Antony Johnston (born 25 August 1972) is a British writer of comics, video games, and novels. He is known for the post-apocalyptic comic series Wasteland, the graphic novel The Coldest City (adapted for film as Atomic Blonde), and his work on several Image Comics series. In May 2023, Johnston published The Dog Sitter Detective, the first in a series.
Career Johnston started his career as a graphic designer.Unjustly Maligned: GURPS He began his writing career with work for role-playing magazines, then used his graphic design skills to design graphic novels.
In May 2001, Johnston was one of the three founding editors of NinthArt.com, an attempt at taking a literary and critical approach to the comics medium designed to act as a journal and aimed at "the discerning reader"."What Is Ninth Art?" by Antony Johnston, Alasdair Watson and Andrew Wheeler, May 2001. Accessed (via the Internet Archive) 7 August 2008 Between 2001 and 2004, he contributed a mostly-monthly editorial entitled "Cassandra Complex","Cassandra Complex Editorials" by Antony Johnston at NinthArt.com (21 May 2001 – 30 April 2004). Accessed (via the Internet Archive) 7 August 2008 and for five years formed one-third of the infrequent "Triple A" discussions, including the last (on 19 June 2006)."Triple A" by the Ninth Art editorial board (Johnston, Watson & Wheeler) at NinthArt.com (11 June 2001 – 19 June 2006). Accessed (via the Internet Archive) 7 August 2008
His fiction debut, Frightening Curves, was an illustrated horror novel with artwork by Aman Chaudhary, published by Cyberosia Publishing in 2001. The book won the Best Horror Award in the 2002 IPPY awards at Book Expo America.Winners and Finalists for the Independent Publisher Book Awards 2002 , Independent Publisher Johnston also produced a graphic novel – Rosemary's Backpack – and a contribution to the first PopImage anthology for Cyberosia in 2002. (Cyberosia appears to have ceased after 2020.)
Johnston's early comics work consisted primarily of non-serialised graphic novels for Oni Press,Suicide Girls interview, Suicide Girls, 3 February 2005Three's Not a Crowd: Johnston talks graphic novels at Oni in 2004, Comic Book Resources, 5 August 2003 and authorised comics adaptations of prose and poetry works by Alan Moore for Avatar Press.Johnston's Working in Alan Moore's Courtyard, Comicon_Pulse, 13 November 2002
In 2002, he began his association with Oni Press by writing the five-issue miniseries Three Days in Europe (with art by Mike Hawthorne).Rob Allstetter, "Oni's THREE DAYS IN EUROPE" at Mania.com, 26 July 2002. Accessed 7 August 2008 After this initial mini-series, Johnston penned a number of graphic novels for Oni Press – Spooked (with Sophie Campbell), Julius (with Brett Weldele) and Closer (with Mike Norton) released between February and May 2004; The Long Haul (with Eduardo Barreto) and F-Stop (with Matthew Loux) released in February and April 2005.
Wasteland
In 2006, Johnston and Christopher Mitten launched Wasteland (2006), an ongoing post-apocalyptic series, for Oni Press.The Rising Tide: Antony Johnston talks Oni's Wasteland, Comic Book Resources, 25 April 2006 It ran for 60 issues and concluded in April 2015.
The Coldest City and Atomic Blonde
In 2012, Johnston wrote The Coldest City,Antony Johnston infiltrates the Coldest City, Comic Book Resources, 1 May 2012 an original hardback graphic novel in the Cold War espionage genre, intended to be the first in a series of books all set in Berlin during the Cold War. A prequel, The Coldest Winter, was released in 2016. Both titles were published by Oni Press.Cold War graphic novel Coldest Winter: Exclusive, extended preview, [Entertainment Weekly, 11 July 2016
At the Cannes Festival 2015, Focus Features announced they had acquired North American distribution rights to The Coldest City. Starring Charlize Theron and directed by David Leitch,Focus Pre-Empts N.A. Rights To 'The Coldest City;' Charlize Theron To Star, 'John Wick's David Leitch & Chad Stahelski Directing: Cannes, Deadline Hollywood, 9 May 2015 the film, retitled Atomic Blonde, premiered in March 2017 at the South by Southwest festival.
