Jump the Walls & Run

Hello everyone!

Zachary James Dodds here. I want to give everyone a heads up that JTW&R is going to be changing soon. I’m about to launch my new music project, Sunset Electrics, and I’m committed to directing all my funds and efforts towards it. The result is that I’ll be using my server space for the Sunset Electrics website and will eventually be archiving this blog until the day I can resume my ambitions for the company.

I’m still really excited about the ideas I have for JTW&R, and still love making sunglasses too, so it’s definitely not over. Even if I’m not posting about it, you can bet that I’ll still be working on things here and there.  One day I’ll start the Jumpthewallsandrun.com site up again, even if it’s just to showcase different sunglasses I’ve made or other inventions, but for now I’m trying to focus my energy; lazer-style.

Thank you to everyone for dropping in to check things out over the past year+. Also, if you’d like to be a friend on Facebook,  I’ll be redirecting my posts about the et cetara of life and art over there. (Here’s the link to my profile.) Thank you again, and all the best!

-ZjD

Finally! The first sunglasses prototype from Jump the Walls & Run is done! The frames are made from Cocobolo, a wood that is farm-grown in Costa Rica, and the amber lenses are featured in the pictures below.

After the amber lenses are changed out with a pair of smoke colored ones, these go to Danny from the band What Laura Says. Their currently on tour with Annuals (whose song “Sore” is absolutely magnificent to me) and Jessica Lea Mayfield, so if you check ‘em out and like the sound, you might be able to catch a show soon.

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Hello,

I just want to let everyone know that Jump the Walls & Run is still coming along quite well in preparing to launch! It’s taken longer to make the sunglasses than I originally anticipated, BUT it’s all for the best of course! It’s been one of those situations where after meeting my original design goals, I instantly realized the next steps I could take to make the design, quality, and materials even better. So, until I reach the point where I know I’ve given it my best and the glasses are at their best, I’m going to keep on improving them.

The shirts are also coming along as I continue to work on the illustration. At least two will be available when everything launches (and hopefully three). They are a step up from…

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Since this is the first real post, I thought it appropriate to write where the name “Jump the Walls and Run” came from. It’s a lyric from the song “Graveyard Girl” off the record Saturdays = Youth by M83.

Click here for a full fidelity version of video.

The video for the song features Lola Dompe of LA-based band BlackBlack.

Jump the Walls & Run is a company founded by Zachary James Dodds with the goal of generating new products that have both a creative and artistic edge.

Most products are prototypes or limited-edition and don’t go into mass manufacture. This allows the focus to remain on continuous innovation, and away from the classic model of inventing one product and then spending the majority of one’s time trying to sell as many units as possible.

Mexican Back to the Future III Cactus Planter by JTW&R

In addition to product development, Jump the Walls & Run also serves as an animation and graphic design studio. The studio’s first animated short film, “Malorie”, is currently in production and will double as a music video for the band Nathan in conjunction with Nettwerk Records. Look for the full website and store to launch fall 2008.

Title character from the short film "Malorie".