Getting to Know the Creators: Geoff Johns

[iSteve]

Geoff Johns

http://www.newsarama.com/general/GeoffJohns/story.jpg

From Wikipedia article on Geoff Johns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoff_Johns):

Early life and career

After graduating from Clarkston High School in 1991 and from Michigan State University in 1995, Johns moved to Los Angeles, California. There he became assistant to film director and producer, Richard Donner.

He began writing for DC Comics with Star Spangled Comics #1 (1999) and the related series Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E., a book based on the second Star-Spangled Kid and her stepfather, the original version's sidekick, Stripesy. Johns based new Star-Spangled Kid, Courtney Whitmore, on his sister Courtney, who died in the explosion of TWA Flight 800 over Long Island on July 17, 1996.

Johns wrote several comics for Marvel Comics early in his career, including The Avengers.

DC Comics

In 2000, he succeeded James Robinson as David S. Goyer's co-writer on the title JSA. Also that year, Johns became the regular writer on the ongoing series The Flash. In 2003, he launched the DC comics title Teen Titans.

Johns was responsible for the return of Hal Jordan in 2005 as the writer of the Green Lantern: Rebirth mini-series and subsequent Green Lantern ongoing title. Johns was also the writer of the DC Comics crossover event Infinite Crisis beginning in 2005, a sequel to 1985's Crisis on Infinite Earths. Following that comic book event, Johns was one of four creators -- along with Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, and Greg Rucka -- who headlined the year-long weekly comic title 52 that will finish up in 2007. In 2006, Johns reunited with Richard Donner for a run in Action Comics, with Donner co-plotting the series with his former assistant.

As of 2006, Johns shares a writing studio, The Empath Magic Tree House, with Jeph Loeb and Allan Heinberg.

Television and Film

With Goyer, Johns co-wrote the Spike TV television series 'Blade, which originally aired during the summer of 2006. In the fall of 2006, Johns teamed up with Matthew Senreich of Robot Chicken fame to write the screenplay for a holiday family-friendly movie titled "Naughty or Nice" for Dimension Films. Johns and Senreich are also billed as directors of the movie, with actor/producer Seth Green set to provide a lead voice as well as serving as voice director on the film.

1) Geoff Johns Website
(http://www.geoffjohns.com/)
2) Newsarama Article: Behind the Pages: Geoff Johns, Part 1 (http://www.newsarama.com/general/GeoffJohns/GeoffPartOne.htm)

3) Newsarama Article: Behind the Pages: Geoff Johns, Part 2 (http://www.newsarama.com/general/GeoffJohns/GeoffPartTwo.htm)

4) Newsarama Article: GEOFF JOHNS TALKS ALL STAR BATGIRL (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=82819)

5) Wordballoon - Geoff Johns, at the corner of the DCU (http://wordballoon.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=146592)

6) Fanboy Radio #329 - Geoff Johns LIVE (http://fanboyradio.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=125639)

http://www.wordballoon.com/images/JSA1.jpg

[mikegraham6]

I've heard a lot of people calling Johns the DC Bendis. What do you guys think? I think in one respect he does seem to be the architect of the DCU, at least in the terms that he writes numerous books and was behind two of their major recent events (see conor, I'm calling 52 an event now;) ). But i personally don't feel his writting is on par with Bendis. I would say that for evey crappy Bendis story i read there are about 5-8 awesome ones that make up for it. I don't think Johns writes too many crappy stories as much he writes far more average ones. I would say for every great story he writes about 2 average ones. Of course this all my own personal opinion and it could definitely be swayed by the fact that i enjoy Marvel titles more than DC, but what do you guys think?


House of M VS Infinite Crisis:D

[iSteve]

Geoff Johns is absolutely great, but he's still no Bendis. Then again, nobody is (except Bendis of course).

[acomicbookgirl]

He's one of my favorite writers.. He's probably the main reason why I have mostly DC titles.. Green Lantern, Teen Titans, JSA.. If he's writing it, i'm probably gonna get it.. :)

[alexg]

I liked Green Lantern Rebirth a helluvah lot more than I thought I would...not too crazy about where Green Lantern is going right now, but I can't deny that Johns knows how to tell a comic book story.

