On the record ... with Ken Holcomb

Ken Holcomb has always enjoyed playing board games; enough so that the Sycamore man has invented his own game, which he hopes will lead to a new career.

"My goal is to be in the business of creating games full-time," he said. "I love the idea of creating something new. It's kind of exciting and enriching for me."

Born in Elgin, Holcomb's first few years were spent on a farm northwest of Hampshire before his family moved to a farm near Virgil. A graduate of Central High School, Holcomb has held a number of jobs, including as a painting contractor and working for a Plato Center company that made pre-engineered steel trellis buildings. Holcomb, who once lived in an old school house, now lives just outside of Sycamore and is currently a janitor with the Burlington Central School District.

A few years ago, Holcomb invented a new game called Pinzique, which is a combination of pinochle and Bazique. According to its website, Pinzique has eight dice with a complete pinochle set on the 48 sides. Each die has an ace, 10, king, queen, jack and nine randomly distributed for the maximum scoring varieties. Scoring is based on points accumulated by throwing the dice in turns, to create marriages, matchings and runs. A "Pinzique" consists of a queen of hearts and a jack of spades. Intrigue builds when one player can erase points from another player.

"I hope you have as much fun playing it as I did creating it," Holcomb said of the game, which is designed for ages 10 and older. "I've played video games and I've enjoyed them. I just think there's room for both."

Locally, the game can be purchased at Sweet Earth Jewelry, 321 W. State St. in Sycamore, and New Game in Town, 811 W. Lincoln Highway in DeKalb. It can also be purchased online at pinzique.com.

Between working and promoting his game, Holcomb spent a few minutes last week with MidWeek reporter Doug Oleson discussing Pinzique.

MidWeek: What kind of games did you play growing up?

Ken Holcomb: I played Yahtzee and Spill and Spell a lot. I also liked Scrabble – I still do – and Sorry!, Parcheesi and Mouse Trap. My parents taught me how to play pinochle. ...It was exciting to get games for Christmas.

MW: Is this your first invention?

KH: In 1995, my younger brother and I got a patent for a true corner roller paint tray. I was a painting contractor at the time.

MW: So how did you get the idea for Pinzique?

KH: The idea hit me on Dec. 14, 2006. It came out of the blue. Sometimes ideas hit all of a sudden. I played a lot of Yahtzee and pinochle, and I got to thinking, why couldn't I combine the two?

MW: Where did the name of your game come from?

KH: I created the name by combining pinochle and Bazique (a French card game). I have never played Bazique. but I looked it up. After I studied it, I liked it.

MW: How long did it take you to develop the game once you had an idea for it?

KH: The first thing I did was go to a patent attorney in Rockford. You have to have proper protection so someone doesn't steal your idea. (A patent is pending.)  After that, it took about four to six months.

MW: Was it difficult finding a company to actually make the game?

KH: I called a few companies, but I had to go through an agent. ...The lady who did the computer graphics (for the game) knew someone in the Elgin area, a sales representative, Wally Miller. ...The dice were made through a company in China. Everything else was made in the United States.

MW: Who was the first person to buy the game?

KH: I sold a game to someone I work with in '09. I also sold a few games to some other people I work with who were going to give them away as Christmas presents.

MW: I see the game is for anyone 10 and older. How many people can play your game?

KH: You can play it alone if you want. But one to eight people can play it. It depends how much time you have. There are 10 rounds and, if someone ties, you can have playoffs. There are also bonus rounds. It's a game of concentration. It can be lighthearted or more intense.

MW: Let's say you have a group of four, about how long would it take them to play a game?

KH: It could be an hour or an hour and a half.

MW: So what is the main objective of the game?

KH: Some may say the main objective is to get together with friends and have a good time. But it's to score the most points.

MW: How much does Pinzique cost?

KH: It retails for $19.95. It's higher than other board games. At first, it may be more expensive, but when you run low on score sheets you can go online and download them for free for the rest of your life.

I can't afford to mass produce more. The more you produce, the less it costs.

MW: Do you have ideas for any more games?

KH: I have a dozen other ideas, but this is the only one I can afford to promote right now.

MW: Who is this game suited for?

KH: I think people who like card games will enjoy the challenge of Pinzique. The more you play it, the better you understand it. It's a thinking game. I'm looking forward to playing it again myself when I have the time. I've been very busy.