Chuck's a Sissy

Tattoo artist are the worst customers. Take Chuck for example. He gets his arm tattooed last night, and he's sucking down the margarita's like CRAZY. Out of control. The worst thing about drunk Chuck is how affectionate he gets. If you don't watch out you might get a big sloppy Chuck kiss or a smack in the ass, whatever. Boltz managed to keep him upright and finished with flying colors. Chuck managed to not puke in the shop which keeps me happy (he said the upChucking came later ). I know he was totally psyched to get back to work bright and early to tattoo that rowdy bunch of school teachers in town from Alaska (hey ladies! come back soon!) It was a fun night and luckily we have pictures to show Chuck what a good time he had cause he can't remember. He's probably going to spend the next few days swimming and picking the scabs.

Makeout Session

I always feel a little bad when I'm totally annoyed by one of my customers but then when I'm done they're nice or they leave a good tip. Today my favorite annoy the crap out of me move came along. It's not the first time and won't be the last time this ones happend. I'm tattooing this dude, he's crying about it, his girlfriends with him, she's holding his hand, next thing she's putting his fingers in her mouth or smooching right there in front of me. What is wrong with people? keep it to yourself you freaks. I'm trying to work. Not to mention the whole day was nothing but cover ups.

So listen, your tattoo will hurt less if you act like you're in an actual place of business and not some nightclub or something where it's ok to slober on your girlfriend?

Rocks Of Ages By Ed Hardy

If you come across this book make sure you snap up your own copy. Before his stint as a hip hop fashion icon Don Ed Hardy was known to us tattoo folk as both a groundbreaking tattooer and a publisher of the best tattoo books out there through his Hardy Marks publications.This book was released in 1992 and is one of my favorites. It's printed to look like an old prayer hymnal with leather binding, embossed gold lettering, and a red ribbon to mark the pages.

The enigmatic Rock of Ages is powerful and fascinating, any light that can be shed on this icon of the early 20th century is appretiated. This book is filled with every kind of Rock of Ages including drawings done by Hardy himself as a 10 year old aspiring tattooer. There is a collection of modern interpretations by contemporary tattooers like Bob Roberts , Fred Corbin , Dan Higgs and others. I especially like the story Captain Don had concocted for his sideshow act about the rock in the sea that the prostitutes had to find to be redeemed of their sins. It's a beautiful collectible book keep your eyes peeled they're hard to come by.

Black Henna Tattoos May Leave a Mark

A woman came into the shop with marks on her arm that she claimed were left over from a henna "tattoo" she had gotten a year or two before at some street festival. I had never seen anything like it and kind of thought she was mistaken about how long it had been, or what it was.There was a discoloration on her arm in the shape of the image she had picked and a little bit of scar tissue. I couldn't see how she could be scarred from a paint on ink, I asked if she was sure the person didn't poke it in or anything. It just seemed nuts.

Then I came across an article on "The Henna Page" about the dangers of black henna. Black henna is made from a dye called Para-phenylenediamine or PPD. "When PPD is used to make black temporary tattoos, often called "black henna", it can cause blistering, open sores, scarring and lifelong health problems. Para-phenylendiamine based black hair dye should never be put straight on your skin, plain, or mixed with other material. Synthetic Black Hair Dye is illegal to put on skin, because that is not an approved use. Even when this dye is applied to hair, people must wear gloves, and they try to not get it on the scalp! PPD, Para-phenylendiamine can seriously injure people. Para-phenylenediamine is a strong sensitizer, transdermal toxin and potential carcinogen. Many people get itching, blistering and hair loss from using black hair dye on their hair."

These dolphins show the progress of the blistering then welts that can result from black henna.