Needles and Sins Tattoo Blog

RIP Ace Daniels

2010-03-10T18:31:47Z

I'm saddened to learn that one of Old Guard of the tattoo world, Crazy Ace Daniels, died this Monday, March 8th, from natural causes. He would have been 59 years old on April 30th.

Ace described himself on his Facebook page as the "janitor" of Way Cool Tattoos in Woodstock, Ontario, adding "I mop the floors, clean the toilets and once in a while they let me do a tattoo!" It was his sense of humor and love for the art and history of tattooing that endeared him to so many in the community, even those like myself who never met him in person.

For just how much he was loved, read the stories on the FB memorial page dedicated to him.

I only spoke with Ace online. He was generous to school me in tattoo anthropology and lead me to information on his wonderful tattoo archive Bod-Mod.com, the online incarnation of his "World's Strangest Museum," which housed over a thousand artifacts and art surrounding all types of body modification, from tattooing to scarification to corsetting. [The museum closed in 2003 and re-opened as A.C.E.S. Place in 2003.]

Here's a time line of his life, from his first tattoo at 13 to opening Way Cool Tattoos in Woodstock on October 1, 2006. Also read a fun recent interview with Ace where he talks about his artifact collection, the best weed in the world, and GWAR.

This Saturday, March 13th, a celebration of Ace's life will take place at Way Cool's Woodstock studio from 2-4 PM. Then on Sunday, there will be a wake, or rather a goodbye party, in Toronto at the Cadillac Lounge starting at 7 PM.

For more information on these memorials, click here and here.

R.I.P. Ace.

Tattoos in the News Before Noon

2010-03-10T16:08:38Z

Ok, this isn't my usual monolithic tattoo news review as I've been on the convention circuit for the past two weeks, but I wanted to share some things I found when I opened my eyes and Inbox this morn.

First, before I even reached for my first cup, The NY Times greeted me with the image above (by Ashley Gilbertson) of the coffee knux tattoo in its article on the best cafes in NYC. And it reminded me of an old fave on KnuckleTattoos.com of such career killers wrapped around a cup of coffee. And then it made me long once more to tattoo my hands. And then I remembered that one day I may need to be employable once more. And then I also remembered that the Times article had nothing to do with tattoos, so I drank some coffee and moved on.

Then, my Inbox dinged with a real tattoo story: Daily Candy's front page profile today on the fabulous Amanda Wachob. And while the word "tats" and phrase "upgrade your tramp stamp" made coffee shoot out my nostrils in frustration, it is nice to see a great artist get some sweet props from the masses. We featured Amanda here last October and noted her experimental tattoo projects that got us hyped (sans caffeine). Here's a sample of Amanda's work below.

And finally, just before I was about to click publish on this post, I got a Facebook reminder that, tomorrow, Amelia Klem Osterud will discuss her book The Tattooed Lady: A History at Word bookstore in Brooklyn from 7:30-9PM. We featured the book here in November and I've devoured my copy since. As an added bonus, tattoo artists Bad News Becca and Emma of Porcupine Tattoo will be discussing their work.

So, that's the run down of tattoo goodness I found all before noon. A good omen for the day. [The mega-round up will be up soon. I hope.]

The Two Dollar Tattoo Project

2010-03-09T21:56:01Z

Here's a tattoo pursuit making me love Canadians even more: The Two Dollar Tattoo Project.

In essence, it's a challenge to inspire tattooists to create works beyond their comfort zone and then share their creations online. It's also a way for shy collectors to get an artful little tattoo without the big reveal. And for me, it's another part of my tattoo voyeurism as I love seeing blog updates of work coming in that are fun and well done.

The project is founded by "eccentric curmudgeons" Philip Barbosa from Stick & Poke, George Brown and Matt Ellis of Seven Crowns Tattoo, and Alie K. at TCB Tattoo Parlour. Let me let them tell you the details of Two Dollar Tattoo:

"All artists participating will be expected to create unique works of tattoo art executed with only a single needle (as in single-needle configuration, No cheating using a round or a mag for any of the tattoo!). Line-work, shading, colour...all must be executed with the same needle! The size of the final product will be expected to fill the space of a "toonie", a Canadian two-dollar coin (approximately 28mm or 1 1/8" in diameter). The artist should utilize all of the space within the circle since in this case its not just size that matters. The Two Dollar Tattoo Project is expected to be both a game of camaraderie as well as a professional courtesy for artists and industry people. The only monetary exchange for the tattoo is to be a shiny Canadian $2 coin, which can be used for sizing of the drawing and final stencil, and MUST be utilized as proof of compliance with the set parameters."

