begining

Formation and origin of name
Main article: Jimmy Eat World (1994 album)
Jimmy Eat World was formed in Mesa, Arizona in 1993. Singer/guitarist Jim Adkins and drummer Zach Lind, who had been friends since kindergarten, joined forces with guitarist Tom Linton and bass player Mitch Porter to try their hand at music. In its early years, the band emulated the style of their punk-rock influences, eventually recording and releasing three singles and a full-length on local label Wooden Blue Records.

The name Jimmy Eat World did not refer to lead singer Jim Adkins. Tom Linton's younger siblings, Ed and Jimmy, fought constantly when they were younger. Jimmy, who was stronger and heavier, would usually win. In one instance, Ed, as revenge, drew a picture with crayons of Jimmy shoving the entire world into his gaping mouth with the caption, "Jimmy eat world.The picture, and by extension the band name, may have been inspired by an episode of the cartoon show Tiny Toon Adventures, where the main characters put on a student film festival. Dizzy Devil's film, "Dizzy Eat World", was a 5 second piece drawn crudely in crayon where Dizzy's gaping jaw engulfed the Earth.