Brigitte Sharp spy thriller series
Johnston began publishing a series of spy thriller novels about elite MI6 hacker Brigitte Sharp in 2017. The series follows her after being sidelined for years at a desk job after her first field operation went sour through conspiracies and threats to global stability.
The series currently consists of The Exphoria Code (2017), The Tempus Project (2020), and The Patrios Network (2022). In 2020, Red Planet Pictures optioned the first book for a TV series.
The Dog Sitter Detective Series
Johnston signed with Allison & Busby in 2022 to deliver a series of books in the cozy mystery genre. The first, the eponymous The Dog Sitter Detective, was released in May 2023. The second, The Dog Sitter Detective Takes the Lead, was published in January 2024. The publisher extended the deal in 2023 to a third and fourth book, which are expected in January 2025 and 2026 respectively
Other projects
In 2006, Johnston adapted Anthony Horowitz's Alex Rider series for Walker Books,Publisher's book page , Walker Books beginning with Stormbreaker: The Graphic Novel. Johnston also wrote Wolverine: Prodigal Son, a Marvel Comics-licensed original English-language manga version of Wolverine, .Another look at the manga-style Wolverine, X-Men , Newsarama, 22 April 2008 Other Marvel work by Johnston included several Daredevil comics.
In 2008 Johnston wrote the script for the video game Dead SpaceChuck Gets Animated, Dead Space blog, 18 April 2008 as well as a comic book prequel to the Electronic Arts videogame.
In 2013 Johnston began publishing with Image Comics,, Image Comics twitter, 2 July 2013 starting with the "dark fantasy" Umbral in November 2013,Umbral preview, Comic Book Resources, 9 November 2013 and sci-fi/crime series The Fuse in February 2014.Science-Fiction and Crime Investigation Collide in THE FUSE #1, Image Comics website, 12 November 2013 In 2015, he launched Codename Baboushka, an espionage thriller.Bullets, High Kicks and Humanity, Comics Alliance, 14 January 2016
Johnston worked with doom metal band Waves of Mercury on their 2013 EP As Seasons Fleet.Review of As Seasons Fleet, Sorrow Eternal, 26 September 2013 In 2015, he launched a dark ambient/drone music project, SILENCAEON., Bandcamp, 29 May 2015
In 2020, Johnston published The Organised Writer, a book describing a productivity system for writers.The Writing CoachAuthors' Matters by ALCS
Johnston appears regularly on podcasts on The Incomparable network, where he produced Unjustly Maligned for 87 episodes from 2015 to 2017., The Incomparable, 2 March 2015 He independently produces the heavy-metal podcast Thrash It Out.Thrash It Out Johnston also hosts and produced Writing and Breathing, a podcast in which he to spoke to authors about their working methods, across 32 episodes in 2020 and 2021.Writing and Breathing
Awards Johnston's 2001 novel Frightening Curves won the 2002 American Independent Publishing (IPPY) "Best Horror" award at Book Expo America.Antony Johnston biography in Horowitz/Johnston/Kanako/Yuzuru Point Blank: The Graphic Novel (Philomel, 2007) His scriptwriting for the character Lady Dimitrescu in Resident Evil Village had won him a D.I.C.E. Award for "Outstanding Achievement in Character" in 2022.
