The story behind this piece is simple, every day, all across the world, brave men and women face death head on to save the lives of strangers. Every time one enters a burning building to save someone, they take the chance of never walking out again. This isn’t a tattoo about death, it’s about being proud of those who put their lives on the line every day.
Tattoo by Michael Ashworth, from Artistic Impressions in Katy, TX.
Be it cutting or burning, Brian has scarification down to a science. This recent cutting of his shows exactly why he is a master of both. It should be noted that Brian has had this design planned out for over 6 years, and only recently found someone to put it on.
With his skilled hand he was able to carve this image out of flesh, only to follow it up by branding sections to create shading. It’s exquisite and really shows why Brian is one of the finest scarification artists working today.
4 days to go before BMEFest 2011! I think everyone knows by now how much I’m looking forward to the bouncy castles, obstacle course and slip’n’slide (3 lanes!), yet there is so much more going on. The party begins on Saturday, but if you show up Friday night, that’s alright as well. There is a LOT of room for tents, while there are hotels a short distance away, sleeping in a tent will probably save you some money. Of course there will be a big bonfire, and no I won’t be jumping into this time. I singed enough of my beard off last time for me to even think about doing it again.
Now, one of the many awesome things happening over the weekend is we have Cere from ROP facilitating both suspensions and pulls. Along with Cere, some of the other practitioners include ChrisB, TrickyDick, and Brian, as well as many others who work alongside these guys. Now if you’re thinking about suspending, feel free to get in touch with Cere ahead of time. He will be bringing extra supplies to facilitate pulls and suspensions for those who don’t get in touch with him, but letting him know ahead of time lets him estimate a bit better. Now supplies do cost these guys, so they’ll be asking for a minimum donation of $150 for suspensions, and 60 for pulls. One of the main tenants of the suspension community is that they’re there to facilitate, not make money. So any donation given covers the cost of the supplies, and anything in excess goes towards purchasing new equipment.
With that all said, here’s a shot taken by Jen on New Year’s Day at the last BME BBQ. Suspending is IAM:Velo, who is the guy with the massive burning monk scar.
For more information regarding BMEFest, head on over to the sign up page and let us know you’re coming. And if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the event forum.
My only complaint is that TrickyDick didn’t take more photos of this. The image of Thích Quảng Đức‘s self-immolation has been burned into the collective consciousness of the world since that fateful afternoon in 1963. Granted most people just recognize him as the burning monk on the Rage Against the Machine album, but his contribution to history will be remembered by Buddhists as long as they’re around.
Feel free to harass Rich to send in follow-up photos to the scarification galleries.
Leave it to Brian to yet another nerdy scar that looks incredible. I talked to Brian shortly before he started work on this piece at the Philly tattoo convention, and asked him about what technique he was going to use. If you recall the last Star Wars scar he did he combined both cutting and branding to create a phenomenal piece. Well it turns out that branding wasn’t an option this time around as the smell of burning flesh tends to overpower other scents.
In any case, you can see that even without branding this scar turned out fantastic.
Head on over to Brian’s BME portfolio gallery to see some of the other scars that he did at the convention.
Of course no Valentine’s day on ModBlog can pass without a heart tattoo. In fact, there is even a gallery dedicated entirely to hearts and love tattoos.
This burning heart was done by Ian Jones from Jonezy’s Traditional Tattoo Studio in Amherst, Ohio. Ian actually sent in a pair of heart tattoos, so if you head over to the gallery you can check out the other heart, which is dedicated to knitters everywhere.
Back when it was much warmer I posted some pictures of Alan Macias. At the time, he didn’t have an IAM page and I had nothing to go off of when writing the post except for my take on the pictures. Since that post, Alan has made himself an IAM page.
When I stumbled upon his page his description answered a few of my questions and gave me a bit more insight to his life, but it definitely left me wanting more.
I had a motorcycle accident. I was in the hospital for a year. I had about 40 operations to put me back together. I had nerve damage to my left shoulder, my non-functioning arm had to go. My tattoos are decoration first and then they tell the story of me last. I am not shy about being naked in public because I know everyone is the same and most fear being judged, another word for peer pressure.
After finding him and reading that, I felt obliged to send him a message and see if he wouldn’t mind answering a few questions for me. Luckily for me and the modblog readers, he happily obliged.
For a deeper look into the life of Alan Macias, keep on keeping on.
The following interview comes from a live Skype text interview I conducted with Alan as well as some information from his IAM diary entries.
Sean: So let’s start with the basics, age location career sexual preference things of that nature.
Alan: Well, I was born March 17, St. Patricks Day, 1964. So that’s like 46 years old. I gotta stop having birthdays! I live in San Francisco, California. For work I do Special Hazard Fire Suppression Systems. These are fire systems that are in locations that water can not be used, they will detect a fire and put it out with something else. I like girls a little more than boys, but I have had my share of boyfriends so I guess as long as they are not hairy that is really the test. I am married but it is an open relationship. All that means is we do not get jealous of each other, the only thing is just don’t catch anything!
Sean: Do your mods and lifestyle have any bearing on your career?
Alan: Getting the job done well is the only thing that anyone cares about. My injuries, missing arm and crushed knee, are mostly to my left side, so I have to put a little more thought into how I interact with different locations and equipment. I have never had a customer freak out or anything. I might get a quick look, but I am there to do a job. For the most part I think they assume I can do the job because I am there in the first place.
Sean: Awesome, you are quite fortunate to have a skill set such as that, where your work is important enough that your mods and personal life do not have any affect on your career. The injury your referring to would be what lead to your amputation (meaning it was not voluntary as I tend to assume when I see amputations on BME). I read the injury was from a motorcycle accident, would you care to elaborate?
