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#151
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DECEMBER • 2014
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★ BRIDGEND TATTOO ★ LEVI COX ★ BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS TATTOO ★
issue 151
DECEmbEr
2014
contents
12
Point 2 Point
SOM
16
14
Ask Angel
Bridgend Tattoo
Studio
18
20
Blood Sweat &
Tears Tattoo
28
Rough Rider Tattoo
Expo
25
Get Real Part II
Best Business
Cards Contest
Sexy Side
Kitty Crystal
43, 44
Art Gallery
Artist Profile
46
40
PAINful Music:
Comedy Edition
Levi Cox
advertisers index
21
APT 5th Annual Tattoo Trade Show 2014
48
Bicknee Tattoo Supply Company
26-27
Desert Palms Emu Ranch
17
Domos Tattoo Machines
23
DPS Tattoo Products
7
Dr. Piercing’s Aftercare
47
Eternal Tattoo Supply
52-Inside Back Cover
Face & Body Professionals
42
Friction Tattoo Wholesale
13
Galaxy Tattoo Furniture
29
H2Ocean Natural Aftercare
4
Inkmasters Tattoo Show
49
Kingpin Tattoo Supply
9, 45
Metal Mafia
Inside Front Cover-1, 31
Micky Sharpz USA
10
PAINMAGAZINE 8
Editor-In-Chief
R Cantu
Art Director
Bill Wetsel
art@painmag.com
Contributing Writers
Elayne Angel
Jay Cousins
Austin Ray
Darin Burt
Judi Perkins
Tanya Madden
Editor
Sandy Caputo
editor@painmag.com
Microrodermals
Monster Steel
North American Bancard
Needlejig
Painful Pleasures
Palmero Health Care
PPIB
Pulse Tattoo
Rejuvi Labs
Salesone Body Vibe
Tat Soul
Tatu Derm
Tattoo Goo
Tommy’s Supplies
Welker Tattoo Machines
Account Executive
Jennifer Orellana
Steve Butz
30
38-39
APP 20th Annual Conference & Expo 2015
Publisher
Ralph Garza
APT
SOM
Show/Expo
staff
51
Back Cover
42
37
6
24
33
5
33
50-51
2-3, 11, 35
24
15, 25
19
Inside Back Cover
jenn@painmag.com
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steve@painmag.com
505-275-7255
Executive Assistant
Richard DePreist
richard@painmag.com
505-275-6049
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Cover Courtesy:
Artist Profile pgs 40-41
Levi Cox
Copyright 2014 PAIN Magazine. All rights reserved. Published monthly by Pain, Inc.
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A
s the year comes to a close, we look back at this past
year and can’t believe where time has gone! We hope
you enjoyed 2014 as much as we have! This issue we
have a very special series starting and as you turn the
pages of Pain Magazine this month, there is one place
that you absolutely must STOP. In place of her regular monthly article,
we asked Elayne Angel to allow us to re-introduce her to the industry.
For those of you who know Miss Elayne Angel, know that she has
been crucial to the growth of the industry…but for those of you who
do not, please allow us to give you the inside scoop! Check out Judi
Perkin’s interview series with Elayne Angel and find out why she is
such an asset to this ever-growing industry.
Next, check out the Say NO to Bootleg Ink Campaign! Do you
know what’s in your ink? This article finishes our two-part segment on
the topic and provides you with the resources to know the difference
between quality and fake ink. Don’t risk the safety of your trusted clients
by using inferior and counterfeit pigments. Join the campaign today!
Lastly, Pain has a question for all of our readers…Do you want
to see more art on the art gallery pages of Pain Magazine?
We would love to expand certain sections of the magazine but we
need your help to do it! We need all of our talented readers out
there to send in your best work! Please email editor@painmag.com
for submission guidelines. Don’t complain about your presence in
the industry if you aren’t taking the steps necessary to improve it.
Email our editorial department today and be seen tomorrow!
Everyone here at Pain would like to wish everyone a Happy
Holiday Season and stay tuned for an even better year as we ring in
2015! Cheers.
PAINMAGAZINE 10
PointToPoint
Jay Cousins
L
WEST VIRGINIA, WISCONSIN
& WYOMING
ast month we looked at the body art regulations from the
State of Vermont, Virginia and Washington. This month we
look at the minimally regulated Mountain State of West
Virginia, the minimally regulated Badger State of Wisconsin
and the essentially unregulated Equality State of Wyoming.
