irezumi

This is an old photo of a Bali mask he did on my friend John, he has extensive work from Tux as well.

This is the flyer he gave me when we met; I looked really puzzled at 1991 when it was still October or November 1990 but I realized that he was printing them for the upcoming year.

Or he was time traveling.

Thom taught Nick....correct?

@irezumi.......I will probably see Dana this weekend at the Baltimore Convention if I go down on Sunday! I think he'll be in the Read Street Tattoo booth

He's the best ever. Such a nice guy.

Yeah I have a whole bunch of friends working the show from all over but I'm not tempted at all. It's such a hectic show that it's overwhelming. In past years what I've done is fill a station in the Museum while some of those guys work the show.

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Was Elio tattooing in Baltimore at the time or just making trips?

I think I mis-spoke when I said that; he worked with Elio for a little bit up north between closing the OG shop and re-opening after finishing school. Nick and Thom are to be credited for teaching him.

You answered a question i was thinking about asking privately @irezumi!

I wonder how many people know that Tux actually took classes at MICA? :)

Unfortunately.....when we were grabbing things out of Charlie's before the sale to the new owner.....there was some original hand drawn flash that Tux had done during his time spent with Dennis that we did not realize was in the lower racks! It went with the sale......although I am going to try to get some of it back at some point if it is ever for sale!

I photographed just about everything in the place before the sale except what was in the standing racks......never thought they might contain hand drawn flash.....and I certainly had never noticed it! UGH

Oh wow that's rad, I hope you get lock those down!

Yeah I met Tux when he was finishing up his BFA, which was the same year that I started my fairly brief period at MICA before becoming an art school dropout. That's also the same year I met Dana Helmuth at MICA; we became fast friends as well.

@irezumi.......do you think that your art background and school may have played into Tux's acceptance of you a little more than just some average person walking into the shop? The fact that you had some things in common?

Yeah I think that's fair to say. We did met on school grounds so that connection was made before walking into the shop.

No, wasn't Crazy John's. Had some generic name that I can't recall, this was in '92 or '93. @Bunny Switchblade I'm a little younger but not by leaps and bounds hah. I didn't meet Charlie but I did poke my head in there once to see what it was like. I wasn't as wowed as I was at Tux's; his shop looked like part antique shop part mystical shrine part tat shack so pretty much anything with wood paneling wasn't as interesting.

I'm gonna get a battle royale of a squaw pinup vs asian pinup vs latina pinup.

Ban me bitches.

Nope:

British woman deported from Sri Lanka because of 'insulting' Buddha tattoo | Mail Online

.... Is that Buddha pitching a tent?

Can we find the person who has that tattoo and deport them?

And the person that made it as well.

<<<<

From The Search for Animal Chin. I love this kind of stuff. I am going to assume that @irezumi does too

^excellent!

I think a lot of Higgs influence came from Tux too.....just my opinion!

Unquestionably so. Dan would be the first to agree. Just look at this shirt; although he drew this after Dan started to develop his own style you can see where a lot of his early influence came from.

Sorry for the huge pic; I can't figure out how to edit photobucket on the smartphone app.

That's awesome. I would've loved to have visited 222.

I didn't really work with him as an artist or front desk; He let me tattoo myself there a few times and let me hang around whenever I wanted and answered any question I had. I was at his shop as much as possible between the years of 1990 to 2000. I feel lucky to have been in that situation because he was extremely gruff to just about everybody, especially other tattooers. Had a big opportunity not fallen into my lap halfway across the country I believe that would've been my first 'job'. There were only 2 people in that whole time that he set up machines for and the other person was my roommate at the time.

There's no right/wrong 'what I should've done/chosen to do' at that time just decisions made and where they take you. I don't regret moving away from Baltimore at a turning point like that but sometimes I do wish I had been able to spend more time there at his shop at a crucial time like that before he passed away. I still talk to his widow fairly frequently and she tells me that she knows he would be proud of me now. I plan to see her again when I go to Bmore for a guest spot this summer, and have set up a visit with Nick and Thom as well during that same trip.

Nick also had a big hand in showing Tux the ropes as did Thom and Elio. I recommend getting some artwork from Nick; he's a super rad guy and an amazing artist.

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There's a certain not-to-be-named somebody here that has some great photos of Tux & Thom recently purchased that I've never seen before; I'll let them post them if he/she wants to after that person sees this thread.

