Reilly Johnson and Shiv Pratap Singh raise FandomWire to new heights
Reilly Johnson is the founder and CEO of Johnson Concepts. But he is best known as being the Editor-in-Chief of FandomWire, an entertainment news outlet and a subsidiary of Johnson Concepts. In just 20 months, Reilly has taken FandomWire from a passionate idea to a successful media outlet reaching tens of millions every month. FandomWire has been featured in Forbes and other globally recognized publications.
Not too bad for a 21-year-old who has faced physical and medical challenges that few of us will ever know. Reilly was born with a progressive, neuromuscular disease called Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a severe type of muscular dystrophy that genetically resembles ALS. He has never walked or even crawled, and has used a computerized wheelchair since age two. He has endured serious surgeries and many lengthy hospital stays. Originally, some doctors thought he would not survive past three years old. Today, he is about 95% physically disabled. However, he still has limited use of his hands, which is all he needs to move his computer mouse. And thanks to 21st century technology, he is able to run his businesses from the comfort of his bed with a professionally set up powerful computer and two giant monitors.
Reilly was born in Hershey, Pennsylvania to Nanette and Neal Johnson, and has lived in the nearby Harrisburg area. Just three years ago, he was accepted and enrolled at Penn State to study business management, but the summer of 2016 changed all that. Reilly was hospitalized for ongoing gastrointestinal problems. Further complications caused him to almost die multiple times due to respiratory failure. He ended up having surgery to get a trach installed in his throat and is now attached to a ventilator machine to help him breathe. With the help of his high school, Reilly was able to graduate in the top 10% of his class from his hospital bed virtually, along with his fellow classmates from Central Dauphin East High School, of which he was Freshman class president. In mid-August, he was finally able to come home after four grueling months.
Reilly’s always had a different perspective on life but those events in 2016 made him even more determined to accomplish his goals. The young innovator with a new lease on life decided to forgo his college scholarships to pursue his dreams. “I couldn’t wait any longer,” Reilly said of his decision, “I realized that life is too short and I didn’t want to wait four years to do something that I could do right now.”
So, in December of 2017, he founded FandomWire, the first of many brands to come under Johnson Newsroom, the news and media division of Johnson Concepts. The outlet primarily focuses on movies, television, and gaming. FandomWire operates many social media pages with millions of followers, including subcategory pages like FandomWire Gaming, FandomWire Movies & TV, FandomWire Trailers, Marvel on FandomWire, DC on FandomWire, Star Wars on FandomWire, Disney on FandomWire, Wizarding World on FandomWire, Star Trek on FandomWire, and even FRIENDS on FandomWire.
Shiv Pratap Singh has a similar story. Now 25, Singh, was always a pop-culture buff. Being an ace at content creation, he is the COO (Chief Operations Officer) at Animated Times, since its inception.
Leading the content creation team at Animated Times alongside Amir Syed (CEO, Animated Times), he has played an active role in directing the creative team in the most efficient way possible.
He has also been working in the video creative team of Reilly Johnson’s FandomWire. “You see, you need to know what users want, with so much abundance on the internet, you need to find the right nerve,” quipped Singh.
Reilly has also recently started AthleticWire, an outlet dedicated to the world of sports, as well as Inside Animals, a community centered around adorable animals. AthleticWire’s pages will soon include NBA on AthleticWire, NFL on AthleticWire, NHL on AthleticWire, MLB on AthleticWire, AHL on AthleticWire, MLS on AthleticWire, UFC on AthleticWire, College Football on AthleticWire, College Basketball on AthleticWire, Premier League on AthleticWire, AFL on AthleticWire, UEFA on AthleticWire, Formula 1 on AthleticWire, eSports on AthleticWire, and NASCAR on AthleticWire.
To help manage all these properties, Reilly hired his talented friend, Sean Steele. He’s also brought on many writers and editors, such as Simeone Miller, Mike DeAngelo, Brian Farvour, James Troughton, Jai Howlett, Ariane Cruz, Chris Nugent, Joey DeAngelis, Steven Gurman, Collier “CJ” Jennings, and Maxwell Mantik, as well as numerous graphic designers. Long-time friend Weston Gehman also joined the team to help manage the many Instagram accounts. “Finding great talent is very important to the success of a business,” said Reilly.
Reilly currently resides with his parents, his dog Jack, and his Service Dog Dexter. He looks forward to the many upcoming adventures and projects ahead. “There’s things I’d love to talk about but unfortunately can’t just yet. It will be very big and exciting when we do announce though,” said the Pennsylvania businessman.