Alan: I was really into motorcycles at the time. When I died I had, I think, seven bikes in my garage. If I was not working, I was on a ride or trip via motorcycle. I rode with the San Francisco Northstars Motorcycle Club. The accident was all my fault; I was taking a turn too fast. I was pretty messed up, everything was broken, I was in the hospital for eight months, and I had about forty operations to put me back together.
This leg tattoo was done to cover a skin graft .
Sean: Wow, that’s a serious accident! You said you died, any amazing revelations from that?
Alan: Yeah, I think there were three times when I was in the ICU, but I am better now. And no, I do not remember white lights or any of that sort of thing. The thing about death is when it is your time, that’s it. My attitude is from growing up in a funeral home in San Francisco. I am still a licensed funeral director in California.
Sean: A funeral director as well, you just continue to become even more interesting. I read on your IAM page that the amputation was voluntary in the fact it was “just dead weight” can you elaborate on that and how life has been since that as a result of that choice.
Alan: There was too much nerve damage to my left shoulder. They saved the arm, and after the cast came off some tests were done, but nothing much happened. After getting out of the hospital, I went in for an experimental surgery to move a nerve graph from my lower right leg to my damaged left shoulder. That did not work at all; that was one of the surgeries I should not have done. So then after living with this dead weight and having to carry it around in a sling, I asked to have it removed. The next morning I knew my life was going to be more easy because it was not in the way all the time. I weighed myself before and after surgery and there was a three pound difference.
Sean: I have to agree, that seems like an obvious decision in your specific case. It seems you have adapted to life with one arm pretty damn well, what were the biggest challenges though?
Alan: Mostly it is learning patience. Sometimes I have to think about how to do something with one arm. I might have to make a special tool and sometimes I even have to ask for help.
Sean: You seem to do a good bit more than most people in the world with 4 fully functioning limbs. Aside from body mods the biggest interest in my life has always been cars and motor sports, I see the inconvenience of lacking one arm hasn’t kept you from participating in some auto racing. The pic I saw on your IAM page showed you racing, an m3 coupe I believe. Is that a regular activity you partake in?
Alan: It is just a regular Z3 coupe because I need an automatic, as I would be too busy with a stick shift on the track. Although I did put a supercharger in it to get it to move. Unfortunately that much power tends to kill the car’s transmissions in about 10,000 miles. So I go when I can afford it.
Sean: It’s quite awesome to see someone racing with one functional arm. Were you racing cars before the accident as well?
Alan: No, but before the accident I raced around on motorcycles.
Sean: Cool, I kind of assumed that might be the case, I just wanted to clarify. So how long after the accident was it before you were racing cars?
Alan: Two or three years. I did not know if I was up to that sort of thing or even if I wanted to, but I guess you never change.
Sean: Some people definitely do change after traumatic events like that, you are amongst the minority that do not, that is quite commendable. So where do the body mods fall into your life? What do you have? When did you start getting them and what was the motivation behind them?
Alan: For me they are decoration, a permanent decoration that is like makeup. They also reflect my life and my interests. They are not to be taken too seriously, I want people to look at them and get a laugh. The only mods I chose were tattoos, any other mod just happened. I started to get inked before my accident in maybe 1995 or so. I generally dislike wearing shoes, so I started to get my toes tattooed, and later on I did the tops of my feet. One side is supposed to be a happy figure and the other side a sad figure, but the way they came out, one looked angry and the other looked constipated. On my right shoulder I have a tattoo from the movie Blade Runner, and on my stump a cut on dotted line.
Sean: How about the collection of tattoos in your “shorts”, is there any meaning or story with them or are they just images you like aesthetically?
Alan: The images in my shorts are from my life. There is me, my wife Marilyn, and our three dogs. This was art she had done for a card we sent out one year. There is a motorcycle, and a superhero figure; I like graphic novels. A day of the dead skull, since I grew up in a funeral home. Various sea life; I like to scuba dive. I just drew the others to fit the contours of my body. People wear under garments for different reasons. Some to feel sexy some to keep the skid marks to a minimum and in my case, so I do not chafe. When I started my tattoo of shorts the idea was a solid wall of color that would look like I was wearing shorts and you would have to get really close to me to see otherwise. But as the tattooing progressed I decided that I wanted to have the art not all running together. I like my tattoos simple and easy to understand. So now if I wear underwear it has to go with my art somehow. Be your art or at least let it be a part of you.
My tattoo gal at the time was a great sport about having to crawl up my ass to get in all the nooks and crannies, and the same can be said about my hair removal person.
Sean: Yeah she got ALL up in the nooks and crannies, so I have to ask the most annoying question ever, because if I don’t the comments section will be full of other’s asking. Did that hurt?
Alan: Yes, but like different parts of the body, not everyplace hurts the same. I have to say the scrotum and head of the penis are very sensitive, but is this news to anyone? So just get yourself some numbing cream to help, you do not want to be jumping around. It is hard enough to tattoo a straight line on those wigley parts without you jerking around.
Sean: I can imagine. I have pretty heavy tattoo coverage, but not in such intimate areas as yourself.
Alan: No location is intimate on me. Society makes up some goofy rules, but it is all just part of me.
Sean: Great quote, I like that a lot. Perhaps sensitive would have been a better word choice for me in that instance. Where did you start your tattoo collection?
Alan: I think I got a toe ring tattoo first. The first on my shorts area was the burning man tattoo on my butt cheek.
Sean: Very cool, I have never been to that, but from hearing about it from friends who have it seems like a very life changing event to attend.
Alan: It was for me.
