When you aren’t a tattooist, it’s easy to forget that while the tattooists are the ones who get the attention from tattoo aficionados and the media, there are people out there who keep the industry going without actually tattooing.  I’m talking about the people who actually build and sell tattoo machines.  While a lot of the people who build tattoo machines are tattooists themselves, some are just people who love tattoo and who want to see the industry supplied with quality equipment.  Jimmy Whitlock is one of those people.

Whitlock runs Lucky’s Tattoo and Medical Supply Inc. in Largo, Florida.  The business began in 2000 and now has 12 employees.  Whitlock himself has always been a big fan of tattoo and he wants to be able to supply tattoo equipment to professional tattooists who respect the industry.  Among his numerous clients is tattooist Bert Krak, a tattooist whose work I’ve always personally loved.

Whitlock’s father Bob is a retired medical supplier who owns the business and often works alongside his son.  Unsurprisingly, he takes a great deal of pride in the work that he and his son do.

‘”For people wanting a tattoo, for their own health and safety, they should use only a reputable licensed artist,” Bob Whitlock said. “There are too many people running around with infections and health issues related to poor tattoos and (Lucky’s) is not going to be a part of that.”’

Lucky’s itself is something of a tattoo museum – its walls are lined with images of ancient flash and there are tattoo machines on display made by the likes of Sailor Jerry himself.

‘”The business was started because I knew professional tattoo artists who were not able to easily find good parts and machines when they needed them,” he said. “They couldn’t find good tools for their trade.”’

Sounds good to me.  If you’re interested in purchasing from Lucky’s or you simply want to check them out, you can do so by heading over to their website here.

Once in a while, someone comes along who gets a pretty creative tattoo and even though the tattoo is quite typically not something that I myself would want to have done, I have to give the person who did get it done credit.  This is one of this times.

This past weekend, 22-year-old John Mosley of Norwich, England underwent a massive 24-hour tattoo session on his back courtesy of tattooist Rytch Soddy.  The tattoo is of the well known children’s book character Waldo, from the Where’s Waldo? book series.  If you don’t know who Waldo is, then man, you’ve been missing out and you should head to your nearest library at once to check out some Waldo books.  Seriously.

Anyway, as I said, Mosley had the tattoo done in a 24-hour period, with Soddy stopping for a two-minute rest period once every hour.  The end product is a full back piece with 150 characters.

”The finished result features inch-and-a-half high people in normal dress and historic and fantasy figures like Vikings, pirates, a caveman, cowboys and Star Wars characters. 

As well as the distinctive Norwich skyline, it also includes a pair of UFO flying saucers and a rocket blasting into the sky besides a smiling moon wearing a red and white hat.

Wally is pictured with his distinctive glasses, red and white striped top, bobble hat and blue trousers standing behind three women in bathing costumes.’

In addition to having some one of a kind Waldo art, Mosley’s tattoo raised £2,000 ($3,281USD) for the Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.  Nice one, John and Rytch!

This week I wanted to profile someone who was going to be tattooing at the big Hell City bash in Phoenix.  Kelly Doty just seemed like a great artist to profile because her work is so damn eye-catching.  There’s something about Doty’s stuff that just draws me in.  It’s quirky, but quirky can only go so far in terms of tattoo and Doty’s art definitely goes further than just being quirky.  Dark in nature/tone, original in style, beautiful in placement and its abundance of colour, Kelly Doty’s tattoo portfolio is fun to look through and impressive all at the same time.

Tattooing only since October of 2007, Doty’s tattoo work is often like something out of a Tim Burton film.  Strange little creatures doing wicked things and vibrant to the point of lifelike, even though they’re little more than figments of an active imagination.  Plus, Doty’s a Harry Potter fan and hey, I myself have to admit to having a dorky penchant for that dorky little teenage wizard and his exploits.

Kelly Doty currently tattoos at Off the Map Tattoo in Easthampton, Massachusetts, and if you like fun stuff that’s a little bit creepy, original and just plain well done, then I would most certainly suggest you get interested in the work of Kelly Doty.  What more is there to say?

Oh the lengths that people will go to in order to cash in on tattoos.  I’m not saying that I’m against the idea of helping out people with tattoos, but Long Beach, California based Tat2X has come up with a solution to a problem that shouldn’t even be a problem to begin with.

Tat2X’s latest brainwave is an arm sleeve that can be worn in order to cover up tattoo sleeves, so that people with tattoos can have fewer problems at their jobs or wherever they may be where tattoos are not appreciated.

‘Proudly made in the United States, Tat2X’s sleeve covers are designed to be cool and comfortable all day. The company offers three sizes to fit both men and women, in a range of shades to suit any skin tone. The sleeve covers offer UPF 50+ protection, which is excellent for skin cancer survivors and tattoo enthusiasts alike. In addition, they give skin cancer survivors an easy way to hide their scars and boost their confidence. The fabric is machine washable and has no internal seams that rub or chafe. The quality fabric design features gripper elastic to hold the tattoo cover in place even during the most strenuous tasks.’

