Sayeth Joseph Minek:
I wanted to get a tattoo to symbolize my constant searching for happiness (the surface). It is also part of lyrics from the Stick To Your Guns song “Looking For The Surface,” which I love. It’s also a cover-up of a penguin I got, who is now drowning, damn global warming!
(Tattoo by Travis at In The Blood Tattoo in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.)
See more in “Lettering Tattoos“ (Tattoos)
The last time we checked in with the Christmas Kraken, he was looking a little bare, no? Well, Marc sure as hell took care of that. This is stunning. Close-ups, after the jump.
(This work of art is by Marc at Swastika-Freakshop in Radolfzell, Germany.)
See more in “Miscellaneous Tattoos“ (Tattoos)
“Hey, I’m here for my consultation.”
“Oh, hey. Have a seat, have a seat. So, what do you have in mind?”
“Well, there are certain elements I’d like involved. A bear, for one.”
“Cool! We’ll get a bear in there. Anything else?”
“A squid.”
“A squid and a bear? Ha ha, sure thing man!”
“Also, we’re going to need a alligator in there. Oh! And a shark.”
“So this is some sorta wildli—”
“And there has to be a guy killing all of them.”
“At the same time?”
“At the same time.”
(“A man punching through an alligator, stepping on an octopus, having a bear in a headlock, getting attacked by a shark, and killing a man with his teeth” by Caleb at Studio City Tattoo in Studio City, California.)
See more in “Wildlife and Nature Tattoos“ (Tattoos)
Hey everybody, it’s the Christmas Kraken, popping in to offer some holiday advice! Take it away!
“Hi, folks — Christmas Kraken here. It’s the holiday season, and with all sorts of parties and get-togethers going on, it’s best that people be careful out there. If you’re drinking, please don’t drive, and if you’re driving, please make the change to Goodyear Snow Tires. Also, if you’re planning on attacking a ship and dragging every soul on board down to a watery grave, I’d recommend hitting the sails first. Holes in the body of a ship can take a while to fill with water, but nothing ruins a mariner’s day like getting his sails torn off.”
Thanks, Christmas Kraken! Merry Christmas!
(Tattoo by Marc at Swastika-Freakshop in Radolfzell, Germany.)
See more in “Miscellaneous Tattoos“ (Tattoos)
My friend Dan just told me about his new tattoo. When he was younger, like many of us, he was mad at the world, and has various bitter tattoos marking that path… In the picture you can see some of his shoulder tattoo which is a heart with daggers and a banner that reads, “once you get burned, you’re never the same” (don’t I know it, Dna, don’t I know it!). Anyway, he says that while he still loves all those old tattoos, he wanted to get something new with a more positive spin.
He told me,
“As a child, one of the few times my whole family would sit down and spend time together was when we’d play board games. My very favorite was called Escape from Atlantis, which featured an octopus destroying a boat on the box. Over the years my recollection faded a little and turned the octopus to a giant squid, but it’s still a very fond memory, and I wanted to dedicate a tattoo to it. Also, having a water theme helps to balance out all the flames I’d gotten previously. Now I’m a little older and more content, so I wanted to wear that on the outside.”
The tattoo was done for him by Jamer who works out of a private studio in my hometown of Victoria, BC.
