Birck Cox (1963)

Birck Cox grew up in Longview the son Robert T. Cox who taught History at R.A. Long.  Birck was on the track and cross country teams his senior year.  After high school Birck went on to Reed College to earn a BA in English, he then went on to the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta where he earned a Masters in Medical Illustration.  Birck’s love of illustrations started as a boy growing up in Longview.  He remembers his parents collected interesting graphics and had lots of illustrated books.  He has vivid memories of animal illustrations in the books.  One of his favorites, “Wild Animals of the World,” ws drawn by medical illustrator.  Birck, found his way to the “obscure” field of medical illustrating through a love of drawing and a job at Portland’s Good Samaritan Hospital in the 1970’s.  Birck is currently working on a second edition of a book that illustrates the “tricks of the trade” in spine surgery.  Birck currently lives in Philadelphia with his wife and cat and works from home as a freelance illustrator.  When Birck started his career in 1980, he worked at medical universities as a freelancer.  Some of Birck’s high school friends have been quoted as saying: “He was the most talented artist I’ve ever known.  Birck was always his own man”  and “I always knew he would accomplish great things”.