George Clayton Johnson

At 86 years old, George Clayton Johnson has this physical status:

George Clayton Johnson (July 10, 1929 – December 25, 2015) was an American science fiction writer best known for co-writing with William F. Nolan on the book Logan's Run, which was the inspiration for the MGM 1976 film.

He was also known for his television scripts for The Twilight Zone (including "Nothing in the Dark," "Kick the Can," "A Game of Pool," and "A Penny for Your Thoughts"), as well as the first telecast episode of Star Trek's "The Man Trap."

He also wrote the story and screenplay on which the Ocean's Eleven films were based in 1960 and 2001.

Early life

Johnson, who was born in a barn in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was forced to repeat the sixth grade and then dropped completely out of school in the eighth. He worked as a telegraph operator and draftsman in the United States Army for a short time, then enrolled at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute (now Auburn University) under G.I. Bill left to return to his travels around the United States, first as a draftsman before becoming a writer.

Personal life

On October 10, 1952, Johnson married Lola Brownstein in Los Angeles, and fathered two children, Paul and Judy. He was a vocal promoter of medicalization of marijuana. Johnson, as well as his writing, was instrumental in the early days of San Diego Comic Con's growth. He was also a long-distance vegetarian.

Johnson died of bladder and prostate cancer at a Veterans Administration Medical Center hospital in North Hills, California, on Christmas Day 2015. He is laid to rest in Riverside National Cemetery.

Source

Writing career

For Alfred Hitchcock Presents' "I'll Take Care of You" in 1959, Johnson wrote the story "I'll Take Care of You." Johnson began writing articles and scripts for television from 1959 to 2000, including Playboy, Los Angeles, The Twilight Zone Magazine, Rogue, and Gamma. He co-wrote the script for the Rat Pack film Ocean's 11, with Jack Golden Russell, but the majority of the script's details were updated for the actual film. Johnson later joined the Southern California School of Writers, which included, William F. Nolan, Charles Beaumont, Richard Matheson, and Ray Bradbury.

Rod Serling, to whom he sold his book "All of Us Are Dying," scripted by Serling, met him through them. After selling other stories and having them scripted by other writers for the show, Johnson eventually begged Serling to let him attempt a teleplay for the series "A Penny for Your Thoughts." Later, after completing more scripts for The Twilight Zone, including Honey West, Wanted Dead or Alive, Route 66, and Kung Fu, he worked as a writer for other television series, including Honey West, Wanted Dead or Alive. "The Man Trap" was Johnson's first episode telecast, and Johnson wrote the Star Trek episode "The Man Trap." "The Writer and the Story," a Los Angeles-based radio program, featured interviews with writers, including Charles Beaumont and William F. Nolan. Johnson formed a loose, short-lived alliance with fellow writers and colleagues Matheson, Theodore Sturgeon, and others called "The Green Hand" as his career progressed. The intention was to cash in on their accomplishments as a result of a strike within the Hollywood system for television production. Unfortunately, the company sank after a few months. He wrote comic books and was a regular attendee of science fiction and comics conventions in his later years. With cartoonist and author Jay Allen Sanford, Johnson co-created the comic book series Deepest Dimension Terror Anthology.

Source