Kerry G. Johnson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kerry G. Johnson
Kerry G. Johnson \ Artist and Illustrator
Born	Nashville, TN
Occupation	caricaturist, caricature artist, cartoonist, children's book illustrator, writer, graphic designer, art director, author, webcomic artist, arts educator
Known for	illustration, caricatures, children's book illustration, cartoons, webcomics, black cartoonists, African American cartoonists, Spectra (laser superhero)
Spouse(s)	Tawanda W. Johnson

Kerry G. Johnson is a talented American artist. He is known for drawing funny pictures of people called caricatures. He also creates cartoons, designs graphics, and illustrates children's books. He helps companies with their brands and designs publications too.

Growing Up and Learning

Kerry G. Johnson was born in Nashville, Tennessee on September 30, 1966. He went to Hillsboro Comprehensive High School. Later, he studied art at the Columbus College of Art and Design and Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He is part of a group called Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Today, he lives in Columbia, Maryland.

Kerry's Art Career

Kerry G. Johnson has had an exciting career. He worked as a senior graphic designer at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He also taught art as a professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore.

He has shared his art with many news companies, including:

• The Baltimore Sun
• Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
• Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Drawing Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson

In April 2022, Kerry G. Johnson created a special digital drawing. It was a caricature of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson. This drawing celebrated her becoming a judge on the U.S. Supreme Court. Many people shared this popular artwork online. Kerry G. Johnson owns the copyright to this drawing.

In 2005, he drew pictures for a coloring book about famous physicists. This book was for the American Physical Society. He also designed their official logo in the same year.

Harambee Hills Webcomic

In May 2008, Kerry G. Johnson started his own webcomic called Harambee Hills. A webcomic is like a comic strip you read online. Harambee Hills shows the daily life of Gerard and his modern African-American family. It also features his co-workers and funny neighbors in a made-up town called Harambee Hills. The characters in the comic often talk about pop culture, sports, and the news.

Creating the Superhero Spectra

Kerry G. Johnson also helped create a science-based teen superhero named SPECTRA. Spectra is the main character and the mascot for Laserfest 2010. This was a year-long celebration of the laser's 50th birthday. In 2011, Johnson worked with writer Rebecca Thompson. They published their third comic book, Spectra, The Original Laserfest Superhero. You can find it on the PhysicsCentral.com website.

Talking About Cartoons

In August 2018, Kerry G. Johnson was interviewed by Al Jazeera America. They talked about the 50th birthday of the Peanuts comic strip. He and Franklin, a character from Peanuts, discussed what it's like for African-American cartoonists today.

Where Kerry's Art Has Appeared

Kerry G. Johnson's cartoons, drawings, and graphics have been in many newspapers:

• The Nashville Banner (this newspaper is no longer printed)
• 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)

His work has also been seen in magazines, websites, and other national media. This includes 60 Minutes, USA Today, and Gannett News Service.

Awards and Honors

Kerry G. Johnson has won more than 20 awards for his amazing work. These awards are for his graphic design, illustrations, and helping the community. Some of his awards include:

• 2023: Alpha Man of Merit | Howard County (Maryland) Chapter
• 2012: Graphic Design Magazine (GD USA) Award for InHouse Design
• 2010: Glyph Comics Awards nomination in the Rising Star category. This award is given by the East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC).
• 2008: First place in the National Arts Program for Illustration.
• 2002, 2001, 1996: First place in the Press Club of Western Pennsylvania’s Golden Quill Award for News Illustration.
• 2002: Society for News Design Award of Excellence for Photo Illustration.
• 2001: He was a judge for Pittsburgh’s 2001 ARTWorks Competition.
• 2001, 1998, 1994, 1993: First place in the Pittsburgh Black Media Federation’s Robert L. Vann Award for Feature Illustration.
• 2000: Second place in the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s Heritage Award for Editorial Cartooning.
• 1996: First place in the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Award for Art and Design.
• 1994: First place in the Pennsylvania Newspaper Publishers Association’s Award for Graphic Illustration.

He is a member of several important groups for artists and journalists. These include Alpha Phi Alpha (ΑΦΑ) fraternity, the National Cartoonists Society (NCS), and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). He is also part of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), the National Caricaturist Network, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).

He lives in Columbia, Maryland with his wife.

Books Illustrated by Kerry G. Johnson

Kerry G. Johnson has illustrated many books, helping bring stories to life with his drawings:

• Is He Still There? by Monet Clements (2020)
• I Am Love: A Book About The Meaning of Love by Alero Afejuku (2020)
• Little Brown Baby Nursery Rhymes (2020)
• Believing In Myself! by Erica Pullen (2018)
• Princess Tyler Meets the Big Storytelling Fairy (2015)
• You Can't Move an Elephant in One Day (2012)
• Soap & Bubbles (2012)
• PhysicsQuest 2008: Nikola Tesla and the Electric Fair (2008)
• SPECTRA #1: The American Physical Society introduces, SPECTRA (2009)
• SPECTRA #2: SPECTRA'S Power (2010)
• SPECTRA #3: SPECTRA'S Force (2011)
• SPECTRA #4: SPECTRA Heats Up! (2012)
• SPECTRA #5: SPECTRA Turbulent Times (2013)
• SPECTRA #6: SPECTRA'S Quantum Leap (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)