PBS Hawaii

I was featured in a 15 minute segment on PBS Hawaii’s program, “Home is here.”

Johnson Becomes the First Cartoonist to Win the Whiting Award

From The Whiting foundation:

“The Whiting Foundation is proud to announce the recipients of the 2023 Whiting Awards, given annually to ten emerging writers in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama. The awards, of $50,000 each, are based on early accomplishment and the promise of great work to come.”

Review Roundup: No One Else

“Note-perfect" —The New York Times full review

“A beautiful example of a short comic containing multitudes.” — Publishers Weekly full starred review (Best Books 2021)

“A wry, compassionate story of gemlike precision, whose beauty cuts deeply” —The Globe and Mail (100 books we loved in 2021)

“No One Else skyrockets him to the upper pantheon of cartoonists making literary fiction thanks to his skillful use of the medium.” —The Comics Journal full review

"Johnson's dreamlike vignettes capture a family in the aftermath of loss, during a time of transition and, possibly, renewal, as they live through moments that are at once quotidian and monumental." — The New Yorker excerpt and interview

“Throughout No One Else, Johnson masterfully ties the visuals to the story’s thematic exploration of the ways the pains of the past reverberate through time.” —A.V. Club full review

"A meditative and melancholy story that's nevertheless bristling with energy and dry humor — one that lingers long after the first read." — Bomb Magazine full review

“One of the most subtle, poignant books about grief I’ve ever experienced.” —AIPT full review

Book Tour

Book Tour: In-person Talks & Signings

11/11 NYC at The Strand w/Chip Kidd. Tickets

12/01 San Francisco at Green Apple Books w/Paolo Rivera

12/04 Seattle at Fantagraphics Bookstore and Gallery

12/10 Honolulu at BāS Bookshop: Free tickets.

12/11-12 Maui Comic Con at Maui Beach Hotel

Career-spanning Interview With James Romberger for The Comics Journal

We discuss my three books, illustration, process, and theory.

2 Graphic Novel Releases : Fall 2021

Here’s a short video introduction to my work and the books coming out this fall:

Gold Medal Winner, Society of Illustrators

Thank you to the Society of Illustrators for awarding my New Yorker cover, “Safe Travels,” a gold medal in the 2018 Editorial category. Thank you also to the jury, and of course to Art Editor, Françoise Mouly.

Interview and Profile on Itsnicethat.com

Read the full interview here.

Hana Hou Magazine Profile

I'm honored to have a profile in the June/July 2017 issue of Hawaiian Airlines' Hana Hou! magazine. Thank you to Cathay Che for the flattering prose, to Bailey Rebecca Roberts for the the beautiful photos, and to the rest of the magazine staff!