Petri Aspvik

I really like Stoney St. Clairs ladies. The hair looks like out of a 50' rockabilly hand book and I havent really seen anyone (or at least can remember) who does them like him. Only one I found online.

Stoney St. Clair Ladies Flash

Then Theo Mindell is someone I second, and also would like to ad Marco Cerretelli.

But Theo is maybe my all time favorite in any type of style

Theo Mindell tattoo pictures

He is THE MAN.

Thanks for the sharing of memories irezumi. Any change getting to see the tattoos he did for you?

Would love to hear more about the man!

I read that you wrote Satan...

I asked Seth about Tux when I was doing the Dan piece and he had interesting info about him. Or it might have been the way he "said" it that it made it interesting:D :p

But, here is the first draft of the Higgs article. I scraped it because I thought it was too preachy and took too hard stance regarding tattoo artists, and when I am not one or plan to be one, I decided to write a new one because I wasnt comfortable with it. But, here it is, feedback and bashing is welcome :)

DANIEL HIGGS - Black moon cult

Richard Dawkins offered a hypothesis in his book The God Delusion (page 176) about human behavior (it was of course about religious behaviorism, but let’s play with it a little bit)

"Natural selection builds child brains with a tendency to believe whatever their parents and tribal elders tell them. Such trusting obedience is valuable for survival : the analogue of steering by the moon for a moth."

In some way I can see this reasoning behind the work of an artist who in one way or another copy some other artists work. When someone gets praise for his work and is considered to be above others by some, then naturally people tend to think that they are the ones to follow. They certainly aren’t pushed aside and left dying in the side of the road while others keep going forward. No, they press on and soon others will follow them. New artists who are struggling to take new steps in evolution, grab a hold to those artist and mimic them, hoping to if not to be the leader, at least to be able to survive.

When you see tattoos, which are originally done by people such as Rudy Fritsch, Grime or Joshua Carlton, mimicked for the thousandth time with only mild improvements (and at times the version can be in fact poorer), then maybe the ones doing the mild to blatant copying are just trying to survive. They see what works and eyes squinted follow the light in front of them like moths that fly in to the candle (because for a moth the light of a candle is similar to the moon which is used as a compass) and get burned up in a screaming death of banality. They (tattoo artists) might reason that the light ahead must be good because everyone else is also headed towards it. But unfortunately if you think only in that way you become blind, as Richard Dawkins pointed out moments later in the same page

"The flip side of trusting obedience is slavish gullibility. The inevitable by-product is vulnerability to infection by mind viruses."

What one should do to survive is look a little bit upwards and see the moon and decide to follow that light, while the others fly towards the candle light to their inevitable deaths.

Now you must be thinking: “what the fuck does this has to do with Daniel Higgs!” Or maybe you see the reasoning (because you aren’t infected by the mind virus) and know what’s coming. Yes, Daniel followed the moon.

He started tattooing somewhere around 1984 when the HC scene in Baltimore and in all of America was still going strong, even if it was showing signs of dying out. But tattoos were still almost underground of the underground movement, so when someone wanted to be a tattoo artist it held a different type of aura. “Fuck you” of the “fuck you culture”! So, Daniel apprenticed under a person by the name of Tux Farrer on which even the mighty truth called Internet shows no information. It was trough Tux that Daniel was introduced to that great lineage of tattooers, most notably perhaps Thom Devita. The real fucking underground figure of the underground! Thom’s influence on Daniel is huge. Fuck, mister Devita’s influence on tattooing in general is fucking huge, even if we don’t know it. But Ed Hardy knew it (read the Tattoo Time magazine) as he knew that Daniel is a force to be reckoned with.

Daniel worked in Tattoo City sometime in the early 90’s. He worked with such cats as Eddie Deutsche, Freddy Corbin, Igor Mortis, Alex Herman, and Jeff Whitehead. While working in Tattoo City Daniel was introduced to the rich history of American tattooing trough mister Ed Hardy. Then after that, or before in some cases, I don’t know exactly, he worked in places such as East Side Ink, Read St Tattoo, NY Adorned, Hobos, South St. Tattoo and other places of knowledge. Basically, he did the same shit that all the tattoo artists do: Travel, tattoo and draw. But he had something more to offer.