[mikegraham6]

I liked Green Lantern Rebirth a helluvah lot more than I thought I would...not too crazy about where Green Lantern is going right now, but I can't deny that Johns knows how to tell a comic book story.

That's my favorite work of his, I can't believe he made all that mess work so well. It's also pretty underrated, I can't think of a better GL story IMO

[acomicbookgirl]

Green Lantern is good now... :) I'm loving where its going and i'm loving the art as well...

[acomicbookgirl]

Seems cheesy but I got a pic w/him at San Diego last year...
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s121/acomicbookgirl/087_87.jpg

[darron]

If it weren't for John's Green Lantern: Rebirth, I wouldn't be here right now. I love (the majority) of the man's work. God willing, he'll take over the reigns on JLA when Meltzer is done.

[alexg]

You know what I loved so much about Rebirth? There was this great meta-story element that ran though it. In the story, Hal is struggling to come back and in a way the story itself sort of posed the question of whether or not Hal can come back as a comic book hero-can he be accepted by readers now. I love it when comics can do this in sophisticated and subtle ways (I also get a kick out of the more blatant meta story in stuff like this week's Cable and Deadpool, but I'm NOT comparing the two).

[acomicbookgirl]

I wouldn't be a DC girl if it weren't for him...

[alexg]

A G. John's JLA would kick azzzz

[darron]

that scene in Green Lantern #16 (please correct me if I'm wrong) where the JLA appeared and helped out Hal was fantastic. It totally got my mouth watering for more.

[alexg]

that scene in Green Lantern #16 (please correct me if I'm wrong) where the JLA appeared and helped out Hal was fantastic. It totally got my mouth watering for more.

F**kin' A right!

[mikegraham6]

You know what I loved so much about Rebirth? There was this great meta-story element that ran though it. In the story, Hal is struggling to come back and in a way the story itself sort of posed the question of whether or not Hal can come back as a comic book hero-can he be accepted by readers now. I love it when comics can do this in sophisticated and subtle ways (I also get a kick out of the more blatant meta story in stuff like this week's Cable and Deadpool, but I'm NOT comparing the two).

I'm totally with you AlexG, my favorite scene in fact is where Hal finally becomes the Green Lantern again and is confronted by the JLA (and Batman in particular)
Batman: So I guess this means your back now?

and then he punches Bats in the face! It really proves Hal has no fear!:D

[mikegraham6]

If it weren't for John's Green Lantern: Rebirth, I wouldn't be here right now. I love (the majority) of the man's work. God willing, he'll take over the reigns on JLA when Meltzer is done.

Anyone read the Johns/Heinberg JLA arc? the one that deals with the aftermath of Identity Crisis? that was the best JLA I had read in years (not counting my JLA Morrison trades of course;) )

[darron]

Anyone read the Johns/Heinberg JLA arc? the one that deals with the aftermath of Identity Crisis? that was the best JLA I had read in years (not counting my JLA Morrison trades of course;) )

To be perfectly honest, I didn't know that even existed. How many issues was it?

[alexg]

I must admit I did like that exchange between Hal and Hawkman at the end of JLA with Hawkman matter of factly claiming the ring 'is clearly magic'. I just dug that in light of the 'supercomputer' interpretation of the ring that is prevalent nowadays.

[mikegraham6]

To be perfectly honest, I didn't know that even existed. How many issues was it?

5 i think, i was right before the last JLA arc "a world without the justice league" and then it was relaunched as Justice League of America.
it was the arc that set up the whole distrust amongst heroes that played such a big part in infinite crisis (basically batman confronts the heroes who brainwashed him)

[alexg]

I've never read all the various "Crises" in DC...there seem to be so many of them and I can't wrap my head around it all....think I'll save my money tho. I'm sure the stories are good, but it sounds pretty complicated.

