Sounds like you're covering a lot of bases, you're definitely in Guerrilla Marketing territory, but it might be worth it to check out their books for job hunters. How about a slideshow of his work, on Youtube, etc.? How about a sillier video about how awesome he is at everything he does, on Youtube, etc?An online portfolio really helps (not only a standalone site) and many portfolio-hosting sites also have job listings. Check out Behance network, Behance.net Also freelance-websites, like Elance.com Good to see he's on Etsy, that can be a good way to get discovered.
Maybe put a post in the Etsy forums about his situation, and definitely promote the Etsy shop and his site as much as possible. A billboard? ... Good luck!
(PS I just saw that your official "campaign" ended at the beginning of the month. Any updates? ).
I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.