Aaron Johnson

One morning in July 2006, while his band's primary blogger was out of town, Aaron Johnson dreamed up the idea for W.T. Duck. What he didn't dream of was what would happen soon after he posted the comic strip about the life of a duck photographer on the band's Web site.

Originally, the feature was meant to be a lark, just holding space until the blogger returned, but the strips took on a life of their own and quickly exploded in popularity with comics fans and camera aficionados, taking our unruffled duck on a journey that's landed him in daily syndication.

Aaron knows that any comic strip's success is due to its fans, and he likes to keep them engaged. Each day, when a new comic debuts on the W.T. Duck site, it's identified only by a number. His readers contribute ideas to give that day's strip a formal title. Johnson reviews the reader submissions, picks the best or funniest title, and voila! the next day, the comic strip has an official title and the winning reader is identified and subsequently basks in the glory.

When Johnson isn't drawing W.T. Duck or making music with his band Sweet Jelly, he's a computer-based animator for Mad Max Designs in Milwaukee, which provides a regular paycheck for the innovative creator. Raised near Green Bay, Wis., and graduate of Columbia College Chicago in animation, Johnson currently lives in Oak Creek, Wis., with wife, Patty, and two young children, Jonas and Clare.