The video above (found here on YouTube) shows how it's done. More details can be found on the site's right sidebar.

And as for how these tattoos heal and will age (that is, will the lines spread into each other becoming a two dollar blob) ... well, here's their answer.

Frankfurt Tattoo Convention Redux

2010-03-08T21:43:12Z

Like David Hasselfhoff and unpasteurized cheese, tattoos are big in Germany, and this weekend, I got a large dose of all (a little less Hoff than cheddar but one in the same). The 18th Annual Frankfurt Tattoo Convention -- yes, the convention was older than some of the attendees -- kicked off this past Friday in its usual spot: The Messe Frankfurt, a massive modern expo hall in the center of this commercial city.

It wasn't my first Frankfurt tattoo foray. It was about seven or eight years ago when I last attended and, other than a shorter artist list and more vendors, much hadn't changed. There are certain elements that give this gathering its own specialness, which I will list for you but first...

Frankfurt Tattoo Convention photos. Photos I obviously didn't take as they're in focus.

Ok, key points on the show:

1. Lots of Germans. They may not understand all my jokes and refer to me as a "small hyper person," but there was a lot o' love. Most at the Frankfurt show were serious collectors with large intricate work that harmonized really beautifully with their bods. Typical German craftsmanship.

2. A dearth of hipsters. Some say hipsters are as likely to be seen at a tattoo con as in Target, but I've seen enough getting their asses tattooed with Hello Kitty (one is enough!), or the ubiquitous ironic tattoo that keeps booths busy, to say otherwise. Maybe it's an American thing. Because as I walked through the crowded aisles of the convention hall, I looked around in wonder and thought to myself: "Wow. I haven't seen one dude who would ask to borrow his girlfriend's skinny jeans and Spice Girls tee." [Well, maybe except for this dude.] I took a deep breathe of that testosterone and it smelled good.

3. Germany still holds the record for most tribal and blackwork tattoos per capita. And considering that I'm covered in blackwork [and even did a book on it, ahem], I was giddy being among my tribe. It was in serious contrast being at the Detroit convention the previous weekend where barely any people entered the tribal competition. In Frankfurt, there even was a portion of the hall sectioned off -- complete with Tiki hut -- where traditional tattooists, including Vatea, Roonui, and the Suluape family, worked by hand and machine. That said, I did notice that European artists were working in way more black and gray as well as fantasy & comic-styled tattoos.

4. Convention food sucks all over the world and Frankfurt was no exception. I'm not asking for haute cuisine, just something I can digest. And oh, my heart goes out to convention-going vegans. Best bet: always pack a lunch.

5. Finally, the very best part of Frankfurt, and any show, is seeing friends whom I only run into a few times a year in different cities, in different countries. It always makes me feel that there still is a "tattoo community." Shout-outs to Volle, who tattooed his Maori inspired art non-stop but still had time to look up and crack jokes; Elson Yeo of Singapore, who did a rockin horror sleeve over extensive scars, working the keloids perfectly into the design; and Clarabella of Brazil, my first Euro-convention homegirl who has been accessorizing me for over a decade.

So, I landed back into Brooklyn just a couple of hours ago and will now settle into my jet lag. I'm taking a convention break until the NYC one in May so if you have photos and stories of those you're heading to, send 'em my way.

Auf Wiedersehen.

"Penguin Inks" Series

2010-03-05T19:10:58Z

Not that I spend a lot of time - or any time for that matter - reading Entertainment Weekly, but Jay Fingers from The Ministry of Cool and StereoCool brought this article to my attention the other night over some adult beverages at the Needles and Sins Compound.

Turns out that Penguin Books is releasing a "Penguin Inks" series "in which the publisher commissioned tattoo artists and illustrators to re-imagine the covers of six modern classics."

Of course, they fail to mention anywhere the names of these tattoo artists, so I can't exactly give credit where it's due. In fact, it really wouldn't surprise me if they just hired an in-house design team to do something in a "tattoo style."

Now that I think about it, I really can't understand why any of these books would need tattoo-centric cover art. From the standpoint of a graphic designer, I don't understand how this stylistic choice represents or enhances the stories beneath the dust-jacket; other than a "Well, tattoos are cool" perspective.

What are your thoughts? Anyone know who these artists are?

(Oh, and while I have my "graphic designer" cap on, I'd like you all to know that I did the cover art - as well as produce and engineer - a pair of indie/electro tracks for Alex Walker, available right now as a free download from Lapdance Academy. You can grab them in high quality MP3 format right over here.)