If I can be blunt, as I will be here, it can be said that Daniel Higgs changed modern tattooing. He re-introduced the overlooked rule of using black like it was the truth and made his designs simpler, more dynamic and easier to read than was accustomed to in that time. He did it like they used to do it in the early days, bringing back to tattooing something that had been missing. Spirit of such artist as: August “Cap” Coleman, Sailor Jerry, “Brooklyn” Joe Lieber and Bob Wicks. Those people made American tattooing what it was and is today. But he didn’t just blindly follow their lead but instead he thought about what it is that makes their work so good and mixed that together with his own ideas and knowledge. He made simple and in your face TATTOOS and didn’t try to re-create the wheel, just improve it.

And then he… well fuck, actually, that’s pretty much all I know. I really don’t have any other witty analogies or anything like that. So there wont be a long list of things that he did because to put it simply, I don’t fucking know anything else that he did! I only know the possible mind set that he had. He was a rebel to put it mildly. And one secretive fucker. And there is an explanation to he’s secrecy that is based on simple logic.

a.) He brought the occult back to tattooing as can be seen when studying his work and listening to the stories told about him.

b.) The word occult means secret.

Conclusion

Daniel Higgs went out to find answers and when he found them he made sure that it would take others some dedication to find out what he did. If he hadn’t done that, then all the little moths would fly in the candle, one after another, burning up, dying because of the standard of mediocrity. And that in turn would make all the occultist symbols that he used in his work meaningless. No secret in being non secretive. That’s why it is so hard to know anything about him. Because he actually succeeded in following the other path. He is the living proof of the fact that you don’t have to be infected by the mind virus.

Evolve or die.

I thought that Brent Hinds from Mastodon has a cool face tattoo but when I looked at the pics he just has the side of his head tattooed? I could have sworn he has his cheeck tattooed! Who the hell was it that I saw in a magazine then...

About getting tattooed in visible areas before anywhere else, I agree. First sleeves, chest, back blaa, then hands etc.

Btw. Is Freddy Corbin religious or is he just really into the aura of religious tattoos?

Have to go watch the interview now...

i really want a tattoo for Thunder Road.

Yes. This is amazingly well written. As is anything with Bruce

So you're scared and you're thinking

That maybe we aint that young anymore

Show a little faith, there's magic in the night

You aint a beauty, but hey you're alright

Oh and that's alright with me

How... normal. Fucking amazing. And this part

There were ghosts in the eyes

Of all the boys you sent away

They haunt this dusty beach road

In the skeleton frames of burned out chevrolets

They scream your name at night in the street

Your graduation gown lies in rags at their feet

And in the lonely cool before dawn

You hear their engines roaring on

But when you get to the porch they're gone

On the wind, so mary climb in

Its a town full of losers

And Im pulling out of here to win.

Fucking amazing. Its normal, everyday life, but its so romantic that its more than life. Or its life seen as it really is, in all its sorrow and beauty. Thunder Road is fucking amazing in the Born to Run box where there is the live dvd from Hammersmith Odeon. Fucking sony or what ever, but they take all the good versions of the youtube, so the song isnt there anymore. But, its fucking great. Just with piano and total darkness, where you just see Bruce singing.

also have an anti-burnout, kinda anti-punk loser tattoo "LIVE SLOW, DIE OLD" in script on my shoulders by nick colella.

Greatest. Shit. Ever!

Sadly, Im not as cool as you guys.

My first tattoo was a hand poked Wu-Tang clan logo that I got in a group home when I was 15 and then my first "real shop tattoo" was this angel demon thing that has Korn written in its shirt.

Yeah...

Fuuuuuck...

If I would get a band tattoo, it would be something to do with Bruce Springsteen, because he is THE MAN. Been listening to him for about 13 years. Could be practically any lyric of his.

Other one would be maybe a quote from the interview I did with Great New Jersey band Spanish Bombs

DREAMWORLD REALISM: Interview with Spanish Bombs

If a 16year old kid would buy one of your albums, what would you like him to get out of it?