Additionally, Johnston has been nominated for the following awards: 2006: Nominated (for Wasteland) for the "Best New Series" Harvey Award 2007: Nominated (for Wasteland) for "Favourite Black and White Comicbook – American" Eagle Award
Bibliography
Comics "Sunday Mourning" (short story, with Mike Norton, in 9-11, 2002) Rosemary's Backpack (with Drew Gilbert, 112-page graphic novel, Cyberosia Publishing, 2002, ) Three Days in Europe (with Mike Hawthorne, 5-issue mini-series, Oni Press, 2002–2003, tpb, 152 pages, 2003, ) Alan Moore's The Courtyard (adapted from work by Alan Moore, with art by Jacen Burrows, 2-issue mini-series, Avatar Press, March 2003, tpb, 2004) Another Suburban Romance (adapted from work by Alan Moore, with art by Juan Jose Ryp, Avatar Press, April 2003) Alan Moore's Yuggoth Cultures and Other Growths #3: "Me and Dorothy Parker" (adapted from song by Alan Moore, with art by Marat Mychaels, Avatar Press, 2003, tpb, Yuggoth Cultures, 2006, paperback, , hardback, ) Spooked (with Sophie Campbell, 168-page graphic novel, Oni Press, February 2004, ) Julius (with Brett Weldele, 168-page graphic novel, Oni Press, March 2004, ) Closer (with Mike Norton, 152-page graphic novel, Oni Press, May 2004, ) "Sweeps Week" (short story, with Mike Norton, in Noble Causes: Extended Family No. 2, Image Comics, 2004) Alan Moore's The Courtyard Companion (reprints Johnston's script for Alan Moore's The Courtyard with annotations by NG Christakos, Moore's original short story, new pinups/art by Jacen Burrows, and a new essay by Johnston, Avatar Press, 2004) Alan Moore's Hypothetical Lizard (adapted from work by Alan Moore, with art by Lorenzo Lorente, 4-issue mini-series, Avatar Press, 2004–2005, tpb, 2007) Yuggoth Creatures (with Jacen Burrows, Sebastian Fiumara, Andres Guinaldo, Matthew T. Martin, Juan Jose Ryp, Dheeraj Verma and Mike Wolfer, one-shot, Avatar Press, 2004) Nightjar (with pencils by Max Fiumara and inks by Sebastian Fiumara, 4-issue mini-series, Avatar Press, 2004–2005) "Spellbound" (short story, with Juan Jose Ryp, in Vivid Girls Volume 1, Avatar Press, 2005, ) The Long Haul (with Eduardo Barreto, 176-page grapuhc novel, Oni Press, February 2005, ) F-Stop (with Matthew Loux, 164-page graphic novel, Oni Press, April 2005, ) "Hype" (short story, with Mike Hawthorne, in Four Letter Worlds, Image Comics, 2005) Queen & Country Declassified (with Christopher Mitten, 3-issue mini-series, Oni Press, 2005) Texas Chainsaw Massacre Fearbook No. 1 (with Daniel HDR, Avatar Press, 2006) Wasteland (with Christopher Mitten, ongoing series, Oni Press, 2006–2015) collected as: Cities In Dust (collects Wasteland #1–6, March 2007, ) Shades of God (collects Wasteland #8–13, December 2007, ) Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos (collects Wasteland #15–19, December 2008, ) Dog Tribe (collects Wasteland #21-24, Jun 2008, ) Tales of the Uninvited (collects Wasteland #7, #14, #20, #25, November 2009, ) The Enemy Within (collects Wasteland #26–31, October 2011, ) Under the God (collects Wasteland #33–38, July 2012, ) Lost in the Ozone (collects Wasteland #40–44, March 2013, ) A Thousand Lies (collects Wasteland #46–51, January 2014, ) Last Exit for the Lost (collects Wasteland #32, #39, #45, #52, August 2014, ) Floodland (collects Wasteland #53–60, March 2015, ) The Apocalyptic Edition, Volume One (Hardcover, collects Wasteland #1–13, July 2009, ) The Apocalyptic Edition, Volume Two (Hardcover, collects Wasteland #14–25, August 2010, ) The Apocalyptic Edition, Volume Three (Hardcover, collects Wasteland #26–39, July 2013, ) The Apocalyptic Edition, Volume Four (Hardcover, collects Wasteland #40–52, June 2014, ) The Apocalyptic Edition, Volume Five (Hardcover, collects Wasteland #53–60, October 2015, ) Alex Rider (with Kanako Damerum and Yuzuru Takasaki): Stormbreaker (Walker Books, 2006, ) Point Blanc (Philomel Books, 2007, ) Skeleton Key (Walker Books, September 2009, ) Eagle Strike (Walker Books, June 2012, ) "Best Side Out" (short story, with Noel Tuazon, in Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened, Villard Books, 2007) "Supergiant Blues" (short story, with Luis Sopelana, in 24Seven Volume 2, Image Comics, 2007) Texas Strangers (with co-author Dan Evans III and art by Mario Boon, Image Comics, 2007) Dead Space (with Ben Templesmith, Image Comics, March–August 2008, hardback, December 2008, ) Wolverine: Prodigal Son (with Wilson Tortosa, 177-page graphic novel, Del Rey, April 2009, )