Who was Tom Johnson? ‘The Daily Show’ Writer Dead at 55

Tom Johnson, a highly acclaimed comedy writer and two-time Emmy Award winner, passed away at the age of 55 on January 14 at his Los Angeles residence. The cause of his death remains undisclosed.

Throughout his illustrious career, Johnson collaborated with a roster of comedic talents, including Joan Rivers, Greg Giraldo, Jon Stewart, Marc Maron, Arsenio Hall, George Lopez, Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart, Nikki Glaser, and Anthony Jeselnik, among others.

In 1996, Johnson joined the inaugural team of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show” with host Craig Kilborn, and he continued his role when Jon Stewart assumed the position three years later. Johnson’s contributions to the show were substantial, writing for over 1,200 episodes and co-authoring the New York Times bestseller “America: The Book.” He earned two Emmy Awards and two Peabody Awards for his exceptional work on “The Daily Show.” Notably, he gained recognition for his on-camera portrayal as the enigmatic hacker “Lord Viper Scorpion,” infamously tarnishing Stewart’s online reputation while daring the host to “feel his sting.”

From 2007 to 2009, Johnson served as the head writer for “Talk Show with Spike Feresten,” the longest-running late-night show on the Fox network. He later assumed the role of head writer for “Lopez Tonight” and went on to co-create “The Jeselnik Offensive” with Anthony Jeselnik, holding positions as an executive producer and head writer.

His extensive television writing credits encompass the Grammy Awards, Comedy Central Celebrity Roasts, MTV Movie Awards, and the Inside the NBA All-Star Roast, among others.

Survivors include his wife, Rozie Bacchi, sisters Pamela Dawn Foels and Cindy Johnson Doerr, brothers-in-law Stephen Foels and Steve Doerr, nieces Jennifer Lynne Sims, Amanda Jean Strathman, Brooke Alexandra Beck, and their spouses, as well as great-nieces Cameron Hazel Sims and Zoey Violet Strathman. Additionally, Johnson leaves behind his cherished cats Billie, Sal, and Mama.