Sean: Tell me about it, if you don’t mind. I saw the pics from your trip, it looked like a great time.
Alan: Burning Man is a place full of people who for one week let everyone be who they are without judgment. So if you want to walk around naked or wear a costume, no problem. I like to go just to meet different people and see all the great art. I also like to see if my planning is well thought out and that I can set up my camp site, shade structure, etc. by myself. It is heavy duty camping and I like the planning. You really have to go to get what it is all about, looking at the pictures on the web doesn’t really do it justice. The art is bigger than life, and the people are weirder than they seem at first. They might look like they just stepped out of the mall, then you talk to them, and wow, they are not what you thought!
Sean: Well, I haven’t ever been to burning man, but I have been to several modcons, so I can definitely relate with that sentiment! The whole thing does sound incredible though, I think that is definitely going on my life’s to-do list.
Anyhow, back to body mods, what about the hair removal? That might not be typically considered in the same realm as tattoos and piercings and whatnot, but I definitely feel it qualifies as a body modification.
Alan: You’re right. First, some background on why I went to all the hassle and expense of killing off most of my body hair. I was a regular guy, so it was going to take a fair amount of time. I like massages; I used to get them because motorcycles can make a guy full of aches and pains. If you are hairy, a lot of oil has to be used, and then it makes you an oily mess when the massage is over. Hair also gets in the way of either getting or looking at tattoos. Now that my hair is removed, I do not get those bumps after I shave my pubes. At last I am quick to dry after I take a shower or swim.
Original body hair pre-removal treatments in 2003.
The human body has only one third of its hair out at any time, so every three months your hair will fall out and be replaced. That is why the hair on your legs or underarms is not to the ground: it is always falling out and being replaced by a different hair follicle next to it. Permanent hair removal has to be done at least three times, because the most hair that can be killed is only 33%, and even then you are always going to miss a few. You just go back until you get them all, or at least remove enough to satisfy your esthetic. There are two ways generally to go about permanently removing hair from your body.
Laser hair removal works by using a powerful laser that is tuned to shine light at a frequency that will interact with the hair and hair follicle. The light will penetrate a few millimeters into the living follicle and heat it up, a lot like third degree heat. It feels like you are getting a massive tattoo with a needle as wide as your thumb. The pros about laser hair removal is that it is quicker than electrolysis because the laser head treats more than one hair at a time. The cons are that not every hair is knocked out; some are only stunned and will come back later, others may come back finer. Since you are hitting your skin with a laser, some side effects may pop up, such as small bright red moles or burns. With laser hair removal there has to be a definite color difference between skin tone and hair color. Because of this, people with dark skin or blond hair do not do well with it. If some parts of your skin are dark, you can also get burned. I got burned on my penis and scrotum once; I guess the skin color was a little darker there, but that will heal up okay. Also, you can get red scorch marks (like a second/third degree burn) where the treatment is, and that will take a few weeks to heal.
Mid-hair removal results from 2007.
I used laser hair removal to lessen my hair density, but once I started to get more tattoos I had to switch to electrolysis. It is slower, but if you get someone who knows what they are doing, it is a very permanent for hair removal.
Electrolysis works by using a very thin needle that can slip next to the layer down the hair shaft, delivering a killing hot pin point to the hair follicle. The heat of killing off the follicle hurts a lot, but not the needle because it is smaller than a hair. There is also a few weeks of healing all the red bumps and marks from the little burns under the skin. What part of your body you do determines how long it takes to heal. Nora my gal is great. She has no problem crawling up my ass to get those pesky anus hairs; you would be surprised how hair it can be, or not.
Sean: So what’s next for you? Any more tattoo or mod plans?
Alan: The hair removal is alway ongoing, but now I only go in once in a while. I had all my tattoos touched up a year or so ago, but I have learned never to say never when it comes to tattoos. I have no plans at the moment, although I will have to get the sun on my belly touched up as I am going into surgery on January 5th to take care of a problem that cropped up from a skin graph from my original operations after the accident.
Sean: Are there any other activites you particularly enjoy besides what we have already discussed?
Alan: I found being a model in a photo shoot to be a lot of work; I do not think it is for me.
Sean: Was that for the Bizzare Magazine piece?
Alan: Yes, the shoot was for Bizarre Magazine.
Sean: How did that all come about?
Alan: Well, a while back you had posted a photo of me that I posted to my BME account. One of the editors for the magazine then tracked me down and asked if I would be interested in them doing an article on me along with the photo shoot. We eventually did a phone interview and months later I went to LA to meet up with a photographer they use. We shot in two locations, in town and out in the desert. I may or may not make it into the magazine because the locations of my tattoos are not G rated. They put out a book every year with the year’s best mods, and she said I would be in that, so we will see. At least I got a bunch of great photos out of the deal. Having a professional take your picture is much better than doing it yourself.
Sean: Here’s my extremely generic question, but one which I feel you may have a good answer for. If you died today, how would you want people to remember you and your life?
Alan: I hope that people would remember me as someone who lived his life the way he wanted, but did not step on too many other people’s toes along the way.
Sean: What is one thing you have taken from all of these experiences, that you care to share with modblog readers?
Alan: Don’t put off to tomorrow what you can do today, like telling someone you care about them or keeping in touch with a friend far away. You or they might not be here the next day, and so the chance will be forever gone.
Thanks again to Alan Macias. I hope this interview proves as interesting and inspirational to modblog readers as it was to me.
Holy crap it’s December already. Why didn’t anyone tell me? With only a couple more weeks until the end of the year, there isn’t a lot of time left for any type of holiday shopping that might need to get done. Not to mention getting travel plans finalized for the BME New Year’s Eve Party.