During the 2010 legislative session, the West Virginia
legislature amended the Tattoo Studio Business section of their
body art ordinance. It now requires all tattoo studios to discuss
risk factors with all of its tattoo customers. The West Virginia
Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) also informs
customers of the potential that a tattoo may interfere with the
clinical reading of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study.
In West Virginia, a minor under the age of 18 requires
written consent from a parent or legal guardian.
Although West Virginia is considered minimally regulated,
it packs some punch as far as compliance. Article 38 Section E
under “Sterilizing Needles” states, “No less than twenty-four sets
of sterilized needles and tubes shall be on hand for the entire
day or night operation. Unused sterilized instruments shall be
re-sterilized at intervals of no more than six months from the date
of the last sterilization.” West Virginia requires any owner of a
tattoo studio to apply for a business registration and register with
their local or regional board of health. Failure to do so carries a
$100 fine upon conviction for the first offense. A second offense
carries a $500 fine and possible jail time of no more than 10
days. A third offense carries a fine up to $1000 or jailed for no
less than 30 days and no more than one year. In addition to fines
and possible jail time, the State of West Virginia can confiscate
all tattoo equipment and paraphernalia at any time.
The State of Wisconsin had a basic body art ordinance in
place in 1996 under Wisconsin Act 468. They did a complete
re-vamp in 2009 to include health and safety requirements to
control diseases such as HIV and hepatitis. The re-vamp was also
due to a significant increase in tattoos being performed in private
homes. Tattoo studio owners in Wisconsin say their shops are
inspected and held to high standards but also point to the weak
regulatory link as the reason almost anyone can obtain a
Wisconsin individual practitioner’s license with no training or
educational requirements. After reviewing the seven page
Wisconsin Tattooing & Body Piercing ordinance, Wisconsin
requires no coursework or testing of new tattoo artists. Essentially
the new tattoo artist simply fills out an application and sends in
$60 for a one year license to tattoo.
State of Wisconsin health officials agree more education and
training is necessary prior to approving an individual tattoo
practitioner. A Wisconsin committee was formed several years ago
and considered the issue and recommended code revisions but
they were not adopted into law. The State of Wisconsin is currently
looking at revising the code to include more stringent health and
safety requirements. The State of Wisconsin prohibits anyone other
than a physician in the course of his or her professional practice
from tattooing or offering to tattoo a child under the age of 18.
The State of Wyoming is considered essentially unregulated.
The State of Wyoming does not require a tattoo shop license at
the state level. However, if your business operates a tattoo shop
in Wyoming you may be required to obtain a tattoo shop license
at the local level or comply with other licensing laws at the state
or local level. Wyoming has a “PROHIBITED ACTS” document
written in 1983 and repealed in 2007 to include penalties for
conducting body art procedures on minors. Wyoming prohibits
any person from performing body art on any person who has not
reached the age of majority, usually 18 years old, without the
consent of a parent or legal guardian.
Charles Jamieson, a Park County public health officer in
Wyoming has been pushing the state to regulate Wyoming’s
tattoo industry. Jamieson, a Cody area pediatrician who
has served as the county’s public health officer since the mid
90’s said he has spent years lobbying the state to regulate
the business without success. “Luckily, we live in a pretty clean
population but this is how things like HIV and hepatitis are
spread.” Jamieson is asking the state to appoint a regional
inspector to help certify tattoo shops that conduct business outside
Wyoming’s larger cities. O
Jay Cousins works for the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department. He started working for the city in 1985. In 1994 he started working
for the restaurant, swimming pool, and body art inspection program. He has approximately 600 facilities in his jurisdiction, including body art
establishments. He started doing body art inspections in 1999 and has conducted over 500 body art facility inspections since then.
Jay is also a high school and college baseball umpire and works as a fill-in umpire for the Albuquerque Isotopes.
PAINMAGAZINE 12
B
ridgend, a small city in South Wales, just might be the perfect
location for building a thriving tattoo studio. Being situated
slap bang in the middle of two of South Wales’s major cities;
Cardiff and Swansea, makes the tattoo scene there quite
diverse with collectors and casual tattoo enthusiasts alike.
“Styles range from flash based traditional, new school, neo
traditional to realism and abstract so there are lots of styles a good
tattooist can do and indeed specialize in and still remain busy. It’s a
very exciting time in this business and the envelope is being pushed
on a daily basis,” remarks Nipper Williams, co-owner with Ronnie
Huxford, of the appropriately named Bridgend Tattoo Studio.
“Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we are still
standing on the shoulders of giants.”
