Rich Johnston
Richard "Rich" Johnston is a British comics creator, columnist,[1] and founder of the comics news site Bleeding Cool.
For other people with the same name, see Richard Johnston (disambiguation).Rich Johnston
Richard Johnston
United Kingdom
Comics journalist, gossip columnist, comics writer
Lying in the Gutters
Watchmensch
Bleeding Cool
Shel Dorf Award, 2012
2
The Comics Journal described Johnston as having claimed to be "the oldest extant comics news reporter on the Internet."[2] His past columns include "All The Rage" (for Silver Bullet Comic Books), and "Lying in the Gutters" (for Comic Book Resources).
Early life[edit]
Johnston grew up in Pontefract, West Yorkshire. He subsequently moved to London.[3]
Career[edit]
Comics journalism/gossip[edit]
Rich's Revelations was originally a simple relisting of British magazine comics news.[4] Johnston began writing gossip on USENET newsgroups in 1994 as Rich's Ramblings.[5] He then took the column, around onto the burgeoning World Wide Web, with "Rich's Revelations" on the now-defunct Twist And Shout Comics website.[6] He later started the comics gossip column "All The Rage" for Silver Bullet Comic Books, later Comics Bulletin.[7]
Johnston wrote the column "Lying in the Gutters" for Comic Book Resources,[8] posting rumours and gossip, with a traffic light icon imparting advisory caution as to the possible credibility of each rumour: a red light denoting the least likelihood of accuracy, a green light for the most credible reports, and a yellow light for those that fall somewhere in between.
Johnston's writing does not often impart sources. About that, Johnston said, "I often obfuscate sources to hide their identity—even deny that a story has sources on many occasions." Johnston sees himself as part of a tradition established by the "British tabloid press, one that seeks to entertain rather than inform."[2]