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Rich Johnston at the 2007 New York Comic-Con.

Rich Johnston is an online comic book industry columnist.

Born in Gloucester, England, on the 21st November 1972, Johnston grew up in Pontefract, West Yorkshire before going to the University of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne.

Johnston's column Lying in the Gutters, is currently hosted at the Comic Book Resources website, although a variation of the column has existed since 1994, when it appeared as postings to USENET. The Comics Journal declared Johnston as having claim to being "the oldest extant comics news reporter on the Internet."^[1] He mainly posts stories based on rumours and gossip, with a traffic light icon imparting advisory caution as to the possible credence one should give the rumour, a red light denoting the least likelihood of accuracy.

Johnston's column does not often impart sources, Johnston noting "I often obfuscate sources to hide their identity -- even deny that a story has sources on many occasions."^[1] However, his column has reported first on many topics of note regarding the comic book industry, something The Comics Journal declares to be in part owing to "Johnston's discerning intelligence and an attitude that sometimes approaches iconoclasm."^[1]

Johnston was the first to report the motivation behind Bryan Singer's pro-gay subtext of the upcoming Superman Returns movie, as well as the likely outing of a number of its stars during the publicity process. He was the first to write about the "lesbian Batwoman" story that has subsequently proved popular with the media. He was the first to review the Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie graphic novel, "Lost Girls". He was the first to reveal suspect financial dealings for Dreamwave, to suggest the collapse of CrossGen and to put allegations of non payment to Speakeasy Comics. He has regularly revealed artwork which publishers have altered, sans alterations, notably revealing artwork from Marvel's Shanna the She-Devil, which had been altered to have nudity in the original art covered up. Johnston also sees himself as part of a tradition established by the "British tabloid press, one that seeks to entertain rather than inform..."^[1]

Recently his concerns about the V for Vendetta movie were publicly addressed by the Wachowski brothers and cast, his comments about the new Doctor Who TV show picked up by international newspapers and websites and his interview with Alan Moore about his decision to sever all ties with DC Comics, by Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times. His work is also often featured in Ain't It Cool News articles and was recently featured in The Village Voice.

Johnston has also created comic books, most notably Rich Johnston's Holed Up, published by Avatar Press in 2004 The Flying Friar, published by Speakeasy in 2006, and Civil Wardrobe. Johnston is based in Soho, London, and also works as an advertising copywriter. He has written for Smack The Pony, Weekending and The Sitcom Trials and played a zombie in Shaun Of The Dead. In 2006 he was the murder victim in the comic book CSI: Dying in the Gutters. He currently lives in Kingston Vale, London, with his wife Janice Hodgson and young daughter, Eve Johnston.

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Dean, Michael (2005). "Online Comics Journalism: Does It Exist? Part 3: Rich Johnston's Honest Lying". The Comics Journal (266): 21–23. 

• Lying in the Gutters Johnston's online column.
• 2002 Interview
• 2005 Interview by Jim Lee