This Saturday, January 14th, to commemorate what would have been the 101st birthday of Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins, the rum brand inspired by the iconic tattooer will be sponsoring events in Chicago and NYC where lucky Americana fans could get original Sailor Jerry tattoos ... for free.

The Chicago Tattoo Co. and Fineline Tattoo will each be offering 101 complimentary tattoos from the flash sheet above, on a first come-first serve basis from noon to midnight at Chicago Tattoo and to 10PM at Fineline. Must be 18 or older to get tattooed and obviously 21 or older to get in on the rum drink specials. The Sailor Jerry peeps will be offering those drink specials at nearby Lil' Frankies in NYC and early customers in Chicago will get drink vouchers to be redeemed at Schuba's Trader Todd's (3216 N. Sheffield Ave). SJ swag will also be handed out to those who beat the rush -- definitely expect crowds. [While there are tons of freebies, tipping your artists and bartenders is appreciated.]

The two tattoo studios are a perfect fit for this celebration. As Nick Colella says:

Chicago Tattoo has a direct lineage to Sailor Jerry through Tatts Thomas. Jerry got his start in Chicago in the mid-twenties with Tatts on South State St. He later moved on to Hawaii. Tatts stayed in Chicago on South State St. until the early sixties when he traveled to work with Amund Dietzel in Milwaukee. After Milwaukee outlawed tattooing, Tatts moved back to Chicago to work with Cliff Raven at what is now The Chicago Tattoo Co; thus, Chicago Tattoo is in the direct and unbroken lineage to Sailor Jerry.

And Mike Bakaty's Fineline Tattoo -- the longest continuing running shop in Manhattan -- also keeps the Sailor Jerry tradition of letting the work speak for itself in its non-pretentious, hardworking old school storefront that welcomes everything from large intricate work to a piece of Traditional flash.

If you can't make it this Saturday to the events, check the artists' portfolios at both shops for Sailor Jerry strong tattoos.

UPDATE: AAlso this Saturday, from 12pm to 12am, Uptown Tattoos at 575 S. Carrolton Avenue in New Orleans, is offering 101 free tattoos of one of several original designs from the flash sheet above. Afterward, patrons are invited to join in on a bar crawl kicking off at 10pm at Flanagan's Pub (625 Saint Philip St.) where they can raise a glass to Norman Collins and sip on signature Sailor Jerry cocktails.

"Dermobot" by Chris Conte.

Today on Wired's Underwired blog, Hugh Hart shares some images and information on the Mobilis in Mobili: An Exhibition of Steampunk Art & Appliance show at Wooster Street Social Club (yup, NY Ink headquarters). The exhibit runs through Jan. 14 and the work, like those shown here, are available for purchase.

Bruce Rosenbaum, "steampunk evangelist" offers more on the show:

Mobilis in Mobili:  features work from artists whose work fuses Victorian aesthetics and craftsmanship with salvaged vintage components combined with modern devices to create unique works of art. It showcases the spectrum of Steampunk art and appliance from drawings to entertainment systems. These pieces take an innovative approach, transporting visitors through time, yet maintain a firm hold on contemporary contours and comforts.

I'm particularly attracted the piece above by Chris Conte entitled "Dermobot (Skin Crawler)," which features a functional mini-tattoo machine. And I know Brian Grosz is loving the work shown below, "The Grand Experiment," by Steve Brock. As noted in the Wired blog, it's "a 1964 Norma guitar with turn-of-the-century noodle-cutter handle and solid-brass door plate from Detroit's Book-Cadillac building."


Also shown on Wired is the "Steampunk 'Back' Tattoo to the Future" piece by Bruce Rosenbaum and Ken Taylor. Bruce describes the work: "I found this 1918 hand-cranked gas pump and restored it. [...] The hose that had been used to deliver the gas now swoops down and behind where the tattoo subject sits. Out of this nozzle comes a webcam so that when you sit with your back to the camera you can see this monitor attached to the gas pump and watch the work as the artist tattoos your back." I want!

