Mat Johnson

Mat Johnson was born on August 19, 1970, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A novelist and essayist who also writes comics, he was named the first USA James Baldwin Fellow by United States Artists in 2007. Johnson’s comics work spans 2005 to 2020, with his most prominent credits including the graphic novel *Incognegro* and its sequel *Incognegro: Renaissance*, both of which explore racial identity and passing in early 20th-century America. He also wrote *Dark Rain: A New Orleans Story*, set in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the political thriller *Right State*. For DC Comics, he contributed *John Constantine – Hellblazer Special: Papa Midnite*, and for Marvel, he wrote *Amazing Spider-Man: The Daily Bugle*. Johnson’s writing is marked by sharp social commentary and a grounding in historical and contemporary American tensions. His key collaborators include artists such as Warren Pleece and Simon Gane. Johnson continues to write fiction and nonfiction, and his work in comics has been praised for bringing a literary sensibility to the medium.