The event (free and open to the public) will include a book signing, bandanna customization, a bounce house for kids, art activities, games, Whataburger treats and a photo op. Best of all, Whataburger will donate $5,000 to Richardson ISD’s Arts program in honor of Koch, a visual artist and owner of Alli K Design.
“It's just kind of one of those, like, pinch me moments,” Koch, says. “That [I] grew up on Whataburger all my life, and then now I get to work with them and collaborate and make cool art.”
Whataburger's Feeding Student Success program helps students of all ages through community philanthropy, scholarships and resource rooms for colleges and universities. The donation will go toward school books, supplies and resources for the arts program at Richardson ISD.
“I'm excited that we are launching it in such a fun way, and that Alli is taking the reins on that as far as turning this into something truly memorable,” says Whataburger's Jared Farhart, who works on e-commerce development and brand merchandising.
Koch, who is based in Dallas, specializes in mural paintings, tattoo designs, branding for local businesses and mentoring. She has collaborated with other well-known brands such as Live Nation, LuLuLemon, IBM and Mi Cocina. Her two new coloring books uniquely blend her passion for art and love of the famous Texas burger chain.
“I think coloring books are super helpful for just kind of relaxing. We're so overstimulated with social media, TV and electronics,” Koch says. “It’s just a great opportunity to decompress from all of the things that we’re overstimulated on.”
The coloring book for adults, titled WhataWorld: A Whataburger Adult Coloring Book Featuring Frameable Wall Art, has coloring pages showing Whataburger in a variety of time periods and scenarios. For example, one of the pages shows a fictional Whataburger restaurant with dinosaurs around it, and a retro-looking Whataburger resembles the first restaurant that opened in the 1950s.
Some pages show iconic figures such as the Mona Lisa and Albert Einstein eating and enjoying Whataburger. Both the adults' coloring book and kids' coloring book, How to Draw Everything Whataburger: Learn to Draw with 35+ Whataburger Food, Drink, and Fun Activities will be available for purchase on Oct. 22.
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The artist grew up in Flower Mound and has many memories tied to Whataburger. Her favorite go-to meal used to be a regular whataburger with extra pickles, but due to a recent diagnosis, she now avoids gluten. So, she gets a fry with spicy ketchup and sweet tea. Farhart's favorite Whataburger meal is the patty melt on a bun. Koch is a ’90s kid and takes pride in that. The coloring book will have velvet paper like some others she's done previously, but this time there will be orange-colored velvet paper to fit the Whataburger theme.Koch wants the adult coloring books to be nostalgic for people in her generation.
“I grew up on Lisa Frank and all of those, like, just cool '90s retro elements,” Koch says. “And so it's kind of like my trademark in every coloring book that I do.”
The drawings took two months to complete, but the whole process of bringing the coloring books to life and publishing them took a year. She wants her coloring book pages to be easy for users to tear out so they can display them in their homes for decoration.
While coloring books are typically associated with children, they are also known as an outlet to help manage stress and anxiety. According to the Mayo Health Clinic, coloring can be a healthy way of relieving stress. Koch loves coloring books because they help her with anxiety.
“I love coloring, just for my mental state,” Koch says. “Every time I color, it's just one of those things where I just kind of zone out and can relax.”
The book release party will be noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 19, at The Glossary, 499 W. Arapaho Road, Richardson.