[mikegraham6]

It was called Crisis of Conscience
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t268/mikegraham6/imagemagic.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t268/mikegraham6/jla116.gif
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t268/mikegraham6/JLA117.jpg
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t268/mikegraham6/JLA118.jpg

[mikegraham6]

Last but not least, the final issue:

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t268/mikegraham6/jla119.jpg

Can you tell I'm bored at work???:rolleyes:

[darron]

Ask and ye shall recieve. Thanks, man!

[acomicbookgirl]

I just wished I got to go on the board while i'm at work... Do you know how many posts I would have if I did... ;)

[alexg]

Wow, Hawkman really ate a Bat-Knuckle sandwich...

[mikegraham6]

Ya needless to say, Batman gets pretty pissed off in that arc.

Posting at work has its benefits but every now and again (tonight especially, because work is so slow) i forgot that i should be checking the news every few minutes, so then the work piles up, or i miss something important and i panic:rolleyes:

[alexg]

Ya needless to say, Batman gets pretty pissed off in that arc.

Posting at work has its benefits but every now and again (tonight especially, because work is so slow) i forgot that i should be checking the news every few minutes, so then the work piles up, or i miss something important and i panic:rolleyes:


Effin' A. My work piled up pretty badly too, but sometimes I can't help but post at work. I'm sitting at home now doing work tho. Ugh. Well, no, I'm sitting at home posting while I should be working. :(

[marshallg]

I'm really diggin all of Geoff Johns stuff right now. Initially I didn't want to give the Teen Titans a chance because I thought they were too "kiddy" and I associated the comic with the cartoon, but it's probably my favorite thing he's done. I'm sad to see him leave that title. Green Lantern has been up and down for me but mostly up as of late and I'm also enjoying the JSA. I'm anxious to see how he handles the JLA/JSA crossover.

[keithm]

I think that Johns is DC's Bendis in the sense that he palys to the DC universe's strengths and themes the way Bendis does with Marvel. Whereas Bendis does great gritty, street-level, socially relevent stories, Johns does really colorful smash-bang beat 'em up escapist fun. They're also both great at reinventing c-list characters.

I don't know who's decision it would be, but whoever's in charge at DC needs to put Johns on JLA immediately. Johns makes the JSA feel really significant and important, like they really are living up to the legacy of the team. Meltzer's deffinately trying to make the book feel like that, but he keeps missing the mark.

Anyone remeber Johns brief, but good, run on Avengers? Despite turning Ms. Marvel into Warbird and a HORRIBLE anagram (I mean honesly, was there a single person who couldn't figure out that "Dell Rusk" was Red Skull?) he wrote the team really well. He even wrote a kinda precursor to "Dissassembled" and "Civil War" with his "Standoff" story arc. It threatened to tear the team apart by pitting Cap, Tony and Thor against each other.

Way before he reached his current superstar status, I remember seeing the announcement that he was going DC exclusive. I remeber thinking "that sucks!" I never could've guessed that he'd end up being the reason I read so many DC titles today.

[labor_days]

Yeah, I'd really love to see a John's penned JLA every month. The guy does big splashy super-hero fun better than most folks these days.


edit: Love that JLA cover with Zatanna uttering "forget" backwards. Cool.

[iSteve]

Newsarama article - GEOFF JOHNS DOUBLE FEATURE PREVIEW - JSofA #5, SINESTRO CORPS (http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Aprl07/previews/apr25th.html)

[iSteve]

From Newsarama:

WORD BALLOON: GEOFF JOHNS

With stories like Infinite Crisis and 52, writer Geoff Johns has been one of the guiding voices of the entire DC Universe.

Now past his involvement in the wide ranging crossover events, Geoff can focus on his personal monthly books.

In this episode of Word Balloon, host John Siuntres sits down with the writer, and discusses his current and future slate of books, like Green Lantern, and the upcoming Sinestro Corps Special; his Superman run on Action Comics co-written with film director Richard Donner,and the Justice Society of America, currently in the midst of a Justice League/Legion Of Super-Heroes crossover, co-written by Brad Meltzer.

