Tattoo parties have been around for a long time. The idea is a simple one. A group of people get together at someone’s house, a tattoo artist shows up and everyone gets a tattoo. Problem is that the tattoo artist is not necessarily qualified, the environment is not sterile, alcohol makes you bleed more profusely and crowds are distracting. Doesn’t sound like much fun to me somehow.

I am sure there are examples of good tattoo artists attending sterile tattoo parties where the clients were all of legal age, no alcohol or drugs were on site and the tats were of a superior quality. I just haven’t yet heard of one. The usual reasons for holding a tattoo party include celebrating an event (usually involves some form of inebriation), the lower cost per tattoo, the clients are minors or (worse) the tattooist is unqualified, unlicensed or just bad and has to work underground.

continue reading "Toxic Party"

How far? How about as far as Russia. Now, we all know that in everything there is a boundary that must not be crossed. Call it bad taste, call it social madness, even call it outright wrong. Russians have found just such a boundary and boldly gone where no true animal lover could possibly contemplate going.

The new trend first arose in Russia. While it may have occurred elsewhere before, never in recent history has any society embraced such an aberrant use of tattoo art with such openness and lack of shame. What is this horrid new fashion? It is the tattooing of one’s pets.Cat owners have taken to getting their felines tattooed with elaborate, colorful designs for no other reason than because they can.

continue reading "Tattoo Madness taken just a tad too far…"

Jackson Rathbone is the actor playing the role of vampire Jasper Hale in the Twilight sequel New Moon. If you do not yet know who he is, I am certain you soon will. This young man’s path to stardom will be short.

The multi-talented, and rather gorgeous, Rathbone also performs in the band “100 Monkeys” and finds that there is a distinct difference between rock fans and the Twilight series’ followers.

“The 100 Monkeys fans are wild—one of my bandmates once got molested in a bathroom after a show,” Rathbone says. On the other hand, he states: “Twilight fans are so amazing—they’re always asking me to sign stuff, like their faces, or their cell phones. I’m like, I don’t want to deface your cell phone! And I especially don’t want to deface your face.”
His fanbase has grown exponentially in recent months and he has recently stated his love for tattoos in Inked Magazine.

continue reading "Jackson Rathbone"

Heidi Klum, supermodel extraordinaire, mother to three children and wife of Seal has been photographed sporting a brand new tattoo on the inside of her arm. She was at the 67th Annual George Peabody Awards in June, in New York, when she was spotted with the new design adorning her arm.

There has been much made of the fact that an icon of fashion and style such as Heidi should choose to have a tattoo, as though this somehow detracts from her professionalism or her beauty.  In a typical judgement call, the media is almost saying that while tattoos may have evolved from the arms of sailors and gangsters they are really are not allowed too far past Hollywood and the music industry. Polite society, it seems, finds this all just a little bit too much to take…

continue reading "Heidi Klum is Sealed"

The Blade series of films features body art that has become nigh on legendary in its popularity. In the films, Wesley Snipes is Blade, the vampire killer, and carries the nickname Daywalker. His character is part vampire himself and is at once feared and revered by the vampires he hunts down. Blade has a martial arts style and weapons arsenal that is the envy of many a young man, and some who are not so young… but his real cachet is the fact that he carries probably the best tribal tattoos ever shown in a film.

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I had to chuckle. These two stories in the news last month each in its own way exemplifies why some people should, or just should not, have a tattoo.

The first story takes place in Sweden. It stated that Swedish cops were on the lookout for five girls for assaulting a man on a bicycle… Yes. I did a double take too.

What happened was that these five amazons purportedly dragged the hapless 50 year old off his bicycle, pulled down his trousers and ‘smalls’ and proceeded to sexually molest him.

continue reading "When having a tattoo is not such a good idea!"

Temporary tattoos are a touchy subject for many tattoo diehards. They are seen to be a bubble gum cheap and cheating way out for those who don’t have the gumption to commit to a permanent tat. In many ways, this is accurate, however temporary tattoos do have their place in life.

In order for a first timer to be certain they want that design in that colour on that spot, it is often recommended that a temporary work up is placed of the design in different positions or even sizes before the final decision is made. It makes sense that you want to test out a tattoo you’ve designed before you commit to it. It also allows you to understand what it means to wear a tattoo and see how people’s perception of you shifts.

continue reading "The Reason for Temporary Tattoos"

Tattoos as markers have been around forever but there is a new group on the horizon. A group of people so far no-one would have thought of as likely candidates for a tattoo. In fact, they are often advised against having a tattoo due to their compromised skin healing ability. This group is diabetics. Now, why would a diabetic be so foolhardy as to consider having a tattoo, much less a doctor actually prescribe one?

continue reading "Tattoos to be prescribed for Diabetics"

Sounds scary, and I suppose if you have something to hide, it would be. A Michigan State University researcher has created a computerized automatic image retrieval system whereby law enforcement agencies can match scars, marks and tattoos to identify suspects and victims.

continue reading "Tattoo Terrorist - Automatic Body Marking Retrieval System"

Mena Suvari first burst onto the screen a decade ago as the teenage cheerleader in American Beauty – and the striking young actress has obviously not lost the knack of turning heads.

Mena was married at a relatively young age to the cinematographer Robert Brinkmann, but they got divorced over three years ago. She has kept a relatively low profile since her star role as the precocious high school cheerleader Angela Hayes who so flummoxed Kevin Spacey in the 1999 Oscar-winner. More recently, she successfully starred on the big screen in The Garden Of Eden, a film based on the Ernest Hemingway novel. In it she played the protagonist’s wife to respectable acclaim.

continue reading "Mena Suvari’s Matching Tattoo"