James C. Mulligan was born in 1978 in Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Growing up in Los Angeles and Orange County, Mulligan's career started while attending UCLA as a theatre major, when he was hired to work in the art department of the Walt Disney Company. His projects there include concept design for both characters and theme park shows and attractions.

Mulligan now spends a great deal of his time creating fine art for icons such as the Elvis Presley estate, Buck Rogers, and Tarzan. He has also been involved with creating a series of fine art pieces for ZORRO, the Broadway Musical, debuting 2012.