What will you be watching on TV tonight? BME was sent the following promo for a new tattoo show:
New York, NY, August 18, 2011 – Dave Navarro has signed on to host Spike TV’s “Ink Master,” the first-ever tattoo competition series. The eight one-hour episode series, produced by Charlie Corwin’s Original Media with Charlie Corwin and Jay Peterson serving as executive producers, will premiere on Spike in January 2012.
“Dave Navarro is known worldwide for his musical talents, but he’s also well-known within in the tattoo community for his incredible body art,” says Sharon Levy, Spike TV’s executive vice president, original series and animation. “Dave’s ultimate respect for the art and culture of tattooing makes him perfect for this series.”
An estimated 40 million Americans have at least one tattoo somewhere on their body. So who is the country’s preeminent tattoo artist? “Ink Master” is the first-ever tattoo competition series featuring some of the nation’s top tattoo artists on a quest to determine who is the best at their craft and who will win a huge cash prize. Throughout the competition, the artists battle it out in various tattoo challenges that test the artists’ technical skills and on-the-spot creativity, where they must create and execute an original tattoo on command and be judged by a panel including Navarro, tattoo artists and experts Chris Nunez (“Miami Ink”) and Oliver Peck (Elm Street Tattoo).
The tension and stakes are high in “Ink Master” as the artists not only face the judges, but also the opinions of their ‘human canvases.’ The artists will have a wide variety of clients to deal with, ranging from tattoo virgins to connoisseurs with a full sleeve of body art to those who want to cover-up a prior tattoo misstep. The masterpieces created on these ‘human canvases’ will last a lifetime, but so will the mistakes. Satisfying the individual whose skin now bears the artists’ handiwork will be a major element in determining the victor.
The winner of “Ink Master” will win a $100,000 cash prize and a feature in Inked magazine, the preeminent magazine covering tattoo culture, art, music and fashion.
With his six-string skills best described as a merger between heavy metal, psychedelia, and modern rock, Navarro is one of alternative rock’s first true guitar heroes. Best known as the guitarist for Jane’s Addiction, the band recently released the new single “Irresistible Force” off their highly anticipated album The Great Escape Artist that debuts worldwide on September 27.
Nunez, 38, is of Cuban descent and grew up in Miami, FL. He entered into the realm of tattooing after beginning his career as a graffiti artist. At 21, Nunez packed his bags for a short trip to Brazil and ended up staying for five years. He then traveled through Europe for three years, which enabled him to work with his favorite tattoo artists. The experience expanded both his artistic sense and his knowledge of tattooing. He was a star and fan favorite on the popular tattoo-reality series, “Miami Ink.” Nunez is a partner in Ridgeline Empire, a strategic multiplatform content and media corporation, which operates the subsidiaries Ink Skins and Upset Gentlemen and an animation studio with two animated series in development, “Hoodbrats” and “Toothians.” He is also getting ready to open a new tattoo venture to be based in his hometown of Miami.
Peck is an artist whose whole life revolves around tattooing. He began tattooing when he was just 19 years old in his hometown of Dallas, TX and has perfected his precise and traditional tattooing style making him one of the best and well-known ‘old school’ American style artists. In 2008, Peck inked his way into the Guinness Book of World Records when he completed 415 tattoos of the number 13 in a consecutive 24-hour period. He is one of the most traveled tattoo artists on the circuit, tattooing all over Europe including England, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Sweden and Norway and in the Far East, including Japan and Thailand. Peck is co-owner of Elm Street Tattoo in Dallas, TX and the owner of True Tattoo located in Hollywood, CA.
“Ink Master” is produced by Original Media and Charlie Corwin is executive producer of the series. Original Media currently has thirteen television series on air including the hit shows “NY Ink,” “Miami Ink,” “LA Ink,” “The Rachel Zoe Project,” “Swamp People,” “Storm Chasers,” and “BBQ Pitmasters.” Headquartered in New York, Original Media is a subsidiary of Endemol USA. Sharon Levy is Spike TV’s executive vice president, original series and animation, Chris Rantamaki is vice president of original programming for Spike TV.
You can view a preview of the show, which airs tonight, here:
Official Ink Master Series Trailer
Get More: Official Ink Master Series Trailer
For those of you intending to check out the show, come back and let us know what you thought after it airs.
BME/News and Modblog highlight only a small fraction of what
” the first-ever tattoo competition series.”
Doesn’t tattoo-wars count?
That block of text is the official press release from Spike TV and hasn’t been edited by us.
It doesn’t sound like Tattoo Wars was the same type of show at all. I had to look it up.
I’m not sure about this. Would probably watch an episode though, if I can find it online.
No, won’t be watching. Another show filled with guys who have enormous egos. Like Miami Ink and the current NY Ink.
“Family is the most important thing in my life”, Ami James. In Miami, getting laid and making money were the two most important things in his life. Guess Chris Nunez isn’t making enough money running the bar the he and Ami opened in Miami either.