Bridgend Tattoo Studio started off its life as Skin ‘n’ Ink, a
flash-driven shop, and that’s where Nipper got his start as a tattoo
artist some 20 years ago. The owner eventually passed on the business
to Nipper and another artist, at which time they changed the name
to Bridgend – but it wasn’t all roses, says Nipper, who admits to just
being “a guy that draws on people for a living.” Nipper called his
friend Ronnie, who he’d known for years from the Welsh music scene,
to manage the shop. It was Ronnie’s goal to turn Bridgend into
something more than a small town tattoo studio existing off the radar.
“After watching the boys work at many conventions, and using
the power of social media, I’m proud to say that the studio is
recognized globally,” Ronnie says. “We now have clients travel from
as far as Australia, Europe and all over the UK to get tattooed by the
boys and next year we will be working conventions outside the UK.”
continued on page 22
PAINMAGAZINE 14
By Judi Perkins
Elayne Angel Author The Piercing Bible—The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing President, Association of Professional Piercers
Allow us to present
Elayne Angel
T
hirteenth century Persian poet, Rumi, said, “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do,” but that could also have
been said by Elayne Angel, author of The Piercing Bible. Whether body piercing defines Angel or vice versa, there’s little
differentiation. Her influence ranges from conservative medical speaking engagements and influencing state regulations
to developing and naming new piercings within her specialization of genital and nipple piercing.
“Piercing is an extremely interpersonal act. It’s penetration of the body. It’s a metaphor for sex itself,” said Angel. “Piercers
need to realize they’re in charge, and they have the right to refuse service.” She’s heard “the client made me do it” too many times.
Her response? “What weapon were they holding over you?”
Angel’s passion fuels her ethics and desire to infuse that same passion and understanding to other piercers, some of whom
may have lost it, some of whom may never have had it. “Practitioners have the power and possibility of doing things to people
that are very serious, and sometimes irreversible or permanent,” she said. “It’s not a haircut. It won’t necessarily grow back or be
like it used to be, so this is really big stuff.”
She frequently says no more than yes. “Turning down business is good for your reputation. It garners respect and trust from
the client,” said Angel. “Your job is to educate. “ She counsels that it’s perfectly reasonable to suggest alternatives. “But if they
go down the street and get their bad idea piercing done by some other less ethical piercer, that’s not your fault, and it’s not your
problem.”
As Angel says, when your dire predictions come true, it’s you the client comes back to. Her clients hear it in terms they can
understand: “I’m in business to pierce. That I’m refusing your money and telling you I’m not going to do this piercing should be
an indication of what a really bad idea it is.”
Angel believes part of the problem is that piercing is still a young industry, and many piercers aren’t educated enough to know
what‘s a poor idea. “Good apprenticeships are rare. People who don’t have much to share and want to make money are turning
out poorly trained apprentices who then join the industry with little knowledge.” It’s the blind leading the blind.
“If you haven’t had a lot of training and someone wants a piercing in an odd spot on their body - their elbow or knee, ankle,
top of their head - if it’s a place you haven’t seen a piercing in before, chances are it’s a bad idea.” And other than a navel or
eyebrow, “if it’s a surface piercing and you don’t have specific training in surface piercings and you don’t have specific jewelry
used for surface piercings, just say no. They’re not going to do well.”
Get some balance. Get some passion. Get a grip. Eliminate the disconnect between you and the client, you and the piercing,
you and piercing responsibility. Angel’s been piercing since the 70s and is anything but jaded. “Every piercing I do I strive to
make it my quickest, my gentlest, my smoothest most painless piercing yet.”
She notes that if someone had a poor mentor, they may not even know what a good piercing looks like. She has online videos
of her piercing to show people. “I’ve seen videos on YouTube where people take 5, 10, 20, 30 seconds to do a piercing. I do it
in a part of a second. It’s instantaneous and very smooth,” Angel said.
Improving her skills remains a priority. She wants to delight her clients and leave them thrilled to have been pierced by her.
“If you feel like you have done it all and you know it all, it’s not true. You can still keep working to advance yourself and better
yourself as a professional. “
PAINMAGAZINE 16
Angel notes people may be undereducated because they don’t know where to gain information. In addition to her book, she suggests Jim
Ward’s Running the Gauntlet, as well as the Association for Professional Piercers (APP) procedure manual for which she spearheaded the
recent rewrite, and also attending an APP conference.
