![]() The looser I am with these robots and these blocky shapes, the better it looks.” Comic artist and writer Daniel Warren Johnson displays his sketches in his Albany Park home studio among Transformers and comic ephemera on Sept. “They didn’t look like living characters that should exist in a story. “The harder I tried to make them mechanical, the more stiff they looked,” Johnson said. Incorporating wrestling moves has brought dramatic physicality to the characters, and Johnson has fought the impulse to give them the high level of detail he would typically give mechanical objects. Doing this project was a little bit like, ‘OK, I’m going to get this now.’”įiguring out how to create dynamic action with the Transformers’ blocky bodies was Johnson’s biggest challenge, but his collection of toys has been a valuable resource for thinking about how their bodies can move. I tried for years to draw Optimus Prime and eventually just gave up. “The proportions have to be so right otherwise, it doesn’t look correct. “’The Iron Giant’ is still really hard to draw,” Johnson said. Mecha statues and figurines are displayed throughout his studio, and he recently acquired original concept art from the 1999 film “The Iron Giant,” a childhood favorite. “Transformers” is a licensed book that scratches a similar itch, and Johnson’s fascination with giant robots goes well beyond the Hasbro property. But his independent comics are where he shines brightest, building stories around the subjects that interest him most, like heavy metal in “Murder Falcon” and pro-wrestling in “Do a Powerbomb.” Working with colorist Mike Spicer, Johnson has done books for Marvel and DC. He ascended in comics by crafting emotionally rich narratives with lively artwork. Johnson, 36, is a Massachusetts native who lives with his wife and two children in Albany Park, less than a mile from his alma mater, North Park University. Cover of “Transformers” #1 by artist/writer Daniel Warren Johnson and colorist Mike Spicer (Credit: Skybound Entertainment/Hasbro) “Transformers” #1, written and drawn by Johnson and colored by Mike Spicer, will debut Wednesday on shelves in comic book stores. And his profile skyrocketed with the announcement of “Transformers,” debuting as part of Skybound Entertainment’s Energon Universe, which also includes an upcoming G.I. His creator-owned comic, “Do a Powerbomb,” won the Best Publication for Teens Eisner Award. It has been a watershed year for Johnson. Johnson’s love for the leader of the Transformers’ Autobots has fueled his artistic passion since childhood - and now he’s been picked to relaunch the official “Transformers” comic book as writer and artist. Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park Open dropdown menuĪLBANY PARK - A shelf of Optimus Prime figures greets you at the entrance to comic book creator Daniel Warren Johnson’s home studio.South Chicago, East Side Open dropdown menu.Pilsen, Little Village, Back of the Yards Open dropdown menu.Lincoln Square, North Center, Irving Park Open dropdown menu.Lakeview, Wrigleyville, Northalsted Open dropdown menu. ![]() Jefferson Park, Portage Park, Norwood Park Open dropdown menu.Englewood, Chatham, Auburn Gresham Open dropdown menu.River North, Gold Coast, Near North Side.Bridgeport, Chinatown, McKinley Park Open dropdown menu.Chicago Artist Tapped To Relaunch 'Transformers' Comic Book, A Dream Project - But Demanding Close
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