John C. Tibbetts was born October 6, 1946 in Paola, Kansas and grew up in Leavenworth, Kansas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1969, a Master of Arts in 1974, and a doctorate in 1982, all from the University of Kansas. His doctorate is in Multi-Disciplinary Studies (Art History, Theater, Photography, and Film).

From 1980 to 1996 Tibbetts worked as a full-time broadcaster. He hosted his own television show in Kansas City, Missouri, and worked as an Arts and Entertainment Editor and Producer for a variety of radio and television outlets, including KCTV (Kansas City's CBS affiliate), KMBC Radio, and KXTR-FM Radio. During that time he also contributed many broadcast stories about musicians, painters, playwrights, and filmmakers to CBS Television, the Christian Science Monitor Radio Network, Voice of America, and National Public Radio. He has produced two radio series about music, The World of Robert Schumann and Piano Portraits.

From 1976-1985 Tibbetts edited the bi-monthly magazine American Classic Screen (the publication of the National Film Society). He has written and illustrated 24 books, more than 200 articles, and several short stories. His books include His Majesty the American: The Films of Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. (1977), Dvorak in America (1993), The Encyclopedia of Novels into Film (1998), Shakespeare into Film (2002), Those Who Made It: Conversations with the Legends of Hollywood (2015), and The Gothic Worlds of Peter Straub (2016). Tibbetts has painted thousands of portraits of the subjects he has interviewed. His work has served as illustrations for his articles and books and has been featured in gallery exhibitions in Kansas City and at the University of Kansas. Tibbetts has also worked as a pianist, accompanying silent movies at venues including the American Film Institute in Washington, DC; the Silent Film Festival in Topeka, Kansas; and the Buster Keaton Celebrations in Iola, Kansas—the latter event organized by Tibbetts himself since 1992.

Tibbetts is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Film and Media Studies at the University of Kansas, where he teaches courses in film history, media studies, and aesthetics. He has also served as Associate Chair for the Department of Theater and Film. In 2008 he was awarded the Kansas Governor's Arts in Education Award by Governor Kathleen Sebelius.