The fantastical and mechanical imagery of Steampunk can often be found in tattoos. Here are some excellent examples below.

Tattoo by Stephane Chaudesaigues

Tattoo by Nick Baxter.

For more on Steampunk art & culture, check the vast number of links on its Wikipedia entry.

Tonight, from 6 to about 7:30PM, I'll be speaking on a panel entitled "Tattoos: Fleshing out Copyright Law" at NY Law School along with tattooist Michelle Myles and attorney Michael Kahn (who represented Victor Whitmill, the artist who inked Mike Tyson's facial tattoo and sued Warner Bros. for copyright infringement.)

We'll be having fun discussing the intellectual property issues as they apply or may apply to tattooing, and I'm sure creating some controversy over who owns your tattoos.

For a glimpse into our talk, check my previous posts on tattoo copyright. I'll also be doing a follow up on any new issues we discuss that haven't been brought up here.

The panel is open to the public, so feel free to come by and share your thoughts. 

Rounding out today's list of our favorite upcoming events is the much-anticipated opening of the Amsterdam Tattoo Museum, spearheaded by the legendary Henk "Hanky Panky" Shiffmacher & his wife Louis. The opening is this Saturday, November 5th, and top tattoo names throughout the world will be in attendance.

This is the third incarnation of Hank Panky's museum collection on display, but this time, he promises it will be "much bigger and better" with spaces for guests artists (check the impressive line-up already) and seminars in addition to their library, archives and research center. There will also be a cafe and bar, and "a small memorial garden set up to host urns with the last remains of tattooed people and artists." Read more on the museum's plans and upcoming events here.

Actually, to learn more, hear it from Hank Panky himself in this video below.



You can find more videos and information on the museum's YouTube and Facebook pages.

Continuing our posts on noted upcoming events, on the East Coast, Sacred Gallery in NYC presents "Immortal Until Death: The Cemetery Landscapes and Portrait Photography of Nathaniel C. Shannon." The show opens this Saturday, Nov. 5th, and runs until Nov. 27th. The opening reception is Saturday from 7-10 PM. More info on Facebook. 

Like the Idexa Stern and Aurora Meneghello collaboration, Nathaniel has documented the work of a renowned tattooist -- the godfather of neo-tribal tattooing Leo Zuluetta -- and his images are also featured in "Tattoo World" and my first book "Black Tattoo Art." But in this exhibition at Sacred, his photos from cemeteries are the focus of the show. Here's more background on this series:

As a child, each Memorial Day my parents and I would visit the graves of our ancestors at various cemeteries in Michigan. I always enjoyed these trips. They connected us as a family, helped me better understand my family history and provided perspective on who I am today.

Over the years, I became fascinated with cemeteries: the intricate architecture of mausoleums and headstone designs, the landscaping of the grounds and the expression of legacy present with each burial plot. As I grew older, I would frequent the cemeteries of Ypsilanti, MI, where I was raised, and wander aimlessly by myself for hours, enjoying the solitude, studying the tombstones and the names etched into them, creating stories about the dead.

Visiting cemeteries became a peaceful escape from the stresses of the living world, the cemetery gates serving as a portal to history. Naturally, as my addiction to photography grew, I brought my camera through that portal with me.

Because the photography of cemeteries is a very spiritual process for me, I prefer to be alone while I shoot. If the living are nearby, the tombs can't find me. I follow a personal code of ethics in these places, one that I choose not to share with others. The cemetery is not my home, it's the home of the dead. I respect the dead and am drawn to the energy of specific graves. When a grave does not want to be photographed, one way or another, its inhabitant lets me know.

My goal is to portray of these headstones in the same way I do the living: as a vital element of their position in space and time. After all, we are all suspects.

See more of Nathaniel's work on his website and blog. Hope to see you at the exhibit!