Jim Simon (artist) facts for kids

Jim Simon is a talented artist and animator.

James A. Simon, often called Jim Simon, is a super creative American artist and animator. He is famous for his animation company, Wantu Studios. Through Wantu Studios, he helped bring to life many fun animations for popular TV shows like Sesame Street and The Electric Company.

Early Life and Learning

Jim Simon grew up in New York City. He went to the High School of Art and Design, a special school for creative students. He graduated in 1963. While he was there, he showed amazing talent in animation. He even won an award for being excellent in animation!

He also earned two scholarships from the Junior Epstein Memorial Foundation. A scholarship helps pay for school. He also got a scholarship to the School of Visual Arts (SVA). At SVA, he first thought about making live-action TV shows. But he soon realized his true passion was animation, so he switched his focus.

Building an Animation Career

After finishing college, Jim Simon started working at Paramount Pictures' animation studio. He was an animation background artist, which means he drew the scenes behind the characters. Even though the studio closed after only four months, his time there was important. It allowed him to join the animators' union, which is a group that supports animation artists.

A friend from Paramount then helped Jim get a job as an assistant animator. This was for the 1960s Spider-Man animated TV series! He worked on the show for about a year and a half.

Becoming a Freelance Artist

Jim Simon decided to leave his job and become a freelance artist. This meant he would work for himself and choose his own projects. He explained in 1975 that he was creating so much art. He was even earning more money than some of the full-time animators! He felt very excited about the ideas in his own head. He wanted to bring these ideas to life, which he couldn't do while working for someone else.

Starting Wantu Animation

Around 1972, Jim Simon started his own company called Wantu Animation Inc. It first began in New York City. Later, it moved to Los Angeles, California. Wantu Animation worked with many different clients.

Some of his most famous clients included:

• The PBS children's show The Electric Company. His first short film for them, "Hey Diddle Diddle," won an award in 1975!
• Another children's educational show called Vegetable Soup.
• The super popular Sesame Street.
• The Black Psychiatrists of America.
• The New York Public Library.

Personal Life

By 1977, Jim Simon and his wife, René Simon, had four sons. Their names were Jimmy, Kelly, Sean, and Mark. Jim and René had known each other since high school. They got married while he was still in college.

Later in his life, Jim Simon took up oil painting. He had a show at the St. Clair gallery in El Cajon, California. This town is near San Diego, where he was living at the time.

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  Jim Simon is a talented artist and animator.