MGblues

If proper setting can't be obtained by the common "Hand Power" method, there are a number of other methods to try.

1. Have a friend hit you with a 2"x4" piece of wood until said wood breaks in half.

2. Have a friend hire Chuck Norris to roundhouse kick the new tattoo.

3. Have a friend find other friends to form an assembly line of slaps.

4. Run as fast as you can into a sturdy brick wall(being sure the tattoo makes contact with said sturdy brick wall).

5. Build a trebuchet at least 37 feet tall. Load one end with a VW Beattle and the other with a large rock. Practice until you know where the rock lands when trebuchet is activated. Stand in that spot.

6. Call me for further instruction.

@Brock Varty I think you meant Woodchuck Norris...

Ah, c'mon. You know you're all thinking if you ever get a chance to have Valerie Vargas or <insert your favorite here> tattoo you, you'll be ready. You might even have a spot you're saving up just in case. Just because you don't have any big-name tattoos--yet--doesn't mean you're not a collector.

Well, there is the right calf I saved for Danny Reed to put a hot stuff devil on and the stomach I've saved for Oliver Peck to put a cry baby on...

I've got work from a few different artists in So. Cal but I wouldn't call myself a "collector" because I haven't really been done by any renowned shops or artists.

Is collector more in tune with people who collect classic traditional images? I have all custom work in only black/gray. When we use the word collector do we typically think of someone who has a number of recognizable American traditional pieces?

@Genie of the West...

It doesn't really matter if your tattoos were done by any "well known" artists, or if your tattoos are purely custom B&G, or all done from Bert Grimm flash.

If they are well done and you can't imagine what you'd look like without them, and you plan on getting more tattoos, then I guess you're a collector.

FWIW, all but a few of the tattoos on my arms (I'd say "sleeves", but I hate that term. I just kept getting tattooed on my arms until I ran outta room there and now they're all sort of connected.) are 80's/90's punk rock or Greg Irons inspired, and 2000's era traditional stuff, done either B&G or B&G with only red or green, just because my skin color works well with that color combo.

I've only ever been called "collector" by the artist who's done the bulk of the work on me, mostly because 99% of the artwork on my body is classic, traditional tattoo imagery. It didn't really bother me, but in my own mind I prefer to think of myself as "illustrated".

I very much agree with HaydenRose - people seem to get genuinely offended when, after asking me for the "meaning" of my tattoo and why I got it, I reply that I just thought it would look good, and I wanted to get it. Sorry to disappoint you, but my cat didn't even get cancer or anything. Miami ink mindset.

My stock answer answer for plainskins is "I like looking at the pictures."

I love it when the plainskins say "Well, he must have body image issues." And I'm thinking "Nope, motherfucker, not anymore..."

I have this on my left thigh. My meat curtains. I think it's pretty funny. It's a hoot when I have to go to the doctor with my bum hip.

I'm reading "The Shadow Over Santa Susana" A bunch of theories and tangents of the Manson family murders tied up in one nice little package. I'm not a conspiracy theory nut or anything, but it does make for a good read.

The 3rd Annual Daddy/Daughter Tattoo day was on Friday. I posted the tattoo pics in the latest tattoo lowdown thread already. Here's a pic from the start. Most fun I've had so far this year. P.S. the kid ain't lopsided anymore...

Today was the 3rd annual daddy/daughter tattoo day It was as awesome as we hoped. The Homeward Bound ship is on her and Woodchuck Norris is on me. Both done by Paul Pearson.

Tomorrow at noon is the start of the 3rd Annual Daddy/Daughter Tattoo Day for me, and this years should be the best one yet. I can't wait.

Thanks for the compliments guys!

Finally got around to getting a descent, healed picture of mine. posted it on IG earlier, it constrained it till you cant see it all. It was done by Paul Pearson at Tried & True Tattoo in Smyrna , Tn

I got out in 2001 as an E-6 (SSG) after 9 years in, due to shot knees (Humans weren't meant to be pack animals BTW.)

Glad I did, the U.S. Army (or at least the 101st Airborne Division) was all over the place with what was and what wasn't cool visible below the elbows in dress uniform during that time period. Beside's, I was totally sick all of the bullshit at that point anyway...

I wouldn't trade that period of my life for anything though. It all happens for a reason I guess.

