@Matt Lodder, This isn't the place for a detailed one-on-one discussion or critique so I'll try to keep it brief. I'm sure the opportunity will arise for us to chat in the future.
As I said, I do enjoy most of your writing and I'm super happy that you can find a vocation writing about the things you enjoy and are passionate about.
Also, If you (or any writer) were to apease my concerns or work to my tastes, you simply wouldn't have a large enough audience to make any money, not would it hold any interest to academia. But I do think tattooing needs an academic text as much as featherweight boxing does.
I know you didn't set out to be a spokesperson, it's just that you are one of the few vocal tattoo enthusiasts that can write with any coherence or weight. That makes you one of tattooing's few online spokespeople who isn't an idiot.
I didn't mean that you were a total outsider but that the source of your research is not from the real world.
If there's one thing (other than hard work) that always commands my respect, it's first-hand experience or authenticity. For me, that's where your work is lacking.
An academically sound project with an accurate and expansive bibliography sounds great, unless its mostly based on oral history. Much of tattooing's history may not be strictly oral, but it is just as personal and was passed on in a one-to-one or one-to-small-group fashion.
If you plan to tackle a hefty tome that covers 'modern' tattooing's history (Captain Cook onwards), you better make sure that's it's better, more detailed, more accurate, comprehensive and interesting than anything Hanky Panky (Henk Schiffmacher for the google crowd), Sam Steward, Takahiro Kitamura, Ed Hardy, Mike McCabe or Chris Wroblewski have ever done combined, otherwise you are just another writer taking a paycheck from tattoo fans with an ephemeral publication. Unless your intention is to edit together existing difficult to find books into an accessible volume. That's an editors job and a copyright nightmare.
Regarding historical books on the 'artistic' side of tattooing (I prefer 'visual' or 'craft' as 'artistic' brings up a whole other unwanted argument):
There have recently been a few excellent books on localised (in time and geography) pockets of tattoo history, with great historical photos and flash. There are another one or two still to come in the next six months or so. Maybe the writing wasn't heavy on the academic side, but they were written for ease of communication not peer review.
Regarding the source of modern tattooing's classic designs. It's widely known but maybe not often written that they stem from popular or military culture of the age. to examine their source is to examine the culture they were expressions of. A lifetime's work, to make anything more than a fluff piece or passing mention, I'm sure.
There are already a book or two with illustrations by Cook's natural history illustrator, of islanders tattoos.
Despite my general suspicion of exposing tattooing to 'outsiders' I'd love to see a well researched, accessible, interesting and knowledgeable book on tattooing's history, written with mostly first-hand or new information but I don't think academic books are much use to fringe or subcultures. Tattooing used to be exotic but now it's commonplace so at least you have a larger audience. I doubt I'm your audience anyway.
I have a book on Japanese tattooing, written by an academic researcher. A few years ago it was a gold-mine of information, now, with cheaper world-travel for first-hand research and the ability of 'insiders' to publish their knowledge and sell it on Amazon.com, that book is now just a curiosity with cool old photos.
Academics and journalists used to bring the exotic to us normals, now the exotic can bring themselves to us, or better yet, we can visit them, or at least watch them on tv or the internet.
But I do wish you the best of luck. I'm sure my criticisms would have a small impact on your work anyway. I'm notoriously grumpy and negative regarding tattoo-related stuff. I am from The North after all. But I am pleased that your work is well-received and your passion and interests have become your career.
Much of the information anybody needs regarding 20th century tattooing is readily available, it's just not published. Hours of interviews with key individuals and hours of foraging through dusty boxes in garages, attics and basements around the world will unearth the information to make a truly great book on tattooing's history.
The effort needed to gain access to that information is another story.
Good Luck.
