JC Johnson – Anthrow Circus

Adulting at Disney World

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JC JOHNSON

I had a big birthday this year that needed celebrating. So what does every self-respecting adult trying to avoid getting older do? You go to Disney World. Did you know Super Bowl MVPs go to Disney to celebrate their win? If the NFL can go to Disney, then so too can this self-respecting adult. (Even if I’m not really into sports in any other way, I am the MVP of my life, right?)

Sadly, the term “Disney Adult” hasn’t been much of a compliment recently—especially, if you refer to Urban Dictionary’s definition. But I refuse to let mean people take away my joy. I am not wear-Mickey-ears-to-dinner obsessed. No, like most Disney Adults, I just like to go to theme parks, with or without kids. Some of us like remembering childhood memories, and of course riding rides is fun. Plus, there’s the shopping, which is a respectable pastime in any other location. And you really shouldn’t diss character breakfasts until you’ve tried them.

Where the Ukrainian Family Stays

WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JC JOHNSON

I’m a city person. I love the pace, the noise, the endless barrage of things to look at. I love to study the skyline, the museums, the lights at night, the people. Typically, I’m not too fond of the countryside. But there’s something about Scotland, especially the Scottish Highlands..

MicroStories: A Venetian Screenplay

PHOTOGRAPH BY JC JOHNSON & STORY BY KAMI L. RICE

A tiny fictional tale inspired by a magically miniaturized photo of a real-life place.

Interacting With Art: A Catalog of Tourists in Italy

STORY BY JC JOHNSON

While it wasn’t officially an Anthrow Circus travel tour, the fact that our editor, Kami Rice, and I, Anthrow Circus’s creative director, were in Italy together made it nearly so. Fitting well with Anthrow Circus’s love of investing in burgeoning writers and photographers and artists, we embarked on a photography study tour as mentors to a group of my just-graduated high school students. Given their new status as legal “adults,” the goal was to give them access to sites, history, and art while also giving them a taste of responsibility as they explored and interacted with famous Italy.

But as our group tour of Italy continued, it became clearer to me that we were those tourists. We may have thought we were special, and in some ways, we were. But simultaneously, we were also them. We weren’t always the same type of tourist, in that we played different tourist roles, but still, at some point, we were those tourists.

ST AIRS

POEM BY VAGRANT MOON
PHOTO BY JC JOHNSON

CLICK. REFRESH.

WORDS AND PHOTO BY JC JOHNSON

$10,000 goal: Click. Refresh. $340.

One winter day, I was walking my dog when my neighbor invited me to sled with her and her friends. “Don’t worry, we are all over 30 and from the neighborhood, so take a turn. I’ll hold your dog’s leash while you go.” I was so excited to have a snow day and to finally have some pandemic-era human interaction, along with the chance to live my inner child.

MicroStories: Confinement

PHOTOGRAPH BY JC JOHNSON & STORY BY KAMI L. RICE

A tiny fictional tale inspired by a magically miniaturized photo of a real-life place.

How to View Art

TEXT AND IMAGES BY JC JOHNSON

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic’s disruption, the world had seen a surge in international travel and tourism, forcing many museums and other popular tourist destinations to take crowd control measures.

For example, the Louvre renovated the Mona Lisa’s exhibition space last year and improved traffic flow to better handle the painting’s many, many visitors, who largely view the painting through a sea of cell phones and cameras, let’s be honest.

MicroStories: Half-Full

PHOTOGRAPH BY JC JOHNSON & STORY BY KAMI L. RICE

A real life scene turned miniature through the magic of photography has inspired a tiny fictional tale that invites you to discover the other stories hiding in this image. Explore the world with us and let your imagination play along as you do.