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@irezumi East coast tattoo history, outside of NYC, hasn't been documented as well as it should have been. Of course Paul Rogers and Cap Coleman have a bit more around them, but there are so many rad guys that started in Baltimore, or Philadelphia, etc.

One of the somewhat little-known people in Bmore worth knowing about is Tattoo Charlie Geizer

Charlie Geizer

Although his shop has changed hands and is no longer part of the Geizer family the shop is still there (in the red light district, of course)and worth a visit if the old flash is still up. My favorite part of Charlie's shop is the painted screens he had done. Screen painting, an old Baltimore folk art tradition, has themes that are usually quaint country scenes and whatnot but Charlie's screens are HUGE and are Bmore landmarks including 2 (3?) huge clipper ships. They're on the second floor so it's really difficult to get pictures of them.

Bunny, you need to get someone to let you go into the offices across the way from them and explain how unique, special and part of Baltimore history they are so you can photograph them.

edit; for the sake of a rough idea of what I'm talking about I used google street view. Not as good as actual photos but you get the idea. I also feel compelled to give context of where it's located.

For a short period of time as a young lad I worked at what used to be a carry-out greasy spoon where that Subway is now. Memories.

Japanese Art Motives - Maude Rex Allen - Google Books

Start at page 151; I see a thorough list and translation of the treasures but nothing about a drum.

Good book by the way; the Chinese art motives/symbols book is also crucial.

Early/mid 90s. I have plenty more than that from him but no internet photos, sorry.

I've read some stuff before on 'teh interwebz' about cultural appropriation and tattoos, specifically around the idea that if you are of one culture and get a tattoo from another culture (specifically if the latter culture is considered a minority) that it somehow devalues their heritage and traditions.

Some blogs (I will not link to them here) take photos of people with tattoos they consider to be cultural appropriation and post them online, calling them racist. Specific tattoos that are targeted appear to be anything American Indian, Romany, or Dia de los Muertos related.

Thoughts?

I'll bet none of the people writing these things are heavily tattooed or know close friends that are. The opinions of outsiders means nothing to me.

Are you shocked a girl who grew up in Lansdowne would have skate tattoos @irezumi?

Nah I knew you'd have some good input here.

Bunny just gave credit to one of my favorite spots on the east coast.

Lansdowne was one of the last of the outlaw skate parks. An old park made 40 years ago even before the heyday of the 70s explosion, it had all of the lines of a huge wave style park with big snake runs, massive hips and banks. Self-governed and self-policed that spot was a forgotten hidden gem in the back of an old classic blue collar neighborhood, ruled only by locals, rippers and burnouts. In other words, I felt right at home. Pads and helmets were shunned and the type of concrete was burlier than 8 grit sandpaper. The bails there were unforgiving and bloody and best healed by pouring beer on the open wound. Each day would end on the top side of the park watching the sunset with every skater sharing beers and smoking joints. That place was so rad.

Imo, the worst thing that happened to that place was rehabbing it and reminding people that it's there.

I'm a fan of skull girls in general. Hmmm might have to start a skull girl thread....when I'm back at the comp.

I can't recall who I heard it from but brokeback girl has to be the best term for that ever.

That Bart Bingham skater skull girl is so fucking rad!!!

Yeah that was pretty clever

No problem. No U in Bolder Ink though just fyi.

Shameless bump for good buddy Dan Nelson @ Greenpoint Tattoo in Brooklyn

Ishmael Johnson in Ft Collins, and both Rising Tide and Bolder Ink in Boulder.

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From your description of tattoo ideas I would say that Thidemann @Mammoth or Brian @Bolder would both be good choices to consider.

Hello fellow Coloradan

Denver shops worth noting; Landmark, Lifetime, Mammoth American, Th'ink Tank

Probably not a lot to find out there besides logo tats, but let's still try to keep it interesting and original-ish instead of a exact duplication of the Santa Cruz hand or something. @Graeme inspired thread after reading of his recent skateboard purchase.

Of course there is the Grime one, definitely one of my faves

Not a shameless plug, just an awesome tat to share by Pee Wee

The above having been said, I still feel compelled to include this Jim Phillips one from Dave Regan

That's all I have at this moment, it's been a busy morning. I'll post more as I recall seeing or finding good ones.

Possibly my favorite artist in any medium. I need to get that O'Brien reaper tattooed on me.

I have a holiday version available...