HISTORY
Profile: Jim Koch
Occupation: Artist/Designer
Weapons Used: Honesty, Pen, Computer, Canvas & loud Music!

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 “Pulse” referred 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 can’t 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.

Need to know more DIRT?
Please e-mail me for further contact information.

Cheers & thank you for taking the time,
Jim Koch
The Images/ART on www.jimkoch.com are for client reference and or your personal viewing pleasure. All design's, and or image's hold a copyright and perhaps even a federal trademark by their respected holders. Please contact and or credit artist/client if you feel the need for press or promotion.
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©2008 JimKoch (design).com