Be fierce young lord!

Thats the coolest line ever.

Great topic about this stuff! 64 posts, 4 pages. Great shit

Stretching and Exercise for tattooers - Nickbaxter.com

Forgot Norm (norm awr norm awr (NORM AWR MSK) on Myspace)

Im on the fence about it. I love script, but this type of stuff appeals to me too.

What do you guys think of people like Mike Giant (www.mikegiant.com/tattoo), JK5 (JK5 on Myspace), Ronnie Sanches (Ronnie Sanchez ("Ronnie") on Myspace) and Baba (http://www.vintagetattooartparlor.com) ?

Yeah, good point about proper rest!

Hehe, I just found in my computer a first edition of the Higgs blog. Its 8 months old and fuck me, its different than what I wrote! I'm contemplating that should I post it here or not... Do people actually care? Would it be even cool to post it? Meaning, would there be another chip out of the Daniel Higgs mystery tree...

Btw. Saw this amazing bad ass tattoo by miss Valerie Vargas and thought that who was the first TATTOO artists to start doing these so called black metal fonts? Dettmer?

Example of a Dettmer/Uncle Allan work also attached

I think the visuality of the lettering is great. Kinda like graffiti or Jackson Pollock paintings. Controlled chaos, but spirit in a different form.

I dont mind at all! I just didnt want to put it in here also, would have felt like force feeding people it, but when you did it, its a different story ;) :D

And yeah, your opinnion matters! All I get from the blog is these kinda comments, so they all vital to me. Thank you, again :)

Whadda hell?! I didnt add the quote box? :P

Well, I HAD something to add. Too lasy to write anything new ;) But, I agree 100% when you talked about feeling privileged for getting access to all that info. Fucking amazing.

Personal High Point: getting real money from my job, seeing my mom smile and passing the 5kuy exam in Aikido few weeks back and getting good feedback.

Personal Low Point: Mom being sick, falling somewhat in love but loosing.

Best Thread: was tattooing as popular 100 years ago as now.....

Best Album: Hmmmm, I've been listening to other stuff than new, but if I had to pick one, Further by The Chemical Brothers

Best Film: Youth in Revolt. It was released 2010 in Finland so it counts :p Great movie. Best portrayal of a cool as fuck 16nish year old that is actually fucking cool.

Best Show/Concert You Attended or Didn't: None

Biggest Guilty Pleasure: Junk food

Best Restaurant: Local indian restaurant. Kaavya kitchen

Best Tattoo of the Year: My legs by Sailor Andy, no pics sorry

Chuck is THE MAN. My blog post about Chuck, The Man

Pitch black 1891: C.W. ELDRIDGE

THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2009

C.W. ELDRIDGE

Apprenticed under: Ed Hardy

Shops: Owns and operates Tattoo Archive in Winston-Salem, North Carolina which was opened originally in California 1984. Also worked in places such as: Tattoo City, Smilin Buddah Tattoo, Swallow, Snow and Professor Baldwin Tattoo Shop and also with Dean Dennis in SF who later gave his shop to Henry Goldfield.

The ones who choose to dedicate their lives for educating us about the lives that others have lived, are usually the ones who don't get the much needed praise. This electrical writing, as all the others ones I do, is done that in mind. May we never forget the ones who help us remember. Here is the tale of the pitch black Tattoologist of 1891, mister C.W. Eldridge.

Chuck started his tattooing initiation in great hands. He got marked many times by lord Ed Hardy in the spawn of 4 years and after he had gotten deep enough in the pitch black blood cult, he got offered an apprenticeship by Hardy in 1978. At that time Bob Roberts and the late Jamie Summers were also working at Tattoo City. So the company he had from early on was world class. Scary even. Good people in other words. Unfortunately, that very year Chuck got his apprenticeship Tattoo City burned down. The fire was caused by some maniac who was trying to kill his girlfriend in the upstairs flea bag hotel. Forces were against the young seeker. But you cant kill the will of those who control the dead. A journey had to be taken. Good thing Chuck had already been 4 years in the navy and traveled all over the world, visiting those faraway corners, exploring, thinking... So traveling wasn't nothing new to him. He decided to head to the land of permafrost, Canada, where he worked with Paul Jeffries in Smilin Buddah Tattoo, but said that “I was not cutting the mustard. It was good experience though and Paul and I remained good friends”. Powerful ally to have. He also did a short stint with Sailor Jerry Swallow in Swallow, Snow and Professor Baldwin Tattoo Shop, where he also must have heard about the old rites and meanings.

