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Rich Johnston

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Rich Johnston is an online comic book industry columnist. Johnston has also created comic books, most notable Rich Johnston's Holed Up, published by Avatar Press in 2004 and The Flying Friar, published by Speakeasy in 2006 Johnston is based in Soho, London, and also works as an advertising copywriter.

Johnston writes a column, Lying in the Gutters, currently hosted at the Comic Book Resources website, although a variation of the column has existed since 1994, when it appeared as postings to USENET. The Comics Journal declared Johnston as having claim to being "the oldest extant comics news reporter on the Internet."[1] He mainly posts stories based on rumours and gossip, with a traffic light icon imparting advisory caution as to the possible credence one should give the rumour, a red light denoting the least liklihood of accuracy.

Johnston's column does not often impart sources, Johnston noting "I often obfuscate sources to hide their identity -- even deny that a story has sources on many occasion." [2](sic) However, his column has reported first on many topics of note regarding the comic book industry, something The Comics Journal declares to be in part owing to "Johnston's discerning intelligence and an attitude that sometimes approaches iconoclasm." [3]

Johnston was the first to suggest the subsequent collapse of CrossGen, and has also revealed artwork which publishers have altered, sans alterations, notably revealing artwork from Marvel's Shanna the She-Devil, which had been altered to have nudity in the original art covered up. Johnston also sees himself as part of a tradition established by the "British tabloid press, one that seeks to entertain rather than inform..." [4]

Recently his concerns about the V For Vendetta movie were publically addressed by the Wachowski Brothers and cast, his comments about the new Doctor Who TV show picked up by international newspapers and websites and his interview with Alan Moore about his decision to sever all ties with DC comics, by Entertainment Weekly and the New York Times. His work is also often featured in Ain't It Cool News articles and was recently featured in the Village Voice.

He has also written a number of comic books such as Rich Johnston's Holed Up, The Flying Friar and Chase Variant.

Notes

  1. ^ Dean, Michael (2005). "Online Comics Journalism: Does It Exist? Part 3: Rich Johnston's Honest Lying". The Comics Journal (266): 21–23.
  2. Ibid
  3. Ibid
  4. Ibid
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