Thankfully the news is a little light this week so you’ll still have a few hours to get to the stores before they close.
The first story of the day is one of sadness. Back on November 19th the Pike River coal mine in New Zealand was rocked by an explosion which resulted in the deaths of 29 miners. One way that members of the community are handling their grief is through memorial tattoos.
West Coasters are paying a permanent tribute to victims of the Pike River mine disaster. Greymouth tattooist Nick Reedy said he had done tattoos for about 20 people, marking the deaths of the 29 miners. ”It’s something people naturally do in remembrance of others and have done for hundreds, if not thousands, of years,” he said. ”With this latest tragedy … people are doing the same.” Reedy said he had done some tattoos for free, while other customers had made a donation. Designs had included mining tools and the yellow ribbon, which had become a symbol of solidarity with the miners and their families.
For the rest of this week’s news, keep on reading…
Last week I posted a story about a professor who was having a camera implanted into the back of his head. At the time the procedure hadn’t been done, but this week we have video not only of the implant, but also parts of the procedure as well.
New York University photography professor Wafa Bilal had a titanium plate implanted about a week. It was done by someone who normally does body piercings. They used a local anesthetic. A small surveillance camera connects to the base magnetically.
I wasn’t able to find out who did the implant, or even if they want to be publicly acknowledged for the work or not. It does look like they did a good job though, of course that will be determined on how it holds up with the weight of the camera over long periods of time.
Speaking of using implants in unconventional ways, it seems doctors have found a way to use a piercing that resembles a dermal anchor to assist people who have lost the ability to swallow.
Surgeon Peter Belafsky had been tinkering with ways to treat oropharyngeal dysphagia–a swallowing disorder that when severe can prevent people from being able to swallow at all–for years. But it wasn’t until he took his two daughters to get their ears pierced–and noticed the woman behind the counter with piercings in her nose, eyebrow, and even cleavage–that he realized how to do it, and a device to manually open and close the esophagus was born. Described as one of the world’s first medicinal body piercings, the experimental device works by pulling on a tiny metal pin extending out of the skin of the patient’s neck to move the larynx forward and open the esophagus.
“By attaching a tiny titanium rod to a postage stamp-sized plate that we’ve sewn into the neck cartilage, we’ve enabled our patient to safely and without pain pull on the device to move his larynx forward and open the esophagus to allow food and liquid to pass,” Belafsky says. “It’s the first time a person has been able to manually control the entryway to the esophagus.”
Looking closely at the implant you can see they’ve externally threaded the top so the gold colored cap will screw onto it. It also looks like the cap has a loop on the top, which I’d assume is for a string to assist in pulling open the esophagus.
When it comes to charity drives, we’ve seen quite a few when it comes to tattoo/piercing drives. This week we have one that is pretty much in line with all the others, and one that is taking things a step further.
Artists working at 281 Tattoo Studio in Edinburg, TX are hoping a toy drive will be able to help out a children’s charity. Bring in a toy valued at over $25 and you’ll get a free tattoo.
Over in England, Fay Walker is trying something different when it comes to a tattoo charity drive.
“TATTOO Girl” Fay Walker has been inundated with donations after her plan to ink names on the soles of her feet was revealed. The 27-year-old has been stopped in the street and was given £200 just hours after the Leader reported on her plans to permanently tattoo 50 names on to her size-three feet for charity.
There are still places up for grab on the soles of Faye’s ticklish feet and she is hoping for more bids – as long as they are not rude words. She said: “I have decided I am going to wait until after Christmas to have the tattoos done and let people get it out of the way and I’m going to have it done in mid-January. “I have already sold a foot’s worth, 25 names.”
There are still spots up for sale, and Fay’s contact information is posted in the article if you want to have her get your name (or something else) tattooed on her feet.
I normally only cut+paste a small portion of an article just to you the highlights, but this article from December 3rd, 1899 is just too good to trim down.
The present rage among Eastern girls is to have their arms tattooed. A girl at Newport last summer appeared on the bathing beach with bare arms, of course, and on the dimpled flesh was a dainty tattooed design. Since then scores have followed her example.
The girls say when in evening dress they can wear long gloves, and even if the glove is removed a pretty tattooed mark is rather an addition than otherwise. A dainty blue anchor, a shamrock leaf, a heart or arrow, or even a copy of one’s pet dog is a favorite design.
The Hindu used to be the master hand at tattoo work, but his methods were rather harsh. He jabbed the needle in a quarter of an inch with no compunction, and after five minutes most people had to give up and rest. At present in New York there are several girls who make a good living tattooing. They sponge the spot on the arm with cocaine and then, when all feeling has departed, they rapidly use the little needle, and the patient does not suffer in the least.
At present the shamrock done in green is the favorite design, but the American flag is also a popular mark.
Over 100 years later, and I’m still coming across stories written almost exactly like this.
A good example, this article talking about the latest trend: stretching your earlobes. Since it’s Friday and almost the end of the work day, why don’t you grab a drink before reading this article. Then, take a sip every time the author uses the term “gauge” in place of “stretch”. (Warning: If you’re drinking alcohol you may end up drunk by the end of it) Here’s a small sample.
People stretch their earlobes for a variety of reasons, Burnidge said. Some like the aesthetics of gauges and the ability for self-expression, while others like the primitive look of them.Western junior Canaan Folk-Reinke has been gauging her earlobes since she was a sophomore in high school. She currently wears 00g, or 10 millimeter gauges.
My apologies if you get alcohol poisoning.
When it comes to discussing the risks involved in getting a tattoo, most articles focus on cross-contamination and unsterilized equipment. What is often neglected is the risks inherent in some types of inks. The interesting part of this story is that it is coming from a vegetarian news site, which focuses on the fact that some tattoo inks are not vegan friendly.