Guest Blog: Machine vs. Tebori

2010-03-05T13:00:03Z

John Mack offers another guest blog post on his experience getting tattooed by Horiyoshi III over the course of nine years Check out his previous posts: Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, and Part VII.

In a comment to my last post, a reader inquired about the difference between machine and the tebori (hand poke) tattooing. I was just going to tell you about that.

As for how it feels, the location matters much, much more than the method. The main sensory difference is the sound and cadence of tebori. After this video above of Horiyoshi III doing tebori winds up to full speed, I can almost feel it myself.

Horiyoshi explained that it is the result attained after about four years that makes the biggest difference. He said that a machine works best for outlining because its precise, thin line does not spread over the years while tebori does spread into soft, smooth gradients ideal for shading. He had an almost poetic way of stating it in Japanese that went something like, "The disadvantage of one method is an advantage in one application, and the disadvantage of the other method is an advantage in the other application."

Horiyoshi then commented, "You like tebori better, don't you, John-san." This man can see right through me. I guess I do like tebori, not because it feels any better, but because it's a rarer and more authentic experience that yields a superior result. Both methods use needles, and getting stuck with needles hurts.

For the past few years, Horiyoshi has used a machine exclusively. When I asked about this, he said that as one ages, it becomes difficult to perceive fast-moving objects. He dramatized by waving his hand past his face, then making a mystified expression as if he had missed something.

As you can see in the video, your skin moves around quite a bit during tebori, but with a machine, it stays relatively stationary. So, no more hand tattooing for this master.

--
Horiyoshi's practice is now limited to finishing existing clients' tattoos, and we all keep him really busy. As I have repeatedly witnessed, all new clients are politely referred elsewhere.

Inked Icon Stanley Moskowitz

2010-03-04T14:34:21Z

The March issue of Inked Mag is out now and, as Marisa has previously pointed out, along with featuring beautiful heavily tattooed women in lesser and lesser states of undress, there are occasionally some righteous articles written by some or one of these here contributors on N+S.

This month, I got to speak with living legend "Bowery" Stan Moskowitz. And while I was nervous that he'd somehow be able to reach through the phone to break my face and toss me down a flight of stairs, I managed to get through the interview in one piece. Here's a little preview of why you didn't -- and don't -- fuck with Bowery Stan.

There are a lot of rough stories from [the Bowery] days.

...You didn't know who the hell was comin' through the doorway. One time this guy comes in and he punches me in the stomach. See, I have to remember that 'cause no one ever did that before. And he says to me, "You do a good job, kid," and here he punched me in the stomach, the fuck. I picked up a ball-peen hammer I had and I hit him right in the head with it. Right in the forehead! Holy shit, it starts to bleed like a bastard!

And then you tattooed him anyway.

Yeah, I tattooed him. Well, my father saw the guy bleeding and he was spurtin' blood everywhere. He had a hot towel he put on him and he put this here blood-stopper on, and finally it stopped. So then my old man sat him down and I tattooed him! He gave me a tip and said he was sorry. [Laughs.] You know, it's laughable. It wasn't laughable then. Jesus Christ, now that I think of it--it's a good thing I wasn't older.

Stan is currently living in Florida and it's rumored that he'll be tattooing (still!) at this year's Philadelphia Tattoo Convention March 26th-28th. I am supremely grateful that he was willing to grant Inked/myself an interview and I'll be trying my damndest to make it to Philly that weekend.

Pint Size Paintings Book

2010-03-04T00:19:45Z

When trolling around the Detroit Tattoo Expo this past weekend, I previewed an upcoming art book that will be a must for your library:

Pint Size Paintings: Miniature Paintings by Big Artists.

In essence, Durb Morrison and the Hell City crew have curated a 224-page hardcover art book featuring paintings done on mini-canvases, specifically 2" x 3". Fine art from top tattooists like Kari Barba, Aaron Bell, Zsolt Sarkozi, Nick Baxter, Guy Aitchison & Michelle Wortman, among so many, many others, are displayed in gallery format. With Volume 2 already in the works, Pint Size Paintings may grow to be the biggest collection of miniature artwork any where.

The canvases may be small, but there's nothing meager about the artwork. In fact, working on this scale was a challenge to many artists. I particularly like how Damon Conklin described it:

Miniature painting teaches the art of delivering only the lean nutrients of a piece ... graphic glorification of the lowest common denominator. No bones no fat no bullshit only the most important strokes of beauty.

