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| First Name | Jim |
| Last Name | Koch |
| Born | 1967-01-01 |
| Country | United States |
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| Biography | |
It all started back in third grade with a very inspiring teacher named Mr. Cordelano, who told my parents, "if you don't put this kid in art school, I will." My folks took this subtle hint and enrolled me in the Spokane school of Arts. I took the basics, but I was far from satisfied. I remember wanting to work on the "big kid" projects like welding, stained glass and sculpture, not cut flowers from construction paper. By the time I hit Junior High, my life was all about drawing, bmx, drag race & hot rod cartoons. Of course hard rock music with bands like Kiss, Nugent and the bloody Sabbath! I did my own thing and gained notoriety by doodling on friends text book covers, School lockers, Levis, Leather jackets and whatever I could trade for school lunches and other unmentionable things. I had a irresistible appetite for attention and i showed it through my art. As high school progressed, I turned my skills to producing local band album covers, flyers and T-shirts. VAMPIRE LESBOS! In my Junior year, I joined a crafts class with a freak of a teacher named Mr. Snider. He was an odd man, as eccentric as an art teacher can get. He was so busy trying to stop the kids from making clay bombs in the kiln and I received zero guidance and I became extremely frustrated. Enter my Senior year, I had two whopping hours of graphic arts with an instructor named Mr. Hale. This teacher almost flunked me, but you have to love him for putting up with my antics. I became the yearbook staff artist for the class of 1985. I had even won an award for creating a radical display for the Jostens class ring competition and won the national competition.
By this time in my life the small town blues were kicking in and I was not ready to become a lumberjack. I began working in a combo bicycle & screen printing shop. Using old school tools like hand drawing and cutting ruby. I began producing bootleg band t-shirts, changing tires, designing race jerseys & stickers for the bmx trick team. Boredom was setting in, so I created my own 'Zine (an underground magazine) called "Intense". Geared towards super freaks with a penchant for fashion, fast cars, porn, hard rock & underground music. (Sound familiar). I printed 5 issues with my friend Red Seth. I sent the 'Zine to tons of people nation wide and got loads of great reviews. Tower Records' in-store magazine ÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂPulseÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàreferred to it as "A nice touch of spastic art catered for the punk movement." With a cover shot of my dear grandma and the words "Fucked Up". Too funny! I had almost sold the market concept of "Intense" (without the soft porn) to a huge publishing company. I had big important meetings, free lunches and watched them rip me off with their own version of my format. It was sad to see their vision die in a year.
The ART Institute of Seattle was my next journey into the world of art. It was a wonderful experience and I learned tons of fine arts. The classes were of your basic variety, Art history, drawing naked people, bla bla. I began my own history and went my own direction while playing with copy machines, It was scary! - More Zines! At the time there were no computers in my school until our class had graduated. So everything was done by hand. I cherish the experience to this day. I remember one bizarre wacked teacher who made me cut out weird shapes and flowers from construction paper. (Which i later found very helpful). Soon enough, I was removed from the dorm and college studies for being a radical youth on a BMX bike. I was caught riding on the wall's of my dorm & elevator. Which led to doing stunts in a Pepsi commercial. Left school. I couldn't afford to compete with the richy rich kids and their high tech supplies anyway
About a year later, 1987 I went on a journey to Southern California. I brought along a makeshift portfolio that was basically my heart and soul. After seeing a cool magazine ad in a jet ski magazine, I met with a new company called Jet Pilot. Owners Phil Johnson, Scott Burnworth and Eric Baker saw me and wondered "what the hell is this kid thinking and why did he come knocking on our door?" I just left my talent in their hands and blew them away with my drive and ambition. After returning home, I soon found myself two weeks later being flown back to Jet Pilot to design their racing gear and apparel for the summer of 1988. I had returned and packed my Datsun pickup, kissed my family goodbye and drove to Carlsbad California. Within two months, I had become a wet suit and sportswear designer for the the first and largest apparel company in the personal water craft industry. I worked for Jet Pilot for 6 years, designing with pens, computers, copy machines and some mediums I'd prefer to keep secret to this day. The job did come to an end, though. New owners came in one door and I went out the other. Oh well, It was still a great experience.
Around '95, I found myself working for a company called Bad Bones based in Orange County. Bad Bones was an early HC custom bike builder. Inovative and ahead of his time. Dobernic helped developed the world of custom choppers you see plastered everywhere today. I had my hand's in the leather goods, boot design, sportswear, accessories and the hard parts with CNC design. Everything blew out the door with, skulls, iron crosses and lots of flames! Bad Bone's with the help of Vince Neil was quite the leader of the pack at the time. What you see today scattered about makes me cringe.
