PopsBdog

Freddy is my fav.
Temple is the best. I am looking to get another done there this year...
Eddie is #1 on my bucket list.

I got a 3 hour Samoan tatau all the way around my knee this past weekend. The knee cap, the sides, the ditch... all of it. As I walked back to my convention booth, a lady stopped me to look at it. My knee looked like a bloody watermelon. She actually said, "Did you feel it?" I said, "What?" She replied, "I know some tattoos hurt, but could you even feel this kind of tattoo?" I told her that it felt like they were trying to cut my leg off... and hobbled away.
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It's funny - something I'd not noticed with other people who work with me who are inked and perhaps I'm probably one of the last people they expected to get a tattoo (probably not too many college presidents sporting ink :cool:) - that people keep asking me to see my work and want to touch it. I think they truly believe it is fake and are waiting for the late April Fools joke.

Freddy is my fav.
Temple is the best. I am looking to get another done there this year...
Eddie is #1 on my bucket list.

Freddy is my fav.
Temple is the best. I am looking to get another done there this year...
Eddie is #1 on my bucket list.

Freddy is my fav.
Temple is the best. I am looking to get another done there this year...
Eddie is #1 on my bucket list.

Gotten a few fun ones over the last six months or so:
Steve Byrne at Temple before the Bay Area Convention of the Arts:

Healed

Robert Ryan at the Convention:

Crappy healed photo:

- - - Updated - - -
Got a couple from Miguel Montgomery aka Uzi to start the year


Healed


- - - Updated - - -
And most recent is a little one shot by Alex Petty based off of some old Milton Zeis flash
Flash

Piece (still healing)

Just got this San Jose tribute, from my buddy Matt Wes.

Not a tattoo but we just agreed to terms.
I'm buying a painting from Freddy Corbin. Once this buy goes through, I plan on inquiring on an appointment and going to Oakland.
it's like I never learn my lesson, I need my priorities in order. lol

I finally have an appointment to get tattooed by Freddy Corbin.
This is the third time I've tried in a bunch of years.
I'm already so stoked :)

Seeing Eddy Deutsche in a couple weeks. Really fucking excited.

I'm an Australian in Australia. My artists charge $180 an hour. I make $35 an hour. I don't tip.

I usually think of kids as children below high school age. I usually say is it safe to bring one extra person along with you, but leave the entourage at home, but again there are times when Mom and Dad and Uncle, and Grandma, all stroll in with someone on their 18th birthday video camera in tow, and we don't kick them out, we just make fun of them later after they leave.

Yeah I hate helpful people, too..

I agree. Also, if I could afford (or when I can) to make it to California, booking an appointment with Chris Conn would be at the top of the agenda.
To get back on the topic of pet peeves...for me, the only big one I've encountered from a customer's perspective is having to listen to stupid, offensive shit. I realize that a lot of people would consider me to be overly PC, which is fine (I disagree to a large extent with what most people consider to be "political correctness" and see it more as "not being an asshole", but whatever), but it definitely turns me off to hear racist or homophobic shit when I'm getting tattooed. On one trip to a pretty well-known shop, my buddy that I was staying with (who is gay) decided that he wanted a tattoo too and came with and got tattooed. He was super stoked on it and really liked the dude that we both got tattooed by, but during his tattoo a couple of the other tattooers hanging out made a few gay jokes (unrelated to my friend), and it was pretty awkward and uncomfortable for both of us for a minute. Consequently, I probably won't ever get tattooed by those dudes, despite them making rad tattoos. With a finite amount of skin and a Want list longer than I'll ever be able to get through, I want to enjoy my tattoo experience as much as possible, so I'm gonna go with the tattooer I don't worry about having to endure hearing go off on some "faggot" shit during my session.