The debut show of these mini- masterpieces will take place at Hell City Killumbus 2010 in May along with the book's release.

You can get a preview of the work yourself, including the ones below by Guy, Nick and Kari, on the book's MySpace photo page.

My guess is that the book will sell out fast, so it's probably best to pre-order it for about $30 from the Hell City Books online.

Sitting #4 with Mike Rubendall at King's Ave Tattoo

2010-03-02T14:26:55Z

[Ed. note - Brian Grosz has been getting tattooed by Mike Rubendall of Kings Ave Tattoo for several years now. His previous reflections on the process can be found here.]

Outside of the fluorescent lighting and the lack of leg-room, the train ride out to Massapequa was fairly painless. Ordinarily, I drive out to my sessions at Kings Ave Tattoo, but given the miserable weather (and the fact that NYC trending topics on Twitter were "Snowpocalypse" and "SnowtoriousBIG"), I decided that mass transit was the way to go. After all, I find driving in Long Island to be fairly treacherous in the first place, but the moment the weather turns sour, my van pulls a Cinderella and morphs into a giant lunchbox/cinder-block with Lindsay Lohan behind the wheel after a long night at the club.

I ducked into the cab-stand at the train station, which was manned by a squat man with hair plugs watching horse racing on a flickering television set. When he asked where I was heading and I replied, "844 Broadway at North Kings," he keyed the button on his dispatch handset and growled, "Someone get down here - I got one for the tattoo shop!" I suppose it's a popular destination in them there parts...

The cab screeched up outside and as I closed the door behind me, my driver - an older guy in a satin "Vietnam Vet" baseball jacket and presumably a laryngectomy - turned around, raised a device to his throat and asked in a robotic montone, "Tattoo shop?"

I responded in the affirmative as casually as I could, thinking to myself, "Jesus, I've gotta quit smoking..." But, as he spun the wheels and swerved out onto Broadway, I was hit with the notion that I'd actually had this very same cab driver in Poughkeepsie, NY, over a decade ago. After all, both hacks had the same flagrant disregard for traffic laws and the passenger's bill of rights.

While Mike was setting up and choosing colors for the left side of my chest (I've tried to keep this piece entirely in his hands in terms of color choice, design elements, etc), I mentioned my experience with my cyborg cab driver and the long-shot possibility that he had driven me to the Poughkeepsie train station back in '98.

"He's been driving forever and he did disappear for a few years - it's totally a possibility."

"No shit," I mused. "But I figured it would be rude if I asked him, based solely on the cabby/voice-box connection."

"Well," Mike proposed with a smile, "You could've asked him, 'Do you have a brother in Poughkeepsie? Because I know a cabby up there who sounds just like you...'"

A couple of hours later, we had completed the color for the Fu dog on my left side: orange and golden mane, red spots and blue eyes (for my father; the dog on the right will have green eyes, like my mother and an inverted color scheme). As I carefully slid into my shirt and coat to venture back out into the cold, Eric at the front desk rang up the cab company for my return trip to the train station. Apparently someone on the other line picked up because he simply replied, "Yeah" and hung up the phone.

"That was easy," I said.

In his best impression of the dispatcher he said gruffly, "Tattoo shop - one goin to the rail, right?"

I could only imagine who would be my driver on the way back... Admittedly, I was kinda hoping for Handsome John Pruitt - that guy with the hook for a hand who drove the tow-truck in Adventures In Babysitting.

###

[Kings Avenue Tattoo is located in Massapequa, Long Island and is home to artists Mike Rubendall, Grez, Matt Beckerich, Justin Weatherholtz and Brian Paul. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please call 516-799-5464]

Detroit Tattoo Expo Photos & Redux

2010-03-01T05:50:17Z

The 15th Annual Detroit Motor City Tattoo Expo has come to a close and while everyone else is at the after-party now, I'm staying in to break down the weekend for ya -- beyond my incessant Tweets -- because (a) I'm a nerd, (b) no really, I'm pretty socially inept, and (c) I'm simply freakin exhausted from all the parties that have been running till dawn since Thursday.

But, as I learned from the knuckles of Adam Callen of BodyMod.org, ya only live once and the past four days have been worth every bag under my eye. Which is why I stayed away from the cameras and just took my own less-than-stellar shots.

Check my Detroit Tattoo Expo pix here.

Ok, here's how it went...

* On Thursday, I arrived at the Marriott Renaissance Center -- a labyrinth of circular walkways that lead to GM cars, a suspended Starbucks and conference rooms that would be filled during the weekend with tattooists as well as pharmacists. [And during the course of this weekend, it was clear who were the drug dealers and who weren't.]

