Boston Globe sports cartoonist Larry Johnson has passed away.
Larry C. Johnson
October 12, 1949 – November 15, 2024
Larry C. Johnson, 75, died peacefully on November 15, 2024.
Born in Boston, Larry was raised and educated in Boston and was a graduate of Canton High School Class of 1967. He attended the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and his love of art developed into a passion for Cartooning. His cartooning talents led him to a longtime career as a Sports Editorial Cartoonist at the Boston Globe, ESPN.com Quickie Page, WEEI.com and the National Sports Daily. Larry was fortunate to cover all of Boston’s sports teams and his works were insightful, humorous, were nationally recognized and enjoyed. He also was the cohost of “Mustard and Johnson”, a staple of Boston weekend sports talk on WEEI for many years.
According to Larry’s LinkedIn records he was on staff at The Boston Globe from 1969 to 1989 as a staff illustrator and an “editorial sports cartoonist.” Following that he went to The National Sports Daily as a sports cartoonist from 1990 to 1993. He drew cartoons for ESPN.com’s Quickie Page from 1994- 2003. And finally he went to WEEI radio as a sports talk co-host while contributing cartoons for the station.
Larry also illustrated children’s books since 1969 as he began his artistic career.
Above: Larry Johnson sports cartoons in The Boston Globe from the Spring of 1980
At some point in the 1970s The Boston Globe started a Commentary page in their Sunday sports section and that is where Larry’s sports cartoons ran. The cartoons often featured social critiques of sports personalities or events.
By the late 1980s Larry’s sport cartoons were being distributed to other newspapers as Larry Johnson’s Viewpoint (the above sample is from The Miami Herald). Larry was also illustrating The Boston Globe’s Sports Pulse column of short sports items.
And then there was his The Sporting Class comic strip curiosity.
The Sporting Class appeared, with a few exceptions, in January and February
on Tuesdays only over the course of a half dozen years from 1983-86 and 1988-89.
Newspapers.com has it appearing on
January 11, 18, 25; and February 1, 15, and May 3, 10, 24 in 1983.
February 14, 21, and May 1, 1984.
January 8, 15, 22, 29, and February 5, 1985.
January 28, and February 4, 11, 18, 1986.
January 19, and February 2, 9, 23, 1988.
January 10, 17, 24, and February 7, 1989.
A few of Larry’s Quickie Page cartoons for ESPN.com can be found here.
More recent cartoons by Larry can be seen on his Instagram page.
Cartoonstock has a selection of art and cartoons by Larry.
Larry Johnson illustrations at Hire An Artist website.
Do you feel that talent or passion is more important in drawing?
I think talent gets you on the bus and passion gets you to your final destination. In all fairness, I may like to sing, but if I don’t have the God given talent then it doesn’t matter how much passion I have. The problem with art is most people love to draw and they will find plenty of people to tell them they are good. The litmus test however is when people start paying you for your work.
A 2010 interview with Larry from David Wasting Paper.