No Fear apparel was my next stop in the world of sportswear design. A couple artists and myself had taken the company to about about 11 million in imprinted sportswear. The company had grossed over 200 million in sales during 1996. I had tried to organize a motor sports division with Simo, but the stick n balls cried and shouted. I also had clashed with a few sour belly, so-called art director's who played computer games and talked shit about everyone. Drama! -Whaaa!
From this point, I basically tramped around the west coast doing my thing and interviewed with companies like Nike, Cobra Golf, Upper Deck and several other high profile corporations. After getting some interesting offers, I liked what was offered from FOX Racing and their involvement with motocross racing, (I was once a fan). This was a time for me to reassure myself as an artist going big. Shortly after I was brought in, I began to work on an identity and concept line of alternative "Freestyle" motocross gear called SHIFT (made by FOX, duh). The image was bastardized by a wanna be artist. The design looked exactly like all other FOX gear. Dull "BillBord" fashion, nothing alternative here people. I did gain a few kudos when I designed the Video poster and promotions for Crusty Demons of Dirt #2 with Fleshwound Films. Check the credits. My designs are still being manufactured: FOX/crossbones "Victory" logo! The sweet deal became very sour with lies and the money hungry wanna-be, filthy egos. -Your So Hollywood, man! - I canÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂt even get a free hat.
The story to be told in this section has been removed because of L.A.M.F'ers!
(Keep sucking my wanna be friends).
Today, I am currently running my personal design firm
in the great Northwest. Working with specialty agencys and painting
anything that moves. I am designing toys, cartoons, and always apparel, anything wicked*fun.
ART:
Posters / Flyers / Street Marketing! - Advertising.
Packaging: Header card, box design and printing.
Brochures, Catalogs or ÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂZines.
Point of purchase / In store display.
Logos, Marks and Corporate image.
Product development and design.
Anatomic design / Custom Painting.
Research & spec for prototype and production.
Technical drawing / Blue prints.
Fleet & Auto rendering, design & application.
Fashion Merchandise & labeling.
Sportswear, Outerwear & Technical fashion, design & manufacturing.
Oversea's Production and MFG.
CLIENTS:
MotorCult.com - Part Owner
Chopper Dolls - Room13.com - Part Owner
BadBones.com / Vince Neil Fan Club - Everything you see.
JetPilot.com - U.S.A. & Australia. T-shirt design, production & manufacturing.
No Fear - T-shirt designer, bicycling & motor sports Division.
Stephen Pearcy /RATT - Top Fuel Entertainment
CrossCheckSports.com - Everything you see.
Yamaha U.S.A. - Personal water craft wet suit design & accessories.
Kawasaki U.S.A. - Personal water craft wet suit design & accessories.
Road Runner Records - Pro-mo poster's & CD art.
Sticky Bumbs - Surf Wax, T-shirts & Packaging.
Gordon & Smith - Advertising and deck designs.
Bubble Gum Surf Wax - Advertising, T-shirts & Packaging.
Castelli of France - T-shirt & cycling Jersey concepts.
Haro Bikes - Advertising, T-shirt & decal designs.
Wake Tech - Advertising & T-shirts.
Stinger Wake Boards - Board Design, Advertising & T-shirt design.
Fleshwound Films - Movie Poster, T-shirt & advertising design.
Bill Silva Presents - Show Posters & handbils (street advertising).
Gearhead Magazine - 7ÃÂÃÂÃÂâÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂàrecord cover included with mag.
Streamline Tattoo - Gallery exhibits, advertising & T-shirts.
McMullen & Argus Publishing - Advertising & T-shirts.
Greaser magazine - Cover art & T-shirt.
Shift - MX Clothing, accessories & T-shirts.
Fox Racing - MX Clothing manufacturing, accessories & T-shirts.
Marilyn Manson/Interscope records - Poster art & marketing.
Vanilla Ice/SBK records - CD Packaging, logo, Poster art & marketing.
Diamond Back Bicycles - T-shirt & bike graphic design.
Speedball 500 - T-shirts, advertising. Hot Rod run and art exhibit.
Robby Gordon racing - T-shirts, advertising and fan club merch.
Raleigh Bicycles - T-shirts & bike graphics.
UPN Television - Pilot graphics.
WWF - Promotional items and graphics.
Irvan & Simo Racing - Logo and graphics.
Evil Mothers/Invisable Records - In store poster and advertising.
Tom Gloy Racing - T-shirt graphics.
Kick Industries - Australia/Swiss - Accessories, marketing & t-shirst graphics.
Hot Dog Design - T-shirt and decal graphics.
Kendall motor oil/NHRA Racing - Funny car & truck renderings.
Motley Crue - Funny car renderings and graphics for Champion Racing.
Marvel Comics - The Incredable HULK Funny car renderings for NHRA.
Hellbent - Art exhibit advertising and marketing.
Just to name a few. |
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| It all started back in third grade with a very inspiring teacher named Mr. Cordelano, who told my parents, "if you don't put this kid in art school, I will." My folks took this sub... |
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