Woulda just out this in the "Pet Peeves" thread, but since I'm not a tattooist...
Reading through all of that, man, I felt bad! I've never gone to a shop in any but an immaculately clean condition, wouldn't think of trying to tell an artist how to do his thing, nothing like that, but you know, in the last three or four months, I've probably done some of every pet peeve on there.
Mea Culpa, Mea Culpa, Mea Maxima Culpa.
I get tattooed at CTC exclusively. No big news there. I've got six kids, and they are all fascinated by tattoos. My oldest, 25, disregarded my advice and went to a local "shop" on his 18th birthday. He has kept the thing as a reminder not to go there anymore. When he was 16, I brought him and one of his buds into CTC with me to watch part of a six-hour session I had booked with Miles Maniaci. I asked if it was kool for them to come back and watch a bit, and was told it was all good. They watched for maybe a half-hour, then split, then came back later for another maybe half-hour.
That one has gotten two fairly decent-sized pieces from Nick Colella at CTC since then, and was talking to me the other night about how he'd like to have Mario do some Oriental-style work on him. My 18 y.o. son has gotten some good pieces from Nick as well, and both of them are planning on getting more.
When my Lady and I went into CTC to get a matching piece, I had spoken to Nick and e-mailed back an forth with him about the piece we wanted, and he drew it up. We got there, and it just didn't light us up...the execution was great, the idea was just not that good. My Lady spotted some old Sailor Jerry stuff, and we both liked it immediately. I apologized to Nick, and asked if he would do that for us instead. He agreed, and didn't want to hear about being paid for the sketch he did.
I went back last month and had Nick do an old piece of Cliff Raven flash, I had e-mailed him and told him I wanted that, but customized with my kid's names and some other things, asked him to run with it. No pics, just gave him an idea. Went in, took my 14 y.o. daughter and my Lady with me. Asked if they could watch, and again, was told no problem. Looked at the thermo, laid down on the table, and never looked back. Killer piece.
So last week I went back, this time with my 16 y.o. daughter, my 17 y.o. son, and my Lady, got a fairly large chunk of my ribcage done-still hurts like a mofo-and again, asked if they could come back and watch. Again, no problem. I told the kids they had to split if it got crowded, and to stay away from the other artists work stations.
I suppose I'm one of those guys who watches every line being done. Not because I can't wait to see my stylized dreamsickle, but because the craft, the art, the skill, blows my mind, even after all these years of being tattooed. I ask questions about equipment, I ask questions about technique. I wouldn't dream of trying to tattoo in a million years, I am just curious as hell, and am amazed at the development of the equipment-and techniques-that have taken place in the 38 years since I first walked into CTC and plunked down my $20 for my first pro tattoo.
Even with all that ignorance, Nick and Mario have never blown me off, always answered any question I've asked, and never treated me like a mark. Last week, I was asking about power-supplies. I had seen a fairly high-end power-supply/regulator at American Science and Surplus in Milwaukee, and wondered if it would be worth buying and bringing in for them. Mario was gracious enough to explain the advancements in power-supplies, and why it was better to use purpose-built units than to adapt others, and he didn't even make me out to be stupid.
I've always told my kids to be quiet, to be respectful, and to stay out of the way. When they do come back, I ask where they should sit or stand, and make sure they stay there. If I have a coat, a hat, glasses, whatever, I ask where I can put them so they won't be in someone's way. I turn my phone off, and make sure anyone with me has their phone off.
I'll be going back to CTC as soon as my ribs heal to start sleeving-in my left arm. I have a bunch of work on it from Dale Grande, and a bit from Mark Miller. It's all connected, but Nick is going to put it all together for me. I guess I should rethink bringing my kids with, but to us, it's a big deal, something we do together. Guess I'll talk to Nick, and make sure it's okay with him, and with the other artists working there before I do.
I know there are a lot of jag customers out there, I've seen 'em. Maybe there's a way to get 'em to go only to the jag scratchers that abound?! Went into a place local up here, I had met the owner's wife where she works. The owners apprentice was the only one there, and I heard about the shop he had that "went under because the assholes around here work too cheap", I hear fuck this, fuck that, fuck the next thing, I got cigarette smoke blown in my face, and ya know, the guy never even asked if I was interested in getting a tattoo.
Guess I missed my chance with him.

I'm with Dan on this one... if my husband ever forbade me from doing anything that is important to me one of us would be looking at the wrong side of the front door.