I just threw up in my mouth. Really? Chris Nunez and Dave Navarro? Tattoo experts, with every to right to judge the “best” in the industry! (aka some tattooers who couldn’t find a good booth and applied to an ad to be on tv)
I wouldn’t be judging egos unless I saw them first, give it a chance. This is a game-type reality show…not a scripted docu-drama. Besides, judging from the talent pool they have some awesome artists, and I am looking forward to what they put out. Granted, Dave Navarro and Chris Nunez make poor hosts. I’d much rather see people like Freddy Corbin, Hanky Panky, Joe Capobianco, Nikko Hurtado, or Mike DeVries hosting…but they don’t have the “name” factor that pulls in the audience.
Personally…I’m going to be tuning in to see what Jeremy Miller and Josh Woods can throw out there…as they are both amazing artists. Also, I’d like to see what the other artists I haven’t heard of can do. I am actually going to give this show a chance. Tattoo Wars was incredible, it was about the art and not the drama….hoping this show will be the same.
damn i love dave navarro!
I really like Oliver Peck, but this is just another crappy reality show. Having non-tattooers on a tattoo competition show is a bit ridiculous.
“Dave Navarro is known worldwide for his musical talents, but he’s also well-known within in the tattoo community for his incredible body art,”
Really? I thought he looked patchy and terrible. Shows what I know.
Dave Navarro’s tattoos suck.
re: #5 Ami James is a cock, but to be fair I don’t think in all of the seasons of Miami Ink he ever tried to get laid. Make money, yes. Pussy? I don’t remember a single time. Dude’s far too focussed for that. And the fact that these TV shows will mean his wife and daughter live on Easy St. for the rest of their lives I think is justification enough for his having taken part in them. I’d do the same thing to make money for my family.
re#3 Tattoo Wars was the first-ever tattoo competition series. Different premise to this show but a competition series nonetheless. This show looks like it could be interesting. It could’ve done without Dave Navarro, however.
I’m not a fan of the idea of this show, but I’m definitely a fan of Dave Navarro. Yum. =)
I’m going to watch the shit out of this but won’t tell anyone.
@5- I can’t stand Ami James either. I watched a few episodes of Miami Ink on Netflix & was disgusted by what a rude, egotistical jerk he is. He treated Yoji like dirt, took his anger out on other people constantly, & while his tats were decent, they’re not good enough to justify that massive ego.
who is chris nunez to judge anyones skills he was the worst out of a mediocre group on miami ink
Shane O’Neil has been featured on this site in the past and is a well regarded artist known especially for portraits. He is not “some tattooer who couldn’t find a good booth and applied to an ad to be on tv.”
Even if the show sucks, don’t take it out on the artists involved. You wouldn’t be on a TV show for the chance to win 100,000? Bullshit.
I Dig it
watched the first episode and besides the point of another reality show etc.
This is great they really are pointing out the details and flaws in the tattoo work,
from in an industry standpoint I think this show will help educate the general public on what to look for when they are looking for a tattoo artist…
thus making it harder and harder for scratchers and sub-par artists
I watched the first episode and as far as I can see the judges actually suck at judging…dude didnt even finish his tattoo but got to stay..thats ridiculous..idk maybe it’ll get better hopefully
its for pure entertainment and no one should judge these artists talents by how this show depicts and judges them. Its all set up! really tattooing a pig in a freezer? 6 hour limit to do different levels of difficulty cover ups?
Btat was Bterrible. There was some ok stuff, but, I don’t see how Btat got on the show, my cat can tattoo lines cleaner than that.
It was a big mockery of tattooing. The hardest part of watching it is the fact that these people are stuck with this art on them forever that they got off a game show. The artists themselves seem to be quality, besides an artist named “B-Tatt” or something, luckily he went home. The judges critique artists on the smallest things, a lot of it dealing with a tattoo artist’s preference, such as how a customer is sitting and the host (David Navarro) doesn’t even tattoo! I was really put off by the whole show and I believe its not only dangerous for the people they are working on, but its taking big fucking shit on the art of tattooing. What’s next “America’s Next Top Surgeon”? I also saw previews for the next episode; they’re are going to paint cars, I apprenticed at a tattoo shop for a year and NEVER had to paint a car. At least do challenges pertaining to the tattoo industry. GOTDAMN!!!!
at least its not tlc’s tattoo skewlz, how to give a staph infection in 2 weeks or less
none of these guys piss me off terribly, dont have a tv or i might’ve watched
i wont be watching this. Not because i have any particular objection to the participants or the premises of the show, but because in the end the people producing and profiting from the show have no real investment in the tattoo community. I see that as an alarming sign of tattoo culture, that a countless number of people have sacrificed to build, being commercialized, cheapened, and marketed to people (ex. ed hardy gear). I would hate to see that sort of trend start putting quality privately owned shops out of business in favor of mediocre chains. it would ruin a lot of the diversity that makes tattooing such a rich culture.
Who the fuck is Dave Navarro to be judging the likes of Shane O’neill? His claim to bring the client’s point of view to the table based on his “over a quarter of a century of getting tattooed” bullshit is clearly demonstrated by the shit tattoos he’s sporting. All his taste is in his mouth! I for one won’t watch it again.
why do they have to ruin every beautifull and true thing, why they is someone to make money, take and dillute it and sell it to the masses on the tv. oh dear. I hate the idea.
Chris Nunez has been such a jerk this entire finale. He comments are as bad as the other people. I’ve lost all respect for him. He was so unprofessional and catty.