Just as many writers and artists can become famous as those who make an indelible mark on popular culture without becoming household names. Mention the names Gene Roddenberry, Rod Serling or Richard Matheson, for example, and most fans who have long been tuned into the history of 20th century sci-fi will instantly know you’re talking about the creators of Star Trek, The Twilight Zone and I Am Legend, respectively.

There are numerous writers alongside those creators who contributed an awful lot to franchises such as the aforementioned Star Trek and Twilight Zone, amongst other series, whose names are likely unfamiliar to most.

George Clayton Johnson is one of those people, and this is his story, told by Henry Chamberlain, who got to know George pretty closely in his final years.

It’s told in a whimsical visual style, with frequent flights of fancy and a narrative which jumps between years and eras like an impatient time traveller, covering Johnson’s early life, his time in writing collective ‘The Group’, his fight for credit on Ocean’s Eleven, his work on The Twilight Zone and Star Trek and more besides.

There are recurring riffs on many of Johnson’s influences and passions along the way; Frankenstein, which ended up being referenced in the name of Johnson’s bohemian coffee house (Café Frankenstein), is particularly prominent in the book’s imagery.

The story itself is a fascinating one; Johnson was an endearing, idealistic and creative character in his own right. His episodes of The Twilight Zone remain among the most effective in the show’s significant original run. Johnson was also responsible for writing The Man Trap, the first ever Star Trek episode to be telecast.

Co-writing the novel Logan’s Run and continuing to incorporate social and political commentary into his work, Johnson really does seem to have left a pretty big mark on pop culture. Writer/artist Henry Chamberlain finds a way to bring the story to life in a digestible and accessible way, occasionally giving it what Johnson himself would have called ‘a touch of strange’.

It’s a great portrait of an underrated, fairly unknown artist, and having read it, it almost feels like I know George Clayton Johnson pretty closely myself. Chamberlain was fortunate to find himself in the orbit of such a fascinating character, and it’s great that he’s been able to share his friendship, and Johnson himself, with the world in George’s Run.

George’s Run is available now, either in print or digital formats, and you can buy it here.

Many thanks to Henry Chamberlain for providing me with a copy of George’s Run for review purposes.

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