Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Jones.
Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been drawing since I could first pick up a pencil, and art has always been a very important part of my life. My dad got me into reading comics, so as a kid, my first aspiration was to become a comic book artist. I was also very big into music as well, and played several instruments throughout elementary, middle, and high school, and started playing the bass in jazz band in 10th grade. As I got closer to college and what that future might hold, I wanted to pick a career path where I could continue to dabble in one or both of my passions.
After HS graduation, I was accepted to Millersville University and decided to major in art with a focus on illustration. My freshman year, I had an awesome professor who was also involved in the business, and he inspired me to really focus on that career path. Sadly, fate had other plans, and he decided to retire at the end of my first semester, which made me reconsider my initial decision and discover a newfound passion for graphic design, which is what I ended up getting my degree in.
Throughout HS and college, I also continued my musical pursuits, playing in multiple bands across various genres. Art and music came together for me when I moved to Oakland, CA, and quit my day job as an advertising designer to play bass and do graphic design for my band, My Peoples.
Now I’m back in my home state of PA, doing freelance design work on the side, performing in the band Stereotytans, and working a full-time job for TK Interactive, where I’m a senior digital asset automation engineer.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I began my design career working for a conglomerate of weekly newspapers in PA back in June of 2000. It wasn’t a glamorous job by any means, but it gave me insight into the different places design work was needed.
After moving to California in 2004, I decided I wanted a change and a career performing music was more in line with what I wanted. I did both the day gig and performed at night until after the birth of my daughter in 2005, and then I decided that the corporate world would have to wait. Devoting my time to being a stay-at-home dad and a musician, I did all the band’s design work (website, posters, stickers, promo flyers, and t-shirt designs) to help save us money and picked up whatever freelance design gigs I could pull to help make ends meet.
After 7 years of light touring and performing, my family moved back to PA in 2012, where I tried to rejoin the business world, but found that landing a graphic design job was very competitive and I settled into a manufacturing job, still keeping my design skills sharp through side freelance gigs.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a graphic designer by education and profession, but I’ve made art in some capacity for most of my life. My favorite style is hand illustration, and my favorite medium is graphite pencil. I REALLY wanted to be a comic book artist when I first started drawing, so most of my drawing tends to be in that style. I dabble in realism, but creating something straight from my imagination and bringing it to life is something I enjoy the most.
Outside of visual art, I’m also a bass player who’s been playing professionally since about 2000. While I’ve never reached any level of fame, I’ve played in bands that have opened for major national touring acts. The 2 projects I’ve been part of the longest, My Peoples and Stereotytans, have music available for streaming on all major streaming services.
I also do a podcast with a homie of mine called The RU L.O.S.T. Podcast, which is availble on YouTube.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
While I wasn’t born there, it’s always been a place I’ve felt connected to. The amount of history in our area is incredible. The passion this city shows when rallying around its people, specifically when it comes to our sports teams, is amazing. There’s a lot of pride in the people from this area, and that expression really shines through in most everything.
Like most other major cities, I wish we had more systems in place to help those who are less fortunate. Drug abuse is a MAJOR public concern, and it seems that those in charge are cutting more resources to combat that instead of doing more to fight against it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.christopher-a-jones.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/bassjones478
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/bassjones478
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@RULostPod
- Other: https://tiktok.com/@bassjones478
