Tommy Nickoloff Pro

Tommy Nickoloff, producer and director of "You Fuckers Figure It Out: A Jason Molina Story," didn’t accept himself as an artist until he was 50 years old.

Born in 1971 in Lorain, Ohio, Tommy grew up as the echoes of shipbuilding, auto manufacturing, steelmaking began to fade. Prosperity in ‘The International City’ had been built by waves of Eastern European immigrants at the turn of the 20th century, African Americans escaping Jim Crow during the Great Migration, and Puerto Ricans who arrived in large numbers after World War II. Bound by the hard rhythm of factory life, they forged the American Dream - but that dream demanded conformity over individuality. Cultures lost their language and traditions in the melting pot. The moral code was simple: "life is hard, work is good, self-sacrifice is virtue." Lorain remains a hard place for a soft boy.

By age seven, Tommy was haunted by recurring dreams of an “opposite world” where truth was punished and lies were rewarded - a reflection of his conflict both inside and out. At nine, he joined his family’s concrete business. By twelve, he tried to escape it by proposing a lawn care business as an alternative to working construction with his uncles and their rough-neck crew of ex-cons, “I just want to be a normal kid,” Tommy told his father. The reply was instant: “You’re not a normal kid. You’re 'my' fucking kid.”

Art was considered frivolous. Reading for pleasure invited ridicule - even violence. A bright, curious student and altar boy, Tommy’s sensitive nature made him a frequent target. By high school, the handwriting was on the wall: Generation X had inherited high expectations in a town devoid of opportunity. Mothers told their children, “Go to college. Get a good job. And get the hell out!”

At sixteen, Tommy met Jason Molina, then fourteen - an old soul with rare artistic conviction. Jason saw what Tommy was suppressing. Jason’s advice was simple: “just be an artist.” But Tommy, torn between expectation and authenticity, didn’t yet have Jason’s courage.

For the next two decades, Tommy forged an eclectic path - designer in California, Peace Corps volunteer in Zambia, FEMA recruiter and architectural consultant in Georgia - yet his true calling still whispered. When Jason died in 2013 at only 39, that whisper became a roar. Tommy lost a friend but found his mission. That same year, Brené Brown said, “Unused creativity is not benign. It metastasizes. It turns into grief, rage, judgment, sorrow, shame.” For Tommy, that truth hit home. Grief became fuel. He picked up a sketchbook, returned to therapy, and forged ahead.

When Robin Williams died in 2014, Tommy found a public mirror for private pain. “See?” he said. “You can be vibrant, funny, and successful, yet still want to die.” Through their passing, Jason and Robin inspired him to live honestly.

In 2021, photographer and cousin Kristy Walker asked, “Why aren’t we making a documentary about Jason Molina?” Pre-production began immediately. You Fuckers Figure It Out was born. The title (a quote from Jason himself) also embodies Tommy’s journey.

Producing, directing, illustrating, and editing the film, Tommy finally lived Jason’s advice: now he just is an artist. Today, Tommy Nickoloff lives once again in Lorain County, Ohio - where it all began - honoring the belief that "art is work." Thanks to Jason, it has been his means to survival for a full, depression-free decade.

“My first film,” Tommy says, “You Fuckers Figure It Out: A Jason Molina Story, is for my homeboy, his family, friends, fans, and every town where the American Dream was born, died, and still offers a second chance.”