mario desa

i see where you're coming from, but your argument (or observation) kind of assumes that 99% of the population has an "easy" life while, those with hardship (divorce, death, etc.) got involved with tattoos. i think that's a horrible assumption. life is hard, period. for EVERYONE. most people deal with addiction, disease, death, divorce, violence, poverty, etc., etc., etc. that's just life. life is hard in general, no matter who you are or where you come from. i know lots of people who had amazing childhoods and steady households and became heavily tattooed. a lot of times, it has to do with 100% confidence/satisfaction in yourself and who you are. i know i've always been a very visual person, since i can remember, and pictures and icons have always just attracted me. there's no "us" vs. "them" in this, we're all human, so we all have shit to deal with. which goes into the other part of your post...tattooing is universal in human history. we might not have a super recent or super direct tattoo rite, but we all have it, just being human and having all evolved and spread all over this earth from the same original group of homosapiens. it's why tattoo imagery is popular on clothing or anything else, the icons are universal human emotion. one of the things i love about tattoos is that life is all there...love hate death beauty violence. it's really not that mysterious homie!

i had a great time, man. it was great to meet all of you and work with you guys. see you in october!

man, that's cool.

WOW. this is great! it's awesome that you have this after all these years. i wish i had my first machines...a set of spaulding pumas. i do have a couple of frames that were my second liner and second shader. thanks for sharing!

jon is one of my best friends! awesome!

go to business school instead.

oops, sorry...here it is...

http://www.facebook.com/v/1668042256955

thanks everyone! it was my first try at imovie.

awesome...thank you!

yes! josh is one underrated guy! great guy, great shop. i was lucky to go up there and work this summer and get to know josh better, it was an honor. he has so much knowledge. great interview!

agreed, awesome book, got to page through it at sfo convention. can't wait to pick it up.

nice...see you soon!

scott harrison posted a great myspace bulletin about that a few years back. wish i'd saved it!

i always correct people and scold co-workers who say "tramp stamp". i hate it.

nice! it was good meeting you and glad you had a good time! i love my life here, and in a way, we are america's best kept secret. now you see why we put up with the winter! it's awesome here.

dean...haha, we got some softies too!

nice. i hope to live up to that!

chad, you are a winner at lists! your lists are the longest!

c'mon, bart, it was mark anthony the popstar right?

ok i remember! cool. you must mean '05, though.

amoxill...what did i tattoo on you?

good list though! my first one was at a skinhead house!

i have a big coleman dragon (like davita's from huck) on my whole back from nick colella. it has no background, so i'm putting birds around it. jen did a swallow with an envelope in its beak. nick did a swallow with a dagger through it.

chad!! we still need to trade, GENT! saving a spot for you!

...anyway, just last week got a small one from jen munford, and a small one from nick rodin. finally got one from krak in july...anyway, i got a spot for mr. boltz and a spot for mr. byrne, hopefully getting one from jeff rassier in a few weeks. need more scott sylvia, more jeff zuck. oh, gotta finally get one from nikki balls too! mike wilson, brad fink, more seth ciferri...i don't know....juan puente....my son one day????

definately one of the best tattoo book revues i've read. totally objective and informative. thank you.

i agree, it was like time travel! we've been putting up more hand-painted flash at our shop. it adds so much to the decor and feel of it.