Black pigments, derived from kerosene soot and burned animal bones, are considered to pose minimal health risks…that isif you don’t mind walking around with charred critter remains under your skin for an indefinite period of time. While you can even try your hand at making your own DIY black pigment using India ink from an art store, be forewarned that while many modern versions are made with burned wood and/or resin, some are still made with bones…so read the label.
Now I’m not saying that all inks are bad, so don’t shoot me if you think the writer of the article is in the wrong about any of their claims.
Finally, it’s time for the celebrity round-up. This week there is actually a somewhat interesting story buried within the madness that is celebrity news.
British singer Kerry Katona has opened up in an interview as to why she got her children’s names tattooed on her wrists. It seems that she’s continually struggled with self-harm and cutting problems so she got the tattoos to remind herself that she has to take care of her children.
Of course with every thoughtful story about a celebrity, there are 100 ones about useless crap.
While Kerry’s wrist tattoo is a coping mechanism to help with her issues, The Jersey Shore “star” Angelina’s wrist tattoo is because she felt that the editing on the show made her look bad. I’ve seen Jersey Shore. If the editing was intended to make her look bad, then why wasn’t there any editing to make the others look good?
While I’ll admit to having seen Jersey Shore, I can honestly say I’ve never heard of this next person before in my entire life. Supposedly there’s a show called Teen Mom, and one of the moms on the show recently had her kid taken away by child services. She has since gotten her child back, but not before getting a portrait of her daughter on her stomach.
Fans of Inception will likely recognize Tom Hardy from his role in the film. Do yourself a favor and check out Bronson, Hardy is brilliant in it. Hardy himself is no stranger to getting tattooed and this week he went out while on the set of his latest film and got himself a new one.
The 33-year-old actor recently added a Union Jack tattoo on his upper left chest when he popped into the shop, one of his favorite local hangouts while he’s been filming This Means War.
In the final story of the day, while it isn’t really celebrity news, thefrisky.com has put together a collection of the ten best Golden Girls tattoos. I’d have to say #6 and #9 are my favorites.
And thus concludes our broadcasting day here at ModBlog. Remember to send in any links you find to news stories from around the world.
Have a great weekend everyone, and good luck getting everything on your shopping lists.
The week is coming to a close for most people, which means that it is time for the weekly news. Overall there wasn’t much going on in the world when it comes to mainstream news reporting on modifications, but there were still a few interesting stories.
First up is news out of Dubai, where temporary tattoos are getting a lavish upgrade.
The UAE’s first real gold and platinum tattoo business will set up shop in the iconic five-star Burj Al Arab hotel next week, Arabian Business can reveal. Starting at AED200 for a small gold tattoo and AED400 for an equivalent platinum one, the temporary tattoos have been available in the emirates for just two months. Originating from Japan, the tattoos are created from 99 percent gold or platinum foil that is applied directly to the skin. Application takes around 10 minutes.
I guess when you live in a city known for it’s expensive tastes, getting gold or platinum painted onto you just seems like a normal accessory. I would be a little curious at seeing some of the designs. Can you imagine a massive platinum “blackwork” piece? Or maybe a gold zombie portrait? The possibilities are limitless.
You’ll have to keep reading to find out what world record is being attempted on new year’s eve, how dumb some criminals can be, as well as some positive stories about scarification and a couple of tattoo studios. Oh, and of course, the celebrity round-up. I know how much everyone looks forward to it each week.
A few years back an Arizona tattoo artist set the world record for most tattoos performed in a 24 hour period. This year Denver tattoo artist Kaos is going to attempt to break the record, and make some money for charity while he’s at it.
Under the watchful eye of officials from the Guinness Book of World Records, Denver tattoo artist Kaos will try ink 900 tattoos during a 24-hour period beginning this New Year’s Eve at the P66 Tattoo and Art Galleria, located at 800 Kalamath St. But this isn’t just tattooing for the sake of tattooing. Kaos will apply pink ribbons on breast cancer survivors, their family and friends and anyone else who pays a $10 minimum donation. Proceeds from the record-setting attempt will go to breast cancer research. Kaos says that ringing in 2011 isn’t a publicity stunt despite the record-setting aspect. “This is a cause that is close to all of us,” he said. “Every day we hear of someone that has been affected by breast cancer and this is my way to contribute and make a difference.
It seems this year is the year of the pink ribbon when it comes to charity tattoos as this is probably the 4th or 5th story I’ve reported on it. Don’t get me wrong, this is a good thing as I too have been affected by breast cancer. It just would be nice to see other charities supported in the same manner, as this seems to be an excellent way to raise money and awareness.
Sure enough, there is another drive going on. All day tomorrow Guy Daniels, the owner of Expressions Ink in Wausau, WI will be tattooing puzzle pieces to raise money for autism awareness and treatment.
Daniels says many of his customers at Expressions Ink expressed their struggles raising children with autism. Saturday Daniels gave a family with an autistic four-year-old a permanent reminder of their battle, and a gift to the entire autistic community: profits from Saturday’s sessions will go towards autism treatment. ”There isn’t a lot of support groups around and I want to be able to help out any way I can,” said Amanda Mrozek, who bought an autism puzzle piece tattoo Saturday. She says it’s been a struggle getting her autistic child to be social and share what’s on his mind.
If you’re in the area, stop on by and make a donation, or get a tattoo, as the proceeds will be donated as well.
Of course the flip side to these charity drives is that it also provides excellent press coverage for the studios. Clearly it’s working. Yet there are other ways to get the word out about your studio, and Toronto’s own Speakeasy Tattoo has been working tirelessly to redefine advertising in the digital age.
