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Jim Riswold

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James Paul Riswold(December 7, 1957 – August 9, 2024) was an Americancreative directorfor theadvertising agencyWieden+Kennedyand a contemporary artist.

Early life

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Riswold was born in Seattle, Washington, on December 7, 1957, to Paul (died 2017) and Paularose (nee James) Riswold.[1][2][3][4]He grew up in Seattle with his parents where his father worked forBoeing,along with his two younger sisters, Marilee and Sheila.[2][4]After graduation fromIngraham High School,Riswold attended theUniversity of Washingtonin Seattle from 1976 to 1983. There he received three bachelor's degrees incommunications,philosophyandhistory.[5]

Career

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After graduating from college, he worked briefly for an advertising company in Seattle.[4]He was hired atWieden+KennedyinPortland, Oregon,during the ad agency's early years as its firstcopywriterhire in 1984, supervising theHonda Motor Co.account.[6]In his 14 years at Wieden+Kennedy, he created advertising campaigns such as theMars Blackmon(Spike Lee),Michael Jordancommercials forNikeas well as the famousBugs Bunny–Jordan pairing.[7]He also created the "Bo Knows"campaign for Nike featuringBo Jackson,[8][9]and theTiger Woodscommercial, entitled "I Am Tiger Woods".[10]

In 2013, Riswold was inducted intoThe One Club's Creative Hall of Fame.[11][12]

Art

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After being diagnosed withleukemiain 2000 and surviving for five years, Riswold quit advertising to become a full-time contemporary artist.[13]He went from "a career of selling people things they don't need to making things that people don't want".[14]

Riswold's photographs have been shown in galleries throughout the Northwest and hang in the permanent collections of several museums.[15]Most of his works poke fun at historically taboo figures such asMao Zedong,Adolf HitlerandBenito Mussoliniby constructing monumental setting in which the figurines were photographer. Riswold explained in his 2005Esquirearticle, "Hitler Saved My Life"[16]that "Instead of providing […] grand expositions mythologizing the dictator, toys, by definition, make their subjects seem small, childish, and trifling."[17]

Death

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Riswold died August 9, 2024 at the age of 66, at his home in Portland, frominterstitial lung disease.[1][3]

References

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  1. ^abRosenwald, Michael S. (September 4, 2024)."Jim Riswold, Creator of 'Bo Knows' and Air Jordan Ads, Dies at 66".The New York Times.RetrievedSeptember 4,2024.
  2. ^ab"Paul Ordell Riswold".Dignity Memorial.Retrieved14 August2024.
  3. ^abWeissbrot, Alison (August 12, 2024)."Jim Riswold dies at 67".CampaignLive.RetrievedAugust 12,2024.
  4. ^abcGoldrich, Robert (August 13, 2024)."Jim Riswold, W+K's Stalwart Writer On Breakthrough Nike Work, Dies At 66".SHOOTonline.Retrieved14 August2024.
  5. ^Riswold, Jim (Autumn 2001)."So What Good Is Studying Philosophy: You Want To Be A What?".University of Washington Philosophy Department. Archived fromthe originalon May 28, 2010.RetrievedSeptember 22,2009.Jim Riswold. UW (University of Washington) 1976–1983. Majored in Communications, Philosophy, and History
  6. ^Rothenberg, Randall (January 30, 2006)."Riswold goes from 'idiot savant' to reinventor to retired artist".Advertising Age.Riswold, 48, has been creating art for years-at least since the day in late 1984 when he walked into a presentation for the Honda scooters advertising account
  7. ^Riswold, Jim (June 18, 2020)."Meet the Man Who Introduced Michael Jordan to Bugs Bunny".Complex(Interview). Interviewed by Mike DeStefano.RetrievedJuly 31,2024.
  8. ^Eisenberg, Jeff (July 17, 2019)."Iconic Sports Commercials: Bo Knows".Yahoo! Sports.RetrievedJuly 31,2024.
  9. ^Wollenberg, Skip (July 30, 1990)."In latest ad, Nike knows the more Bo, the better".Tampa Bay Times.RetrievedJuly 31,2024.
  10. ^Broadbent, Rick (April 5, 2024)."Tiger Woods, Nike and the deal that changed sport for ever".The Times.Archived fromthe originalon June 7, 2024.RetrievedAugust 3,2024.
  11. ^"Jim Riswold, Inducted: 2013".The One Club.RetrievedJuly 31,2024.
  12. ^"Advertising Legends Steve Hayden, Martin Puris, Jim Riswold & John Webster to Be Inducted in The One Club Creative Hall of Fame"(Press release).Marketwired.November 14, 2012.RetrievedJuly 31,2024– viaYahoo! Finance.
  13. ^Dundas, Zach (September 21, 2005)."Jim Riswold: Nike ad designer finds success, gets leukemia, turns to Hitler dolls. Huh?".Willamette Week.Archived fromthe originalon January 30, 2008.RetrievedFebruary 10,2008.When Riswold, a onetime philosophy major whose iconic Nike ads made him an industry legend, was diagnosed with leukemia, he found solace in art.
  14. ^Solman, Gregory (October 6, 2008)."Profile: Jim Riswold - Ex-Wieden CD celebrates the absurd".AdWeek.RetrievedSeptember 22,2009.
  15. ^"Augen Gallery - Bio: Jim Riswold".RetrievedSeptember 22,2009.(see various entries under the headings "Solo Exhibitions", "Group Exhibitions" and "Selected Collections)
  16. ^"Hitler Saved my Life - Esquire".Archived fromthe originalon 2009-11-30.
  17. ^Riswold, Jim (September 1, 2005)."Hitler Saved My Life".Esquire.Archived fromthe originalon November 30, 2009.RetrievedSeptember 22,2009.
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