Johnston, William
Entry updated 12 September 2022. Tagged: Author.
(1924-2010) US author, primarily of Ties to various media productions; he wrote more than a hundred such novelizations and original tied novels, beginning to publish work of genre interest with the well-received Get Smart! (1965) and eight further ties to the Television "spy-fi" spoof Get Smart! (1965-1970). Like the parent show these genial comedies feature Technothriller and sf devices, such as the Invisibility serum which becomes a McGuffin in the second book, Sorry, Chief ... (1966). Captain Nice (1967) novelizes the NBC Superhero comedy Captain Nice (1967). Sam Weskit on the Planet Framingham (1970) is a rare standalone sf novel, a comic Space Opera in which a suitably ill-assorted cast is shanghaied aboard a Spaceship bound for adventures on the titular planet.
In 2010, Johnston received the Grandmaster Scribe Award from the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers, for career achievement in media Ties. [DRL]
William Joseph Johnston
born Lincoln, Illinois: 11 January 1924
died San Jose, California: 15 October 2010
works (highly selected)
series
Get Smart!
- Get Smart! (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1965) [tie to Get Smart!: Get Smart!: pb/]
- Sorry, Chief ... (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1966) [tie to Get Smart!: Get Smart!: pb/]
- Get Smart Once Again! (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1966) [tie to Get Smart!: Get Smart!: pb/]
- Max Smart and the Perilous Pellets (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1966) [tie to Get Smart!: Get Smart!: pb/]
- Missed It by That Much! (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1967) [tie to Get Smart!: Get Smart!: pb/]
- And Loving It! (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1967) [tie to Get Smart!: Get Smart!: pb/]
- The Spy Who Went Out to the Cold (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1968) [tie to Get Smart!: Get Smart!: pb/]
- Max Smart Loses CONTROL (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1968) [tie to Get Smart!: Get Smart!: pb/]
- Max Smart and the Ghastly Ghost Affair (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1968) [tie to Get Smart!: Get Smart!: pb/]
The Munsters
- The Munsters and the Great Camera Caper (Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Company, 1965) [tie to the Television series: The Munsters: hb/]
- The Munsters: The Last Resort (Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Company, 1966) [tie to the Television series: The Munsters: hb/]
The Flying Nun
- Miracle at San Tanco (New York: Ace Books, 1968) [tie to the tv series: The Flying Nun: pb/]
- The Littlest Rebels (New York: Ace Books, 1968) [tie to the tv series: The Flying Nun: pb/]
- Mother of Invention (New York: Ace Books, 1969) [tie to the tv series: The Flying Nun: pb/]
- The Little Green Men (New York: Ace Books, 1969) [tie to the tv series: The Flying Nun: pb/]
- The Underground Picnic (New York: Ace Books, 1970) [tie to the tv series: The Flying Nun: pb/]
individual titles
- Captain Nice (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1967) [tie to the television series: Captain Nice: pb/]
- Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Company, 1968) [tie to the film: a Big Little Book retelling the story for younger children: illus/hb/]
- Bewitched: The Opposite Uncle (Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman Publishing Company, 1970) [tie to the Television series: Bewitched: pb/Ben Otero]
- Sam Weskit on the Planet Framingham (New York: Grosset and Dunlap/Tempo Books, 1970) [pb/]
- Asylum (New York: Bantam Books, 1972) [novelizing the screenplay by Robert Bloch for the film Asylum (1972): pb/]
links
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