[2][3] Johnson, who was born in Seattle, graduated from the University of Puget Sound, where he studied philosophy and writing.
[3] Together with Matthew Horton, Johnson co-wrote the 1997 film adaptation of The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo, which was released by TriStar Pictures.
In 2007, Johnson and actor Bill Duke co-produced Cover, a film which explores the HIV epidemic.
In addition to his writing, Johnson co-founded Mother Nature's Army, a band based in Southern California.
[2] He was survived by his parents, Richard and Virginia Johnson; his wife, Lyndal; two sons, Colter and Ronan; and three siblings, Douglas, Silver Moon and Alicia.