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It's funny how when you pick just one basic design the possibilities are endless. So since we're talking about panther tattoos, tiger tattoos, etc., what do you like in a lady head? And who do you like for a lady head? Contemporary tattooer or past tattooer? I'm not a tattooer myself, but I like dark eyes/eyelashes and the heavy makeup/color thing. And lots of dark hair. Bailey Robinson does some really great ones.. http://copperbeehive.wordpress.com/2010/03/02/a-piece-of-you-for-a-piece-of-me/face/ http://copperbeehive.wordpress.com/2010/04/20/i-have-no-idea-what-i-meant-to-be/lady-2/ On the other end of the spectrum I also like Todd Noble's softer ladies: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=497092566067&set=a.468392576067.266608.620436067

Today we added a new 'Like' feature - this is not tied to the Facebook like system, instead it gives us a way to tell each other which posts we like or enjoy so that other members can navigate to the popular content more easily. This will be the most valuable for threads that span for several pages. You will see the 'Like' link appear at the bottom right of each post next to 'share' when you move your mouse over the post. The forum home page now has a new section that lists the most liked threads. Once people start using this new feature, a dropdown menu will appear at the top of each thread giving you a way to quickly jump to the most popular posts in that thread. I attached an image showing what it sort of looks like. Try it out and let us know what you think!

what's everyone's opinion on this? i know there are some artists out there that feel that if one artist bases their design off of another artist's work, that is stealing. however, almost every artists incorporates the use of designs that have been used for many, many years. what's the difference to you (if there is one)? since i'm not an artist, only a client, i'm just curious to hear what everyone thinks.

So as I was walking along Venice Beach today, I saw tons of tourists entering a myriad of tattoo/piercing shops. Seeing as most of the tourists were absolute 'tards, I can only imagine what kind of "fun" those artists deal with on a regular basis. Anyways, what's your worst walk-in story? Whether it was an abnormally absurd request or an out of his/her mind customer tell your story here!

A "Cocks of the Aged" turtleback has creative potential. Anatomically correct self-portraits by Roberts, Stell, and contemporaries.

Alot of our business comes from people with fucked up tattoos. So yes, if you got a fucked up tattoo and want it to look good, I'll gladly do it. I don't care who's name is attached to it. If they did a shitty job, then shame on them for not living up to their reputation.

Part Two Chicago’s Tattooing past is as deep and influential as both the Bowery and The Pike and South State Street was the spot for all of these tattooers to come through. Like I stated before hundreds of tattooers came through to work on South State Street, from the early 1900s through until the demolition of the area in 1967. Here are a few of the oldest photos I have found of unidentified tattooers tattooing on South State Street, if anyone knows who they are I would be stoked to hear it. These photos looked very staged, but it looks like the typical arcade style tattooing, just a small little corner or spot underneath some stairs where these arcade owners could house a tattooer as well. These photos where found in an online archive of old Chicago pictures from a local paper that no longer exists. A lot of the tattooers where complete winos and would tattoo for the Mob owned arcades just long enough to get some drink, then would disappear until they needed to work again. Other like the ones I will mention below made South State their homes if not only for a short while. Most notable tattooers that worked on South State are but not limited to. Ed Thornton Bill Moore (Chicago Tattoo Supply House) not affiliated with Chicago Tattoo Co Paul Hansen Bill Killingworth Jerry Pope Ned Resinol Ernie Sutton Randy Webb Mickey Kellet William Grimshaw Owen Jensen Bert Grimm Philadelphia Eddie Don Nolan Oakland Jake Stoney St. Clair Amund Dietzel Phil Sparrow Buddy McFall Cliff Raven Ingram Sailor Jerry Collins Ralph Johnstone Tatts Thomas So there are 22 of the heaviest hitters to ever hold a tattoo machine and they all came through Chicago at one time or another and the history is relatively unknown or not talked about. To me this makes Chicago’s history even more intriguing. When people talk about tattooing they either mention The Bowery or The Pike, but Chicago was home to some pretty amazing tattooers that helped shape not only the look of what tattooers today call traditional designs but they where also trying to improve their tools and techniques. Out of the list you have a few stand outs that are obvious you have of course Sailor Jerry, he was said to be introduced to electric tattooing by Tatts Thomas, here is the only card in existence that shows Sailor Jerry was tattooing on South State Street in Chicago. This card was in China Sea when Rollo bought it after Jerrys death, Kandi Everett had it in her possession for the last 20 something years and passed it on to me recently. Bill Moore had the Chicago Tattoo Supply House and worked closely with Tatts Thomas over the years, Tatts and Bill moved shops a bunch of times during Bills stay on South State Street. Bill used to run ads in Popular Mechanics at the time touting his “Tattoo Outfit” so there you have tattooers selling to the general public way before Spaulding ever graced the back cover of Tattoo magazine. Bill Moores earliest ad was found in Billboard magazine in 1932, where he is listed at 434 South State the same address that Sailor Jerry used to work at. This was the Burton Arcade, which a lot of other tattooers had worked at as well. Bill Moore died in Chicago in 1944. Ralph Johnstone to me is one of the most under rated tattooers of this time. Not only was he one of the most amazing circus banner painters but he also was an amazing tattooer that by all accounts was extremely kind and never had a bad word to say about any other tattooer. Ralphs business cards used to say he would work off of photographs, which meant photo realistic portraits in the 1950s. Ralph and Tatts Thomas worked side-by-side for Ralphs entire State Street Career which lasted I believe until everyone left in 1963. Johnstone also painted flash for Milton Zeis who at the time had a supply business and tattoo correspondence class out of Rockford Illinois. These business cards below show some of the address that Tatts and Johnstone worked at. The cards where also drawn by Ralph himself, as you can see he was light years ahead of his time in the way he approached illustration and tattooing for that matter. Here you have a couple of Ralph Johnstone’s clients with full chest pieces, and the third pic is of 3 backpieces with Johnstone in the front the center was done by Tatts Thomas it is on Sailor Bill Killingsworth the other 2 where done by Johnstone. Thanks for your interest more to follow on some of the other tattooers that shaped South State Street.