When a colleague told me about Toronto-based Speakeasy Tattoo, I was intrigued. She said Lizzie Renaud, the shop’s owner, was doing some really cool things online – Ms. Renaud and her team fill last-minute cancellations through Twitter and share their stories and artwork on WordPress, Tumblr, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and other tattooing websites. You name the social network, Speakeasy is there.
…
So Ms. Renaud and her team did something innovative to set Speakeasy apart: they reached out to five well-known tattoo artists and asked them to work as guests in the summer of 2010. Despite her commitment to blogging and social media, when it came time to promote the roster of guests, she deployed a completely integrated campaign that used a combination of online and offline tactics. “We decided to go old school,” says Ms. Renaud, speaking about her offline strategy. She worked with a designer to produce glossy, postcard-shaped handbills, which included art by the guest artists, the dates they were coming, and the shop contact information.
The rest of the article goes on to examine how Speakeasy is showing that it requires a mix of both old and new media in order to have a successful ad campaign. It’s an excellent read for any shop owner looking to expand business.
From Toronto we head west to Saskatoon, where the U of S newspaper, The Sheaf, has written an in-depth article about scarification and branding.
Scars often draw powerful and visceral reactions from their observers, whether sympathy, concern or machismo respect and admiration. That’s because most people view them as violations of an unwilling body. Others, however, choose to have patterns, symbols and words carved into their skin in order to be meaningfully and permanently marked. This is scarification, a form of body modification that originated in equatorial cultures but is now attracting adherents in Western culture.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, self-harm — also known as self-injury or self-mutilation — is the causing of mental, spiritual and physical injury to oneself without suicidal intent. Those who self-harm usually don’t know how to effectively express and deal with emotional issues such as loneliness, depression, anger, psychological pain, numbness or stress. Injuring themselves through practices like cutting or burning flesh is a coping mechanism that leads to immediate release of, and temporary relief from, negative emotions. The pain distracts from other problems, or, if the issue is numbness, allows them to feel something, or anything, again.
Body modification, on the other hand, is done for positive emotional reasons — perhaps simply to make one’s body more aesthetically pleasing. Another person, usually a professional artist, also does scarification. However, even those who cut or brand themselves just to see what will happen, what it feels like and how it scars, aren’t self-injurious, says Kenny. As long as there is no negative emotion involved, they’re just curious.
This week was a banner week for people to do dumb mod related things.
First, a prison inmate stole medical supplies just so she could keep her lip piercing from closing up while she was in jail.
Sheriff’s Department Chief Investigator Stanley McNatt said told the Decatur Daily that Word had used broken pieces of a plastic comb to stick in her lip piercings and stole the blood kit from a jail nurse’s station to push the plastic out.
Then, in Lexington KY, an attempted robbery at a tattoo studio was foiled by a customer who fought with the man and chased him away. Oh, did I also mention he wasn’t there to steal money?
According to Lexington Police, a man went into the Purple Haze Tattoo Parlor and demanded something called ‘White Lightning’, which police say is a powdery insect repellent.
Now, if you’re planning on a life of crime, it’s probably not a good idea to have a distinctive tattoo visible that can easily identify you. It’s also probably not a good idea to get a dollar sign tattooed on your forehead when your crime of choice is money laundering and forgery.
Newport News police said they received a Crime Line tip leading to the Monday arrest of Elias Sedale Jones on eight felony charges, the Newport News Daily Press reported Wednesday. Investigators said Jones has a dollar sign tattooed in a prominent position on his forehead.
Finally, you may recall a certain online casino that offers people money to get the website address tattooed on their bodies. Well it seems they’re at it again, this time a woman got the site address tattooed across her chest. Her payment? A NASCAR helmet, oh and some money to charity.
In the last story today before the celebrity section, we have what appears to be the worst possible advice columnist, “helping” a woman who doesn’t like her husband’s new tattoo.
DEAR MISS LONELYHEARTS:
My husband went out and got a tattoo which I just hate. It’s of a sexy naked woman and it’s not me. He says it’s not anybody else he knows, either. Call me suspicious but I think he knows her from before. She looks vaguely familiar, like somebody from the bar he worked at in the evenings — not the present one — but the one before. How do I find out if he’s messing around with her? I lie awake all night, looking at that tattoo on his back. By the way, we’ve been married two years, and have no children yet. — Jealous Over Tat
Dear Jealous:
It seems unlikely a guy would be so bold, or think his wife so stupid, he’d get a tattoo of another woman he’s seeing inked on his body. It’s more likely he picked a type of woman whose look he likes, and he’s disrespectful enough to have it tattooed on his back where you can stare at it in bed. Frankly, it sounds like this guy is not in love with you anymore and is trying to get YOU to break up with him. When it gets to that point, do you really need to go out and get proof?
It’s better not to stay and have kids with a guy who doesn’t love and respect you enough to keep another woman off his body. But since you can’t sleep, you need to find out what’s up. Stop in at his old workplace with a best friend and see if the lady you suspect still works there. If, as you suspect, one of the staff looks exactly like the tattoo, you might have your husband followed by a private investigator to see if he’s cheating with her, and then actually listen to what the detective has to say. Lots of people won’t accept the evidence they’re given and totally waste their money. Best of luck.
She also goes on to give advice to a young woman who is lusting after her high school teacher. Her advice? Date guys your age to make him jealous so he’ll become interested in you.
And now, today’s abbreviated celebrity section. Sadly there are only two stories this week. Hopefully next week there will be more action.
