James Thomas Cummins has had a multifaceted career in the motion picture industry, spanning over four decades. Beginning in 1980, he started as an illustrator and progressed to become a special effects designer, screenwriter, and director.
Cummins' academic background is impressive, as he was awarded a full scholarship by the Walt Disney Company during his 1978-79 academic year at the California Institute of the Arts, where he studied Film/Video and Character Animation.
Prior to his work as a screenwriter and director, Cummins was responsible for designing and executing the special make-up effects for various films and television shows, including New World Pictures' House, Orion's Strange Invaders, ABC's The Intruder Within, and episodes of The Twilight Zone and The Hitchhiker.
He also made significant design and sculpting contributions to major motion pictures such as Enemy Mine, Cat People, The Thing, Cocoon, DeepStar Six, Jaws 3-D, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Dead & Buried, The Beast Within, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, Heartbeeps, and The Exterminator.
As a writer-director, Cummins has worked on several films, including Atmosphere Entertainment's Harbinger, Grand AM's Dark:30, and Prism Entertainment's The Boneyard, starring Phyllis Diller and the late Norman Fell.
In 2002, Cummins underwent open heart surgery, which inspired him to create and illustrate "Good Things To Share", an inspirational picture book for all ages, featuring cartoon character "Little Doodle". The book benefits the American Heart Association's children's health programs, including "Jump Rope For Heart", and Cummins donates a portion of the book's sales to the organization.
