Daniel Warren Johnson: One Swift Move of A Fountain Pen After Another…
One of the beautiful things about original art is seeing the life that is pumped into each stroke of ink. Daniel Warren Johnson provides a pulse with his art using vibrant lines that form the characters he produces on paper. When viewing Johnson's art from a distance, online or in print, you can see some of the energy that he conveys on paper. Your perception of his work changes when you get a chance to see his art in person.
The first page that I bought from DWJ was from DC’s Sinetro Annual. I never read the issue before but seeing the energy on the page made me want to add it to my collection. To see this strong, female character stomp through a group of male solders as they tremble at the sight her strength and demeanor spoke volumes to me. The line work in the fourth panel shows the strength that she throws down to break through the bowing down solder.
The next page I was able to get from him was from Extremity, one of the best new original creator series of 2017. The page was number 19 from issue 2. The page depicts a character, Asmund, being carried back by soldiers after loosing his hands. Nim, the Queen of Paznina, looks at her daughter who lingered in the shadows. In the fourth panel, the soldiers and handless monk attempt to shield their eyes from the sight of the Queen’s daughter. In the last two panels, Nim moves towards the display case that houses her war armor. She uses this moment to decide if she should don the armor once again. The page ended with Nim meditating on her next move, knowing that her next actions would affect everyone in Paznina. She decides that she wants to put an end to the Roto clan. What I love about this page is the way Johnson shows the stress Nim in under and why being inactive is not a valid choice for her. All of this is informed by the layout of his panels.
The last page I have is from issue 5 of Extremity. This page is the last page of the issue that shows Thea and her father in two different locations. Thea was still in the room with the slain Benar and his wife, Jessica. In one location, Thea takes out her sketchbook after witnessing the carnage that her father released on two of his enemies while her father looks at a sketch of his lost love, Thea’s mom. This war against the two factions is wearing more on the individuals on both sides of the conflict. Any innocence that Thea had left was fleeing from her and she was trying to catch it with a hole ridden basket. This page is one of my favorites because of the internal battle that Thea is dealing with. Johnson captures a somber moment in the sixth panel, when he illustrates Thea in a room with the recently deceased, trying to do something to help take her mind off the brutal moment that unfolded in front of her.
Why should you continue to watch for Daniel Warren Johnson’s work?
Johnson is becoming more and more noticeable by others in the comic industry and comic fans alike. He works with a sense of passion and sincerity. Just to hear him speak on his own work I hope to see more of his work flourish with established properties and creator made projects like Extremity.
If you are interested in obtaining any original art of Daniel Warren Johnson or a commission, check in with Felix at www.felixcomicart.com . Signing up for the newsletter from the site not only informs you when Johnson's commission list opens but when any new art drops on Felix's site, from other talents like Cliff Chiang, Tradd Moore, James Jean, and so many more.