“You will be blown away by the quantity of information that’s available, the community, the support, networking and friendship,” said
Angel. “A lot piercers work in isolation, and it’s an incredible opportunity to come together with like-minded people who are kind, friendly,
warm, and loving.” If your piercing passion is dim, all the more reason to go. “Seeing the skills of the instructors and the knowledge, passion,
and dedication will inspire you to elevate yourself to a true professional.”
Influencing the direction of the industry is another reason. “There are still only a couple hundred members out of the thousands of piercers
in the world. We need to recognize that our industry is new, rather than waiting for regulation to catch up with us, telling us what to do and
how to do it.”
As she pointed out, doctors join the AMA and dentists join the ADA. “Professionals join their industry’s professional organization,
and piercers need to work toward professionalism and safety, doing it ourselves even if there’s no law to tell us.”
A piercer who believes they’re exempt from this has good cause to think again. Lack of good piercing ethics stem as much from over
ego as from lack of ego. Wanting to break new ground or be a client’s savior can be as detrimental to both the client and the piercing
profession as the inability to say no for loss of business.
Angel sees balance as key. “Pride in your work is not the same thing as having an ego problem. This is a service industry and a piercer’s
job is to provide good, safe service,” she said. “Industry wide I see people become ego focused rather than service focused, and the work
suffers. I don’t know what there is to get uppity about.”
Being a passionate piercer results in what she calls “good piercing energy,” said Angel. “Who wouldn’t want to feel passionate about
what they do every day? When you have that passion, you infuse the client with it. Piercing is – and should be – an energy exchange between
the piercer and piercee, and the better you get at that, because you have good piercing energy the more it changes lives!” O
Elayne Angel; Mérida, Mexico in the Yucatán!
Have questions about piercing? Have Photos? Need info? E-mail her at: elayneangel@piercingbible.com, www.piercingbible.com. Subject Pain Mag. or editor@painmag.com
PAINMAG.COM
Alliance of Professional Tattooist
A
responsible shop owner made notifications of three
Nontuberculous Mycobacterial (NTM) Skin Infections to
the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Licensing Agency,
and Local Health Department after one of his artists filled
his distilled water from the tap to get him through the
day. The CDC came in to do an assessment. I was lucky enough to
be invited to the initial meeting.
It was not the Forensic Scene from the Silver Screen I expected.
The Investigator, who was an Army Officer, collected information.
She asked for a client list and copies of the invoices of all the supplies
the artist had used. With the copies of the invoices she also asked
after the packaging of the supplies. She asked how it was packaged,
was the packaging intact, what carrier delivered it, who was the
courier, who signed for it, who may have handled it, how was it
opened, who opened it, had they saved the packaging, was the
interior packaging intact, were any of the supplies damaged, where
was it stored, who has access to the storage, etc. She explained they
were looking to eliminate as many factors as they could. While the
owner, artist and I believed the culprit could be the tap water the
CDC wanted to eliminate any other possibility. It was her job to create
a landscape then systematically eliminate potential sources.
She collected as much as they had and told them she would be in
touch to collect samples, which confirmed the source as the bottle he
had filled from the tap. He had only used the tap water to get him
through until he could get distilled water from the store. The clients
were not tattooed on the same day nor did all of them get infected.
The NTM had contaminated the rinse bottle, making it a fomite, so
clients were being infected even though he refilled it with distilled water.
clients medical cost out of pocket. I would like to go off on a tangent
and have you ponder some of the thoughts that ran through my head:
With the investigator so concerned on where and who had
contact with any item used in the tattoo, the vanguard being
concentrated on the supply company and method of delivery it brings
validity as to how can we be sure of the sterility of critical equipment.
There was a recent recall on pre-made sterilized needles and other
equipment sold on the internet which turned out to be not sterilized
and tested positive for bacteria growth. The reputability of the
manufacturers, suppliers and delivery services may be an important
factor. Are they actually sterilizing critical equipment? Are they
using 316 stainless steel needles? Is the solder actually lead free?
Are the pigments non-toxic? Will they stand behind their goods?
What about our own practices? Do you have a protocol in
place for unpacking and storing your supplies to minimize the chance
of contamination? How often do you refill your rinse bottle? Do you
disinfect it before refilling? What kind of disinfectant are you
using? When you clean it is the final rinse with distilled water? While
getting a tattoo denotes a personal responsibility we, being ethical
business operators, are ultimately responsible for our clients’ well
being. Without the client we are no longer in business. O
Chuck Householder
Secretary Alliance of Professional Tattooist
Body Arts Member Kansas Board of Cosmetology.
