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James L Michaelson

James (Jim) L. Michaelson "shows talent in art" before knowing how to write his name.  According to Jim's baby book, his mother noted that he was already on his way to being an artist at age four. Jim was drawing hot rods to scale at ten years old and soon giving art direction to his high school's yearbooks. Jim landed at San Jose State University in California where his exciting career as an illustrator began when he won a contest for a poster design. This contest was to help publicize a rock concert in San Jose which led to a second poster, the famous Jefferson Airplane poster. These two posters put Sparta Graphics on the map in 1967 and about fifteen more posters were created by Jim for Sparta Graphics before he moved on to Los Angeles.

Jim's career spanned many decades. Working for companies such as Gemini Productions, WED Enterprises, and Disney, he has an extensive portfolio which begs for a book and a website to share such wonderful talent that is still cherished to this day.

If Jim were still part of this physical world, he wouldn't be bragging about his artistic accomplishments. Jim would talk for hours about his kids, Rob and Jamie. He would also let you know he loved music. As an accomplished musician, he loved singing in bars and at family gatherings. He was very popular at the 11:29 restaraunt in Santa Barbara with a band called Michaelson, Mitchell and Shan, covering classics by James Taylor, Paul Simon, Elton John and the like.

Though Jim passed away in 2019 in Shasta CA, his legend lives on with all the people touched by his artwork, music, puns and dad jokes. He would be proud with the efforts of his kids Rob and Jamie and all involved with keeping such influential nostalgia alive with this website.

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