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THE COWBOY LIFE

THE COWBOY LIFE

Jacobson says meeting Gilpin was one of the best things that ever happened to him.

“He was a fantastically gifted illustrator and designer and an even better person. Later on, after graduation, we teamed up to run our own commercial art studio — Graphic Art Center — in Oklahoma City.”

Within five years, Jacobson says their six-person studio became the largest freelance commercial art studio in the state of Oklahoma.

“We had kids come through from the various schools looking for work,” Jacobson recalls. “We would look at the portfolios, and some of the kids were really talented but none of them had a clue about what commercial art was about. You know, it’s marketing. And certain requirements are there. It’s not the same skills as being a fine artist. The main difference is, if you’re painting and someone wants to buy ing or an illustration, then you’re a commer

Gilpin and Jacobson worked together for about 10 years.

“He was a great partner. Dick was an outstanding layout artist and designer. You could see it from the start.”

(Editor’s note: Gilpin, a native of Garber, Okla., would go on to illustrate a number of iconic program covers and publications for Oklahoma State in the ’70s and ’80s. He passed away in 1989.)

In 1963, Jacobson was hired to start a commercial art program at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. On the side, he freelanced as a book designer and created motivational posters for schools and libraries — an endeavor that eventually became his full-time job under the business name RJ Design.

“What I really wanted as a kid was to be a comic strip artist. That seemed like the place to be. I actually tried two or three different strips and couldn’t get anybody interested in them. But when I finally got into this poster business, they were basically cartoons. I didn’t get to be a comic strip artist, but I wasn’t married to the strip either. I was lucky. I got to do kind of what I wanted to do and didn’t have to ask anybody but myself. If they didn’t like it then they wouldn’t buy it … but they did. Jeanne ran the office and so forth. She was a big part of it.”

Jacobson sold RJ Design to his daughter and son-in-law and retired from illustration in 2000 but continued to dabble from time to time.

“What a blessing to have this to do as a hobby because I’m an old man now, and I feel very grateful to have something to do. Right now I am working on a new book that requires a number of pen and ink illustrations and having a lot of fun with it. I’m very lucky. Sometimes I wonder why I am so fortunate.”

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