That Harry Potter actor, the one who got naked with a horse on stage (Note: Equus is a great play), is talking about getting a HP tattoo when the films are finally finished. Maybe he’ll get a wand tattoo. That way he’ll have an excuse as to why the girls run away from him. He can just grab his wand and shout “Expelliarmus!” and maintain his dignity.
Lastly, in an effort to stay relevant, one of the spice girls, Old Spice, is going around telling anyone who will listed that when she got her tongue pierced she made out with all the other girls. Not surprisingly she admits the other girls were “grossed out”.
Well that’s it for this week’s news. If you happen to stumble across a story you think should be included in the news of the week, just click here to submit the link.
Have a great weekend everyone, see you back here next week when you’ll get another edition of Movember Monday!
October is just about over, but there’s still time for one last edition of the ModBlog News of the Week for the month. Before we get started, I just wanted to thank everyone who sent in stories this week, Taylor, Christian, Lauranomaly, Botexty, and Nexizydrate to name a few. Submitting an article is easy, all you have to do is click here and fill out the boxes.
The first story today was submitted about 10 times, so there way no way it wouldn’t kick off the news of the week.
I’m sure most tattooed people, as well as artists, have joked around about getting tattooed with a penis instead of the intended design. It’s that running gag that nobody ever acts on. Until now.
Police allege the man, who was not a professional tattooist, talked his friend into having the tattoo while the friend was visiting him at home. After the 25-year-old victim got home, he was horrified to discover the tattoo was far from what he expected. Instead of a Yin and Yang symbol with some dragons, the tattoo featured a 40cm-long image of a penis and a slogan implying he was gay. He contacted police and they charged the 21-year-old Bundamba man with assault occasioning bodily harm.
I looked everywhere for an image of the tattoo, but it seems that most mainstream news sources have some policy against posting pictures of dicks. How lame is that? But wait, the story gets better.
Police allege the tattooing followed a disagreement between the pair that culminated with the Bundamba man taking offence at something the victim said. Ipswich CIB Detective Constable Paul Malcolm said the victim was extremely upset. “Apparently he went round to the other bloke’s house and somehow in the course of the conversation the subject of tattoos came up,” Const Malcolm said. ”The victim wasn’t interested at first but he was talked into it and he said he wanted a Yin and Yang symbol with some dragons. He rolled him on to his stomach and the bloke started doing the tattoo and there was another bloke standing there watching saying, ‘Mate, it’s looking really good’. He was told not to go out into the sun and not to show anyone for a few weeks. When he got home he showed it to the person he lives with and she said: ‘I don’t think it’s the tattoo you were after’.”
To add insult to injury, he was allegedly punched and thrown out of the Bundamba man’s house after he was tattooed.
So, to get this straight, after getting into a fight with someone, this man was then talked into getting tattooed by the same guy. I’m willing to put money that alcohol was somehow involved in this situation.
Next up, and in a completely unrelated story, PerthNow.com.au has an excellent photo gallery of the recent Phuket Vegetarian Festival. It’s absolutely worth checking out.
A devotee of the Chinese shrine of Sapam, pierces his cheeks with swords during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival on October 10, 2010 in Phuket, Thailand. (Getty Images)
We’re just getting started, so kick back and relax, and keep on reading.
Heading back to Australia, it seems that the Australian Red Cross is blaming tattoos for the current blood shortage they’re undergoing.
The Australian Red Cross turned away more than 2100 people in NSW when they went to give blood because of a little-known rule that excludes donors who have recently had a tattoo. The news comes as NSW battles with a low supply of blood products, especially types O and A, with the State’s stockpile only two-thirds full. Australian Red Cross Blood Service spokeswoman Lisa Borges said the knock-backs were because of the service’s strict rules around preventing potentially contaminated blood entering the stockpile. She said that with more people getting themselves tattooed, especially younger people, the Red Cross was being forced to turn away blood products it could desperately use, as each of those 2100 deferred donations could save three lives.
So while it is understandable that the Red Cross needs to have a grace period between getting tattooed and donating blood, to imply that the only reason there is a shortage is because young people are getting tattooed is a bit on the unreasonable side. I’m sure there are more people not tattooed than are that aren’t lining up to donate. Then again I could make some obligatory joke about Aussies and prison tattoos, but that would also be in poor taste.
It seems this week was a banner week for artists who like to sexually assault their customers. First in the UK, an artist has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting two girls (15 and 16) after he finished tattooing them.
Tattooist Andrew Simpson has been told to expect a prison sentence for two assaults on girls.
Simpson, of Kissingate, Burton Pidsea, targeted a 16-year-old girl on November 6 last year when he decorated her leg with a tattoo. At the end of the session he sexually assaulted her. On January 23, he sexually assaulted a 15-year-old girl following a 45-minute session in which he inked a tattoo on her back.
Back stateside, an artist in Tampa Bay has also been accused of fondling his female clients.
Charles Lyndon Harper Jr. 41, was placing mineral oil and plastic wrap on one woman’s newly inked, upper leg tattoo when he slipped his hand inside her bikini and touched her without permission, a Pasco County Sheriff’s Office report said. The woman left the business at 11632 U.S. 19 and called authorities. Harper admitted touching the woman but said he thought he had permission because she was “flirty,” the sheriff’s report said.
He went on to admit he does this often. So for the time being, it may be best to avoid getting tattooed by him, unless you’re into that sort of thing.
In much more positive news, the San Francisco Chronicle has an interesting story about corset piercings, and surprisingly isn’t biased against them.
Photo: Mark Krauss. Monique Millier, 22, is a two-time corset piercer.
Familiar to body manipulation enthusiasts, corset piercing is now becoming more mainstream as young women, inspired by photos circulating on Facebook and other social media sites, are starting to wear them to prom, as Halloween or Burning Man costumes, or for weddings and gay pride parades.
