An illustration of two people facing each other on a beach, with a black panther resting between them. In the background, a large steamship sails across a dark sea under a grey sky.

Dapper gents and sinister gals from the magnificent Paul X Johnson

Words: James Cartwright
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Date: 25 June 2012; Work
Illustration

As far as I can tell there are three seriously great things about Paul X Johnson. Number one, he lives by the sea (the ocean’s great people). Number two, his middle initial is X. Number three, he’s a Bladerunner fan and his portrait of famously-stunning android Rachael is about one of the finest pieces of fan-art I’ve laid eyes on. Add to that a portfolio of consistently stunning work (ok so technically that’s four things) and you’re on to a total winner of an illustrator.

Working in gouache and ink in a style deeply evocative of 1950s poster art, Paul has created a world full of questionable characters inhabiting an ambiguous age in which murderous heroines masquerade as men, war widows begin to peel away with their wallpaper and moustachioed gents recline on the beach to watch cruise ships sink with nothing but their best gal and their pet panther by their side. Awesome stuff.

Did I mention his middle initial is X…

An illustration of a person with short black hair and red lipstick, wearing a structured black garment with a grid-patterned collar. A brown and white owl perches on a wooden stand in front of them. — Above
Paul X Johnson *Rachael*

An illustration of a person with long black hair and closed eyes, leaning back with a serene expression. They are surrounded by various floating clocks and wear a small clock as a pendant necklace. — Above
Paul X Johnson *Time Flies*

An illustration of a person with glasses and a surprised expression, framed inside a wide open mouth. Pink zig-zag lines radiate from the figure against a dark background. — Above
Paul X Johnson *Maneater*

An illustration of a person with blonde, waved hair and a distressed expression. They are centred within a dark, toothy maw that resembles a giant mouth, all set against a teal circular background. — Above
Paul X Johnson *Humans are Such Easy Prey*

An illustration of a person wearing a black eyepatch and a brown three-piece suit. They wear a red and white zigzag tie and a grey overcoat draped over their shoulders. — Above
Paul X Johnson *Mugshot*

An illustration of a person with short black hair and a pale complexion, wearing a muted yellow dress. They look off to the side with a somber expression, while a small oval portrait of a person in military dress hangs on the wall behind them. — Above
Paul X Johnson *Scratching the Surface*

An illustration of a person with long black hair and red lipstick, holding a green handbag. Above them, bold white text reads “SHOP” and “ITALY”. At the bottom, a caption reads “Sara Battaglia speaks exclusively to SHOP”. — Above
Paul X Johnson *Portrait of Sarah Battaglia*

Further Info

www.paulxjohnson.com

About the Author

James Cartwright

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James started out as an intern in 2011 and came back in summer of 2012 to work online and latterly as Print Editor, before leaving in May 2015.

Dapper gents and sinister gals from the magnificent Paul X Johnson

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