The Story Behind the Book

United Mazes of America started in the mid-2000s as doodles in school notebooks. I grew up captivated by visual puzzles, Where's Waldo, Magic Eye, the impossible designs of M.C. Escher, and books like I Spy and David Anson Russo's The Ultimate Maze Book. My passion for geography grew alongside that fascination with intricate, detailed art. My notebooks filled up with fantasy maps and imagined landscapes, and over the years, the maze drawings got more deliberate.

The book itself wasn't part of a grand plan. In 2018 I drew Maine as a maze, just for fun. One state turned into two, and soon I realized there was a real project in there. The work took off during the pandemic in 2020, becoming a creative anchor when the world had gone quiet.

Each maze in the book is a tribute to the state it represents, shaped to its outline and threaded with its symbols, landmarks, and history. The book gathers all 50 states, plus D.C. and Puerto Rico, into one 12-inch-square volume.

Kickstarter Success and Community Support

In 2024, I launched a Kickstarter to fund the printing. The response was overwhelming. The campaign was fully funded in eight hours and finished at 350% of its goal.

Continuing on in app form

The first printing sold out. The iPad app is the living continuation of the book: the same hand-drawn art, plus pencil-traced gameplay, hidden landmarks, trivia, and themed Adventures that grow over time.

A Second Printing?

If there's enough interest, a second printing is possible. Leave your email and I'll let you know if it happens.