I'm JayJay Jackson. I do illustration and design graphics for print and web. I also build web sites and do Flash animation. The name Serious Illustration (and Serious Design, my company and other more general web portfolio site) comes from a quote by Dame Margot Fonteyn that I read a long time ago...

"The one important thing I have learnt over the years is the difference between taking one's work seriously and taking one's self seriously. The first is imperative and the second disastrous."

I've had a pretty ecletic career. Here's a basic rundown. I was born and raised in Texas and I caught my share of horned toads and snakes as a kid, but I was always the artsy one. I've attended the University of Texas, New York’s School of Visual Arts and the New York Academy of Art. I still take classes when I can. After starting out in the graphics business in Texas as a cartographer and graphic designer for a couple of different map companies, I worked as a designer and production artist for the award winning Phoenix Design group in Houston and then senior designer and production specialist for Texas Instruments. I did technical illustrations of things like oil field equipment and did magazine illustration while still in Texas and this eventually led to my getting a job in New York at Marvel Comics. I was hired as Designer and then, promoted to Art Director of Advertising and became a colorist in what I laughingly called my spare time. I colored books like Spider-Man, Punisher, Alien Legion and some posters and ads, too.

When former Marvel Editor-in-Chief, Jim Shooter started Valiant Comics, I left Marvel to become their Executive Art Director. I edited a couple of the titles and did full painted color on several comics such as Magnus Robot Fighter, Solar Man of the Atom and Harbinger. I later helped Jim start Defiant Comics as the Creative Director and did painted color on Warriors of Plasm and many trading cards and covers. After that we co-founded Broadway Comics where I was Executive Editor and Art Director. I worked for Topps off and on for several years during this time doing blueline painting for trading cards on the Universal Monster series, Vampirella and both Star Wars Galaxy series.

After Broadway Comics was bought out I left the comics industry and went to work as Art Director of Marketing for Display Technologies, a point-of-purchase ad firm that does a lot of work for the beverage industry. I worked on stuff for Evian, Pepsi, Coke, Sobe, Mystic, Timex and Burton Snowboards until my brains began to run out of my ears from the boredom. Mainstream corporate advertising was not the life for me. After that, things improved and I worked as Art Director for M2 Design Group, an NYC boutique design house, where I principally did recording and fashion industry work. Lots of design for hip hop, R&B and pop artists like Macy Gray, Tyrese, The Smithereens, Jon B, Svala, Darius Rucker and Sarina Paris. I also designed stuff for Sean John, Ecko, Epic Records, Atlantic Records and Universal while I was there.

Nowadays I'm freelance and still doing web sites, logos, ads, brochures and even some comic book stuff here and there, but I'm also working on developing my neglected illustration career. And it's going great so far! I've been doing some concert posters, flyers, painted a book cover and have been doing some graphics for a couple of independent films "Welcome to Earth" and "Being Michael Madsen." I can't get enough of drawing, though. It feels good to be back at it.

Also I'm rediscovering my nearly-atrophied partying skills! For far too long I didn't bother to stop and smell the roses (or dance all night to goth and industrial). Better late than never, I guess! At least since I do a lot of concert posters, I get to go to tons of shows.



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