Odd Guys Creative E-X-P-A-N-D-S

It’s spring, and Odd Guys Creative (formerly known as Odd Guy Art) is hatching a new egg: Odd Guys Creative Screen Print. Sound confusing? Here’s a chart:

Odd Guys Creative will continue selling its line of fun and quirky T-shirts at its online store and at local retail shops. And our new entity, Odd Guys Creative Screen Print, will offer printing services to local customers who’d like to have their own designs printed. (We’ll also offer design services if needed).

This is an exciting time for Odd Guys Creative! If you have your own entrepreneurial experiences to share, please comment below! We thank you for your companionship.

Cheers!
Marie and Graham
Web: Odd Guys Creative
Web: Odd Guys Creative Screen Print 
Facebook: Odd Guys Creative 
Facebook: Odd Guys Creative Screen Print
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win a FREE shirt

Guess what, shirt-wearing public! We have some new designs!

With these, however, we are doing an experiment – of which YOU can be part! If you can help set up “odd guy art” with a shop in your area, we’ll send you a FREE shirt.

Sound like a lot of work?

Not really. Think of all the little gift shops, boutiques, and coffee houses in your locale. Just send us their contact information, we’ll wow them with our goods, and if they order from us, YOU get a FREE Shirt (a $28 retail value).

If you can help us find a home for our new designs – or ANY of our designs – we’ll order them in larger quantities so that we can sell them on our website as well.

 

Cheers!
Marie and Graham

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beyond banal

BEYOND (Bee-YOND): Outside the physical limits or range of.
BANAL (Bih-NAHL): So lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring.

At “odd guy art,” we’re bored by banality, crushed by clichés, terrified of trite. There is no place in a quirky new business for mediocrity, and so we wrack our brains continuously for new ideas. In the immortal words of the legendary Steve Martin, “Comedy is not pretty.”

Our newest shirt design features that very thought: “Beyond Banal.” When you wear this design (which we know you’ll do with pride), you are telling the world, “I’m so far from dull I’m practically maniacal.” No flashy colors or design elements necessary; you are BEYOND BANAL.

This new design is available for purchase next week at our website. Take a look, you. 🙂

Marie
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odd guy’s index

As our one year anniversary approaches, let’s take a look at what we’ve accomplished, shall we?
 • Hours spent defining and researching our target audience: 84
• Number of logo fonts considered before deciding on “Hasty Pudding:” 23
• Number of hours logged on Skype: 328
• Miles from Lake Michigan our OGA studio is located: .2
• Hours spent hand-drawing much of website: 42

• T-shirt designs created: 16
• Miles walked/ran for mobile business meetings: 124
• Ranking of “raspberry” among best-selling OGA cap colors: 1
• Hours spent ironing tote bags: 35
• Number of T-shirt-shaped OGA brochure designs created: 2
• OGA YouTube videos launched: 6
• Number of foreign cameo appearances in videos: 1
• Number of cameo appearances by Walmart employees: 1
• Number of small fires accidentally set during filming: 2
• Penalty points assigned for finger quotes during filming: 10
• Hours spent editing footage: 853
• Size of OGA festival canopy: 10′ X 10′
• Ratio of Diet Cokes consumed to ounces of water: 245 to 1
• Miles biked round-trip to printer, per trip: 26
• Ranking of EnMart among most-active OGA Facebook friends: 1
• Number of celebrities named Yoko Ono who follow OGA on Twitter: 1
• Number of national magazines that featured OGA on the cover: 3
• Number of stores in which OGA shirts are currently sold: 3

Thank you for joining us in this, our first year of business. If you have any questions, or if we can help you in any way, just let us know!

Marie and Graham

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here comes the sun

“Little darling, it’s been a long, cold, lonely winter.”
(“Here Comes The Sun,” -George Harrison)

Even spring’s first robin is frozen.

Selling T-shirts during one of the snowiest Midwest cold spells has been nothing if not challenging. BUT… we’ve kept our scarf-covered chins up, and fully anticipate getting our line of T-shirts into more and more stores as the weather warms.

