Kerry G. Johnson is an American artist, cartoonist, graphic designer, art director, caricaturist and children's book illustrator. He specializes in caricatures but has created cartoons, illustrations, and digital content creation in his career in brand development, strategic communications, and publication design.

Early life and education He was born in Nashville, Tennessee on September 30, 1966. He attended Hillsboro Comprehensive High School, Columbus College of Art and Design and Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. Johnson is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He currently resides in Columbia, Maryland.

Career Other career milestones include his role as a senior graphic designer at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland and working as an adjunct professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) also located in Baltimore.

He has worked for various news outlets including: The Baltimore Sun Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Johnson's Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson caricature In April 2022, Kerry G. Johnson designed a digital caricature illustration honoring Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson and her historic confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. The popular caricature by the artist became widely shared and reproduced on the internet. Kerry G. Johnson retains the copyright to the artwork © 2022 - All Rights Reserved

In 2005, he illustrated a coloring book about famous physicists for the American Physical Society. In 2005, he designed the official logo for the American Physical Society.

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 provided commentary on pop culture, entertainment, sports and top news stories.

He is the co-creator of the science-based teen superhero SPECTRA. Spectra, the main character, is also the mascot for Laserfest 2010, a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the laser. In 2011, Johnson worked with writer Rebecca Thompson and published their third comic book, Spectra, The Original Laserfest Superhero, for the PhysicsCentral.com web site.

In August 2018, he was interviewed by Al Jazeera America regarding the 50th birthday of Peanuts comic strip. Franklin and he provided commentary on the status of modern-day African-American cartoonists.

List of contributions His cartoons, illustrations, and graphics have appeared in these newspapers: The Nashville Banner (defunct newspaper) Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) North Hills News Record (Warrendale, PA) Valley News Dispatch (Tarentum, PA) New Pittsburgh Courier Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Pittsburgh Tribune-Review Greensburg Tribune-Review The Baltimore Sun The Baltimore Examiner The Los Angeles Times Chicago Tribune N.Y. Newsday American Physical Society News 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) (closed), and Gannett News Service.

Awards and honors Kerry G. Johnson has won over 20 Awards for his work in graphic design, illustration, and community service, including:

2023, Career Profile: PrintTalk Blog - Adaptive Art: Kerry G. Johnson’s World of Graphic Design 2023, Alpha Man of Merit | Howard County (Maryland) ChapterAlpha Man of Merit 2012, Graphic Design Magazine (GD USA) Award for InHouse Design 2010, Glyph Comics Awards nominated in the Rising Star category, presented by the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) 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 Design 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 Journalists 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 (ΑΦΑ) fraternity, the National Cartoonists Society (NCS), the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the National Caricaturist Network, American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)

He currently lives in Columbia, Maryland with his wife.

Books Is He Still There? by Monet Clements (illustrator) 2020 I Am Love: A Book About The Meaning of Love by Alero Afejuku (illustrator) 2020 Little Brown Baby Nursery Rhymes (illustrator) 2020 Believing In Myself! by Erica Pullen (illustrator) 2018 Princess Tyler Meets the Big Storytelling Fsiry (illustrator) 2015 You Can't Move an Elephant in One Day (illustrator) 2012 Soap & Bubbles (illustrator) 2012 PhysicsQuest 2008: Nikola Tesla and the Electric Fair (illustrator) 2008 SPECTRA #1: The American Physical Society introduces, SPECTRA (illustrator) 2009 SPECTRA #2: SPECTRA'S Power (illustrator) 2010 SPECTRA #3: SPECTRA'S Force (illustrator) 2011 SPECTRA #4: SPECTRA Heats Up! (illustrator) 2012 SPECTRA #5: SPECTRA Turbulent Times (illustrator) 2013 SPECTRA #6: SPECTRA'S Quantum Leap (illustrator) 2014 Color Me Physics Coloring Book, First Edition Illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson; text by Alan Chodos, PhD, Jessica Clark, PhD and Kendra Rand (2007)

References

Kerry G. Johnson: Profile in VoyageBaltimore magazine

Kerry G. Johnson: Adjunct Professor, Maryland Institute College of Art MICA : Kerry G. Johnson: LinkedIn Kerry G

Further reading : Interview with Al Jazeera America regarding the 50th birthday of Peanuts comic strip Franklin. 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 The African American Literature Book Club AALBC.com, Kerry G. Johnson PhysicsQuest 2008: Nikola Tesla and the Electric Fair (2009) 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 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 (2008) Art directed and designed by Kerry G. Johnson; published by the American Physical Society 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) 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 Journalists 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

Kerry G. Johnson on SCBWI: Baltimore Sun: Kerry G. Johnson, illustrator - comments on Columbia, MD's 50th anniversary. Listed as notable alumni of Hillsboro Comprehensive High School of Nashville, Tennessee Color Me Physics Coloring Book Illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson; text by Alan Chodos, PhD, Jessica Clark, PhD and Kendra Rand]