While this was unfortunate from the use of tap water to failing
to disinfect the rinse bottle after it was contaminated you have to
admire the integrity to immediately admit to using the tap water as
well as the owner stepping up with notifications and covering the
PAINMAGAZINE 18
D
ave Scearce, owner of Blood Sweat & Tears Tattoo, in Charlotte, North
Carolina, can still recall the first time he put ink to skin. The year was
1982 and he was 13 years old.
“I was always getting in trouble in school for drawing on everybody in
class,” he says. “There weren’t any tattooers in my hometown, but I was
fascinated with tattooing, and as soon as I figured out that you could draw
on skin I was hooked.”
“Tattooing chose me; I didn’t choose it,” Scearce adds.
Scearce learned the craft working at a handful of tattoo shops - first in
Richmond, Virginia, then in Durham, NC - one of those was a hard
working street shop.
“It was the only street shop in the area, and at midnight there would be
fifty release forms lined up of people waiting to get tattooed. Knocking
out so many tattoos in a day built my speed up for sure. I still have
nightmares about some of the tattoos I did when I first started,”
he says.
continued on page 36
PAINMAGAZINE 20
“We don’t want to stray from the old traditions,
but bring them kicking and screaming to the present.”
PAINMAGAZINE 22
“The problem with most shop managers or receptionists is they want to
use their role to eventually tattoo and see it as a back door to becoming
an artist, I’m a musician who fell into this world,” says Ronnie, a drummer
who has played with major bands such as The Damned, The Buzzcocks,
BMTH, BFMV, FFAF, Youmeatsix, Skindred and those Damned Crows.
“Like a sponge, I soaked up as much information and learned how each
artist works at the studio- their style, speed, basically their whole approach,
then I try to help in anyway I can and make life easier for them.”
“To be an artist I think you have to be slightly mad, and that does spill over
into our decision making, so to have an element of sanity on your side is
huge,” Nipper says. “We have always agreed as a team to provide a
friendly yet professional atmosphere at Bridgend Tattoo… its important to
give clients the best experience possible.”
Rounding out the talented crew at Bridgend are tattoo artists Mister
Chris (Chris Harrison) and Rhys “Mostyn” Williams, and piercer Ricki
Duncan. Nipper specializes in black and grey, Chris is focused on
bold color work, and Rhys does everything and anything in between.
Ricki is highly rated and skilled in body modification, performing
piercings ranging from standard to the more exotic/custom piercings.
As dermals have gained popularity in the UK, Bridgend has imported
Neo Metal, and is the only studio in Wales to offer this specialized jewelry.
“We all specialize in different things and all have a different approach
regarding tattooing and design. We constantly bounce around ideas
but remain unique to ourselves,” Nipper says. “We are definitely a
custom-focused studio; it keeps things fresh. . . to be honest is keeps it
more interesting for us. “
“Unique is so hard to achieve nowadays, although we do strive to
push boundaries and create a different atmosphere here at Bridgend,”
Nipper adds. “Rome wasn’t built in a day, and we are still standing on
the shoulders of giants. What I mean by that is that we still have respect
for those who came before us. We don’t want to stray from the old
traditions, but bring them kicking and screaming to the present.” O
Bridgend Tattoo Studio
Bridgend, South Wales, UK
www.bridgendtattoostudio.co.uk
PAINMAG.COM
PAINMAGAZINE 24
Part 2
Get Real
By Darin Burt
The true cost of fake tattoo ink is higher than you think
W
hy would a professional tattoo artist want to degrade their
art and risk the safety of their trusted clients by using inferior
and counterfeit pigments?
Obviously, they wouldn’t. The dilemma is that many are just not
aware they are doing it.
“The problem is that everyone wants a deal,” says Lou Rubino,
Jr., owner of World Famous Tattoo Supplies, “so if they find something
on eBay or Amazon that’s cheaper, they think they’re getting the legit
ink at a great price, when actually, they’re getting something that’s
likely complete garbage.”
Rubino has banned together with other leading manufactures and
distributors of tattoo ink to bring awareness to the issue. The goal of
their Say NO to Bootleg Tattoo Ink campaign (www.facebook.com/
bootletattooink) is to educate artists and studio owners about the dangers
of sub-standard tattoo ink and how to tell the fakes from the real thing.
Ink manufacturers are constantly updating their labels to make
them more difficult to copy. Kuro Sumi, for instance, has an embossed
logo on the bottle neck, and a gold foil stamp with the word “Genuine.”
Eternal’s bottles are known to be marked with the name of the bottle
supplier. Intenze shows in a Youtube video that authentic products from
their company have foil seals and clear caps.
