Matt Johnston, an artist and Army veteran who’d fallen on hard times and been homeless for a while, will be at the Taste of Annandale tomorrow selling drawings created on site.
Johnston is a former artist at DC Comics, where he focused on drawing the Green Lantern series. He will be at the American Legion booth drawing characters and portraits.
The Taste of Annandale is at the Eileen Garnett Civic Space, 7200 Columbia Pike, Sept. 20, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
During the past few weeks, Johnston has been working on a mural at the Flavor Hive restaurant at the corner of John Marr Drive and Tom Davis Drive.
Related story: It’s a hard life on the street for a wounded veteran
The mural is full of people at familiar Annandale locations, including Mason District Park, Annandale High School, and Flavor Hive. Mixed in with the people are hidden characters, such as Spiderman, Batman, Pikachu, and Homer Simpson.
Johnston was severely injured while deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan. In recent years, he’s been unable to work due to chronic health problems.
This summer, he spent most days under a tree by the Giant parking lot in Annandale. He is currently staying with a friend in Fairfax while working on getting full benefits from the Veterans Administration.
Taste of Annandale - September 20, 2025 