THE
SOURCE.
Keep original scans, citations, transcriptions, and later interpretations distinct. A cleaned-up image never replaces the underlying record.
WKN–001 / INDEPENDENT PROJECT / RESEARCH IN PROGRESS
THE WEST–KIMBRELL CLAN
NIGHT
RIDERS.
A tangled Louisiana story. An evidence-first research archive. An unapologetically loud visual identity.
REAL RESEARCH. Independent creative exploration. Some stories documented. Others still very much in dispute.
FOUR FACES. MANY QUESTIONS.Interpretive portraits, not verified likenesses.
FIELD NOTE / 01MEASURE TWICE.
CUT ONCE.
CUT ONCE.
01 / A DIFFERENT KIND OF HISTORY PROJECTTHINKING, NOT JUST DECORATION
HISTORY
WITH AN
ATTITUDE.
The legend is the hook.
The record is the work.
The West–Kimbrell / Nightriders project began as a historical investigation and grew into an experiment in research organization, information design, and visual storytelling.
I'm tracing people, families, newspaper accounts, military records, geography, and inherited stories—while separating what a source actually establishes from what people have repeated over time.
The art is designed to invite questions. The archive exists to keep those questions honest.
RESEARCH & ART DIRECTIONMICHAEL HEATH POOLEIndependent study / ongoing
NOT JUST A GALLERY OF OLD PHOTOS.
The working research desk organizes people, places, evidence, corrections, and active questions. The portfolio shows a selected view of the interface—not the underlying research collection.
02 / PEOPLE, STORIES & SOURCESTHE DESIGN OF UNCERTAINTY
THE
PEOPLE
IN THE
STORY.
An identity system
for unfinished history.
Names, relationships, and reported roles are separated so that visual storytelling doesn't accidentally turn an allegation or a family connection into an established fact.
DOCUMENTEDDISPUTEDOPEN QUESTION
RESEARCH INTERFACE / 01PEOPLE + ROLE CATEGORIES
RESEARCH INTERFACE / 02INDIVIDUAL DOSSIERS
✳
IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. The historical-person portraits shown here are interpretive, AI-assisted visualizations—not verified photographs or documentary evidence. Written research claims remain subject to source review.
03 / THE RESEARCH STANDARDAN ART DIRECTOR'S ORGANIZATIONAL PROBLEM
DON'T
FLATTEN
THE RECORD.
Good information design makes uncertainty legible. It doesn't conceal it.
THE
THE
CLAIMS.
Contradictions, changing names, and conflicting dates are visible research questions—not inconveniences to smooth away.
THE
TRAIL.
Maps, census records, pension documents, oral accounts, and fieldwork all contribute different kinds of evidence.
“EVERY CLAIM
HAS TO
EARN ITS
PLACE.”
HAS TO
EARN ITS
PLACE.”
04 / THE VISUAL CAMPAIGNTHE RESEARCH IS SERIOUS. THE HEADLINES AREN'T.
NOW
MAKE
NOISE.
A poster series built from exaggerated headlines, pulp-print textures, southern imagery, halftone color, and a little gallows humor. These are speculative storytelling pieces inspired by folklore—not a set of verified historical findings.
BLOOD IS
THICKER
THAN
DUGDEMONA
WATER.
The same archival cast becomes a brash, four-color poster treatment. This is where researched context and imaginative art direction deliberately meet—and remain clearly labeled as different things.
Illustrative portraits and marketing headlines are concept artwork, not verified likenesses or factual allegations.05 / WHAT IF THE STORY LEFT THE SCREEN?MERCHANDISE STUDIES / CONCEPTS ONLY
PRINTED.
WORN.
REMEMBERED.
Once the identity is established, it can travel: shirts, posters, mugs, exhibit graphics, and other objects. The examples below are creative mockups—not products currently offered for sale.
CONCEPT STUDY ≠ COMMERCIALLY PRODUCED WORK.
The mockups illustrate potential extensions of the identity. They are not a public store, commissioned line, or claim that merchandise has been manufactured.
A STORY UNDER INVESTIGATION / A VISUAL SYSTEM UNDER DEVELOPMENT
THE ART
CAN BE LOUD.
THE EVIDENCE
HAS TO BE
LOUDER.
This is an independent research and art-direction project, not a completed historical account. The portfolio shares the approach and selected creative work while leaving the developing research archive to be reviewed on its own terms.