* The hotel lobby bar began to brim with the tattooed; lots of hugs, back-slaps and complicated handshakes were shared between friends who largely see each other on the convention ~~circus~~ circuit. Drinks were poured and the next thing I know, I'm whisked away to a casino in Greek Town (my people!) and taught how to play craps. This was my first lesson of the weekend. The second was not to drink tequila with Mexican tattoo artists. Let this be a cautionary tale for you as well.

* The snow fell hard on Friday, so attendance started slow but there was a steady stream of people. Most booths were buzzin as the artist line-up was stellar. What I particularly loved was the diversity of artists from different tattoo families. [I stole "tattoo families" from Sean Herman who used it to describe tattooers who inspire each other in a certain style.]

For example, you had long time black & gray greats like Jack Rudy, Brian Everett, Tony Olivas, Bob Tyrrell, Robert Hernandez, among many younger stars including the Lowrider Tattoo crew -- a crew who swept most of the B&G contests with work like this (right) by Abey Alvarez.

Then you had the amazing photo-realism family including, but def not limited to, Sean, Mike Demasi, Joshua Carlton, Mike Devries, Dan Henk, Monte, -- and Nikko Hurtado who did this rockin portrait on Alissa Brunelli of her father.

The real family of Americana legend, Professor Dana Brunson was in attendance. Dana worked the booth with his wife Dot and son Jason.

Bio-Mech/Organic was repped by Carson Hill, Nate Kostechko and the illustrated stylings of Jime Litwalk, Tony Ciavarro, Larry Brogan and Kristel Oreto rocked all weekend.

* In fact, the highlight of Saturday for me was seeing one of Kristel's pimped out Hello Kitty's on some guy's butt (entitled "Candy Ass"). Check it on her site here. And below is the (kinda NSFW) video of that special moment of adornment.

* It's funny how I completely adore the ass tattoo but freaked out over the MANY facial and neck tattoos on really young collectors -- kids that didn't even have sleeves but went straight for the career killers. *sigh*

* And in that "you kids get off my lawn moment," Adam from BodyMod (remember him from when I started this increasingly long post?) put me in front of his video camera so I could whine about how I get regular emails from these kids asking me to sue companies that won't hire them. To which I always say, Boo Hoo. [That vid should be up soon.]

* The show wound down around 7pm and most artists went out to dinn. I didn't join because I feared the post-dinner fest. And I'm all fested out.

Plus I wanted to share my weekend with y'all because, you know, I love you.

So, I head back to Brooklyn this Monday morn, rest up for a few days and then I'm off to Germany for the Frankfurt Tattoo Convention next weekend. My goal is to have photos and a review for that show as well ... and I have high hopes for more butt tattoos!

Guest Blog: The Changing Scene at Horiyoshi III's Studios

2010-02-26T13:05:26Z

John Mack is back with another story about getting tattooed by Horiyoshi III over the course of nine years. Check out his previous posts: Part I Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, and Part VI.

During the first years of my visits to Horiyoshi III, all manner of tattoo devotees were constantly present: foreign and domestic apprentices, Horiyoshi's clients, Horitomo and his clients, journalists, even graduate students researching their masters thesis or doctoral dissertation.

Quite a few of the apprentices and clients I recognized from photographs in the various books about Horiyoshi's work. This photo of was taken by Mr. Handa, who appeared in Takahiro Kitamura's book Bushido: Legacies of Japanese Tattoo. This book influenced my tattoo choices, and here was one of the characters from the book taking pictures of my tattoos! What a role reversal. [See a larger image of the above on Flickr.]

Everyone took advantage of the opportunity to brandish their tattoos. Japanese of many occupations change clothes for work, which allowed the apprentices to show more skin, and of course we clients had to expose our tattoos. Outside the studio, tattoos could be displayed only at public baths and once a year at festivals, so this was a welcome respite from the disapproval lurking out there in the real Japan.

Everyone was polite, yet quite interested to see each others tattoos in progress. When I undressed, those present would take the opportunity to scrutinize me. Privacy was not a part of this experience. Nonetheless, I became accustomed to it, and I too was able to observe many superb tattoos.
 
Around 2007, the scene changed. The hangers-on were gone, and Horiyoshi and I were regularly alone during my appointments. Journalists, sensing the the opportunity to record the end of an era, descended on the studios, where Horiyoshi welcomed them. I found it interesting to listen in on the interviews and even got the opportunity to comment myself.