Hey, if anyone knows about having to cover up tattoos in the work place, it’s me.  I did it for almost three years in Japan and it sucked royally, especially on hot days.  All I was using at the time was a tensor bandage, so it does sound decent that Tat2X is making a sleeve that is designed to be cool.  At the same time though, it is ridiculous that such products even have to exist.  It’s not Tat2X’s fault that this is the case, but the fact that they are selling a product designed to cover up tattoos strikes me as insane.  Still, I guess if you need to cover up in order to keep your job, this just might be the product for you.  Hopefully one day soon, stuff like like this will be completely unnecessary.

Strange practices.  Strange practices indeed.  A recent inspection of applicants for flight attendant positions in South Korea is  causing quite a stir and receiving more than a few complaints.  Garduda, the Indonesia based airline was recruiting in South Korea, when they decided that job applicants must not have tattoos or breast implants.  We’ve all heard of or even experienced various bits of tattoo related descrimination when it comes to employment.  But Garuda isn’t screwing around – they’re taking things to a whole new and frankly, demented level.

It apparently isn’t sufficient for Garuda flight attendants to cover up their tattoos if they have any.  Never mind the fact that tattoos are illegal in South Korea and considerably difficult to get.  Garuda officials in South Korea informed applicants that they were to strip down to their underwear so that a male doctor could examine their bodies for any dreaded tattoos or breast implants.’

‘Applicants for cabin crew for Garuda Indonesia charged that they were asked to strip to their underwear and a male Indonesian doctor touched part of their breasts for implants. The airline’s office in Seoul said it is company policy for cabin crew to have no tattoos and breast implants.  Garuda spokesperson Pudjobroto denied local media reports that applicants stripped naked and their breasts were fondled. He said breast implants are health risks during a sharp drop of air pressure and the physical examination adhered to international standard and practice in the airline industry.’

Uh huh.  Yeah.  Sure.  Because we all know that no one with breast implants ever boards an airplane, right?  Call me niave, but I didn’t think that job descrimination against people with tattoos could actually get much worse. 

I guess I was wrong.

If you’re looking for something massive to do this coming weekend, then look no further – one of the best tattoo conventions in the United States is having its Arizona bash from August 26th to August 28th in Phoenix.

The Hell City Tattoo Festival is renowned for being full of mayhem, amazing art and artists and literally one hell of a good time.  The festival will showcase so much stuff that I can’t even list it all here, it’s just that big.  There will be unreal tattooists as per usual, inking those few who are lucky enough to book a spot.  If you’ve ever dreamed of an opportunity to get some Nick Baxter or Durb Morrison work done, then this is your chance, as well as a chance for so much more.  Honestly, the talent of the attending artists is so huge that it’s just one big dream come true for tattoo lovers everywhere.

There’s still time to buy your tickets in advance if you’re interested in going and those who buy their tickets in advance receive a small discount.  Advance tickets cost $22 for a one day pass, $42 for a two day pass and $62 for the weekend pass.  If you wait and buy your tickets at the gate, you’ll be paying $25, $45 or $65.  If you have any other questions or you’re just wanting to see what all is going down at Hell City Phoenix, then pop over to the website here.

The problems continue.  Tattoo regulation has taken many different forms depending on which country, province or county that it exists in.  While I continue to be a supporter of tattoo regulation and proper licensing, there’s no escaping the fact that no amount of regulation is ever going to completely wipe out DIY tattoo and the purchasing of cheap tattoo equipment off the internet. 

In the UK and particularly in Scotland, tattoo parties in which underage people gather at someone’s home and proceed to get tattooed by unlicensed and untrained scratchers, is on the rise.

‘In 2007-8, only two people were charged under the Tattooing of Minors Act 1969, rising to three in 2008-9, six in 2009-10, before reaching 16 last year.’

This is an issue that needs to be dealt with, not by the tattoo community (as has been the case thus far, with licensed tattooists having to clean up the shoddy work of scratchers on young people), but by the governing bodies and health departments of those governments.  Licensing professional tattooists and doing annual inspections of their studios has nothing to do with the ability to purchase tattoo equipment off the internet and throw a tattoo party.

In Edinburgh, Scotland this week, three scratchers have been charged with performing illegal tattoo on underage clients.  It’s good to see that authorities are clamping down on this type of activity, but I don’t particularly care for the ignorance on the part of governing officials as they seem to be subtly pushing the ball back into the court of licensed tattooists.

‘There are 27 licensed premises in Edinburgh which carry out a mixture of tattooing and/or body piercing, with around 60 licensed individuals working in these studios.

