Welcome to Ohio: Hell is Real | Illustration & Merch Design

A true landmark of the Midwest, the Hell Is Real billboard can’t be missed if you’re driving on the highway between Cincinnati and Columbus.

While working at Heart Mercantile, I was tasked with illustrating a design that could be applied on a variety of goods, including apparel, mugs, stickers, and more. It quickly became their best-selling collection, garnering hundreds of pre-orders before officially releasing and even offered in wholesale quantities to other stores in Ohio.

This design was sold until Heart Mercantile received a cease and desist from FC Cincy Shirts, who had filed a trademark for the phrase “Hell Is Real”. The design has since been changed to say “Hell Is Here” while keeping the iconic red “H” and hand-drawn cornstalks.