Dan S

Too many chiefs and not enough indians, as we used to say back in the pre-PC days. Far too many tattooers have simply put a few pieces on their legs, rented a shop, and look ma, I'm a tattooer.

Nick, looking forward to your new venture, I'd say "good luck", but lucj won't have anything to do with it! I'm sure your new shop will be a success and an inspiration.

I wanted to address the forum as to not let speculation get to out of hand. I am actually amazed that anyone is concerned about me leaving Chicago Tattoo and the amount of support and well wishes i have received is very humbling. I want to thank everyone for reaching out. I spent ALOT of time at CTC ALOT! from the first time I walked in at 15 with Erik Gillespie and was promptly told to leave to the last 18years (almost half my life) I have been in awe of that place. In awe of the history, the stories, the people, the friends, the tattooing, the flash, the neighborhood. Everything was just amazing to me. I always wanted to be there. Always. I treated it as my own and most people didn't even think otherwise.
I have met some of my dearest fiends through there and through tattooing and I owe a lot of gratitude to the institution that I believe I helped build and to the owner Dale Grande. Like all people my needs started to change, my family started to grow and my career really started to get in a great groove. It seemed like the hardwork I had put it was paying off but there where issues that needed to be addressed at the shop that couldn't be resolved. I've sat on this decision for quite some time actually over a couple years. I've done a lot of soul searching and confided in my closest colleagues and friends and especially my wife on what to do and I came to the decision to leave Chicago Tattoo. I wanted to move on still in love with tattooing still in awe of the history and still amazed at 18 years of amazing times some great some not so great. I have a lot of things in the works. Nothing to crazy or unexpected but I can say that I will continue to stay to true to tattooing and what got me to where I am without tattooing I couldn't say where I'd be.

Here is the latest on my backpiece from @stewartrobson
Did 5 hours on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday. Actually tapped out on Sunday, it was a long week of good eating and drinking and it caught up to me. It's 47 hours of total work so far and it will hopefully be completed in October. Pic is from Stewart's IG.
Photo by stewartrobson • Instagram

I'm pretty happy with Nick's tattooing, so I will stick with him, as long as he doesn't move to frkn Paris or something! I would never rule-out having work done by the other tattooers at CTC, they are all first-rate.

Write it in your native-tongue, I'm sure someone here will be able to translate it.

I'm pretty happy with Nick's tattooing, so I will stick with him, as long as he doesn't move to frkn Paris or something! I would never rule-out having work done by the other tattooers at CTC, they are all first-rate.

Frank Williams is well on his way to being a first-class tattooer, for sure.
As to what they have planned, I'll ride with @David Flores on this and wait to see, but I think I can safely say that Nick has a HUGE collection of tattoo history, including what is probably the largest stash of Cliff Raven's work extant, so I know that wherever they land, the shop will be exciting, historical, and au courant. Their styles compliment each other, and Mario and Nick are both Masters of the trade, and artists to be reckoned with.
Hang on, kids, this promises to be exciting!
Just as a kinda closer, my oldest has booked what I believe is Nick's last opening at CTC. The ink-pig!

Frank Williams is well on his way to being a first-class tattooer, for sure.
As to what they have planned, I'll ride with @David Flores on this and wait to see, but I think I can safely say that Nick has a HUGE collection of tattoo history, including what is probably the largest stash of Cliff Raven's work extant, so I know that wherever they land, the shop will be exciting, historical, and au courant. Their styles compliment each other, and Mario and Nick are both Masters of the trade, and artists to be reckoned with.
Hang on, kids, this promises to be exciting!
Just as a kinda closer, my oldest has booked what I believe is Nick's last opening at CTC. The ink-pig!

The great unknown of self-defense..."can I pull the trigger".
If you haven't had to face that choice, I hope you never do.
If you have, you know that it forever changes your life.

This really caught me off guard. I saw the Mario post and wasn't too shocked, as he has moved around a little bit before landing there, but my jaw dropped when I saw Nick's post. I love Beatdown, Frank William, Jelena and everyone else's tattoos there, but to me Chicago Tattoo Company is Nick Colella. On the other hand can't wait to see what he has planned, and hopefully I have some space left next time I head back.
I have a few guesses to what is going to happen, but don't want to put stuff out there that is just specualtion.

I'm pretty happy with Nick's tattooing, so I will stick with him, as long as he doesn't move to frkn Paris or something! I would never rule-out having work done by the other tattooers at CTC, they are all first-rate.

To end the debate all over the internets...
This is the only true 1-shot man-stopper pistol
50BMG In the palm of your hand.

In reality there has been soo many statistics and debates over the years that to me show it really just comes down to personal preference. Like myself I prefer a wheel gun for reliability. While I've only had a couple jams or stovepipes over the years, nothing is more reliable than a hammerless wheelgun.

Car scratches can be pretty rough!!!

Car scratches can be pretty rough!!!

I think the girl been booted in the ass about enough. She said she gets it, so leave us all lighten up a tad.

Too many chiefs and not enough indians, as we used to say back in the pre-PC days. Far too many tattooers have simply put a few pieces on their legs, rented a shop, and look ma, I'm a tattooer.

Tigers n Panthers n Lions...oh my.



All three by Den Yakovlev.

I think the girl been booted in the ass about enough. She said she gets it, so leave us all lighten up a tad.

I think the girl been booted in the ass about enough. She said she gets it, so leave us all lighten up a tad.

I think the girl been booted in the ass about enough. She said she gets it, so leave us all lighten up a tad.

I think the girl been booted in the ass about enough. She said she gets it, so leave us all lighten up a tad.

@Kahlan No lecture here, everyone else seems to have done a great job of that. Just some straight up info:
At the shop I work in (Which may or may not have a reputation on being harsh to 'wannabes') we get at least one person each week asking for an apprenticeship. In the summer months we get AT LEAST two per week, often more.
Aside from the fact than none of them can draw and most haven't been tattooed at our shop, - I'm not even sure if any of them know what kind of work we do (hint: almost everything) they certainly don't look through any of our folios while they are in the shop. - There is no way that our city can support 52 to 104 new tattooers each year. I've been there since 2007. That would be over 800 new tattooers.
But really, shitty tattooers should stop taking apprentices and helping them become shitty tattooers. If a good tattooer won't teach you, tough shit. If a good tattooer does teach you, I hate you because I never got that chance and I did a whole bunch of shitty tattoos while I was 'learning'.

Who needs to apprentice when you have the internet and youtube has tutorials!
(jokes)

I think the girl been booted in the ass about enough. She said she gets it, so leave us all lighten up a tad.