If you hang around Ocean Beach for any length of time, you’ll soon hear stories about the James Gang, all reflecting the company’s founders’ strong commitment to the community.
The Ocean Beach Town Council (OBTC) recently named James Gang proprietors Pat and Susan James Citizens of the Year for their longtime service. The honor, which coincides with the T-shirt and offset printing firm’s 30th anniversary, was bestowed chiefly for their work running the Ocean Beach Historical Society (OBHS), explained council and historical society member Marge Grant, who nominated them for the award.
“There isn’t anyone who has worked harder or is more interested in the welfare of OB. They’ve made themselves known in the community by being active and interested in the community’s welfare,” Grant said.
Both are charter members of the society; Pat has served as president for five years, and Susan is currently its secretary.
Community activist Claudia Jack, herself a three-time Citizen of the Year honoree, explained the significance of the award. “To be Citizen of the Year means you’ve gone above and beyond,” she said. “It’s all about volunteering and giving back and having a positive attitude.”
Former historical society president Ned Titlow agreed that the couple have contributed greatly to Ocean Beach.
“Pat and Susan have reinvigorated [the historical society],” he said.

Both Jameses are modest people, downplaying their personal contributions and eager to share credit for successes with others. When pressed, Pat talked of his involvement in local historical preservation campaigns, while Susan said she is proud of recent success raising $16,000 for a spinal cord injury program at UCSD through the Tony Mezzadri Surf Contest.
“Being in business in the community where you live, it’s natural to be involved,” Pat said.
Pat and his four brothers “” possibly related to the Jesse James Gang, according to Pat “” have all contributed to the family business, though Pat is the only of his siblings to remain an active owner.
James Gang was started in Ocean Beach in 1976 by the three eldest brothers “” Ron, Rich and Greg “” as an offshoot of a small public relations and advertising agency Ron had begun earlier with a partner. Initially called First Impressions, the company’s focus gradually evolved from photo work into T-shirt screen printing.
“When I was in high school and college, I had done screen printing. I took a hundred bucks and built a screen-print machine,” recalled Ron, now Web site content manager for SignOnSanDiego. “[The brothers] had always been called the James Gang. Our motto was ‘quality service and no b.s.'”
The final two brothers, Mike and Pat, soon joined the business. “I came down on weekends,” Pat said. “I fell in love with Ocean Beach and stayed.”
In 1990, Pat met Susan, then a Palo Alto resident working in the computer industry, while attending a convention in New Orleans. She joined him in Ocean Beach, and they married two years later. Pat and Susan still live in Ocean Beach with their three cats, all rescues, and assumed ownership of the family business in the early ’90s. Of his brothers, Pat laughed, “They escaped!”
Over the years the James Gang’s business has grown and changed. Offset printing operations were added in 1990 after expanding into the current Bacon Street location.
They’ve weathered some tough times by adapting to the industry’s changing landscape. But for the last two years, the Jameses didn’t know if they would be able to remain in their current location, as the building they leased was placed on the market. The couple considered the possibility of relocating within Ocean Beach, though it seemed an unfriendly challenge due to the rising cost of rent.
Just this month, however, Pat and Susan signed a five-year lease with the building’s new landlord, John Small, enabling the James Gang to remain at its Bacon Street location. While both anticipate modifying business operations to stay current and profitable, the Jameses count on their loyal customer base for stability, including civic and environmental organizations and numerous schools. “We have a loyal customer base. We’ve had some customers for over 25 years. We have wonderful, loyal, longtime employees,” said Susan, who handles most administrative aspects while Pat manages operations.

“We’ve had our struggles, financial struggles. But we’ve outlasted all of the banks and most of our customers,” observed founder Ron. “One thing we always were and always will be is very civic-oriented. We think we have a responsibility to the community.”
The James Gang began a tradition of civic involvement soon after the firm’s inception, Ron explained, as part of a merchant-led effort to revitalize the rundown business district.
James Gang soon attached its name to the Fourth of July Fireworks Festival around 1980, when the display was on the verge of burning out. Proceeds from the sale of James Gang-printed T-shirts produced enough funds to keep the fireworks show afloat.
But, as Pat recalled, the brothers didn’t stop there. That Christmas, Pat and Ron got the idea “” after a few drinks at The Sunshine Company “” to place a large Christmas tree on the beach at the foot of Newport Avenue.
“The more we drank the taller the tree got. Our first tree from Mount Shasta was 70 feet tall,” Ron said. Rich transported the tree, whose purchase was again funded by T-shirt sales, to Ocean Beach in a donated truck.
“We were so proud because Ocean Beach had had so much bad press,” Ron said. “The tree’s picture was on the front page of the San Diego Union.”
So goes the story of two longstanding community celebrations. And while four of the James brothers have since left the family business, Citizens of the Year Pat and Susan promise to continue the civic tradition begun decades ago.