He was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1975,[citation needed] moving to the Pacific Northwest early in life.
He received an undergraduate degree in communications from the University of Washington,[citation needed] then moved to New York City in the late 1990s to write advertising copy.
He joined DigiPen Institute of Technology in 2012 and now serves as a program director and professor of design.
[citation needed] Holcomb returned to Seattle he worked as a writer and activist, publishing the book Speak Up, Speak Out and Be Heard: How to Protest and Make It Count through Loompanics, covering topics such as marches, pickets, boycotts, letter writing campaigns, building signs, what to do when arrested, how to get media attention, causes, goals, methods, logistics, networking, and organizing.
Holcomb began teaching game design by offering courses at the ASUW Experimental College at the University of Washington.