This excellent article on my United Plates series appeared in the Topeka Capital Journal on December 12, 2009. It was written by Jan Biles. The original post can be viewed on the Capital Journal’s website.

Artist creates ‘tasteful’ depictions of 50 states

MAYETTA — A Mayetta-based artist is finding out Americans have a hunger for his hand-drawn posters.

John Holcomb, 25, has created a series of tongue-in-cheek posters titled “The United Plates” that depict each state as food. A rectangular Kansas is made from triangular turnovers. Indiana is a bunch of asparagus, while Minnesota is a frothy mug of beer.

The sales of his unique artwork recently were boosted after catching the eye of SeriousEats.com, a recipe blog, and the Food Network Magazine, which featured his posters in its December issue.

“It’s my goal to create something that people will enjoy and hopefully something that will last longer than I will,” Holcomb explains in a flyer about his series. “I’m always working and always pushing myself to do something better.”

Holcomb, who grew up in Mayetta, attended Topeka High School and graduated from John Brown University in 2007 with a degree in design and illustration. After his graduation, he and his wife, Ali, returned to Mayetta to live. His wife took a job at the Holton newspaper while he concentrated on his art and taking care of his ailing great-grandmother.

In March 2008, when he was at his great-grandmother’s home, the idea of “The United Plates” series popped into his head.

“I thought Delaware looked like a dead fish,” he said. “It was a random thought. I sketch every thought I have. I did 20 states right there and then.”

Iowa became a green bell pepper; Oregon, a pile of spaghetti and meatballs; Tennessee, a hot dog; and North Carolina, a slice of cherry pie.

The following July, Holcomb began screen-printing his designs in his garage.

“I printed 5,000 to start with — 100 of each state,” he said.

The last state he drew was Missouri. Holcomb said he is an ardent Jayhawk fan and didn’t want to let the Kansas-Missouri rivalry influence what food he chose to use for that state.

“Chinese — I gave them my favorite food,” he said.

In January 2009, Holcomb launched a Web site, theunitedplates.com, to sell his prints. But traffic at the site was slow and sales were sparse.

“It was really hard for seven months,” he said.

Last July, Holcomb said he and his wife said a prayer and put his fate as an artist in God’s hands.

“The next day I was featured on SeriousEats.com, and traffic on the Web site jumped 3,000 percent, and I got an e-mail from the Food Network the next day,” he said.

The magazine gave him a full-page feature story that showed several of his posters.

Since then, he receives two to three e-mails a day from people inquiring about his artwork and has gone from screen-printing each poster to printing them on the computer. Holcomb includes a hand-written thank-you and a brief note about the state with each order.

Holcomb said “The United Plates” series was a “confidence builder” that has led to other projects: a coffeetable-style book based on the “United Plates” series and a series of watercolor paintings of the U.S. presidents, which can be seen at www.shorthandedstudio.com/us-presidents/.

“I work with the ideas I have,” he said, “and see where it goes.”

Jan Biles can be reached at (785) 295-1292 or jan.biles@cjonline.com.