Jim Cochran, a Short Bio

Born in Pittsburgh, PA and third in a family of four children, Jim showed early promise in school as an artist. At age 14 he was sent to Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie-Mellon U.) in Pittsburgh for university level art classes. Jim left his studies upon the death of his mother in the early 60s and enlisted in the Marines.

Following a tour of duty in Vietnam and discharge, Jim worked at Pacific Gas & Electric in San Francisco, the El Paso City Planning Department, and private civil engineering firms drafting maps.

After returning to college, Jim turned professional in his art, working as a political cartoonist and special assignment artist on newspapers
and magazines.

In the late 70s, he was nationally syndicated as a political cartoonist and was admitted to the elite (200 member) American Association of Editorial Cartoonists. His work appeared in hundreds of newspapers around the US until he retired the feature in 1983.

One special assignment was as courtroom artist for USA Today in the "Hillside Strangler" trial.

He discovered a talent for publishing and marketing, and has started and sold a variety of publications. He currently publishes an annual traveler's guide from his home in Mexico.

Jim paints in watercolor and oils, plays jazz, blues and his own compositions on guitar, bass and keyboards, owns two sailboats and a VW camper he uses to explore Mexico.