Afraid of the dark and hating himself, Jason Jam reluctantly grew up. Facing all the terrors and traumas that daily life brought, he found solace in art. With no sensibility to grasp mathematics or science and a penchant for creating trouble in his constant desire for attention, he found refuge in art. He filled the pages in hundreds of coloring books. He drew skulls and boobies in every homework margin. Comics were read and reread over and over with the focus of a scholar. His reaction upon his discovery of MAD magazine mirrored that of Tarzan discovering there were other humans. In sixth grade, his drawing of an undersea world was chosen to be used as his classroom’s mural, and soon after he scored another artistic achievement with his poster, Don’t Be A Fool with Fire!, taking third prize in the Montana fire prevention poster contest. As the boy grew, the pencil and pad were his only friends. Many frustrating nights alone were spent scribbling and erasing, crumpling and crying and praying that one day he could draw as magically as his artistic heroes.

In 1987 he became a professional, taking his first paying art job while still in high school. He began his art career designing and printing t-shirts, and from there moved to game design. But the dark empty loneliness never ceased nor did the young man’s diligent study of drawing. While employed as a commercial artist, still doubting that he possessed any “real” artistic skills, he began experimenting with fine art forms, painting still life in oils and watercolors. New forms of art and art supplies were his only joy, and by night he hunched over his drawing board like an alienated monster chained forever to the desire of one day possessing the power of an artist.

Now as a sad old man, we currently find Jason Jam living as a husband and father in Billings, MT and still pursuing his childhood dreams of becoming an artist. His interests include cartooning, pen and ink drawing, oil and watercolor painting, and most recently lino printing. Maybe someday his artistic dreams will come true. Sigh.