Dayton comedian who traveled the world finally returns home

Johnson grew up in West Dayton, the youngest of five boys. Johnson said he was always looking for attention, so he was always talking. His nickname was “Little Radio.” He was in a car accident when he was 5 and had his mouth wired shut because he shattered his jaw. But he kept talking and tore right through those wires.

“My mother said that the orthodontist said no one had ever torn through those wires,” he said. “But they called me ‘Little Radio,’ and I stuttered real bad also. I’m the youngest of five boys, and they used to ask me to make them laugh, so I did impressions of people like Fat Albert, Bill Cosby, stuff like that.”

Johnson didn’t do very well in school, but was like many Daytonians, inventive. When Johnson was 19, he invented a spelling device for kids called the “Safe Spell.” In 1978, he left Dayton to travel to Washington, D.C., to secure a patent, and said he’d never be back.

Johnson started doing stand-up in 1980 after entering a talent show. He said he used to hit the open mics with Dave Chappelle while Chappelle lived in D.C. During the day, Johnson worked as a morning DJ at a radio station where he did a lot of impressions that got him noticed.

“And then ‘In Living Color’ started, and I knew a guy who knew a guy who knew a guy,” he said. “I asked him to get me one of their sketches, and they sent me a sketch and I wrote, ‘Men on Food.’ I sent them to Keenen (Ivory Wayans), and he called me and said I was a great writer. When are you coming?”

Johnson moved out to Los Angeles and wrote for the show for a short time. That stint led to a slew of other gigs, including writing, producing and performing for BET’s “Comic View.” He was the announcer for the Harlem Globetrotters, and he was a producer for “Win Ben Stein’s Money” and BET’s Image Awards.

Eventually, Johnson made his way to Singapore when his then-wife got a job there. Johnson said he did stand-up comedy all over Asia, including India, South Korea and Thailand. He said he still travels there to perform because the audiences there are unique.

“You literally have a captive audience because they are paying top dollar to come and see you … and they’re not going to waste their time,” he said.

While performing on a TV show called “Asia Uncut,” Johnson’s daughter was watching and suggested he create a game based on one of the jokes in the show. Johnson’s invention skills kicked back in, and he ended up creating a game called “That’s What She Said.” That game started his pivot to designing card games.

“I’ve always known that there was something greater inside me besides comedy,” he said. “I didn’t know I had this talent for creating these games. I think I’m on the spectrum, but they didn’t know what it was … I’ve always been more than I show.”

He is now known as “The Custom Card Guy.” So far, Johnson has created six distinct games and has two more in development. He’s created games based on the University of Dayton, WDAO Radio, and is currently working on a game with the Dayton Metro Library. He would also like to create card games for the Dayton Dragons and Buc-ee’s in the future.

Now that Johnson has returned to Dayton, he is quite happy and is looking forward to what the future holds.

“It’s the best decision I ever made,” he said. “I have met so many wonderful people … that feel the way that I do about my energy and my creativity. I just wasn’t around anyone that understood. ‘What’s with you and these card games? Nobody plays games anymore’ or they say, ‘Why don’t you make a Black version of …’ I want to make games for all people.”

Anyone who wants to connect Johnson can email him at terryjj8@gmail.com.

Laugh Riot Girl is a column by comedian and writer Jessica Graue that explores the local comedy scene. Reach her by email at jessica.graue@coxinc.com.

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Credit: Chris West

Credit: Chris West