Once in 2008, I arrived at the tiny Isecho studio to find it jammed with photographic equipment, a columnist for Tattoo Master magazine, an interpreter and a photographer. They took this fine cover photo for the Spring 2009 issue right there in that tiny room.

The mix of clients has changed over the years as well. In the early years of my experience, most appeared to be construction tradesmen, followed by non-Japanese, then Yakuza.

In 2009, I mentioned these changes in clientele to Horiyoshi and asked about the current mix. He gave the following estimate by profession:

* 60% Craftsmen and tradesmen. I found that many of these clients were themselves tattooists.

* 10% Yakuza.; Horiyoshi added that there are other tattoo artists whose clientele is almost entirely Yakuza.

* 30% Other. "You're in this category, John-san," he told me with a grin.

As for nationality, 30-50% are non-Japanese. "In fact, today all appointments are with foreigners," Horiyoshi commented one Saturday in 2009.

Rather than the mark of the Yakuza, these days a traditional Japanese bodysuit just might be the mark of a "foreigner."

--
Horiyoshi's practice is now limited to finishing existing clients' tattoos. As I have repeatedly witnessed, all new clients are politely referred elsewhere.

Detroit Motor City Tattoo Expo Live Blogging

2010-02-25T22:57:42Z

Just go to downtown Detroit's Marriott at the Renaissance Center for the 15th Annual mega Motor City Tattoo Expo, which begins tomorrow and rocks through the weekend. Will have my usual bad photos and redux at the end, but in the meantime, check my tweets (yeah, I'm embarrassed saying it too). Here's the latest feed below. To read it all, go to my Twitter account.

* Photos & redux of the Detroit Tattoo Expo are up. And at 3am, so am I. http://bit.ly/cWKumU
* @KristelOreto That Hello Kitty butt tattoo is Fantastic! And your client had a great sense of humor modeling it to tattoo paparazzi
* The Detroit Tattoo Expo has come to a close. You don't have to go home but you can't stay here. [Will join the masses at the bar soon.]
* Abey & Jose Lopez of Lowrider tattoo have swept almost every black & gray award all weekend. Their work is like butter, sooo smoooth
* Tattoo expos aren't just for tattoos: you can pick up jewelry, prints, tees and of course rubber ducky sex toys. http://yfrog.com/3l9o2dj
* Nice! RT @DanHenk Last piece I completed yesterday-customer's girlfriend with a sort of "day of the dead" mask http://twitpic.com/15vc1n
* Great portrait done at the Detroit Tattoo convention RT@AlissaBrunelli All done! Thanks again nikko! http://twitpic.com/15rovx
* Tattoo competition winners being announced. It's like American Idol for those with high pain threshholds. Amazing work without crazy Paula.
* Ok, my last tweet was too much "you-kids-get-off-my-lawn." I'm just jealous of their Gwen Stefani and Lil Wayne portraits.
* @sambot your hand tattoos are the cause of our nation's financial collapse!
* 20-yr-olds here covered in work (necks&knux) & at 37 i'm worrying about doing my hands & employability. I'll still wait till I'm an adult.
* The "tribal" category used to be the redheaded stepchild (ahem) of the tattoo competition world but it's getting better with more diversity.
* Tattoo mag photogs are shooting girls with large breasts & complaining about bra marks in the photos. Can't roll my eyes enuf.
* @NikkoHurtado is doing his signature portrait perfection on @AlissaBrunelli (a redhead now. Yeah!) Can't wait to see the result.
* Nothing sadder than poor facial work. And there's lots of it at this convention. [Of course there are some wonderful exceptions but rare.]
* Check tattooists working the Detroit Tattoo Expo: @NikkoHurtado @biggusink @DurbMorrison @DivisionTattoo and @KristelOreto.
* Uploaded just a few Detroit tattoo convention pics from Day 1. More to come: http://www.flickr.com/photos/needled/sets/72157623392321195/
* I do so love conventions where you can go up to tattooed strangers, ask them to take down their pants, and they do so without question.
* Detroit convention filling up despite snow. Booths buzzing with amazing work -- from Robert Hernandez B&G to Dan Plumley color portraits.
* Oh and these great legends of tattoo like Brian Everett & Jack Rudy are so open & friendly. No rock star attitude, even tho I'm star struck.
* Just gave Jack Rudy a copy of my Black Tattoo Art book and he's down to be in my Black & Grey book. Woohoo!
* "Conventions are places where you can get the worst work from the best artists." After last night's 3am pre-party, well...we'll have to see.
* Hangin with the West Coast boys and realizing how uncool I am when they see I have only one knuckle tattooed.

