Introduce the man who is responsible for putting the Stampede blogs up... James Cole! Though not a Stampede employee, Jim works for Viewpoints as a graphic designer. James, along with the rest of the Viewpoints team, are the designers behind the Big Book of AV, the Big Book website, the new Mustang AV website, and this year's Stampede western town trade show booth at Infocomm 08. Besides being a full-time graphic designer Jim is also a part-time monster maker.

Jim uses his computer, digital camera, and pencils to create monsters as a freelance horror illustrator. His work has appeared in illustration annuals, horror magazines, zombie anthologies, role-playing games, and even Halloween greeting cards. "I don't create just monsters but I must admit I do enjoy making scary imagery the most" Jim also admits that he has always loved Halloween and once had a 3 year as a child where he had a 3 year run dressing as a vampire. Halloween is a time when we can all appreciate a good scare or monster.

Jim's take on Halloween and the appeal of horror movies is, "I personally think people liked to be scared by things they know are not real, that's the fun of a scary movie or haunted house. Some obvious monster or menace makes us jump or cringe and when its over we laugh it off. Unlike the scary things in real life that don't wear a scary mask like the economy, crime or even the up coming election, which are not so easy to laugh about but are no less scary."



©2008 James S. Cole Illustration