When you are with someone you have to accept them in all their greatness and their flaws. Similar to what @HaydenRose said, I think we are really quick to voice our opinions about what are significant others are doing, and sometimes you have to just politely but firmly let them know that some things aren't up for discussion and they remember that you were a package deal and realize how insignificant the whole thing is the scheme of things and life goes on.

I never bring people along... My tattoos and the experience is all miney mine. My future husband and I have only had one conversation about my tattoos and it went something like this:
Him: "Promise me you won't get a sleeve, or tattoo your hands, neck, or chest"
Me: "I plan on getting all of the above minus my neck and maybe my chest. You can leave me if its an issue."
Him: "No thanks. Do what you want, I still love you forever!"
If the conversation isn't that simple then run!!!!!

I'm at my machine shop job this evening and a part time programmer stops in to check on a job we're running. He's seen me in a sleeveless shirt before but stops and says, "geeezzzz.. you have a lot of tattoos".. no kidding.
I wonder what's up.. and out it comes. He has 2 daughters, age 16 and close to 18 and they're both dying for their first tattoo. Of course he and his wife say to wait until the girls are 18.. but his wife now wants to get one. So he's in a bit of a bind. He's no fan of the art form.
He asks me if I have any regrets, I say no. I have no problem, but the rest of the world might. I just told him not to make that big of a deal out of it... teen girls... can be quite rebellious. And once they don't need permission, they're gonna do what they're gonna do. I advised him to talk to them about going to a reputable shop when the time comes and avoid "artists" who work out of the kitchen while the parents are at work.

my 7yo nephew:
"Uncle Eric, why do you have a Chinese guy on your back?"
"Uncle Eric, do you have a tattoo on your bum?"
"Uncle Eric, I'm gonna get a tattoo like you. Like a Metal Mulisha tattoo. Or maybe Fox Racing."
...don't worry kiddo, Uncle Eric will set you straight when you're old enough ;)

When I was feeling extra surly (read: often) and people would comment about how I'd "obviously been in prison with all those tatts" I would tell them
"Yep, beat a guy nearly to death for touching my "tatts" and making asinine judgmental comments"

I was at a cookout recently with a crowd I wouldn't typically be hanging out with, and one of the guys there saw I had tattoos and started talking to me about them. He actually complimented me on them, but then remarked how some coworkers told him that 80% of people with 3 or more tattoos have done time. Hahaha. I found it pretty funny, but stuff like that doesn't typically bother me.
The guy was kind of an ass, but we were ribbing each other all day joking around, so I think it was just his dry sense of humor. You never know with people though. He brought it up again later when the kids were around, and I just responded that I haven't been to prison...yet.

While I can relate to being pissed off about general rudeness, I feel some things tattooists need to lighten up on. Basically being unknowledgable about tattoos in general, asking questions we have heard a million times before, bringing references on phones, wanting stuff that is too detailed or won't work. A gentle approach goes a long way.
The way I look at it, I patronize a lot of business where I don't know jack, and I don't appreciate being treated like an idiot for not being in the know. A good example is when I went back to my local print shop. I was asking why I couldn't open a certain file which was a flash sheet I had scanned to a tiff file. The print shop guy snapped at me "ITS A MULTI PAGE TIFF FILE!! YOU CAN'T OPEN IT UNLESS YOU HAVE PHOTOSHOP!!" I am like ok, can you change it to a file that I can open? Again snappage "I CAN'T DO THAT! YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE ORIGINAL IMAGE!" I am like "ok, I have that, could you please scan it again?". I also had them saved as PDFs for easy printing. So he was like "I am just going to change these PDFs into JPEGS". I said I would prefer to have both, as the PDFs print original size and all. Even more snappage " UNLESS YOU ARE GOING TO PRINT THEM OUT, THERE IS NO USE". I calmly explain to him that they are commercial art, of course I am going to print them out. Then I ask if I have the jpegs and alter them, they can be saved into PDFs again, right? More snappage "ONLY IF YOU HAVE PHOTOSHOP!" The guy was literally yelling at me. Needless to say, I won't be doing business there again.
Think about that the next time a customer says asks about things that seem readily apparent to you. A lot of times people are not trying to be difficult. You are the expert, not them. Try and take this into consideration.

I had my consultation today... Jim Sylvia 2/19!