Somewhere between adorable and abhorrent sits Terribly Odd.
A playfully macabre world of mini-miscreants who will steal your heart as quickly as they steal your wallet. Originally started in 2003 as a personal project by miserable artist Michael Reyes, Terribly Odd was an attempt to enter the art world under some anonymity. Based more on graphic design than traditional artwork, the images relied on simple black and white characters pasted to painted wood backgrounds. These pieces would forgo storytelling to create a more immediate reaction in the viewer. Surprisingly, these characters were somewhat well received, and the slow rise to relative obscurity began. Today, as a husband and wife team, Terribly Odd is an art-driven lifestyle brand that mixes pop culture with a heavy dose of creepy nostalgia. We produce limited-batch merchandise inspired by the toys, tv shows, and movies of our youth. With our slightly obsessive attention to detail, we aim to create items that feel authentic to a bygone era that never existed. Kinda like the mail-in order stuff at the back of old comic books and equally as disappointing
As always, we thank you for your continued support.
-Michael & Charlene
So, what is Mr. Eyes and who is Terribly Odd?
This question comes up quite a bit, and I guess I'm to blame for the confusion - or at least my insecurity is. Let me try to explain.
The pencil became how I would express those things I couldn't verbalize. Naturally, pursuing a career in the arts made sense. Not so much because it was my life's passion but because I wasn't sure what else of value I had to offer. So, after high school, I decided to make a go of it and enrolled at Savannah College of Art and Design. Nothing could have prepared me for the creative, enriching, and panic-inducing environment of art school. After an initial bit of success, the worry set in, and not long after that, I packed my things and headed home. (I know this all seems a bit roundabout, but it'll make sense soon.) Some time, and a few menial jobs later, I was introduced to graphic design. This was a good fit. Working in a creative field while staying behind the scenes was excellent, and that idea eventually led me back into the arts. By creating a brand or working under a moniker, I figured I could produce images and remain somewhat anonymous. With that in mind, I took the square-headed characters I'd sketched for years, vectorized them, and turned them into simplified black-and-white images. Now that the visual style was set, the next part was to find the right name. Believe it or not, Terribly Odd was the first and only name I tried. This was because I really liked the name, and more importantly, the domain name was available. Not long after this, I began participating in conventions and art shows nationwide. Much to my surprise, Terribly Odd kinda worked.
I bet you're thinking, "That's all great, but what does that have to do with Mr. Eyes?" As I mentioned, drawing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. The other thing that's been with me my whole life is, well, anxiety - and those two things don't make great partners. After my failed attempt at art school, I shelved the idea of sharing the drawings and sketches I had worked on for years. They were too personal, and I couldn't quite deal with the thoughts of inadequacy. It's not great feeling like you're not good enough at the only thing you're good at. So, in sketchbooks they sat, visible only to a select group of friends and people I trusted. Gradually and with much trepidation, I started to share glimpses of these drawings with a wider audience, introducing a few pieces at a time by incorporating them into "Terribly Odd" shows. And then came Gideon's. I was persuaded to use this style in creating the portraits for the location. Though I was still anxious about sharing this very personal side of myself, the timing finally seemed right!
Not wanting to lump these characters into the already-established world of Terribly Odd, I chose a name closer to who I am. Something that would be fun and still have a touch of anonymity. Mr. Eyes is a name I've hung onto over the years, dating back to grade school. I'm sure many of you remember turning in schoolwork using the first initial, last name format - which, for me, is M. Reyes. If memory serves me, my 5th-grade teacher, Mr. Thompson, was the first to jokingly bark out, "Mr. Eyes, who is Mr. Eyes? Oh, my mistake." It was embarrassing and delightful. So, when considering what name to use, Mr. Eyes felt like the right choice.