One of the dead giveaways is if you’re buying something from
China and it’s stamped Made In the USA. You don’t need David Caruso
to examine that evidence.
Ebay is a prime marketplace for fake tattoo ink. Rubino and
others have done their part to stop it on the e-commerce giant, but
even when the sellers are banned and their listings removed, they
simply sign up with a new account.
“If you’re buying tattoo ink, and it’s a quarter of its normal price,”
Rubino says, “that should raise a red flag right there.”
If there’s any question as to authenticity, check the company’s
website and social media pages – look for images of their facilities
and processes in action, and if you need further proof just ask. If a
company is on the up and up, they will be able to supply a copy of
their Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), which discloses product
information in accordance with requirements of the U.S. Government’s
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Most established ink manufacturers are selective about the
distributors they allow to represent their products. Commonly,
manufacturers will post a list of approved distributors on their website.
If all else fails, you can usually buy directly from the source.
“There are a lot of legit tattoo supply companies in the U.S.,”
Rubino points out, “There’s no reason to go through some no-name
Chinese company – or for that matter, even a no-name, small company
in the U.S., which could be selling fakes.” O
PAINMAG.COM
TattooExpo
E
verything has its start…from tattoo conventions to the cities
where they are held.
Being a native son of Fargo, North Dakota, and having spent
his 15 year body art career there, Chuck D, owner and piercer at
Dead Rockstar, felt it was time to bring area artists together for a
real, honest to goodness tattoo show. Until now, the closest show
was a three-hour drive away in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Now
there’s the Rough Rider Tattoo Expo.
“We’ve done a few small tattoo shows – I use that term very
lightly because it was just three or four local shops getting together.
Fargo is really thriving with the oil boom and everything, and
figured we were about due,” Chuck says.
Not everyone, however, was so easily convinced.
“When I first brought it up with our health inspector
I thought he was going to pass out,”
Chuck says.
“The way that our body art regulations are set up, there wasn’t
really anything in place to have this kind of event. Within the last
year, we had numerous meetings with the health department trying
to figure out a way around that,” Chuck says. “We ended up putting
every artist (participating at the expo) under the license of Dead
Rockstar. We kind of put ourselves out on a limb to make it happen,
but it went off without a hitch.”
continued on page 34
PAINMAGAZINE 28
PAINMAG.COM
To enter your business card in our monthly Best Business Card Contest, simply mail your card to PAIN Magazine, 9901 Acoma Rd. SE, Albuquerque,
NM 87123. Cards are selected based on what we think is cool, creative, or otherwise worthy of attention. All cards will be entered into a contest
for “Card of the Year” in 2014. The owner of the card selected by our distinguished panel of judges will win $100 worth of merchandise from a
PAIN advertiser. Winners will be notified by mail.
PAINMAGAZINE 30
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PAIN M A G A Z I N E
32
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PAINMAG.COM
TattooExpo
The Rough Rider Tattoo Expo was small by most convention
standards – just twenty booths and about forty artists; the majority
representing studios around the upper Midwest. A number of shops,
including Fargo’s No Coast Tattoo and Addictions Tattoo & Piercing,
and Bismarck’s Tailwind Tattoo, practically brought out their entire crew.
The expo also featured celebrity appearances from tattoo artist
Corey Miller, owner of Six Feet Under Tattoo Parlor in Southern
California and featured stars on TLC’s “LA Ink,” and house emcee
Brett ‘Big Schwag’ Wagner from Discovery Channel’s “Monster
Garage,” FX’s “Sons Of Anarchy” and the feature film, Texas
Chainsaw Massacre. Entertainment included the Blue Belle’s Burlesque
troop, and kickin’ live music from Pretty Boy Thorson and the Falling
Angels, In Defiance, and The Cold Hard Cash Show – a Johnny
Cash tribute band.
Among the many awards was the worst tattoo category. While
anybody with a bad tattoo knows that it’s really not something to
be proud of and show off (seriously), part of the prize along with a
toilet-shaped trophy was a $2,500 gift certificate for laser tattoo removal.
From Chuck’s description, Fargo is a pretty “artsy” community,
and the turnout for the expo reflected that interest. Some 1,500
people came through over the two days, and Chuck figures at least
half of them were curious first-timers to the tattoo scene.
“I was a little worried that the artists wouldn’t be that busy
because I wasn’t sure if people in Fargo understood how a tattoo
convention worked and that you can go there to get tattooed.
