Who Is Jim Phillips?
Posted on Feb 03, 2022
Jim Phillips, Sr. is a graphic artist best known for his surf and skateboard art. Born in 1944 in San Jose, CA, he has lived most of his life in Santa Cruz, California. Phillips was Art Director at NHS in the 1970s and ‘80s where he created thousands of decks, t-shirts, stickers, product illustrations and advertisements, including two of the most recognizable skate logos of all time: The Santa Cruz Skateboards Classic Dot & Screaming Hand logos. Jim currently continues producing art with an exclusive connection to NHS, creating limited edition decks and other special projects in the surf and skateboard industry. His first published work was in the Spring 1962 issue of Surfer Quarterly. His “Woody” illustrations were the winner of a surf car cartoon contest held by the magazine, and his surf art appeared in many surfing publications throughout the 1960s. His earliest jobs were in various surf shops that were manufacturing surfboards; much of that work was applying art and designs to surfboards. In 1965 and ’66, Jim studied fine art at the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, CA. See more of Jim Phillips graphic designs at www.jimphillips.com.
