Lying in the Gutters, Rich Johnston's comics and media news column at the Comic Book Resources web site has endured more than 10 years of continuous comics journalism and became one of the most widely read column in the comics industry. Rich has often come under fire as a gossip writer, prematurely revealing facts that hurt certain publishers and creators. Yet, he remained the most read of all the comics journalists and always had an eye on what unjustly compromised the subjects of his commentary. He came under fire from many of my friends who perceived his Son of Neal article about my first web site as condescending. Yet that article brought the web site into the limelight and gave me the ability to stand behind it publicly. In a followup covering The Comic Book Creator's Party web site, Rich even expressed some remorse for the disappearance of the Michael whom he wrote of in that first article.
Rich's writing is nothing less than journalism at its very best and under the most difficult of circumstances. Not many reporters are willing to put their name on the line as he has - and through his column and news reporting, the comics industry has been made a little better.
Rich has also embarked on his own creative ventures in the comics, but the best of all his creations has brought about the hopefully short lived suspension of Lying in the Gutters.
From the last installment of LITG:
On Saturday morning, March 12th 2005,
in Kingston General Hospital,
to Rich Johnston and Janice Hodgson,
was born a beautiful baby girl, 8lbs 12oz.Eve Johnston.
Hats are off to the happy couple. Don't you and Eve hold him down for too long, Janice. Rich belongs to the people.
Now it's payback time. (More...)