This week also brings two looks into the history of tattoos around the world.
First, at the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, DE people can stop by this weekend to check out an exhibit entitled “Tall Tales and Tattoos“.
The program will feature Andrew “Spider” Miller who will spin tall tales and share his collection of “gaffs” — bizarre make-believe creatures that have been hand-crafted by skilled artisans. They are similar in style to the 19th century oddities known as “Fiji Mermen” which often featured animal heads crafted onto the bodies of fish. Such creations were conceived as pranks or side show curiosities at a time when sea captains were returning from the newly opened ports of East Asia with tall tales of exotic, never-before-seen creatures. An example is the Zwaanendael Merman, which can be seen at the museum in conjunction with Miller’s presentation.
The program will also feature tattoo artist Peggi Hurley of Ancient Art Tattoo studio in Lewes who will discuss the art and history of tattoos. Hurley, a native of Rehoboth Beach, was named the 1986 National Tattoo Association’s “Best Tattooed Woman.” She studied the art of tattooing with Don Nolan, Gill Montie and Bill Hannong and has operated a tattoo studio in Delaware since 1994.
If you have time in November and you live in or near London, you should head on over to the Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive, as they’re holding their first gallery showing of the works of Danzig Baldaev.
Danzig Baldaev grew up in a Russian children’s home, his father having been denounced as an enemy of the people. He was later ordered to take a job as a warden in Kresty, an infamous Leningrad prison, where he worked from 1948 to 1981. It was a job that allowed Baldaev to continue his father’s work as an ethnographer – by documenting the tattoos of criminals. Heavy with symbolism and hidden meanings, the tattoos depicted a complex world of hierarchies, disgraces and achievements. Mostly anti-Soviet and frequently obscene, they are a portal into a violent world that ran alongside the worst excesses of the Communist era.
The KGB found out about Baldaev’s tattoo project but, incredibly, they sanctioned it. “They realised the value of being able to establish the facts about a convict or criminal: his date and place of birth, the crimes he had committed, the camps where he had served time, and even his psychological profile,” Baldaev wrote, shortly before his death in 2005.
The Guardian has an excellent story detailing Danzig’s work, and how they became public.
Now, what would this week be if we didn’t have people screwing up royally with their modifications?
Everyone by now has heard of cosmetic tattooing. The practice has been going on for years now in beauty salons. But what happens if your brown eyebrow tattoos suddenly turn purple?
Question: I had my eyebrows tattooed in 2003. A few years later, they turned purple. I have ash-blond hair and wanted a medium-brown eyebrow color. I am looking for eyebrow makeup to cover the purplish color, which is especially noticeable when I go outside into bright sunlight. It’s embarrassing. Even my 5-year-old granddaughter said she likes my eyebrows because they are purple!
Of course it’s not just cosmetic tattoos that can go wrong. Take Manchester City fan Simon Hart. He’s a huge fan of his team, and will do anything to support them. The day he found out Wayne Rooney was to be traded to Man City, he did what any true fan would do: go out and get “Rooney City Legend” tattooed on his back. Nothing could possibly go wrong with this right?
Hart’s absurd body art depicts Rooney celebrating in a Man City uniform with the words ‘Rooney, City Legend’ emblazoned underneath.
Unfortunately, his crazy homage turned stupid real quick after Rooney signed a five-year contract extension with United last Friday.
But hey, it only covers his entire upper back. I’m sure nobody will notice. Heck, him and the penis guy can go out for beers.
Now when it comes to DIY piercings, knowledge is key. Knowing how to pierce yourself safely is the single most important thing. Of course, there will always be people who don’t care if they’re safe or not, or even if they’re doing it right. Unfortunately it’s people like them that end up in the news after being rushed into emergency surgery.
A month ago, without consulting his parents or a professional, he made the hole in his tongue and attached a metal ring, causing almost immediate pain. As he thought it would pass in a few days, he left the ring in. A few days later, an infection made it difficult for him to speak or eat, so he removed the ring; but when the pain receded a bit, he put it back in place. But this time, the tongue was so swollen and inflamed that the ring disappeared deep inside the tongue.
When he finally told his mother, she rushed him to the hospital, where doctors were able to observe the ring only in a CT scan. As his tongue was so large, it threatened to choke him, and he was sent to intensive care in serious condition. Dr. Miki Pecker said that when he was admitted, it was clear his life was in danger. Not only was the ring not sterile, but it was inserted into a part of the tongue not suited to piercing. It will take a while until the pain fades, he added.
And that’s it for the real news, now onto the celebrity round-up!
Hillary Duff was shocked to discover that a fan whose arm she had signed went out and got the signature tattooed on himself. The rest of the world was shocked to discover that Hillary Duff has a fan.
David Beckham is starting to rub off on his kids, and of course the media blew it completely out of proportion. According to The Sun, that bastion of journalistic integrity, Beckham allowed his 11-year-old son to get tattooed. Of course rational heads seemed to have prevailed as someone pointed out that it was probably just drawn on.
Finally, everyone’s favorite singer, Miley Cyrus, has shocked the world by ditching her “clean image” and getting a “sleeve tattoo”. Of course, by sleeve tattoo they really meant some small script on her forearm that matches the one her mother has. I’m also pretty sure she ditched her “clean image” a few years back when she was pole dancing on some kids awards show. Then again, to some that’s just healthy behavior for a kid, while getting tattooed is a sign of moral decay.
That’s it for this week’s news. Everyone have a safe and fun Halloween, and we’ll see you back here Monday morning when we kick off Movember (aka No Shave November).