Being our first winter in the T-shirt world, we did what we thought most seasonal businesspeople do: We worked inside. There were many cups of hot tea consumed as we designed new shirts, made new contacts, and pursued new ideas. We researched the T-shirt forums and read about the successes and failures of those brave souls who’ve ventured into this business before us.

And now it’s March – halfway to April, actually – and we’re looking forward to flooding the market with “odd guy art” T-shirts. We hope you’ll see something you like!

Cheers,
Marie
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how to sell T-shirts in winter

Our first winter in the T-shirt business finds us eager to solve the age-old question, “How do you sell short-sleeved shirts to frozen people in sub-zero temperatures?” Through trial and error (mostly error, like the failed “T-Snuggie®”), we’ve come up with several solutions to keep you fashionable AND warm.

Our patented Microwavable Shirt®

First up, the Microwavable T-Shirt®. Made from a foil polymer fabric patented by NASA, this “odd guy art” shirt is nothing short of extraordinary. Pop it in the microwave, nuke it on high for 45 seconds, and voila! – your torso stays toasty for up to 10 hours. (For arm warmth, accessorize with our patented Microwavable Long Gloves®).

The infamous OGA Electrishirt®

Next, the Electrishirt®. Simply plug this “odd guy art” T-shirt into any outlet, and rubber-coated wires within the fabric provide endless hours of heat. Our 500,000-foot extension cord (sold separately) allows you to roam about freely and snugly.

And finally, our series of warm and fuzzy Furshirts®. Stay cozy the way our animal friends do: With a thick layer of natural fur! The pelts for these PETA-friendly shirts were all acquired through non-violent means; most died naturally on our nation’s highways.

Cozy Bear

Toasty Zebra

Cuddly Cat

Snugly Cow

Sultry Leopard

Woolly Mammoth

Balmy Baby Seal

We look forward to serving you no matter what climate you live in. Check out our website!

Cheers!
Marie
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poll: how do YOU overcome designer’s block?

Many of you in the T-shirt design world find yourselves looking for that one perfect concept – a design with that special something that catches on globally and launches you into extravagant T-shirt-selling wealth.

For those of you who’ve watched “The Making of ‘odd guy art’ Part 2: The Designing,” you already know what a mentally-challenging and physically-taxing process T-shirt design can be. Sure, it’s fun; but sometimes “fun” can be fleeting when you’re faced with mounting bills and, in Graham’s case, an ongoing tea addiction.

Plus, there are as many potential T-shirt options as there are people on the planet (6,894,185,175 as of press time). When faced with a blank computer screen or canvas, where does your inspiration typically come from?

Take a second to click below and add your voice to this universal question!

Thanks!
Marie and Graham

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how can we help you?

Well, good morning! Come on in and make yourself at home. There’s some coffee over in the corner there and a blank easel for the kids to draw on while you shop.

Ah, good question. We mainly design and sell our own T-shirts featuring the kind of art we ourselves are drawn to; art that is odd or witty or cool.

See this shirt here? It’s based on DaVinci’s “Last Supper,” only it’s also a still life of pears. Like all our shirts, it’s screen printed on 100% cotton.

And since we often hang out and work in coffee shops, we were intrigued by the artwork that the baristas make in the foam of their lattes. That’s what inspired this shirt:

And if you’re like us, we find mechanical designs as fun as the are perplexing. This design begs the question, “Is the bird operating the gears or are the gears operating the bird?”

Thanks! We’re glad you like them so far. Might we interest you in a shirt that reflects our enthusiasm for bicycling? (You’ll soon recognize a theme here):

If you grew up in the 60s or 70s (or even if you didn’t), you might appreciate the sentiment behind this bit of nostalgia:

The next set of shirts are sure to be conversation starters. They’re based on historical events that never actually happened. Try this one on for size:

Bet you didn’t know that there was also a Victorian-era “Run to Eradicate Rickets” in 1862. Here’s “proof:”

And the 1918 London Triumvirate? The European precursor to the modern-day triathlon? It’s all right here on the shirt:

Sure, you can try them on. The fitting rooms are over there next to the Monet. Go on. We’ll wait!