We'll also talk about the new upcoming Booster Gold series, co-written with Jeff Katz, and drawn by Booster's original creator Dan Jurgens, and take a look at Geoff's current movie work, including his role as an executive producer on the Metal Men film.

Click here (http://media.libsyn.com/media/wordballoon/WBgeoffjohns0507.mp3) for the episode.

[iSteve]

TALKING ACTION COMICS, SUPERMAN & THE LEGION WITH GEOFF JOHNS (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=133564)

by Vaneta Rogers

As artist Gary Frank comes on board and a new storyline reintroduces Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Geoff Johns’ run on Action Comics feels like it’s making a whole new start.

When it’s released on October 31st, Action Comics #858 will have a brand new ongoing artist, extra pages of story, and the kick-off to an epic-sounding tale of time travel that promises to build toward upcoming events in the DC Universe. Titled “Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes,” the storyline launched by the oversized issue will focus on Superman’s relationship with the Legion, an iconic DC team from the future that has fiercely loyal fans – and is generating a lot of buzz lately in the DCU.

Since Johns was announced as part of the new Action Comics writing team last year along with Superman movie director Richard Donner, scheduling problems have caused more than a few bumps in the road for the title. But as the series comes off a three-issue Bizarro story with art by Eric Powell and heads into this new story with Gary Frank on art, Action Comics seems to be back on a smoother surface.

As issue #858 starts the title speeding down this new road, Newsarama talked to Johns to find out more about this story, hear his thoughts on what Frank's art brings to the series, and talk about why the Legion of Super-Heroes is a team DC readers will want to keep an eye on......

http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/Action/858/t_Action858.jpg

[luthor]

I cannot wait for the next arc. I love Gary Frank and that preview art just looks beautiful. It sounds like an interesting story too. Super excited.

[iSteve]

GEOFF JOHNS: SECRET ORIGINS AND BLACKEST NIGHT (http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=149332)

by Vaneta Rogers

When Green Lantern readers were told at the end of last year’s blockbuster Sinestro Corps War that another high-profile storyline – the Blackest Night – was coming in 2009, it seemed an awfully long way off.

But if this week’s Green Lantern #28 is any indication, the predictions of the Blackest Night prophecy are already starting to take shape. As next month’s Green Lantern issue #29 starts a new “Secret Origin” storyline, readers are seeing the seeds planted for what is already anticipated as one of next year’s must-read events.

Previewed in several pages of the oversized Green Lantern #25 in December, the prophesized War of Light and Blackest Night have caused a lot of fan buzz ever since. Readers were led to believe that sometime in the next year, not only would there be Sinestro Corps members wielding fear-powered rings of yellow against the Green Lanterns, but there would be new corps harnessing the energy of other emotions by wearing corresponding colored rings.

It was teased as something we’d see in the future. Yet already, more than one other color showed up in this week’s issue. And months before the promised Rage of the Red Lanterns storyline later this year, with this issue, the cosmos of the DCU now has two Red Lanterns spewing their red energy of hate.

As we checked in with Green Lantern writer Geoff Johns to talk about this week’s issue, we found out that the next storyline, Secret Origin, is more than just a look back at Hal Jordan’s past. Not only does the story arc represent what Johns hopes is a resurgence of the “Secret Origin” concept in the DCU, but it kicks off the road to Blackest Night by revealing more about Hal Jordan, Sinestro, and the mysterious new Red Lantern named Atrocitus.

Newsarama: This issue was filled with hints about what’s coming and obviously begins the journey toward this “War of Light” and the Blackest Night storyline we keep hearing about. When are we going to find out answers to all these mysteries, Geoff?

Geoff Johns: Keep reading Green Lantern. The reason I didn't want to jump to Blackest Night is that I have a lot of stories to tell. I have a lot of characters to build. And I have a certain journey that Hal Jordan is going through as he weaves between these different corps and comes face to face with them. There's a specific journey for him to take to get him prepped for Blackest Night, and to get the Green Lantern mythology prepared for the Blackest Night.....

http://www.newsarama.com/dcnew/GreenLantern/SecretOrigin/t_GL28.jpg