In 1998, DeAndre Wynn, only age 16, had already lived a rough and challenging life; he’d been on his own since age 15 living in Detroit, only finding his way into the prestigious St. Mary’s Preparatory high school in Orchard Lake, Michigan, right outside of Detroit, due to his uncle’s deep belief in his potential.
Wynn’s prominence as an artist and illustrator began earlier in his life, as a little boy, but it was at St. Mary’s Preparatory where he became highly sought after for his creative gifts. When I made the fatal mistake of revealing I wasn’t aware he was an artist so early in his life, he proudly exclaimed as he let out a laugh, “I’ve been drawing since 5 years old, re-creating characters like Chubb Rock, Bugs Bunny, and Elmer Fudd.” And like his exuberant creative talents as a boy, his abilities and skills have not diminished; Wynn is still the fine artist as he always has been.
View slideshow: Meet Creator, DeAndre Wynn
The notable and prestigious St. Mary’s Preparatory pursued him for his talented and creative take on creating the class of “99” Mascot logo, as he simultaneously took on the heavy responsibility of creating the popular Urban Aliens cartoon with an entire script completed.
DeAndre Wynn
Photo credit: DeAndre Wynn
Entrepreneur, creator, artist, illustrator and producer, DeAndre Wynn, better known as Dre to those close to him, sat down with the National African Diaspora Examiner to speak about his newest venture in the entertainment industry, at Atlanta’s popular Slice restaurant on Huff Rd., which displays his fine work and craftsmanship throughout the entire restaurant. Through his in-demand company, Twice as Nice Technical Solutions, he’s responsible for all aspects of the IT configuration for all projects or assignments.
On the day of the interview, the man who sat beside me was a well-balanced, intelligent, and wise man who had built on past failures and turned them into successes, which gained him inspiration and a passionate devotion to moving forward. As a young man, Dre, like so many other young men in Detroit, had gotten in deep trouble with the law. Detroit, a vital American city, filled with an organized crime history dated back to the earliest parts of the 20th century, and is still heavily plagued by organized crime to this very day can either make or break you, but for DeAndre it has definitely made him stronger. A city plagued by so much day and night time open violence that its bad reputation has overshadowed its beauty that it was once only known for, the only American city to ever be compared to Paris, France because of its awarded-architectural residential and commercial designs and distinctive architecture that’s now hidden through either people’s perception of the city or lack of care from Detroit and non-Detroit citizens, local, state, and federal Government).
Detroit’s middle, upper-middle to elite-class residential neighborhoods are well-known for their awarded architecturally distinctive and unique homes (exterior and interior), but that’s not the side where Wynn came from. If you are not well educated about Detroit, are not well-versed on the city’s robust history or social and racial movements, then you may not be aware of the strict division of neighborhoods and areas of the city, and suburbs for that matter.
DeAndre knows all too well about the severe division of this historical city, due to his feet rooted in both the city’s roughest and best areas, and the best of the best of Detroit’s suburban living. Anyone who’s familiar with this city’s sundry histories is well aware of why and how Detroit’s suburbs developed, along with their unique varied histories compared to other American suburban areas because of Detroit’s frequent and innumerable race riots that extended for many years, White Flight, and the 80s crack epidemic that seeped into many of Detroit’s neighborhoods which created a mass of African Americans to flee to the suburbs during the early 1980s to mid 1990s. The major move of African Americans fleeing to the suburbs created new kinds of socio-economic class-division issues, splitting the already huge issue into a medley of city versus suburban socio-economic class-divisions, and DeAndre was in the middle of it all.
So many valuable and many times harsh lessons to be learned in a city always listed as #1 on the FBI’s Most Dangerous Cities List for decades, that has held the popular title of Murder Capital for generations, made people like DeAndre Wynn, well-rounded, street and common-sense savvy, strong, and an intellectual man who still perseveres. Detroit, still the only American city to ever be compared to the architectural beauty of Paris, France, still cannot escape that horrific title, and has even gotten worse overtime with violence being a norm rather than a mere passing like the rest of the American cities. Many people (even those who live in Detroit’s surrounding areas) won’t even visit the city because of its gruesome activities and violence, but more importantly it’s because of a mere perception due to ignorance and manipulative tactics that obstruct people’s understanding, perception, and view of a city that still is the backbone of America, and unfortunately it’s all too commonly racially driven. So much significance, importance, and beauty comes from a city hit with so many wrong perceptions of it, but it’s the people like DeAndre Wynn that maintain Detroit’s legacy of strong individuals who lead in profuse ways, and like their ancestors and those before them these individuals are affecting the world in innovative, strong, and astonishing ways.
Beyond the horrendous acts between Whites and African Americans derived from racial unrest that still lives on to this very day, the never-ending racial struggles to control the city, and the city’s beauty that all too often gets over-shadowed by an awful reputation led by prejudices, racial stereotypes and ignorance, it’s the people like DeAndre Wynn who stand above it all.
DeAndre’s work stands above the rest and speaks for itself; his doughty and puissant efforts also are the reason for why his work is one-of-a-kind. His latest endeavor brings a charming wit and enjoyment to many; the blend between The Boondocks and Fat Albert are cleverly twisted into one big cartoon that’s been created by the imagination of DeAndre Wynn. Wyze Guys is the latest big creation that has generated quite a buzz around town and between big networks, with the smaller networks not too far behind to gain the next big show.
Already popular, the paraphernalia already has a strong following bringing in tons every month. From pro skateboarders rocking the latest Wyze Guys’ logo on their skateboards, t-shirts, posters, to various electronic gadgets like iPod cases and covers that have created such a stir that it’s almost impossible to keep the paraphernalia on the shelves. With so much support and excitement behind Wyze Guys, there’s no wonder why this buzzworthy cartoon is the latest show to be on everybody’s tongue.
To learn more of what’s to come, go to Wyze Guys, and click around to explore.