It turned out that not only were all the artists booked, but they were
turning away appointments,” he says. “For our first time, the show
really turned out great!” O
Rough Rider Tattoo Expo
October 24 & 25, 2014
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Fargo, North Dakota, Fargo Civic Center
www.roughridertattooexpo.com
I’ve paid my dues, and I’m still paying my dues,” he adds.
“I named my shop Blood, Sweat & Tears because that’s what I put
into tattooing; it’s consumed by life.”
When it came time to open his own business in 2008, Scearce
counted on his more than 20 years of experience, not only in the
art of tattooing, but also with how to run a business and deal with
customers, to put the odds of success in his favor.
“There’s a stereotype that goes with tattooing, but I don’t
like being put into a stereotype. Everyone here is very nice, very
professional and very respectful to the customers,” he says.
“BST (as it’s know to locals) doesn’t look like much on the
outside because I’m not a millionaire; it’s just a little green building,”
Scearce says. “But when you come inside, we’ve made it very
comfortable, laid back and relaxing.”
One thing you will not find is flash. At BST there’s no copying
allowed “Ninety percent of the time, we create everything
ourselves,” Scearce says. “There are times when people will bring
in something they find on the Internet, but we never copy somebody
else’s artwork. We might use it as a reference and change it around
to make it unique.”
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Working with Scearce are tattoo
artists Jeremy Hamilton, Chris Cox, Alicia
VanCuren, Eric Sparrow, and Dia Hall,
and piercer Nadira Rose. They’re a crew
of diverse backgrounds and talents ready
to tackle any and all customer requests.
Scearce likes to keep things simple,
and the majority of his designs are drawn
freehand onto his client’s skin.
“I’ve been drawing since I could
stand,” says Scearce, 43. “I can make a
tattoo fit the body a whole lot better if I
just draw it on directly. If I draw it on with
a pencil or pen I can put in as many small
details as I want. If I draw on a stencil,
such as if I’m doing a sleeve, I’ll do it
really small and then blow it up – I’ll never
draw it actual size because there’s a
tendency to put in too many small details.
I approach tattoos from a traditional
Japanese way – less is more; and it is
very legible and you can simply glance
at it and still tell what it is that you’re
looking at.”
“We treat everyone the same, and
we treat every tattoo the same. We give
each tattoo the correct amount of time
and attention that it requires. It doesn’t
matter how long a tattoo takes; what
matters is how it looks when it walks out
the door.”
Scearce has earned the respect of
locals, having been voted 2013 Best Local
Tattoo Artist by the readers of Charlotte’s
alternative weekly newspaper. It’s an
honor he doesn’t take for granted. Seven
years running, the crew at BST has put on
a big Halloween costume party for their
fans. The free event has grown so popular
that it’s now held at a local restaurant; it’s
so big that the fire department was called
to deal with the cars and traffic.
“It’s a good time, and a way to pay
back the community and our customers,”
Scearce says.
“Success to me is not in how much
money you make. It’s about how happy
you make people and how happy you
are with what you do,” Scearce says.
“I love my clients and I appreciate that
I have the opportunity to make art, grow
as a tattoo artist and do what I do for
a living.” O
Blood Sweat & Tears Tattoo
Charlotte, NC
www.bsttattoo.com
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Model: Kitty Crystal
Photographer: Liz Besanson Photography
Makeup/Hair: Kitty Crystal
Right Arm – Jenny B Good(Tradewinds),
Simon Velez(NYHC) and
Sean Beck(Mom’s Tattoos)
Left Arm – Mike Wooten(Jade Monkey),
Jenai Chin(Private Studio) and
Ben Zhener(Deceased)
Rib Piece – Megan Massacre
(Wooster Street)
Left Thigh – Sean Beck(Mom’s Tattoos)
Chest and Back – Peter Campbell
(Your Cheatin Heart)
Calves – Eric Poland(Majestic)
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Describe your apprenticeship. I apprenticed in Charleston Illinois, where
I was an art student. I learned a lot of cleaning tips and the fundamentals of
tattooing. I was reliant on a lot of trusting friends to help me figure it out on skin.
What is your favorite type of tattoo art? My favorite type of tattooing
is color realism. It’s a unique challenge every time. It’s always something new that
keeps me on my toes.
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What made you want to be a tattoo artist? I was
always interested in tattoos since I watched an episode of “The X-files”
that featured “The Enigma.” I remember thinking to myself that that was
the coolest man alive. What really turned my mind to doing them would
be my high school art teacher who told me that it was something that
she felt I would excel at.
