Dan Martin

My first tattoo was a skull with fangs about the size of a dime, smack in the middle of my upper arm. When I went home for Christmas I covered it with a bandaid. But, the fangs poked out a bit. My dad saw it and asked if it was a tattoo. I told him it was a pimple I had scratched at. End of conversation. When I finally made it back to Houston, a thousand miles away, I called him and told him it was a tattoo. What could he do then? Also, when I got my first sleeve started my mother told me " I think you have enough tattoos that people know what you do. ( I tattoo ) she never even considered that I might be getting the tattoos because I loved them myself! Now 16 years into my career she's very proud and knows I made the right decision for me.

Sometimes I really can't tell the difference anymore. Tattooing is SO over saturated that it feels like i work at hot topic most of the times. I mean when everybody has a fucking tattoo what's the difference anyway? I've seen tons of kids with tough traditional tattoos wearing hipster v necks and thick rimmed glasses. But what about tattooers? Dickies and flannel? I mean fuck! It's all been done and over done. None of us are original, we might have got there sooner but does it matter anymore? How about we all dress like it's the 30's? Oh wait that's done... How about ties and button downs... Fuck another cliche. Today tattooing not just about the tattoo it's about the total image of the client wearing it... And I think that's bullshit. When "alternative" is the mainstream, what's alternative? I don't have a clue...
Side note: some of the above tattoos are really stupid!!!

The difference between tattooed people and non tattooed people is: tattooed people could care less that you aren't tattooed.

Sometimes I really can't tell the difference anymore. Tattooing is SO over saturated that it feels like i work at hot topic most of the times. I mean when everybody has a fucking tattoo what's the difference anyway? I've seen tons of kids with tough traditional tattoos wearing hipster v necks and thick rimmed glasses. But what about tattooers? Dickies and flannel? I mean fuck! It's all been done and over done. None of us are original, we might have got there sooner but does it matter anymore? How about we all dress like it's the 30's? Oh wait that's done... How about ties and button downs... Fuck another cliche. Today tattooing not just about the tattoo it's about the total image of the client wearing it... And I think that's bullshit. When "alternative" is the mainstream, what's alternative? I don't have a clue...
Side note: some of the above tattoos are really stupid!!!

Wow... The first thing anyone wanting to learn tattooing should do is take the machine they got off eBay and throw away the rubberbands. Those are for packing anyway. Then take it apart and sterilize it by boiling it for 4 hours. Then your ready. Just like sewing and making chocolate.

Sometimes I really can't tell the difference anymore. Tattooing is SO over saturated that it feels like i work at hot topic most of the times. I mean when everybody has a fucking tattoo what's the difference anyway? I've seen tons of kids with tough traditional tattoos wearing hipster v necks and thick rimmed glasses. But what about tattooers? Dickies and flannel? I mean fuck! It's all been done and over done. None of us are original, we might have got there sooner but does it matter anymore? How about we all dress like it's the 30's? Oh wait that's done... How about ties and button downs... Fuck another cliche. Today tattooing not just about the tattoo it's about the total image of the client wearing it... And I think that's bullshit. When "alternative" is the mainstream, what's alternative? I don't have a clue...
Side note: some of the above tattoos are really stupid!!!

Hey man, I know you spent hours drawing my tattoo up and it's stenciled and ready to go... But.... Could you sneak in my five kids initials? And maybe change the roses to Lillie's and the panther into a portrait of my pug?

People that want to put their life story and a shout out to everyone they've ever met, loved, or encountered in their life into a tattoo the size of a quarter.

Sometimes I really can't tell the difference anymore. Tattooing is SO over saturated that it feels like i work at hot topic most of the times. I mean when everybody has a fucking tattoo what's the difference anyway? I've seen tons of kids with tough traditional tattoos wearing hipster v necks and thick rimmed glasses. But what about tattooers? Dickies and flannel? I mean fuck! It's all been done and over done. None of us are original, we might have got there sooner but does it matter anymore? How about we all dress like it's the 30's? Oh wait that's done... How about ties and button downs... Fuck another cliche. Today tattooing not just about the tattoo it's about the total image of the client wearing it... And I think that's bullshit. When "alternative" is the mainstream, what's alternative? I don't have a clue...
Side note: some of the above tattoos are really stupid!!!

People that want to put their life story and a shout out to everyone they've ever met, loved, or encountered in their life into a tattoo the size of a quarter.

Wow... The first thing anyone wanting to learn tattooing should do is take the machine they got off eBay and throw away the rubberbands. Those are for packing anyway. Then take it apart and sterilize it by boiling it for 4 hours. Then your ready. Just like sewing and making chocolate.

Wow... The first thing anyone wanting to learn tattooing should do is take the machine they got off eBay and throw away the rubberbands. Those are for packing anyway. Then take it apart and sterilize it by boiling it for 4 hours. Then your ready. Just like sewing and making chocolate.

I believe the nerve endings on the torso are more sensitive as to protect your organs from being damaged or at least to let you realize the severity of an injury in that area. Boney areas feel more like road rash ( think skinned knee ), muscle areas aren't too bad but fatty areas can feel like they're being cut. Areas of your body that get banged up semi often (outside of you arms) are going to generally hurt less than the back of your knees or inside of your arms. And... A skilled artist will hurt less than an amateur.

I started a sleeve on a kid, all the outline and shading and started color. Later he got someone else to color more... Said he wanted to get worked on but couldn't wait. He then asked to book more appointments with me. I told him to get his "new" artist to finish it... And never looked back.

We had some jack hole approach us with a "great opportunity" via email. He said we could tattoo him and when his MAA career took off it would be great advertising for us. We replied "sorry but we are declining your offer, as we are seeking paying customers only" he wrote back " kinda rude but ok " wtf?

