New Folk: Jimmy Simpson

An artist who has straddled both TDF rosters is making one hell of a comeback. That’s right – Jimmy Simpson, animation director, illustrator and skateboarder from New York is returning to the TDF family.

Cartooning since the age of eight, Jimmy was heavily influenced by skateboarding culture, drawing inspiration from the scene’s graphics, photography and film. Today, he’s pivoted from axles and halfpipes, finding inspiration in art history instead. “I like to pass classic symbols or ideas through my personal filter,” he says. “I also include recurring motifs to give continuity between styles and projects.”

While he’s bringing fresh meaning to the past, his eye is firmly on the future. “I’d love to do the overall branding for a musical release at some point. The idea of creating the album art, directing a music video and working on live visuals sounds like a rewarding challenge.”

Challenges hold considerable appeal for Jimmy. Interestingly, so do the potential pitfalls. Maybe it’s the skateboarding background. “Try to learn as much as you can from trial and error while not being too hard on yourself. If you can enjoy that process somewhat, you'll eventually arrive at some place interesting,” he says.

Jimmy’s client list is eclectic – we’re talking Lego, Sony Music and Dropbox. And yet, he brings the same scientific perspective to all of his work. ”I tend to think of animation as a technical puzzle. I like to mix and match techniques to arrive at something that feels seamless in the most economical way.”