Hi! I'm J.R.R.R. (Jim) Hardison, the writer of the horror comedy novel Demon Freaks, which Dread Central calls, “Horrifically funny… if you’re a fan of Harry Dresden, Laurel K. Hamilton, Patrician Briggs, and/or the John Dies at the End trilogy, it should be right up your alley!” I also wrote the epically silly epic fantasy novel Fish Wielder, which Hypable calls “Wickedly funny” and GeekMom says is like "Princess Bride meets Monty Python". I'm also the author of the Dark Horse comics graphic novel, The Helm, named one of 2010's Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens by YALSA (the Young American Library Association).

People have asked me, "Jim, why the three Rs?" Well, Rs are a mark of credibility and quality in the fantasy genre. Think of E.R. Eddings (The Worm Ouroboros) and H.R. Haggard (King Solomon's Mines, She). They each had an R in their name and they wrote great, stirring fantasy novels that are remembered to this day. And then there's J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. Those guys each have two Rs and they are among the giants and superstars of the fantasy genre. You don't get any bigger or more well known in fantasy than those guys. That's the power of Rs in fantasy. They multiply logarithmically. They are like points on the Richter Scale. And I have three Rs. I'm just going to let that hang there for a second. Three Rs.

So, how did I come to earn my Rs? That's a long and convoluted tale. I'll try to keep it brief. I started my professional career by co-writing and producing a low-budget direct-to-video feature, "The Creature From Lake Michigan". Making a bad film can be a crash course in the essential elements of good character and story, and "The Creature From Lake Michigan" was a tremendously bad film. I like to think that I learned my lesson well, and after a brief stint recuperating as a freelance writer and film editor, I founded my own production company.

During its seven-year run, I wrote, directed and edited live-action and animation productions, including educational films, television commercials and television pilots. Shifting my focus entirely to animation, I joined Will Vinton Studios in 1997. There I directed animated commercial and entertainment projects, including spots for M&M's, AT&T, Cingular Wireless and Kellogg's as well as episodic television (the UPN series Gary & Mike). While working at Vinton, I also co-wrote the television special "Popeye's Voyage: The Quest for Pappy" with actor Paul Reiser.

I co-founded Character LLC in 2000--a company that advises brands and entertainment properties on their stories. While working at Character I have given story advice to many of the world's largest brands including Discovery Networks, Target, Verizon, Samsung, McDonalds and Walmart. I even appeared on NBC's "The Apprentice" as an expert adviser on brand characters. In addition, I've done character development work and wrote for the PBS children's television series "SeeMore's Playhouse". After 21 years, I finally completed "The Creature From Lake Michigan" to glowingly positive reviews from lovers of questionable cinema.

These days, I live in Portland, Oregon with my lovely wife, two amazing kids, one smart dog and one stupid dog.