Councillor Robert Aldridge, the city’s environment leader, said: “The council views the tattooing of under-18s as a very serious matter and it is made clear to licensed operators that they could face having their licence revoked if found guilty of such an offence.”‘

It’s clear that the numbers don’t support the idea that the cause of this problem rests with crooked tattoo operators.

‘It is understood that the three people charged by police were responsible for 15 children being tattooed over the year, with only one charge relating to a licensed establishment.’

The real issues here need to be focussed on.  Legislation and regulation are important aspects of any tattoo industry, but beyond this, the real rule of law needs to find a way to eliminate the ease with which untrained, unlicensed scratchers can easily get their hands on tattoo equipment.  Until this occurs, we will only see tattoo parties and illegal tattoo rise. 

When it comes to types of tattoo styles, I have to admit that biomechanical is probably my least favourite.  Just doesn’t really appeal to me.  I guess that’s probably why I haven’t really focused on a lot of artists who are adept at the biomechanical style, which now that I think of it, isn’t really fair of me.  So, I decided to look at some biomechanical tattooists and see if anything could catch my eye.  What I discovered was Al Pervy, a self-described “…French tattooist working in London at Extreme Needle and Haunted Tattoos.”

Mr. Pervy’s biomechanical work is solid enough to attract any enthusiast of that style.  In addition to his biomechanical work, he also does excellent realism work, which if I’m being honest, is what initially attracted me to his portfolio.  Regardless of my preference, Pervy has a true love for biomechanical and he tattoos like someone who has a true love for what they do.  He hasn’t been tattooing all that long – only since 2007, but his work shows great ability and passion.

Pervy was apprenticed in Southern France, at Franck Tattoo by Franck Rougerie.  After his year and a half long apprenticeship, Pervy hit the road and moved to Aix en Provence, where he set up shop for almost two years.  After those two years, he decided that it was time to skip across the pond to London, which he now calls home.  Check out his work, he’s definitely a tattooist worth keeping an eye on!

Subcultures are great.  Some of the most interesting stuff just happens to come from places that most people didn’t know about or didn’t initially understand.  Tattoo of course, falls into the category of subculture, although in the past few years it has certainly moved away from that concept.  Still, there are numerous aspects of the tattoo culture that continues to rightly deserve its place as a subculture.

Graffiti carries with it a lengthy legacy of street artists existing within their own culture, a culture that has also seen more than its share of artists like Mister Cartoon or Banksy hitting the spotlight.  There are literally thousands of tattooists who initially began as grafitti artists, and for this reason graffiti and tattoo are forever linked.  But beyond similarities in artistic style, graffiti also exists as something that tattoo is familiar with: an art form practiced by social outcasts whose work is all too often not appreciated or taken seriously.

Recently the West Side Youth Violence Prevention Coalition in Buffalo, New York held an anti-graffiti workshop for police and community leaders.  Though this article talks about the artistic merit of the graffiti on display, in general there seems to be a desire to push the artists toward something better.  What that something might be however, is not made clear.

‘Diana Martin, a block club leader, said she was surprised at the “quality” of the graffiti shared with the audience.

“If you could channel that talent into more creative efforts, it could be very valuable,” the Greenwood Place resident said. “They’re searching for some kind of recognition.”’

I personally believe that graffiti artists are searching for some kind of recognition, but that not treating graffiti art as a crime is the solution.  When all is said and done, graffiti is art and no art form should be banished or made illegal.  Think of the problems that neighbourhoods in any city in the world have faced in terms of development, gentrification, overpriced housing, violence, etc, and you’ll quickly see that a little art spray painted here and there is hardly a major concern.

Well folks, it’s all over.  In a move that many will cynically praise, television network TLC has announced that this season of the hit reality TV series LA Ink will be its last.

Apparently Kat Von D has only now noticed that her show is little more than a manipulation of the editing process, by which footage is turned into a series of supposedly scandoulous events.  Discussing the news of the cancellation with People magazine, Von D said:

‘“In an effort to capitalize on my recent breakup, the network has decided to focus their energy on re-editing events that didn’t happen while filming.”  “I have no regrets and am very proud of the original footage. In my opinion, any attempt to compromise the honesty of that would be an insult to my fans and viewers.”’

Sorry Kat, but your disdain at the network for messing around with the original footage should have reared its head about three years ago.  How she’s just noticing this now is beyond me.

Still, I can say that LA Ink did have more than its fair share of fans and for a brief period it brought something interesting to regular television.  In the end however, the show failed at focusing on tattoo and the people who devote their lives to the craft.  When it wasn’t stirring shit and creating boring arguments amongst the staff at High Voltage Tattoo, the show delved into nothing more than shameless self promotion by Kat and the other members of staff who had “side-projects”.  Like Dan Smith and his band that no one listens to.  Hopefully being on LA Ink made these people lots of money, because that’s all it was really about.

See ya around, LA Ink.