About

Jack Tom grew up in San Francisco and now lives and works in Connecticut. He attended the City College of San Francisco where he majored in advertising art and design. After graduation he broke into the business as an apprentice with a small design studio, Point Studio. Eighteen months later he was hired as a graphic designer/illustrator at MediaWest, a multi-media production and design company in San Francisco.

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Ultimately, Jack moved to New York City where he quickly secured freelance work, eventually landing a full-time position at McCall's Magazine as an art director where he also produced illustrations for its "Right Now" section. He learned all about magazine design: how to meet deadlines and how to work closely and under pressure with editors. After McCall's, Jack was hired as a Senior Designer at CBS by the legendary Lou Dorfsman. After four years in the Advertising Art Department (aka the Black Rock), Jack worked at Business Week Magazine as Graphics Art Director where he oversaw the design and production of its informational graphics. He also managed three assistants and various freelancers.

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In 1985 he started Jack Tom Design where he worked with a wide range of clients producing logos, publication designs, packaging, poster sand illustrations. Jack has also served as President of the Connecticut Art Directors Club; Executive Board member for AIGA Connecticut chapter; and Book Store Coordinator/Advisory Board Member for

ICON (Illustration Conferences 3, 4 and 5).

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Presently Jack is a full-time Professor of Art at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury Connecticut. Beyond teaching classes he is coordinator of the illustration program. He is also an adjunct professor for the Low-Residency MFA Degree in Illustration at Hartford Art School, West Hartford, Connecticut.