George Clayton Johnson, one of the warmest, intelligent, creative writers of the 20th Century whose presence was akin to that of the philosophical titular character from the Seven Faces of Dr. Lao has left us on Christmas Day at the age of 86.
Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming in a barn on July 10, 1929, Mr. Johnson was forced to repeat the second grade twice before dropping out of school in the eighth.
Mr. Johnson joined the United States Army becoming a telegraph operator and draftsman. After leaving the military, he enrolled at Auburn University under the G. I. Bill, but soon left to discover the country and its people while occasionally working drafting schematics before turning to writing.
In 1959, Mr. Johnson wrote the teleplay I’ll take Care of You for Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Other scripts followed working on The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Route 66, Honey West, and Kung Fu.
In 1960, he wrote the treatment for Ocean’s 11 with Jack Golden Russell, penned the book that was turned into the movie Logan’s Run with William F. Nolan and wrote the rare animated film, Icarus Montgolfier Wright in 1962 with his friend, Ray Bradbury.
Mr. Johnson also wrote articles for Playboy, Los Angeles Magazine, Rogue, Gamma and several comic books.
He also was co-owner of a coffee house in the early sixties called Café Frankenstein in Laguna Beach, California where an eclectic mix of surfers, writers, folk singers, and beatniks gathered surrounded by cubist, mural stained glass artwork.
Mr. Johnson also was an actor in Roger Corman’s 1960 film The Intruder playing rabble-rouser Phil West, alongside his friend, William F. Nolan as Bart Carey that was written by Charles Beaumont starring William Shatner.
An incredibly kind man who loved writing as much as life, he was part of a unique group of visionaries known as the Green Hand that included Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, and Robert Bloch to name a few.
Before his passing, he was working on a short story webisode series with multiple writers including this one.
His son and daughter, Paul and Judy and his wife, Lola of 63 years of marriage, survive Mr. Johnson.
Everyone at STARBURST sends our sympathy to his family and friends.
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George Clayton Johnson, one of the warmest, intelligent, creative writers of the 20th Century whose presence was akin to that of the philosophical titular character from the Seven Faces of Dr. Lao has left us on Christmas Day at the age of 86.
Born in Cheyenne, Wyoming in a barn on July 10, 1929, Mr. Johnson was forced to repeat the second grade twice before dropping out of school in the eighth.
Mr. Johnson joined the United States Army becoming a telegraph operator and draftsman. After leaving the military, he enrolled at Auburn University under the G. I. Bill, but soon left to discover the country and its people while occasionally working drafting schematics before turning to writing.
In 1959, Mr. Johnson wrote the teleplay I’ll take Care of You for Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Other scripts followed working on The Twilight Zone, Star Trek, Route 66, Honey West, and Kung Fu.
In 1960, he wrote the treatment for Ocean’s 11 with Jack Golden Russell, penned the book that was turned into the movie Logan’s Run with William F. Nolan and wrote the rare animated film, Icarus Montgolfier Wright in 1962 with his friend, Ray Bradbury.
Mr. Johnson also wrote articles for Playboy, Los Angeles Magazine, Rogue, Gamma and several comic books.
He also was co-owner of coffee house in the early sixties called Café Frankenstein in Laguna Beach, California where an eclectic mix of surfers, writers, folk singers, and beatniks gathered surrounded by cubist, mural stained glass artwork.
Mr. Johnson also was an actor in Roger Corman’s 1960 film The Intruder playing rabble-rouser Phil West, alongside his friend, William F. Nolan as Bart Carey that was written by Charles Beaumont starring William Shatner.
An incredibly kind man who loved writing as much as life, he was part of a unique group of visionaries known as the Green Hand that included Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Charles Beaumont, and Robert Bloch to name a few.
Before his passing, he was working on a short story webisode series with multiple writers including this one.
His son and daughter, Paul and Judy and his wife, Lola of 63 years of marriage, survive Mr. Johnson.
Everyone at STARBURST sends our sympathy to his family and friends.
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