Russian Revolutionary Tattoo

2010-02-25T16:40:05Z

I beat the NY snow and made it to Detroit for the 15th Annual Motor City Tattoo Expo, so while I run around and stalk legends like Jack Rudy, Brian Everett and Tom Renshaw -- among so many other great artists -- I'm handing over the blogging reigns to readers for the rest of the week and have them tell ya about their tattoos.

Tattoos like this Russian revolutionary piece on Justin Frey by Richie Vomit of Siouxicide City Tattoos in Iowa. What I find particularly interesting about this tattoo is that it's a tribute to his wife. Instead of, say, getting her name tattooed on his neck, he decided to go the artful route and have a piece created to honor her birthplace.

I should just let Justin tell the story. Here's what he said:

"I decided to go with a Russian theme because my wife is a Russian. She grew up in Ulyanovsk, which is Lenin's birthplace. When she went home last year to finish up her final university term, I decided to surprise her with somewhat of a tribute to her people. I brought a couple of drawings to Richie Vomit and told him some of my ideas. I was very vague -- which I know tends to make life difficult for artists -- but Richie really took the project and ran with it, and the end result turned out to be amazing.

I had seen Richie's work while reffing for the roller derby team in Sioux City -- many of the women had work done by him and the art was just gorgeous. You could tell he put a lot of thought and effort into the tattoos, and I figured I really had to get some work done by this guy.

During the design process he was very communicative and open with me about what elements he was thinking about drawing up and why. Then we made the appointment for me to come in and get the line work done. About a week after the appointment was made, I received a very good job offer in another state and was worried that I wouldn't be able to make it back to Iowa for a long time to get the work finished. Rich totally came through for me, cleared his whole schedule, and hammered the tattoo out in a 9-hour sitting. We were both in pain by the time he was finished, and I was incredibly happy with the end product.

My favorite part of it would be the eyes that are superimposed over the star. Those are my wife's eyes, drawn from one of her pictures.

I'm really looking forward to heading back to Iowa to get more work done by him."

Artist Profile: Bill Canales of Full Circle Tattoo

2010-02-24T18:06:18Z

Last month, I put out a call for skull and heart tattoos for a spread in my next tattoo book, and here's just a taste of what I received: These Tibetan skulls above tattooed by Bill Canales of Full Circle Tattoo in Ocean Beach, Ca.

I know. Amazing, right?!!

See full size images of the tattoos on Flickr here and here. As an added bonus, the backpiece was documented by Michael Flores, director and cinematographer for Mad Media. Check his video montage below or watch it on Vimeo here. [The Kings of Leon song is an inside joke.]

Bill Canales - Backpiece Tattoo Montage from Mike Flores on Vimeo.

Naturally, I had to find out more about these two pieces created on Bill's clients David and Denny. The images were submitted by Full Circle shop manager and Bill's apprentice James Tran -- who has a kick-ass blog -- so I asked James to tell me more about the tattoos. Here's what he said:

"Both David and Denny are good friends of mine, and after these tattoos, they became close with Bill. The pieces had started in late March of 2009, and both guys wanted to get their pieces done as soon as possible. Because we had planned this venture out a few months ago, Bill was able to schedule David and Denny to be tattooed two weeks between each session with a few sessions only a week a part. David originally wanted a Tibetan skull, while Denny requested a dragon back piece. Yet they also wanted a different element to be included in their work. After some thought and consideration, they had decided to get both a dragon and a Tibetan skull -- of course done differently.

Everyone in this project understood this was going to be a grueling venture. David was already heavily tattooed with his back and arms finished, while Denny only had his first tattoo on his lower leg by Bill, not even an entire year earlier. I was there for every session for both guys. There were no easy days; every session was a test for both David and Denny, and Bill as well.

David's tattoo was finished earlier than Denny's -- his entire chest and stomach took only 25 painful hours to complete -- while Denny's back lasted 35 hours. Interestingly enough, Denny had almost every session professionally recorded by our talented friend Mike Flores, for what was originally a small side project that is becoming a short documentary about the entire tattoo process.

Denny's back tattoo was actually finished at the Ink-N-Iron Long Beach Convention in June of 2009, a little over 2 months after the tattoo started. This is also where both gentlemen won their first tattoo convention awards: Denny took home the Best Back Piece award and David claimed the Best Japanese Tattoo award.

