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V.C. Johnson Interviewed

May 19, 2011 by Matt DeAngelis
Vernon Courtlandt Johnson
Matt DeAngelis
MD= Matt DeAngelis    VCJ= Vernon Courtlandt Johnson  (  1  2  3  4  5  6 )
Maybe you have seen these around? haha
   I can think of no other man who best epitomizes the saying "A man who needs no introduction". VC Johnson is the genius behind the graphics that propelled Powell·Peralta into the stratosphere. His iconic images have inspired countless others to not only draw, but in some cases, to begin skating in the first place.
   An enigmatic figure, he disappeared off of the radar for almost 20 years until starting to work with Pocket Pistols a few years ago, and now back in his rightful place, Powell·Peralta. Having planned a trip to Santa Barbara to visit George Powell and see the factory, George suggested "Why don’t you come on a Thursday. You can sit in on a design review and meet Court Johnson. I think you’d find it interesting". My reaction was that of child finding out Santa Claus was real and I was about to meet him....
VCJ: May 19 ….2011!
MD: Conversation with Court Johnson
VCJ: Are we on the air? [laughter] For you out there in the listening audience this might be interesting to note that on the show today we have Matthew who comes representing the angels who is going to ask Mr. Johnson here a series of relevant and provocative questions.
MD: First of all Court, thank you for talking to me today. I’ve been a huge fan for years and have always been curious about the man behind all of the great graphics you’ve created over the years. I’ve looked you up on Google many times and haven’t been able to find ANYTHING. You were NOWHERE to be found until about a month or so ago when it was announced that you were coming back to Powell·Peralta. So here’s the broad question… Where have you been?!
VCJ: Hmmm… That’s a very interesting question. We are born into this world as individual souls and given large brains and opposing digits yes?! When you look at a skull you’re looking at the architecture for the brain of a creature that has been given a large brain. You look at any other skull and you are seeing the engineering for the brain of a creature that runs on instinct. A human skull represents a creature that lives on reason! I came into this world as a soul who was given this physical body and used the brain as I did and the mind as I did and it came to a kind of conclusion in ‘81 when the soul, who so hated this life!; left the body. It’s a virtual death. It’s rare but it does happen…. And another soul was appointed the body and my whole life changed completely. Because of that transformation in ‘81, in ‘91 I committed myself to a path of self knowledge and to answer urgent questions about who am I? What am I doing here? Where do I go on?
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