Jason Kochis shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Jason, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
The first 90 minutes of my day are pretty typical, I will eat breakfast, brush my teeth, and then get going on whatever is the priority for the day.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi, my name is Jason Kochis. I was born in New York but moved to Florida when I was very young. I attended Ringling College of Art and Design and moved to Atlanta after graduation. After moving to Atlanta, I started working as a graphic artist in the apparel industry, as well as creating commemorative posters for rock bands. My designs have been published in The Art of Modern Rock, Tres Logos, and Clutter Magazine.
Most recently I have gotten back to an early passion of mine, comic books. I started creating my own manga inspired comic series called Koji & Maru a few years ago. The series is about a young boy named Koji who has a stuffed panda bear named Maru that magically comes to life. The pair are best friends, and they go on many misadventures. The story combines elements of Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes and Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro.
I set out to create an all-ages manga since I really didn’t see any manga for children other than Pokémon, at least not in the US. My series is written for 7–10-year-olds, but kids of all ages can enjoy it. I have been selling my manga through my website shop and at comic and anime conventions in the Atlanta area. To date, I have published two issues with a third issue currently in development.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
My early childhood was filled with a constant flow of cartoons, toys, and comics. My earliest memories are of watching the Batman 1966 tv show and realizing there were comic books based on the character. And actually, the comics were the inspiration for the tv show. A few years later I discovered Japanese cartoons in the form of Voltron and Robotech. In college I was introduced to anime like Akira, Macross Plus, and Ranma 1/2. All these experiences and interests have contributed to my work and style being a blend of cartoons and comics.
What fear has held you back the most in your life?
To quote Morrissey from The Smiths: “My only weakness is… well, never mind, never mind…” Seriously though, my fear of heights has probably hindered my career the most. It’s kept me from visiting faraway places.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. I am authentic in public. What you see is what you get. You will typically find me wearing a t-shirt with my favorite band’s logo on it.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I feel I have mostly followed my own path, but I do have to thank my mom for encouraging me to take art classes in middle school. I always drew when I was younger. I changed schools in sixth grade and played clarinet. At my original school, I was the first chair out of five students, but when I started attending my new school, I was the twenty-fifth chair out of twenty-five students. To make matters worse, the band teacher would yell at us for not playing the music right and then go into his office and chain smoke cigarettes for most of the class. Needless to say, I needed to find another class to take in seventh grade and my mom reminded me I liked drawing. So, I tried an art class. Since then, I have always done and created the kind of art I wanted to. I’m sure my parents wanted me to go to a “real” college and be a lawyer or accountant, but I chose art school instead.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jasonkochis.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonkochisart
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonkochis
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC62Kq7OV6R2GHnX54VszBAQ
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/JasonKochisShop
