I love tiki bars because they are dark, mysterious and dare I say creepy?
As I’ve gotten more and more into tiki culture, I’ve learned that not everything in a tiki bar necessarily needs to be tiki. There are other elements that play well with tiki, like nautical, Disney, mid-century, atomic age and last but not least, goth and horror. No one combines the elements of goth and horror better than the artist, Devon Devereaux. He is the master of Creepy Tiki and here is his story …
What is the tiki scene like where you live?
Devon– We live in sunny San Diego, and we have a huge tiki scene here. We have some great tiki bars like Bali Hai, The Grass Skirt and False Idol.
What brought you into the ‘Tiki lifestyle” and how long has it been part of your life?
Devon– Tiki was something that was always in the background growing up. My favorite uncle Vala is from Tonga. I was fascinated by his stories of growing up on the Polynesian islands. I grew up in Flint, Michigan, so there was no tiki around anywhere at the time. It was mostly through the Brady Bunch, Scooby Doo, Gilligan’s Island and television reruns that was my introduction to the aesthetic.
When I was in art school in the late 90’s, Juxtapoz magazine was a big deal, I started finding out about Mark Ryden, Shag, The Pizz, Robert Williams, etc. There was a big renaissance of post WWII culture going on at that time with swing music, hot rods and rockabilly, etc. Tiki was a big part of that. When I was living in Portland, I started hanging out at the Alibi for late night Karaoke and Thatch which later turned into my all-time favorite Tiki bar, Hale Pele. I became friends with Blair Reynolds and the rest of the staff. I started doing illustrations for their menus, t -shirts and Mai Tai glasses.
Can you give a little history of how you became an artist?
Devon– I’ve always dabbled in film and video, writing and drawing comic books, fine art, illustration, etc. I have a little bit of creative ADD. Whenever I finish a project, I want to do something completely different than the last thing I did. Since I was young I would go in cycles between wanting to use the latest technology and then desiring to go back to old school mediums like graphite or oil painting.
How would you describe your style?
Devon– For lack of a better term I might say pop surrealism or cartoon realism. But I also use a very different graphic style for designing clothing and Mai Tai glasses. So maybe just an illustrative style. Ha! I don’t know. I am always attracted to darker subject matter. But something cute or whimsical tends to work its way into whatever I’m doing. Whenever I try to do something more all ages and for children, something dark kind of naturally comes out. So, I guess there is some consistency there.
Who or what would be some of your influences?
Devon– My biggest influences would be Charles Addams (Addams Family), Marc Davis (Disney Imagineer), Stephen Gammell (Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark), Edward Gorey, Glenn Barr, Dave McKean and early Tim Burton.
What is your favorite Tiki drink?
Devon– I’m a big fan of the Lei Lani Volcano. But I also enjoy a simple Rum Punch or Mai Tai
What does the future hold for you?
Devon– My main project right now is finishing up a comic book I’ve been working on for a very long time. Now that we don’t have any immediate shows, it’s a good time to finish it. My partner in clothing production, Ashley Meek (Volcano Designs) and I will be dropping another Kickstarter later this year. Hopefully I will do another mug and some new Mai Tai glasses at some point.
Anything else you would like to add?
Devon– You can find me on Instagram and twitter at @devondevereaux
My websites are www.devondevereaux.com and www.creepytiki.com.
During the pandemic, we started doing micro conventions in my driveway and back yard. You can check out www.drivewaycon.com for any upcoming shows.