Then Chuck headed back to good ol' SF.

In there he started working with Dean Dennis in a shop that was located in a old butchers shop and in there they tattooed inside old meat locker. Amongst the spirits of once there stored animal kin. When Dean found religion (the OTHER one) he gave the shop to Henry Goldfield. Chuck also decided to take a big step in his own path. Berkley called. Thus was the first steps of becoming Tattoologist taken.

Tattoo Archive was summoned to existence in the years between 1980-84 and in 1985 Chuck began conjuring full time in the Berkley location. That is when he started actively resiting the secret tales of tattoo history "by writing articles for many U.S. and overseas publications, including National Tattoo Association, Skin & Ink Magazine, and Tattoo Artist Magazine“. Tattoo Archive is one of the corner stones of tattooing world. For me it holds the same magical aura as Ed Hardy's Tattoo City, Freddy Corbin's Temple Tattoo, Grime's Skull & Sword and many other cult places.

Its not an overstatement when I say that what Chuck has done with Tattoo Archive is first creating and then upholding the collective memory of tattooing. If you are dying to see some work done, lets say, by Cliff Raven, you can go see Chuck and he will most likely help you out, as long as you are worthy by conducting yourself in manner suited to human. Or maybe you want to study old flash, those maps that will lead you to feel the ways of yesteryear people, created by voices such as: Cap Coleman, Joe Lieber or maybe George Burchett. If that is your desire, then go see Chuck in Tattoo Archive. He will put the spell on you. He is one of the few people who can provide information about tattooers that just cant be found electrically or even from old ancient books. With out him it all might very well be lost in the air as soon as it left the lips of old timers shooting the shit.

But as the story usually goes, behind every great man (men) there is a great woman. The lady who will bless as with knowledge if we choose to acquire it. Harriet, the book mistress (www.bookmistress.net). The shop (in same place as Tattoo Archive) where she resides is filled with tales from the noble ones still with us and also true myths of the olden timers, who are the roots of our saga. If we read, we will learn. And then we will respect even more. Mistress Harriet, you are also saluted.

As it is clear that history is about keeping the tales alive, it is only fitting that in 1993 Chuck, along with Alan Govenar, D. E. Hardy, and Henk Schiffmacher, formed a nonprofit corporation, The Paul Rogers Tattoo Research Center ("PRTRC"). It might be that the Tattoo Archive wouldn't even exist in the magnitude it does now, if the late and great Paul Rogers wouldn't have bestowed his extensive tattoo collection to Chuck in 1990 when he passed away. Because mister Rogers was from North Carolina, Chuck decided to relocate Tattoo Archive to NC (somewhere around 2007) to birthplace of arguably the greatest tattoo machine builder there ever has been. Chuck gave back what he had received. And he just keep on giving, day after day, moonlight after moonlight.

So this blog post is for you Chuck (and Harriet). May we all be like you. Deathless as the pitch black year of 1891. Forever I will follow

Hail and Metta

POSTED BY PYRRHUS DARWIN CASTELLO AT 8:22 PM

Pavel also talks about similar stuff as Martin, as far as I can tell. That you should train constantly but not to the point of exhaustion everytime. Like you have guys who go to the gym and after the work out cant walk for 4 days and just lay around and eath junk food (to over exaggerate) So, for example, according to Pavel.

You do simple weight lifting exercises, such as dead lifts. Do them with heavier weights, that you can do safely for example 5 repetitions. Then you call it quits, and do it again tomorrow. Or something else. Again, train so that you feel fresh after the work out, or as Steve Justa says that you should feel stronger after a work out. Then do something else again in the third day, then something in the 4th. etc. Same as Martin says when he talks about Frankie Edgar, that how he stays in shape for the whole year, all the time, and doesnt have a grueling 6 week camp before the fight. But stay in the groove all the time.

