Jimmy Johnson is an American comic strip cartoonist who writes and draws Arlo and Janis. He is an alumnus of Auburn University, class of 1974.
"My earliest cartoon work was copying Fred and Barney and Yogi Bear. I became quite proficient and was able to amaze my friends," wrote Johnson.[1]
As a young man just out of college, Johnson briefly worked as a reporter and in the public relations department of Auburn University.[2] In the years before Arlo and Janis, from about 1980 to 1985, Johnson drew cartoons professionally for newspapers. He did so on a part-time basis when he was a reporter and editor, and then full-time as an editorial cartoonist. As a Mississippi editorial cartoonist, Johnson won the prestigious Robert F. Kennedy Award. From 1985 to the present, Johnson has drawn Arlo and Janis for national syndication by NEA.
Johnson was at one time married to author Rheta Grimsley Johnson, and the two remain good friends.[3][4]
As of 2006, despite the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, he still owns a home in Pass Christian, Mississippi.[5] On April 3, 2006, he suffered a mild heart attack.
Johnson maintains a popular and influential blog at http://www.arloandjanis.com .