Hey man, I know you spent hours drawing my tattoo up and it's stenciled and ready to go... But.... Could you sneak in my five kids initials? And maybe change the roses to Lillie's and the panther into a portrait of my pug?

People that want to put their life story and a shout out to everyone they've ever met, loved, or encountered in their life into a tattoo the size of a quarter.

We had some jack hole approach us with a "great opportunity" via email. He said we could tattoo him and when his MAA career took off it would be great advertising for us. We replied "sorry but we are declining your offer, as we are seeking paying customers only" he wrote back " kinda rude but ok " wtf?

Forgot to mention, we were only allowed a 15 min break every 8 hours. Richard Stell also did my back in 13 hours. 9the first day and went back for 4 more hours the following day.

Sometimes I really can't tell the difference anymore. Tattooing is SO over saturated that it feels like i work at hot topic most of the times. I mean when everybody has a fucking tattoo what's the difference anyway? I've seen tons of kids with tough traditional tattoos wearing hipster v necks and thick rimmed glasses. But what about tattooers? Dickies and flannel? I mean fuck! It's all been done and over done. None of us are original, we might have got there sooner but does it matter anymore? How about we all dress like it's the 30's? Oh wait that's done... How about ties and button downs... Fuck another cliche. Today tattooing not just about the tattoo it's about the total image of the client wearing it... And I think that's bullshit. When "alternative" is the mainstream, what's alternative? I don't have a clue...
Side note: some of the above tattoos are really stupid!!!

Stewart, I guess I jumped a little off the deep end with picaso. My point wasn't so much directed at him but the countless followers who never thought for themselves and let's face it a third generation pollack would just be a guy dribbling paint. Tattooing at the time ( at least for me ) seems to be following the same trend. And what's worst is these people are being praised. It's like the coverband headlining.

So I've been having conversations with friends and have noticed a new trend. Smoozing ( or as we like to call it ) sucking dick! I'm referring to all newbies that blow up because they bought their fame by being tattooed by the heros and traveling everywhere to soak it up and be in the scene. Where's the horror stories of sticking out a 12 hour shift tattooing dumb shit on dumb people when your buddies are out getting drunk on a friday night? There's no more blood sweat and tears in tattooing. Its all about who you know and where you are... Not about the hard work and I guarantee you, the badasses nuts your swinging from did ten fold the work you did by the same point in their career...
Which brings me to my second point. Art used to have true "masters" that could paint their fucking asses off but they went extinct because the art fags of the world decided picasos crazy shit and pollacks paint splaters were more significant than Rubens? WTF? I remember reading about Robert Williams saying the same thing how folk art overthrew talent. It was a way for the "common man" to relate and opened the door for every Popsicle stick glueing soccer mom to call them selves artist. Now innovation is worthy of recognition, being the first is being the first and thats to be commended but rehashing is dribble. The same is true in tattooing. And you know exactly what I'm talking about... Clunky old school poorly drawn designs revered as the badess of the bad. good artist having to dumb down their shit to get the gold star? WTF? Wheres the pushing of the envelope, breaking the rules, falling and reinventing...I will say one thing, some are true masters of the hardcore oldschool look and the power can't be challenged. Its amazing, but 3/4 of the other shite isnt making the cut. And were all guilty of praising these fucks!!! Copy cats sitting in the same booth of masters invited into the brotherhood with open arms. Fuck that! I might never achieve the recognition of others to my degree of happiness but I can hold my head high because I'm not a smoozer sucking dick to look cool. Death to false tattooing!

Sometimes I really can't tell the difference anymore. Tattooing is SO over saturated that it feels like i work at hot topic most of the times. I mean when everybody has a fucking tattoo what's the difference anyway? I've seen tons of kids with tough traditional tattoos wearing hipster v necks and thick rimmed glasses. But what about tattooers? Dickies and flannel? I mean fuck! It's all been done and over done. None of us are original, we might have got there sooner but does it matter anymore? How about we all dress like it's the 30's? Oh wait that's done... How about ties and button downs... Fuck another cliche. Today tattooing not just about the tattoo it's about the total image of the client wearing it... And I think that's bullshit. When "alternative" is the mainstream, what's alternative? I don't have a clue...
Side note: some of the above tattoos are really stupid!!!

Sometimes I really can't tell the difference anymore. Tattooing is SO over saturated that it feels like i work at hot topic most of the times. I mean when everybody has a fucking tattoo what's the difference anyway? I've seen tons of kids with tough traditional tattoos wearing hipster v necks and thick rimmed glasses. But what about tattooers? Dickies and flannel? I mean fuck! It's all been done and over done. None of us are original, we might have got there sooner but does it matter anymore? How about we all dress like it's the 30's? Oh wait that's done... How about ties and button downs... Fuck another cliche. Today tattooing not just about the tattoo it's about the total image of the client wearing it... And I think that's bullshit. When "alternative" is the mainstream, what's alternative? I don't have a clue...
Side note: some of the above tattoos are really stupid!!!

Sometimes I really can't tell the difference anymore. Tattooing is SO over saturated that it feels like i work at hot topic most of the times. I mean when everybody has a fucking tattoo what's the difference anyway? I've seen tons of kids with tough traditional tattoos wearing hipster v necks and thick rimmed glasses. But what about tattooers? Dickies and flannel? I mean fuck! It's all been done and over done. None of us are original, we might have got there sooner but does it matter anymore? How about we all dress like it's the 30's? Oh wait that's done... How about ties and button downs... Fuck another cliche. Today tattooing not just about the tattoo it's about the total image of the client wearing it... And I think that's bullshit. When "alternative" is the mainstream, what's alternative? I don't have a clue...
Side note: some of the above tattoos are really stupid!!!