Taylor Johnson has been drawing since childhood—arguably since before he could walk, though his parents would insist that he at least mastered crawling first. His passion for cartooning took root in the summers he spent at his grandparents' cottage in Vermilion, Ohio, on Lake Erie. There, amidst the sounds of lapping waves and the occasional errant golf ball, he first started doodling single-panel cartoons. Even then, young Taylor had no patience for long, drawn-out comic strips—his jokes, much like his attention span, were short, pithy, and straight to the point.
Fast forward a few decades (and a few thousand doodles), and Pumpkin Pie was born. The first-ever Pumpkin Pie cartoon—an insightful meditation on the deep philosophical implications of orange juice from concentrate—was sketched in October 2019 as part of a month-long prompted drawing challenge. Taylor’s daughter, Molly, was the one who convinced him to participate, and like any great cartoonist, he took inspiration from his own life. The name Pumpkin Pie wasn’t just a nod to the October challenge, but also to Taylor’s Halloween birthday, which means he has spent his entire life being gifted candy and remains deeply, spiritually connected to that black-and-orange season.
Does Taylor actually like pumpkin pie? Yes. But his favorite? Pecan (pronounced pe-CAHN—not PEE-can, which, he insists, is what you put under the bed for dire circumstances). He also has a soft spot for banana cream and Boston cream pies, which means that while his cartoons are simple, his taste in desserts is anything but.
Taylor's artistic influences include B.C., Calvin & Hobbes, and Doonesbury (his bamboo-drawing style is a direct tribute). As a teenager, he once airbrushed Spaceman Spiff onto his motorcycle helmet, which was both a declaration of his love for Bill Watterson and an unintentional invitation for his helmet to get stolen (it did). He once made a comic book about a time-traveling rabbit in high school, but his grandmother, ever the art critic, dismissed it with the devastating review: “But it’s not funny.” Thankfully, he recovered.
When he's not drawing Pumpkin Pie in pen and ink, occasionally adding color with markers, Taylor dabbles in acrylics. Watercolors are also acceptable. Oils? Too messy. He has been told that his drawing style suggests he should have been a sculptor, but alas, clay is even messier than oil paint.
Taylor holds a fine arts degree from James Madison University, and his career has included graphic design, web development, and now Agile coaching, where he applies humor and a people-first approach to helping teams function at their best (whether they asked for a cartoon with their Agile guidance or not). He grew up in Columbia, Maryland, and now lives in Ashburn, Virginia with his amazing wife Libby and their emotionally needy, Halloween-ready black cat, Porter. He has a large, entertaining family, including two children, David and Molly. Onyx, his nibling, gave him the final push he needed to publish this book, proving that sometimes, family peer pressure is a beautiful thing.
His dad, his biggest fan, has always encouraged him to keep drawing cartoons—so if you don’t like this book, you can take it up with him.
And now, without further ado… Pumpkin Pie!
