At an early age Zimmerman distracted parishioners on Sunday mornings by drawing on church programs. His parents recognized his natural art ability and encouraged it, sending him first to John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School in Augusta, GA, and then to Savannah College of Art and Design. He graduated cum laude and began to pursue a career in graphic design. It wasn't until the death of his partner in 2006 that he picked the paintbrush back up as a way to deal with his grief and adopted the nom de brush "Porkchop". In 2010 he completed a mural for the city at the Augusta Water Works and was voted Best Local Artist by readers of Augusta Magazine and Metro Spirit.

'(Zimmerman) is a rare artist who can work quite seriously in a whimsical way, and his painting combine pop-culture kitsch with hard emotion and extraordinary levels of skill and talent.'

– Steven Uhles, The Augusta Chronicle