Do you do guest spots? If so, what do you enjoy about
them? I have done guest spots and I feel that they are a great way
to expand your knowledge of the craft by working with people that you
normally don’t get to see tattoo, allowing you to ask questions and pick
up tips and tricks you normally wouldn’t have thought of on your own.
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Brandon Miller
Eternal Tattoo & Body Piercing Columbus, NE
Chris St. Curtis
Snake & Dagger Tattoo Co.
Flint, MI
Matt Allsman
Eternal Tattoo & Body Piercing Columbus, NE
Elmo
Catalyst Arts Collective
Kansas City, MO
PAINMAG.COM
Larry McDaniel
Just Ink Louisiana
Dylan Clark
Uncle Ty's Ink
Arkadelphia, AR
Clint Morrison
Joe Klemkow
American Pride Tattoos
Oxford, MI
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T
Comedy Edition
he first time I ever read the words “Brendan
O’Hare” was on August 7, 2012. I know this
because the first time I ever read the words
“Brendan O’Hare” was on Twitter when a friend
retweeted something the young and hilarious
human being with that name typed into his computer at
8:58pm on that date. The tweet read: “DATE TIP: Hold
doors. Pull the chair out for your date. Burp your date.
Change your date... oh God you are on a date with a
baby, ok stay cool.”
I love many things about this tweet (its absurdity,
first and foremost, and the way it starts proper,
but slowly unravels into unpunctuated chaos, and then
stick the landing perfectly), but I love most of all how it
makes me laugh out loud after reading it.
Turns out, O’Hare, who is an 20-year-old student
at Syracuse University, was quietly not-celebrating his
two-year Twitter anniversary. “I got started on Twitter in
August of 2010,” he tells me when I email him.
“I didn’t really know how to use it then, even less so than
I do now. I thought if I started tweeting, people would
just automatically pay attention. I was the first person
in my grade to actively use Twitter—at the time, Twitter
still had the stigma of “people only use this to say what
they’re eating and other mindless minutiae”—so even
people I knew didn’t care.”
O’Hare grew up in Branchburg, N.J., which is the
geographic midpoint between Philadelphia and New
York City. He had “a good upbringing” with great
parents and siblings. When he got to college this fall,
he got extremely homesick, reminding him about how
fortunate his life has been up to this point. He’s currently
studying television, radio and film, “which probably
serves some purpose.”
He first started blogging at 16, getting a paid job
writing as “one of the head NFL guys” for Bleacher
Report when he was 17. He also likes rap music.
“To make a long story short, yeah, I prefer humor
stuff,” O’Hare clarifies when I ask about what has
most of his interest these days. “Like, way more. I just
never knew where to write it. I would put it on Tumblr,
or unsuccessfully pitch things or insert bits of humor into
sports pieces. Once I started doing that, I was confused
as to why I wasn’t trying to write comedy all the time.”
That baby-dating tweet ended up getting hundreds
of retweets and favorites. While that’s no way to make
a living, as he joked, appropriately, in another tweet
(“Some of my best tweets have come from college so
yeah I’d say mom and dad are thrilled with their
investment”), it’s becoming increasingly clear that stars
can be born on the social network. Look at Rob Delaney
and Kelly Oxford, for example: people—smart, funny,
talented people, but just humans at the end of the day—
who have used the social network to amplify their best
qualities to a ready-and-willing Internet universe.
O’Hare may end up one of them if he keeps at it,
but more importantly, the website has helped him
navigate the tricky transition into college. “I’m in a new
state, and I know zero people. And I have to work my
ass off,” he says. “It’s basically like kindergarten, but
you have to pretend to be an adult. It’s extremely
awkward and weird and not what I’m used to. So the
tweets are a way for me to let off steam and comment
on me basically being a dipshit in social situations.”
Despite the awkward trials of secondar yeducation social circles, O’Hare seems to have a
reasonable head on his shoulders, especially
considering his age. He’s tried open-mic nights and is
considering other stage performance, but looks to
writing as a fall back—maybe even his main gig.
At any rate, he’s someone to keep an eye on—to
“follow,” as it were. As ridiculous as it is to ask a
college freshman what they want to do with their life,
it just feels right, so I ask anyway. “I’d really like to write
a sitcom of the quality of a Parks and Recreation,” he
responds. “I’ve always dreamed of Saturday Night
Live. I’d like to try stand up and improv, see where that
gets me. I just would like to be in the business of
writing and performing comedy, really. Nothing seems
better than a job I’m excited for every day. I really can’t
see living life any other way.” O
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