Kentucky After Dark

Art direction, illustration, and campaign design for Kentucky Tourism’s paranormal travel campaign, built around the state’s strangest legends and haunted places.
Kentucky Tourism

See What Lurks Beyond the Shadows in Kentucky

Kentucky is full of ghost stories, strange sightings, local legends, and places with a reputation for being haunted. Kentucky Tourism wanted to turn that side of the state into a reason to travel, giving curious visitors a way to explore the folklore and paranormal stories tied to different regions.
Working with Coomer, I helped shape the visual direction for Kentucky After Dark, creating a dark, pulp-horror-inspired campaign built around illustrated creatures, haunted landmarks, and destination-specific artwork. The system extended across the website, travel materials, social content, and campaign graphics, turning Kentucky’s stranger stories into a cohesive tourism experience.

CLIENT
Kentucky Tourism

AGENCY
Coomer

STUDIO
Weirdo Works

MY ROLE
Landmark and haunted-location icon system
Art Direction, Illustration

YEAR
2024-2025

PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS
Bryan Barger

LOGO DESIGN
Jason Carne

PASSPORT DESIGN
John Herskind

DELIVERABLES
Campaign Identity, Destination Illustrations, Website Artwork, Travel Materials, Social Content

RESULTS
12 icons at launch, expanded in year two
Used on passport stickers, web, merch, and promotions
A statewide paranormal tourism campaign spanning multiple Kentucky destinations and legends

AWARDS
Best of Show — Website
Gold Addy, Online Interactive — Website
Best in Show, 2025 Traverse Awards (KTIA)

Raking in Profits in Kentucky After Dark

Ghouls Gone Wild

The campaign pulled from old horror posters, pulp illustration, roadside attraction graphics, and classic monster imagery without turning the whole thing into parody. The goal was to make it creepy enough to feel fun, but polished enough to still work as an official tourism campaign.

I used a limited palette, gothic type, dramatic lighting, and exaggerated creature imagery to give the work a consistent look across very different stories. Aliens, ghosts, cryptids, and haunted places all had to feel like they belonged in the same strange corner of Kentucky.

Take Your Travels to Another Level

A Fascinating (and Frightful) Journey Awaits

The campaign needed to do more than look spooky. It had to help people actually find and explore the places behind the stories. That led to a travel guide built around haunted locations, unexplained sightings, local legends, and destinations spread across the state.

The design treated each stop like part of a larger field guide to the unknown, mixing practical travel information with custom illustration and story-driven graphics. The result was something that worked both as a tourism resource and as a collectible piece of the campaign.

Kentucky After Dark | Haunted Passport with Sticker

Legends, Monsters & Haunted Places

Each destination needed a distinct visual hook, so I created a set of black-and-white illustrations based on the legend, creature, or haunted location associated with that place. The artwork ranged from cryptids and UFO encounters to historic buildings and local ghost stories.

Keeping the illustrations in one consistent style helped tie together stories that were wildly different from one another. It also gave the campaign a flexible library of artwork that could be used across the website, print pieces, merchandise, and social content.

