Phillips artist inspirations? "Wally Wood and Bill Elder from the old Mad comic books. It was the first satire I saw. It just really grabbed me, plus the art from these guys is just outstanding," said Phillips. "Walt Disney, everything he did....those are probably the main ones, and then you throw in Salvador Dali, and even Picasso." He said.
Known for the branding of Santa Cruz, Phillips crafted the iconic blue screaming hand that is easily one of the most recognizable branding graphics in the industry.
His journey in art wasn’t all success, he went through many triumphs while trying to make a living and pursuing what he loves most, art.
His new 90-minute documentary follows his life as an artist “Art and Life: The Story of Jim Phillips”. The filmmaker says the film has a simple message behind it: "Never give up on what love doing, and just keep doing it, and things will work out."
The film will firsat appear at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, shown at the Metro 4 Theater in Santa Barbara on Friday night, with an 8:40 p.m. screening.
