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Tom RhodesComedian

“For a good number of years he was the king of the San Francisco comedy scene. He was a brilliant comedian, but most importantly he was always my friend no matter if I was riding high or knocked down low. He was never a phony bastard, he was always his authentic self even if it did rub some people the wrong way. He was a true friend to me & he will be greatly missed. He had a great laugh & I will always remember the sound of it coming from the back of the room while I was on stage.”

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Al MadrigalActor | Comedian | Writer | Comic Book Author

“When I started stand up in San Francisco in the late 90s he was the undisputed champion of the local comedy scene. He closed practically every showcase and set a very high bar for all the newer comics to follow. He was cranky, confrontational, bitter, and hilarious. When you earned Jim's respect, it felt like a major milestone because it wasn't something he handed out loosely. It really is unfortunate that more people don't know about his stand up. As comedy began to be dominated by social media marketing experts, acerbic brilliant comics like Jim who didn't adapt got lost in the shuffle. Wherever he is, I know he's hilariously complaining about the management.”

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Margaret ChoComedian

“You were probably the most important person in my life for a long time. We never got to resolve the thing, but I know you know I love you. This is us from one of the many @wilco shows we saw. Goodbye for now Jim. #RIP”

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Travis CharlesComedian

“Jim was one of the funniest people I ever got the pleasure to become friends with and always such a good mentor. We performed together in so many cities and always went sight seeing in historic areas. Jim was a huge history buff. One of my favorite trips with him was to Monticello aka Thomas Jefferson’s house. He kept trying to get me to steel Thomas Jefferson’s glasses off his desk.”

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Michael MaloneComedian | Director

“Jim was so funny, and so kind, and so effortlessly himself in a way that made you feel lucky just to share a green room with him. I didn't just meet him I got to call him my friend, Jim was a storyteller. Someone who could take a moment, a single thread of absurdity or joy, and spin it into gold. And maybe that’s why this loss feels so sharp. Because you start to realize it’s not just the person you miss, but the stories they’ll never get to tell.”

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Linda StognerComedian

“Jim started doing standup at Repos Pizza, our very first club, Backdoor before Backdoor. He was young and passionate. He was super funny and he went on to become one of the top headlining comedians in the country! He was on Letterman, Conan, he won the San Francisco Comedy Competition and performed at Just For Laughs! He recently had a podcast with Margaret Cho and was a regular at the famous Comedy & Magic Club in Hermosa Beach! Such a talent!”

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Steve MazanComedian

“Jim was always great to watch. I studied him. Even on a bad crowd night he’d get more out of them than everyone else. Equal to his talent was his passion onstage. Jim would challenge an audience. Not just in material but in their qualifications to be an audience! He was demanding of himself and them. I never saw him phone it in.”