Harold Johnson (game designer)
Harold Johnson was born in Evanston, Illinois. He attended Northwestern University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology during 1977. His first experience with Dungeons & Dragons occurred in 1976 while he was still an undergraduate student. That same year, he traveled to Lake Geneva for his initial Gen Con convention. He expressed surprise at discovering that TSR operated so close to Chicago after the trip concluded. Following graduation, Johnson held various odd jobs while continuing to play games regularly.
The fall of 1978 brought a job advertisement in Dragon magazine seeking a games editor position. Johnson applied for this role but did not receive the offer after his interview process. He subsequently submitted another application as a game designer instead. TSR hired him as an editor rather than a designer despite his request. His first assignment involved copy editing work on the original Dungeon Masters Guide. He also contributed specific rules to that publication. A tournament module project began under his supervision which later became C1 Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan. He stated that this task served as proof to the company regarding his writing abilities.
Less than seven months after starting employment, Johnson received a promotion to Manager of Production. This new role required oversight of editing tasks and page layout decisions. He managed relationships with printers throughout the manufacturing process. Design turnover and production turnover fell under his direct responsibility during these early years. Subsequent promotions included positions as Assistant to the Vice President for Research & Development. He eventually became Manager of Game Design before taking charge of Editing operations. By 1982, he reached Director of Games Research & Development status. That same year marked his marriage to V.J. Their daughter Allison was born in 1984.
Johnson supervised all staff game designers working at TSR during his tenure. He also managed the company Acquisition Department responsible for hiring new talent. Frank Mentzer, Jon Pickens, and Tracy Hickman were among the many designers hired under his direction. Johnson joined Tracy Hickman Project Overlord initiative immediately upon its inception. He became the strongest advocate for expanding the project within upper management circles. His influence convinced Hickman to broaden Dragonlance beyond an initial trilogy concept. This expansion transformed a single adventure series into a full product line spanning multiple years. The co-creation credit for this concept appears on numerous subsequent projects.
Up Next
Continue Browsing
Common questions
Where was Harold Johnson born and what degree did he earn from Northwestern University?
Harold Johnson was born in Evanston, Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology during 1977.
When did Harold Johnson first play Dungeons & Dragons and attend Gen Con?
Harold Johnson had his first experience with Dungeons & Dragons in 1976 while an undergraduate student. That same year he traveled to Lake Geneva for his initial Gen Con convention.
What role did TSR offer Harold Johnson after he applied as a game designer?
TSR hired Harold Johnson as an editor rather than the requested designer position. His first assignment involved copy editing work on the original Dungeon Masters Guide.
How quickly did Harold Johnson receive a promotion to Manager of Production at TSR?
Less than seven months after starting employment, Harold Johnson received a promotion to Manager of Production. This new role required oversight of editing tasks and page layout decisions.
Who were some designers hired by Harold Johnson and which project did he support?
Frank Mentzer, Jon Pickens, and Tracy Hickman were among the many designers hired under Harold Johnson direction. He became the strongest advocate for expanding the Project Overlord initiative into Dragonlance.