| Program Info |
|
Upcoming Shows Previous Shows Program History Station List 
|
| Program Hosts |
Ted Loman Peggy Kane Jim Nichols Jim's Articles |
| Other Info |
Upcoming Events Contact Us Links Home |
off the record
Jim Nichols
Paintings by
|
Jim Nichols was born in the
flatlands of northwestern Ohio to a legacy of shoveling snow all winter and mowing lawns
all summer. But he had a restless, creative imagination, and by his senior year in high
school, Jim had latched on to an ambition to be an artist. It became a passion that even a
two-year intrusion of Army service couldn’t discourage. After completing of his
military tour, he abandoned his old life in Ohio and resettled in Tucson, Arizona in 1972.
He never dreamed he’d end up in the wild west, but destiny had other plans.
It was not long before the stark beauty of the Sonoran desert began to powerfully influence his art. Cactus, sagebrush, mountains and skies dominated his canvases. He made a name for himself as a painter of southwestern landscapes. In the late seventies, popular films like Star Wars and Close Encounters rekindled a love of science fiction that he knew as a youngster. Soon, alien landscapes and space ships captivated his creativity. In 1980 Jim made a significant association with Lt. Col. (ret.) Wendelle Stevens, a former Air Force pilot and noted UFO researcher. Enthralled by the case studies in Mr. Stevens’ voluminous archive, Jim was inspired to seriously pursue UFO illustration. Over the years Jim’s renderings have graced numerous books and magazines around the world. UFO: Contact from larga, Angels in Starships, Cosmic Top Secret, The History of Atlantis, and Alien Magic are just a few of the publications featuring Jim’s art. His flying saucer paintings have even been featured on NBC’s Today Show. Although he can’t boast a personal alien contact or even a UFO sighting of his own, he can make ETs and space ships appear at will—on the canvases at his easel.
All this UFO art caught the attention of an aspiring TV producer in 1991. Ted Loman recruited Jim to co-host a video program for public access TV in Tucson. In spite of his initial camera-shyness, Jim helped Ted produce the longest running live UFO show in the country. UFOAZ Talks became an award winning weekly forum for UFO and related information. A "phenomenon" unto itself, this popular program was aired on public access channels in major cities all across America. This show ran from 1991 to 1997. Jim continues to pursue his art interests and UFO research. |
