Daniel Warren Johnson Interview

If you can draw Optimus Prime’s head, then you can draw anything.

CSN Contributor Daniel Fernandez recently sat down with fan-favorite creator Daniel Warren Johnson to talk about his recent work on Transformers and how he approaches the creative process.

You once said that if you can draw Optimus Prime’s head then you can draw anything. Do you still believe in this theory?

When I was in the first or second grade, I loved the Transformers, but I just couldn’t draw Optimus Prime. My frustation - and my mom’s encouragement - taught me an important lesson about how practice and determination will level up your art skills. Working on the Transformers series has been a nice way to reconnect with my first creative experience, and I think I’ve finally figured out how to draw Optimus Prime.

I know your favorite transformer to draw is Optimus, who’s your least favorite?

In the beginning, I think my least favorite characters to draw were Starscream and Skywarp. It was their chest shape that kind of went out and in, mixed with their cockpit thing. All of those proportions need to be right, and those characters are really hard to draw. It took me some time to figure that out, but I eventually got it.

How did your character designs for Carly and Spike develop?

Spike had two or three iterations, but Carly we got right away. I try and keep things simple with my character design, which is a lesson I learned from Extremity. I had too many lines on those characters. I’m always trying to simplify what I can.

Can you talk a little bit about your scripting process?

While writing a script, I don’t beat out on the whole page. I’ll write that the characters fight, then I’ll have an ending like, Optimus Prime is standing victorious over Starscream. I then leave it up to the artist - and sometimes that’s me - to interpret that fight in a way that suits their own artistic expression.

Did you take any of Powerbomb!’s ideas and bring it to Transformers?

Well, I did have Optimus doing a German suplex on Starscream <laughs>. Drawing a Transformer suplexing is relatively easy, but drawing a Transformer doing a drop kick and making it look dynamic, not so easy.

If you were to do an X-Wing versus Starscream one-shot, who would win?

I think Starscream would totally win, but mostly because I love when rebel pilots die <laughs>. It warms a deep part of my heart. It’s one of my favorite moments in Return of the Jedi when one of the X-Wing pilots turns around and says “She’s gonna blow!” It’s one of the best parts of the whole movie. I think I just like Starscream coming up on some X-Wing pilots while they’re all talking about their families and excited to go home, then they all die <laughs>.

What’s the current status of your Transformers series?

I’m now writing Transformers, not drawing it anymore. Jorge Corona is taking over on art duties, and people aren’t ready. People are not ready. It looks so good! I’m so excited. He really has a good way of telling stories through his art, and the shot choices that he’s making makes so much sense. The story reads so well, and in some ways reads better than the way I do stories. He really has a finess at presenting stories to the reader. It’s so fun to read. I can’t wait for people to read issue 7. I’m so pumped.

Do you have anything in the works that you can share?

I have a book that should be announced sometime in July and should come out sometime in September. I’m collaborating it with somebody else on. And I’m super excited about. It’s top secret for now <laughs>.

As our conversation comes to a close, Daniel Warren Johnson leaves us with a vivid picture of not only his creative process but also his passion for storytelling. His dedication to blending raw emotion with intricate artwork continues to delight fans, and he’s crushing it on the new Transformers series. Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to his work, Johnson’s commitment to authenticity and innovation ensures there’s always something new and exciting waiting in the pages of his creations. Be sure to check out his current work on Transformers or check out his previous work with the great Extermity, Do A Power Bomb, or Murder Falcon.