It’s a late Saturday night in Manhattan, Kansas, in the late 1980s. A renowned artist’s hands move steadily, crafting fluid lines and perfect arcs as the pencil tip glides over illustration board with deliberate precision. The artist pauses, studies his work intently, then reaches for his pen to add the final bold strokes. At the time, he was simply using his imagination and expertise to develop a concept. Little did he know, what he held in his hands would soon become world-famous. The magic he created would forever be known as the Powercat.
Tom Bookwalter was born in Pawnee City, Nebraska, and grew up on his family farm in the Cornhusker state. Raised in a house without electricity, much of the food his family ate was what his father had hunted. From a young age, Tom dreamed of becoming an artist. While attending Summerfield High School in Kansas, he developed an interest in painting and drawing. He even painted artwork on semi-truck doors, which deepened his passion for fine arts. After graduating, he attended Peru State College in Nebraska on a track scholarship. Recognizing his talent, the head of the art department encouraged Tom to transfer to Emporia State University, a school better suited to his artistic growth. Emporia State had a renowned art department with an excellent fine arts painting program.
After graduating from Emporia State, Tom began working at several agencies, including McCormick-Armstrong in Wichita. After gaining experience in Wichita, Tom decided to further his education by enrolling at the ArtCenter College of Design in Los Angeles, California.
Hollywood Boulevard is a long way from Marshall County, Kansas, but the ArtCenter College of Design was one of the most renowned art schools in the world. It drew some of the country’s top painters, designers, illustrators, and fashion artists. It was here that Tom’s skills were taken to the next level.
After spending three years in Southern California, Tom moved to Waterloo, Iowa, where he took a position at an illustration studio called Hellman Associates. Tom’s unique contemporary collage style made him highly sought after for corporate illustrations, with a particular focus on sports and aviation. He was responsible for creating game day program covers for NFL teams, including the Denver Broncos and the Detroit Lions, and he illustrated a popular Boston Celtics poster for the Miller Brewing Company.
Over the years, he was commissioned by a long list of Fortune 500 companies, including AT&T, John Deere, Maytag, 3M, and Walmart. His aviation work was seen far and wide throughout the industry. The 1980s were a prosperous period for Tom Bookwalter, but he always planned to return to Kansas and pursue freelance work.
On November 24, 1988, Kansas State University hired Bill Snyder as its 32nd head football coach. Snyder faced the daunting task of turning around what was then the most losing program in college football history. Along with overhauling the roster and coaching staff, he was committed to reshaping K-State’s entire culture. A key part of his strategy to revitalize the struggling program was a rebranding effort, which included commissioning a new logo design.
Having moved to Manhattan around the same time as Coach Snyder, Tom was pursuing freelance work while also teaching a professional art class part-time at K-State. When Coach Snyder reached out to the art department seeking a new logo, the project was assigned to Tom.
Tom then met Coach Snyder. Snyder remarked that the current shade of purple was too garish, and that he preferred a deeper, eggplant-like tone. Regarding the new logo, he emphasized wanting a clean and simple design—no "K" or "State" lettering, just a straightforward graphic of a cat.
With the project requirements in hand, Tom headed to the Manhattan Public Library to dive into research. As he pored over material and examined countless photographs of wild cats, three distinct traits stood out:
1. Wild cats always have their mouths open.
2. Their ears are consistently pinned back.
3. Like all predators—whether sharks, crocodiles, or big cats—they instinctively close their eyes at the moment of impact to protect them from injury.
This attention to detail would become crucial in crafting a logo that felt both authentic and powerful.
Over the course of a couple of weeks, he created a dozen or so composites. Then, on a quiet, dull Saturday night, armed with French curves, black ink, and illustration board, he began to develop what we now recognize as the Powercat.
Tom painted the initial concept directly onto a helmet and presented it to Coach Snyder, who suggested adding whiskers to the design. Back to the drawing board Tom went, resulting in two different versions. Both similar to today’s logo, one featured whiskers, with two lines drawn above the mouth. The other version, on the opposite side of the helmet, had no whiskers but included a hair-like contour on the back. Ultimately, neither design was quite right, so they removed the whiskers and flattened the back by eliminating the hair detail, creating the sleek, iconic logo we recognize today.
Drawings made with French curves are typically smooth, precise, and elegant. The Powercat is a bold, streamlined depiction of a wildcat's head, featuring sharp angles, sleek contours, and dynamic movement. Comprised of four different parts, it is a simple, yet distinct logo.
When Tom returned to Coach Snyder’s office with the revised design, Snyder sat quietly for a moment, studying it. Finally, he said, “You hit a nerve here.” It was clearly a positive reaction, and the decision was left to the players, who overwhelmingly loved the logo. Once the concept was approved, it was reproduced, helmet stickers were made, merchandise was created, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Tom retains the copyright to the Powercat logo, with K-State paying him an annual royalty. Any individual or organization using the logo pays licensing fees to Kansas State. Upon Tom’s passing, the copyright will remain with his family for an additional 70 years, ensuring his legacy endures for generations.
The Powercat has become an enduring symbol of the school’s athletic success and revitalized identity. Designed during a pivotal era, its clean, dynamic look represents strength and determination. As a symbol of unity and resilience, the Powercat will continue to inspire generations of Wildcats, standing the test of time.
"The Powercat logo has worked out well for Manhattan as well. It really has."
"Coach Snyder came in and had a successful football program, and also a successful logo. It has worked out really well for both of us"