Society introduces, SPECTRA
- SPECTRA #2: SPECTRA'S Power
- SPECTRA #3: SPECTRA'S Force
Further reading
- ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com: My 'Take' On: Spectra #1 (illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson) - As Seen At the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International by Michael D Hamersky, August 17, 2010
- The New Pittsburgh Courier Former New Pittsburgh Courier cartoonist nominated for award, Wed. May 19, 2010 http://www.newpittsburghcourieronline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2127:former-courier-cartoonist-nominated-for-award&catid=38:metro&Itemid=27
- The African American Literature Book Club AALBC.comAALBC.comAALBC.com, the African American Literature Book Club, is a web site which is a source of information on books by and about African-American authors, including book recommendations, on-line discussion boards, writer's resources, articles, and critical reviews of books.Launched in 1998, AALBC was...
, Kerry G. Johnson http://aalbc.com/authors/kerryjohnson.html - PhysicsQuest 2008: Nikola TeslaNikola TeslaNikola Tesla was a Serbian-American inventor, mechanical engineer, and electrical engineer...
and the Electric Fair (2009) http://www.physicscentral.com/experiment/physicsquest/index.cfm ISBN 978-0-9823238-0-9 Co-written by Rebecca Thompson-Flagg PhD, Christopher DiScenza, Justin Reeder and Kerry G. Johnson; illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson; published by the American Physical Society http://www.aps.org - APS News: Lighting Up Classrooms: PhysicsQuest 2008 book and kits launched; illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson (February 2009, Vol. 18, No. 2) (http://apsweb.aps.org/publications/apsnews/200902/physicsquest.cfm)
- Energy Future: Think Efficiency: An Energy Efficiency Report http://www.aps.org/energyefficiencyreport/(2008) Art directed and designed by Kerry G. Johnson; published by the American Physical Society http://www.aps.org
- Color Me Physics Coloring Book, Second Edition Illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson and Krystal Ferguson; text by Alan Chodos, PhD, Jessica Clark, PhD and Becky Thompson-Flagg, PhD (2008)
- The Daily Cartoonist.com News Brief (August 12, 2008) http://dailycartoonist.com/index.php/2008/08/13/news-briefs-for-august-12-2008/
- Color Me Physics Coloring Book, First Edition Illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson; text by Alan Chodos, PhD, Jessica Clark, PhD and Kendra Rand (2007)
- Brooks, Charles, Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 2001 Edition: Kerry G. Johnson (page 166) Pelican Publishing, (2001)
- Brooks, Charles, Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year: 1999 Edition: Kerry G. Johnson (page 197) Pelican Publishing, (1999)
- National Association of Black JournalistsNational Association of Black JournalistsThe National Association of Black Journalists is an organization of African American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C...
member profile (Art and Design): Kerry G. Johnson, (1999) - Top 30 Under 30: Kerry G. Johnson, Urban Profiles magazine, (May 1989)
- Jones, Kimberly, Dimensions Newsmagazine: Editor profile: Kerry G. Johnson (1988)
External links
- Harambee Hills http://www.gocomics.com/harambeehills/ is Johnson's semi-autobiographical webcomic co-created with this wife, Tawanda.
- Kerry G. Johnson's official web site
- The National Arts Program http://www.nationalartsprogram.org/~caricature
- Color Me Physics Coloring Book Illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson; text by Alan Chodos, PhD, Jessica Clark, PhD and Kendra Rand]
- Comixpedia.com: About Kerry G. Johnson