Ink n Iron 2009 from Sideshow Freaks on Vimeo.

Some gooooood tattoo gatherings are coming our way this summer, taunting me as I watch my book deadline approach and savings account diminish. The next one that I'll be heading to is Hell City Phoenix, September 4-6, so I need help in covering these other events. Send me your pix and stories -- especially if you're attending this weekend's Hell City Killumbus, Ohio show (posted earlier this month). Should be a blast.

Also awesome is the Ink & Iron show aboard the haunted Queen Mary next weekend, June 4-6. See a preview from the video above, and photos from past shows here. Ink & Iron not only houses the best tattooists and avid collectors but offers other goodies like car shows, pin-up pageants, an art gallery and tons of other events.

Then, two weeks later, June 19-21st, is the infamous NIX convention in Toronto, Canada. The artist line-up remains one of the best, and includes exciting new artists from Taiwan and China. The North by NorthEast Musix Fest is also taking place that weekend just five minutes away and is free to NIX VIP passholders.

On the upcoming art gallery calendar ...

Tomorrow, May 30th, at Canvas Los Angeles, check the opening for Be Here Now, a group show featuring the fine art of many NYC tattooists, illustrators and photographers, curated by Daniel Albrigo. 

Back in NYC, at the Last Rites Gallery, the new gallery director Andrew Michael Ford will feature a show destined to be an annual event whereby tattooists from around the world show their fine art. Entitled Flesh To Canvas, the show opens June 13th at 7pm and includes work from the following artists: Shawn Barber, Nick Baxter, Aaron Bell, Paul Booth, Boris, Kim Saigh, Joe Capobianco, Marcus Pacheco, Leslie Reesen, Jon Clue, Damon Conklin, Jeff Gogue, Phil Holt, Nikko Hurtado, Little Dragon, and more. I'll be there. Hope to see ya.