A white graphic on a black background depicting a menacing, werewolf-like creature with sharp claws and an aggressive posture. Below the image, the text reads "KENTUCKY LAKE, KY" in large, bold letters, followed by "DOGMAN" in smaller text. The design references the legend of the Dogman associated with Kentucky Lake, Kentucky.
White graphic on a black background depicting an underwater scene with a submerged house, a skull, and aquatic plants. Above the house, rays of light shine down from the surface of the water. Below the image, the text reads "KENTUCKY LAKE, KY" in large, bold letters, followed by "BIRMINGHAM, UNDERWATER TOWN" in smaller text. The design references the submerged town of Birmingham under Kentucky Lake.
A white graphic on a black background featuring a stylized depiction of Bigfoot, walking with its arms swinging. Below the image, the text reads "LAWRENCEBURG, KY" in large, bold letters, followed by "BIGFOOT" in smaller text. The design suggests a reference to Bigfoot sightings or legends associated with Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
A white graphic on a black background illustrating a skeleton with one hand placed over its heart and the other arm pointing downward, evoking a solemn or memorial theme. Below the image, the text reads "OLDHAM COUNTY" in large, bold letters, followed by "DUNCAN MEMORIAL" in smaller text. The design likely commemorates or references the Duncan Memorial in Oldham County, Kentucky.
A white graphic on a black background featuring a stylized figure of a man in a suit with a halo-like starburst behind his head, and both hands raised with palms forward. Below the image, the text reads "HOPKINSVILLE, KY" in large, bold letters, followed by "PENNYROYAL MUSEUM" in smaller text. The design likely references a notable figure or event associated with the Pennyroyal Museum in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
A white graphic on a black background depicting a stylized airplane with an alien face on the front, and above it, a UFO emitting beams of light. Below this imagery, the text reads "FRANKLIN-SIMPSON COUNTY, KY" in large, bold letters, followed by "CAPTAIN THOMAS MANTELL CRASH" in smaller text. The design references the famous UFO incident involving Captain Thomas Mantell in Franklin-Simpson County, Kentucky.
A logo featuring a stylized drawing of an alien face with large eyes and a UFO above its head. The alien appears to be part of a triangular emblem. Below the image, the text reads "HOPKINSVILLE, KY" and "KELLY LITTLE GREEN MEN," referencing the famous Kelly-Hopkinsville alien encounter. The design is in white against a black background, creating a bold and otherworldly contrast.
A logo featuring a stylized image of a haunted mansion with a crescent moon, bat, and witch's hat above it. Below the mansion, the text reads "RICHMOND, KY" and "WHITE HALL." The design is in black and white, creating a bold and eerie look.
A logo featuring a stylized depiction of a menacing, mythical creature with horns, large eyes, and claws, standing in front of a barren, twisted tree within a circular frame. Below the image, the text reads "GEORGETOWN-SCOTT COUNTY, KY" and "DEAD MAN'S HOLLOW," suggesting a spooky or haunted attraction or location. The design is in white against a black background, creating a stark and eerie contrast.
A logo featuring a stylized drawing of a building with an octagonal shape, representing Octagon Hall in Franklin-Simpson, KY. The building has a central section with a tower and two horns extending from either side. Below the image, the text reads "FRANKLIN-SIMPSON, KY" and "OCTAGON HALL," indicating the location and name of the historical site. The design is in white against a black background, creating a striking contrast.
A logo featuring a stylized drawing of a skeleton in a suit and hat standing next to a horse, both set against a backdrop of a rectangular frame. Below the image, the text reads "MAYFIELD-GRAVES, KY" and "WOOLDRIDGE MONUMENTS," indicating the location and possibly a reference to historical or memorial significance. The design is in white against a black background, creating a striking contrast.
A logo featuring a stylized image of a hotel with the word "HOTEL" prominently displayed on the front. Next to the hotel, there is a depiction of a Sasquatch figure, suggesting a haunted theme. Below the image, the text reads "LAWRENCEBURG, KY" and "THE ANDERSON HOTEL," indicating the location and name of the hotel, known for its haunted history. The design is in white against a black background, creating a spooky and bold appearance.
A white graphic on a black background featuring a skeletal figure with an open mouth, set against a backdrop of tall, stylized plants or reeds. Below the image, the text reads "EDGEFIELD-GRAVES COUNTY, KY" in large letters, followed by "TALON FALLS SCREAMPARK AND INDUSTRIAL SLAUGHTERHOUSE" in smaller text. The design evokes themes of horror and fear, likely referencing a haunted attraction or theme park in Edgefield-Graves County, Kentucky.
A logo featuring a stylized haunted house with flames emanating from it, set against a black background. Below the image, the text reads "HENDERSON, KY" and "HAUNTINGS AT THE ELM," indicating an event or attraction related to hauntings in Henderson, Kentucky. The design is in white, creating a striking contrast against the black background.
A stylized white graphic of a large, old building with multiple stories and a central tower-like structure, depicted on a black background. Below the building, the text reads "LOUISVILLE, KY" in large, bold letters, followed by "WAVERLY SANATORIUM" in smaller, capital letters. The design evokes a sense of historical architecture, likely referencing the famous Waverly Hills Sanatorium in Louisville, Kentucky, known for its history and association with paranormal activity.
A logo featuring a stylized drawing of a ghostly figure with long hair, skeletal hands, and a book, set within a shield-like frame. Below the image, the text reads "OLDHAM COUNTY, KY" and "GHOSTS OF OLDHAM," indicating a theme related to hauntings or ghost stories in Oldham County, Kentucky. The design is in white against a black background, creating a haunting and striking contrast.
A logo featuring a stylized witch's hat with flames emanating from it, set against a circular background. Below the logo, text reads "BANDENBURG-MEADE COUNTY, KY" and "BATTLETOWN WITCH FESTIVAL." The design is in black and white, giving it a striking and bold appearance.
A white graphic on a black background depicting a stylized opera house with a large, monstrous claw extending from the right side, as if breaking through the building. Below the image, the text reads "LEXINGTON, KY" in large, bold letters, followed by "OPERA HOUSE" in smaller text. The design combines elements of architecture and horror, suggesting a theme of the supernatural or paranormal associated with the Lexington Opera House.

Kentucky After Dark | Haunted Locales Illustrated Icons

Kentucky After Dark | Custom Website

A Spooky Site for Spooky Sites

Connecting with the Unknown

The website gave the campaign a central place to connect the stories, locations, and travel information. Visitors could browse the legends, learn what happened, and then find the real places connected to them.

The design carried the same dark visual language into a more functional digital experience, balancing atmosphere with usability so the site still worked as a practical planning tool.

  • Previous ProjectAndi Bank

  • Next ProjectGIF It Up

Share