My last day in the U.S. Army was 03/03/01. Nine years to the day. I didn't plan it that way, it just happened! Got out at Ft. Campbell, Ky.

My only regret about my time spent in the U.S. Army is that I got to fire every small caliber weapon the army had in service at the time...Except one. The M-2 .50 cal machine gun....

Dammit! I never got to shoot Ma Deuce!

@ironchef Very Awesome!!!

Plenty Stoked for you!

That's more like a back piece and a half!

This thing followed me home today and I kept it. (Actually, My friend drove it home, I followed to make sure it made it there.)

'74 VW Beetle. Bought it off a college kid for $2k. It's completely street legal, starts first time every time. Everything on it works. Basic transportation for me and a ton of fun to drive. Plenty of potential to do stuff with it. I got it bought, titled, registration, tags, and insured all before time to go pick up the missus from work today. "Twas a good day!"

Besides, It has a tractor muffler with a flapper for exhaust. You just cant beat that.

I love Cool Hand Luke.

Kill Bill - meh.

True Romance - now there's a movie!!

Cool Hand Luke...

Rules it for me on movies. After that I really like Deliverance, and Blazing Saddles, oh yeah, and The Exorcist!, (gotta throw one horror movie in for good measure!)

I know I joke about a lot of stuff (especially my skinny naked man-ass!!!) but really, getting the back piece has been like therapy for me this past year.

Starting March 19th 2012 I started having some really bad back and pelvis issues. Through misdiagnoses and what not it has been a real struggle to get it corrected. A LOT of really low points in my life over the past year with some very bad chronic pain. I was beginning to get to the point that if pain was all that was left for me the rest of my days, I'd just pull a Hunter S. Thompson and not live like that anymore. Chronic pain over a long period of time can fundamentally change your personality.

But, anyway I went ahead and I got the back piece started on June 30th, 2012, and about once a month thereafter I'd go in for another 3 hour session. For those 3 hours I'd know getting tattooed was going to hurt worse than my back and pelvis was that day, when it was gonna start hurting, about how much it was going to hurt, and then, when I'd had enough, I could say "Stop, I've had enough."

Long story short, I got the back all finished, touch-ups and all around January 20th 2013. Ironically (hipsterism!!!) I was reading Tamblog shortly thereafter and saw one of the health posts and discovered Piriformis Syndrome (look it up on wikipedia folks, it ain't fun), turns out that's what I have. It can be fixed with exercise and physical therapy, and I'm now on the road to recovery. I ain't out of the woods completely yet, but I'm getting there. I feel much better now and I've buried Hunter completely.

Well I don't know about you guys, but I sweat like a mother when I'm uncomfortable. I would not be able to just drop them in public like that. I think I am going to go with the bath robe idea, if only for my own comfort.

Mine stops just below the belt, on purpose...

The conversation about how to do the layout on my back piece was as follows...

Tattooer: "You don't want this to extend onto your ass do you? I've known you for quite a while now, your my friend, and all, but if I never have to see your skinny naked man-ass in person, I won't feel like I've missed anything."

Me: "Eh, same here. If I never have to feel your nitrile gloved hands spreading my ass cheeks apart I won't feel like I missed anything either."

Mine has a lot of outline work and I can't believe he got all of it on me in 3hrs and 40 mins.

It was rough to get through, but there was no way I was gonna puss out on it.

It's all done now, touchups and all (reminds me, I need to get a good , healed pic of my back, without florescent lights glaring off of Vaseline)

I'm so happy to have it and that I get to keep it till I'm worm dirt. I never thought I couldn't finish it, but I'm glad I never have to put myself through that again. I'm a bit obsessive about getting large multi-session tattoos finished in the order I started them.

Do you guys watch Talking Dead afterwards? I enjoyed listening to Lori talk about Andrea's character, and how everything she does is in Dale's honor. And what about Michonne's pets? Explains how she could decapitate them so easily.

Watch it after every episode. I'm always humored when one of the main characters I'm used to hearing with a southern accent pops up with a British or Canadian accent in real life.

Is no one else watching this season?

Well yeah, of course! Never missed an episode yet.

Horror movie convention in Nashville in 2 weeks and the missus gets to meet Norman Reedus. She's can't wait