Johnson Voorsanger Productions

Johnson Voorsanger Productions was an American video game developer formed in 1989 by Greg Johnson and Mark Voorsanger. The partnership created ToeJam and Earl and its sequel before the two founders parted ways. Johnson later founded HumaNature Studios.

Johnson Voorsanger Productions Games

ToeJam and Earl (1991)

Two alien rappers crash-land on Earth and must collect the pieces of their spaceship while being chased by bizarre representations of suburban American culture. A roguelike before the term was widely used, with a randomly generated world each playthrough. It initially underperformed commercially but became a cult classic. The cooperative play where one player controls ToeJam and one controls Earl was ahead of its time.

ToeJam and Earl in Panic on Funkotron (1993)

The sequel shifted from the original’s roguelike format to a side-scrolling platformer on the alien homeworld of Funkotron. Humans accidentally brought back from Earth must be captured using jars. The format change was controversial with fans of the original. A competent platformer but the spirit of the first game was lost.

After the Partnership

Johnson and Voorsanger parted ways following ToeJam and Earl III in 2003, developed by a different team. Greg Johnson founded HumaNature Studios, later developing Doki-Doki Universe and producing the ToeJam and Earl: Back in the Groove Kickstarter in 2015, returning to the roguelike format of the original.