Pavel does the same with push ups etc., and calls it greasing the groove

RossTraining.com • View topic - Grease the Groove

Well, shit, its easy to say these things NOW. Like you said, back in the day when you did it, it must have been constant trial and error. Which is of course great for us younger guys, since you guys paved the way. Thanks for that :)

But, it is as you said

Stict with simple basic routines but train hard and with intensity as he says "It's like sushi;You go to Japan and sushi is beautiful simplicity,fish and rice .And it's incredible".

I plan on doing that. What was your special area of expertise? Did you train for example just basketball players, or everyone? Would be cool to hear :)

Read this interview by Pavel if you are interested. The man shoots straight, sometimes too straight maybe, but I like what he says

T NATION | Pavel Tsatsouline: The Evil Russian - Part 1

T NATION | Pavel Tsatsouline: The Evil Russian - Part 2

Oh, and I forgot to add that I am allergic to p-Phenylenediamine p-Phenylenediamine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It is in black henna ink for example. So the doctor suspected that it would be in the color used (the brown or white), but that isnt certain. Her info seemed to be more about hennas than actual tattoo inks. And when we did a patch test for the colors (and they were in my skin for a week) they didnt cause anything, only the patch where there was p-Phenylenediamine. She says that maybe there is such a little amount in the inks, but, I dont know. I am skeptical. Anyone ever heard that inks have p-Phenylenediamine?

Hey Kyle! I read that you have a fibromyalgia. My mom has it also as she does other ilnessess such as Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (which requires her to use an oxygen mask, or the little "wing" masks that you just put in your nose) and other stuff too. Im so sorry that you have fibromyalgia :( Its a horrible thing to have.

That is cool that you used to be a personal trainer! At the moment in really into stuff that Martin Rooney (a great article! T NATION | 11 Myths of Warrior Training) and also Pavel Tsatsoulines stuff. Did you train any specific athletes yourself?

And I'm keeping my hopes up and mind positive about the tattoo thing. Hopefully I can get tattooed at some point again. And yes, it has opened new doors so to speak, when you start to think that maybe I can have like 2-3 tattoos still. Makes you really THINK what you would want to get-

https://www.kokkola.fi/kulttuuri/museot/en_GB/khrenlundin_museo/

Im grateful for the forum :) Rules!

I have been a tattooed individual for 28 years now and seen a lot happen over those years!

What the fuck...! I was looking at your pic and I thought you are like 29 or 30! Unless you got tattooed when you were born.

Shit, I just saw this area of the forum...

Hmmm, my name is Petri Aspvik and I dont tattoo or ever plan to tattoo. I would be shit and I respect tattooing too much to tattoo. I practive Aikido (just over a year) and just started training with kettlebells. I take care of my mom as she is getting older and has all sorts of ilnessess. Shes not in a BAD shape, but not as good as she could be. So I do all the running errands, like go a to a bank, shop, what ever needs to be taken care off, help her in the shower if needed, sometimes cook, do the dishes.

I work 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday, in a museum. Part time.

I have a blog, I write in it and sometimes feel bad and start thinking that should I just not write it... Because I dont want to "blow out the cover of mystery" that is around tattooing. So I try to write "poetically" or some shit. Also I do interview for TAM, Swallows and Daggers and Tattoonow sometimes.

Got my first tattoo when I was 15. A Wu-Tang logo when I was in a group home of sorts. Got more shit tattoos after it and then have 3 good ones. Why only 3 you ask?

I have a nummular excema (and im low on cash most of the time) and had a reaction to brown ink last time I got tattooed. All else was fine in the tat, black, red, green. Dont know if the excema caused it, because they dont even know what caused the excema...

Nummular Eczema

And the skin doctor said that I must think long and hard if I get a tattoo again. She advices against it. The fucking irony, I tell you! :D

Really changes your outlook. To think, Iits possible I couldnt get a tattoo ever again. Fuck me... Well, thats life.

Hail and Metta