For me, the best part about this story was that my close friends became close friends with each other. After so many hours of pain and laughter, blood and ink, a bond is often formed between tattooer and client. And this is true for both David and Denny, who are now great friends bonded by ink with my friend and mentor, Bill Canales. Things like this become a life long endeavor, and to me, the amazing people I meet through tattooing is what makes it all matter."

I'm grateful to James, Bill, David and Denny for sharing this work with us. More artist profiles from reader submissions to come.

Tattoo News Review

2010-02-23T19:09:39Z

Tattoos on beautiful Olympic bodies were the biggest buzz this past week. The hottest one: USA speed skater J.R. Selski's chest piece (above) -- screen-capped around the world -- revealed as he took his shirt off after being disqualified in the men's 1000-meter short track speed skating on Sunday (he won the Bronze in the men's 1500-meter last week). Speculation over the meaning of the tattoo sped over Olympic blogs. Celski is of Filipino and Polish heritage and so talk of the tattoo being a blend of those countries' flags seems to hit the mark. [Thanks to Regin Schwaen for the link!]

Then there is Britain's ice dancing minx, Sinead Kerr, whose ~~New Jersey license plate~~ lower back tattoo was (ironically?) revealed during her performance to Johnny Cash's "I've Been Everywhere." In 2005, she explained why she got the tattoo: "JP (the pair's longtime ballroom instructor, John Paul Deloose) said I should get one to remind me of my back so I would shake it more. He felt I wasn't sexy enough last season." And nothing says "sexy" like bad tribal.

The mini-Olympic rings tattoo on hockey player Julie Chu's foot stars in this NBC video -- a sweet story on how her whole family got matching tattoos in honor of her making the Olympic team. More on that tattoo here.

Chu's not the only tattooed hockey player on the US team. The identical Lamoureux sisters sport a family crest -- inked at their kitchen table by a local tattooer -- but on different body parts, which helps tell them apart.

And Bronze-medal winning snowboarder Scotty Lago shows off his tattoos (including faded lip work) and talks about more to come in this video.

Whether kitchen scratched, tramp-stamped or lip inked, the tattoos still mark bodies of those who can kick my butt as I type this sitting on my own big Greek one, so respect.

Ok, let's hit headlines in my own ring: the tattoo law links...

There's more news on South Carolina lowering the tattoo age requirement from 21 to 18 years of age. As I noted in a previous news review, much of the push to change the law comes from the inequity of allowing 18-year-olds to go to war but prohibiting them from marking their experience on skin when they return. That and of course money leaving the state as those under 21 go to Georgia or North Carolina to get tattooed. The Governor will decide whether the new bill changing tattoo requirements will be put into law. Keep in mind that the art was completely banned in the state until 2004, but it wasn't until March 2006 when regulations were in force for legal tattooing. [Oklahoma was the last state to lift their tattoo ban in May 2006.]

New York City's tattoo ban was lifted in 1997. Of course, many -- myself included -- were getting work pre-legalization, but once the signs were allowed to flash "Tattoo" neon in shop windows, the amount of tattooed bodies in the city made it like a Hieronymus Bosch painting, a garden of epidermal delights. Also delighting in the tattoo tidal wave has been law enforcement, melding old school skin art with technology to identify suspects -- as this popular NY Times article pointed out last week. We've talked about databases of criminal tattoos before but the article shows just how detailed -- and some argue invasive -- the Real Time Crime Center can be.

As this Orlando Sentinel article points out, the popularity of tattoos dilutes criminal tattoo identification because so many are getting inked with designs that once solely marked gang members.

And simply, so many are getting tattooed with flash designs. Will everyone with "Mom" on their bicep be a suspect because one idiot with that tattoo committed a crime? I'll be keeping a watch on the legality of these tattoo databases and whether they begin to truly impinge on civil liberties.

In pop culture and on its fringes, here are the tattoo headlines ...

Now there is someone in this world with an Ashton Kutcher tattoo. [right]

No.1 tattoo rule: Spell Check.

Nicole Richie regrets her dumbass tattoos.

With Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland release next month, we'll be seeing more of these Lewis Carroll tattoo stories.

Still diggin USA Today's Tattoo Tuesday blog but wish they'd credit all the tattooists whose work is featured.

Executive Chef of Sysco Food Services, Randy King, says Uncover those tattoos to restaurant workers.

And ending on a tear-jerking story...

Tattoo tributes to Renee Benson, a 29-year-old Orange County native who died of several forms of cancer, marked over 50 of her friends and family last week during a fundraiser at HB Tattoo in her honor. [More than $2,500 was raised for Benson's family to help cover medical costs.] Warning: the photos will hit you.