Jim Jimenez: An Artist in Any Medium
Jim, thanks for taking a break from the panty-fest Adam has you working on. Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I'm in a band with my brothers, Joy and Jay, called J BROTHERS. In fact, we are recording artists here in the Philippines. All three of us were once animators involved with doing layouts and assistant animation for Disney and some other companies. We now work on comics both locally and internationally.
You used to work in animation. What sorts of series have you had your hand in bringing to life?
X-Men, The Mask, Winnie the Pooh, Gummi Bears, Thumbelina: The Movie, Hercules: TV Series and FAKK 2.
Did you ever watch any of the finished series just so you could pick out the parts you worked on?
Some of it I did.
How did you get into drawing comics?
It happened during a gig one night. See, during our breaks we like to do some doodles and one of the alternate band members has a brother who works for a publishing company. He saw our stuff and introduced us. And that's how it all began.
The art for Aoi House has really been blowing people away and it just keeps getting better. What made you decide to take part in this project? Was it the girls?
Hmm, all I can say is that I'm used to working with a lot of styles and have worked on everything from horror to comedy to action, but there was just something attracted me to this Aoi thing. Maybe it's the girls...hehehe.
Aoi House is a unique series in that it is being published a page at the time, but it is also being written in a panel-by-panel fashion. How do you go about taking the script and turning it into what we see?
First, I read the script, then I close my eyes and I imagine I'm one of the guys whose staying at Aoi House...and there I am. All I do then is grab my pen and the rest is history.
It's still a little bit early, but with the work you've done so far on Aoi House, is there a certain character that you've absolutely fallen in love with drawing?
I kinda like Jessica. She's the kinkiest of them all!!
If someone were to look at your portfolio, they would see that see that you are not just a manga artist; you can also draw American-style comics just as well. Is that your secret to artistic success--having a wide variety of styles?
I always keep in mind that, in comics, you work for the editor. They don't work for you. So you have to have a lot of ammunition at your disposal. I don't come empty handed and that's why I try to explore as many different styles as possible.
What is your work environment like? Ever enlist any help in a pinch?
I keep it simple--not too clean and not too dirty. Sometimes I like to work outside and if we've got a gig, I bring my work along and do it during our break time.
I think a lot of our readers might be surprised to hear that you are also an accomplished musician. Can you give us a little background on what your musical career is like?
I touched on it a little at the beginning, but between Sony Music and our current label, BMG Records, we've got a total of five albums on the market so far that have earned us a few gold and platinum awards.
[Editor's Note: You can read all about that J BROTHERS' 2004 album, "Pasaway," at Titik Philipino.]
You seem like a pretty busy person, what do you do in your downtime?
I mainly watch DVDs, play some games or attend to my wife.
Any advice that you'd like to give to all those aspiring artists out there?
Being an artist is not just about the skill, but knowing that you have the heart for it. You have to know your work and know whom you are working with. Be humble. Thank God for your talent. And most of all, unleash your wildest side and just create, create, CREATE! BWAHAHAHA!!
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