Oh, I see the women’s cut is a little snug on you, sir. You’ll want to try the roomier Mens/Unisex style. All shirts come in both cuts.

Ah yes, you’re referring to the little guy printed on the back of each T-shirt. That’s our logo, “odd guy art,” whose face changes color with every shirt:

Our shirts are all pre-washed, so don’t worry about them shrinking. Have you decided on purchasing something today? (Pause). What?! You want one of each? Excellent, sir! Graham will ring you up back at the register (just right of the Renoir) while I refold your shirts and bag them for you.

Thank you for stopping at “odd guy art!” Feel free to visit our online store.

Cheers!
Marie and Graham

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All content and images;
Copyright © 2010 by Hetzel and McAllister. All rights reserved.

9-1-1 transcript: art emergency

Dispatcher: 9-1-1. What is your emergency?
Caller: Uh, I just can’t believe this.
Dispatcher: How can I help you, sir?
Caller: It’s completely crazy. How can they do this?!
Dispatcher: Sir, try to calm down. Let’s take this one step at a time.
Caller: But it’s mad! They can’t be serious.
Dispatcher: Take a deep breath, sir. Who are “they?”
Caller: It’s those two, you know, at “odd guy art.”
Dispatcher: You mean those witty, artsy, T-shirt people?
Caller: Yes! Oh my god. I can’t breathe.
Dispatcher: Ok, sir, slowly: Are they threatening you? With stylish shirts?
Caller: No, no, it’s… it’s much worse than that.
Dispatcher: Then what? What are they doing to you, sir?
Caller: Fff…fff… free shipping! They’re offering me FREE SHIPPING! On EVERYTHING!
Dispatcher: Sir, I need you to step away from your computer.
Caller: Ahhhhh! Ok, I’ve let go of the mouse. Are you sending an officer?!
Dispatcher: Heck no! I’ve got to get to oddguyart.com before their stock runs out!

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are you a good salesperson? take the quiz

Now that Graham and I are wily veterans of the sales world (having pounded the pavement for five solid days now), we’d like to share our expertise with you, dear reader, in quiz form:

1. How should you dress when making sales calls?
a. Consider your potential buyers’ level of formality and dress accordingly
b. Consider the least wrinkled items in your hamper
c. “For success”
d. “Used-car-salesman” chic

 

2. What is the first thing you should do when entering a store?
a. Smile and make eye contact with the manager
b. Browse through the merchandise to see if yours would be a good fit
c. Note exit locations in case of fire
d. Note exit locations in case of humiliating rejection

3. How should you present your merchandise to a potential buyer?
a. Via a well-organized package including product photos, line sheets, contact info, and order forms
b. By acting shifty and holding open one side of your trench coat
c. Through a long-winded, one-sided sales pitch
d. By setting up a display on his or her desk after arm-sweeping all desktop items onto the floor

4. When asked a technical question about your product, you should
a. Be prepared to answer it accurately and succinctly
b. Refer to your company’s specialized handbook, page 315
c. Stare blankly
d. Fake a tracheal blockage and flee the store

5. If a potential buyer says, “No, thank you,” you should
a. Not take it personally; your product is simply not a good fit for his or her store
b. Weep until you’re asked to leave
c. Ask “why?” Repeat ad nauseum.
d. Check back daily until the restraining order is officially filed

6. When the meeting is over, a good thing to do is
a. Thank the buyer for his or her time
b. Mark the building’s exterior with a spray-painted “X” so you know you’ve already stopped there
c. Squeal your tires as you drive off
d. Follow up a few days later with an elaborate gift, such as a flat screen TV (don’t forget to file off the serial number)

We are purposely being elusive with the answers to this quiz so that you can reflect and ponder the kind of impression that “odd guy art” left with its customers. Good luck to you in all your sales!

Marie

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