Paul Shachtman

Formidable collection.

Don't you think you should GET some traditional tattoos before you try to write a book on the subject?? Your line-up of contributors sucks. I watch Miami Ink A LOT, and I haven't even heard of ONE of those people. Utterly fails the tattoo cool test. You probably don't even drink. What are you, vegan? Um, wanna make a TV show about the book?

Yeah, "Demon of Painting" is a pricey out-of-print Kyosai book. I highly suggest you buy the new Clark Kuniyoshi book while it's in print. $50 on Amazon, I believe. Surprisingly, Edo-period prints can be very affordable. I slid into a bunch of Kunisada prints that are in Horitaka's "Tattoos of the Floating World" for $275 a pop!! Fucking dope.

They don't call me "The Furnace of Rage" at work for nothing. Rock Boyz? Sheet. Tru ganksta shit: Login | Facebook The White Michael Vick, Dick Bitch. "Haters": I spent $4418 saving this runt's life when he was mauled by a Black Lab a few days after this photo was taken. And yes, I feel guilty about both incidents. This is relevant to tattooing. There's a Rollo original to the right of my heinous dome.

Glad someone got something out of my bile. I'm a piece of shit human, too, but at least I recognize that and try to be fucking nice. Nevermind. Kindness is weakness. On another note: Speaking of junior highjinks and kinks, my butch lesbian janitorial look-alike junior-high health and gym instructor got busted for lingering in the girls locker room at one point. I also got her in trouble, big time, when I told my Pops that she basically grabbed my barely pubescent junk in front of the whole class while allegedly putting emergency first-aid pressure on my femoral artery in health class. Stell tattooed that arterial zone last month, and it was a far more enjoyable experience. (It sucked.) Anyway.

Yeah, it's not in "Brigands", if, as Bart said, this print was not part of a series. Bart sounds like he knows what he's talking about. Bart: I understand you have an original of this print? Can I ask you what you paid for it? I have a couple Kuniyoshi originals, one Suikoden, one not. An unfortunate fraction of my art-induced credit card debt. Oops. Thanks. (Timothy Clark published a great Kuniyoshi book in 2009. The heike crab three warrior print's in there. Maybe you dudes have that book, too.)

Buy "Of Brigands and Bravery", by Inge Klompmakers: Amazon.com: Of Brigands and Bravery: Kuniyoshi's Heroes of the Suikoden (9789074822558): Inge Klompmakers: Books Ed Hardy rightfully referred to Kuniyoshi as "The Father of Japanese Tattooing." I don't think print is in this "Suikoden" series book.

Once last coffee-fueled comment regarding old school etiquette: Pauly is a self-described drop-out and metal/construction worker. Stereotypially speaking, he'd probably get along better with the dudes in Michael McCabe's "New York City Tattoo" than my scrawny nerd ass would. Reminds me of something Malone said in his interview by Hardy in "Bull's Eyes and Black Eyes." He said that, despite his deep respect for Japanese art and tattooing, he saw himself as more of a "street type" tattooer. He'd rather put a forearm tattoo on a construction worker than one more tattoo on one of the "black t-shirt" hipster collectors that he so often derided. I'll shut up now. Blame "SBoyer" for turning me on to this thread.

Pauly did kinda flip on Shawn, a touch. Still, he may be feeling ganged up on, justifiably. Kinda like the scenarios that too often transpire in tattoos shops. And junior high locker rooms . . . Oh, and the concept that a generation ago Pauly wouldn't have even "gotten in the door" is wrong. One of the few old farts I was lucky enough to get tattooed by was Mike Malone. From what I saw, that grouchy fucker would tattoo anything. He wanted to make money. Don Nolan did my whole back. Dude was a consummate professional when he tattooed me, and I knew zip about tattooing at the time (not that I'm any fucking "expert", now). Nolan worked next door to Jerry and Jensen, among others, in Honolulu. Bob Roberts refused $40 of my $60 tip and took me and my bud to dinner, as, perhaps, he picked up on the fact that we were about tattoos, not ass-kissing. Those old guys might have been gruff and direct, but I'd guess they weren't looking for fucking sycophants. Malone might have had a temper, but he was always on point and respectful to a dumbshit kid who came in, gave him a couple Fuente cigars as a recommended icebreaker, and asked for "a heart with some knives in it." I'm not idealizing the guy, by any means, nor was I alive on Hotel Street in 1943, but American tattooing is not old school Japanese tattooing, in which, from what I've read, artists were extraordinarily selective.

After subjecting y'all to my shit, I actually motivated to read a few more of these comments . . . Dude, Pauly was forced to wait TWO HOURS after his appointment, and was subjected to further disrespect thereafter. I've seen that type of behavior countless times. Pauly's being eminently reasonable, not hyper-sensitive. He wasn't asking to be "BFF's" with everyone in the fucking shop, he was asking for courtesy and a respectful gesture. That's understandable, considering how inconvenienced he'd already been by the shops lassitude and egotism. I commend him for standing up for himself. Guarantee if Pauly'd stripped naked and had a Kuronuma bodysuit, these guys woulda been arm-wrestling to suck his cock. Then again, most tattooers don't even know who Kuronuma is. Hopeless idiots. Hell, one of the big-name hotshots I mentioned above had to be dragged out of bed to tattoo me two hours late a couple years ago. I was a touch peeved, but the way he greeted me with a look of contrition and a handshake, coupled with his subsequent treatment of me and the diligence he committed to the tattoo, earned him a $50 tip. Charity's a two-way street, though. Tattooers are not more important than the rest of us peasants. I can see why tattooers want to eat cyanide when groupie clients want to be best buds with them. Pauly was not asking for that. He was asking, as one of you said, to be treated professionally. Most of my friends are tattooers, now that I think about it. They hate tattooers passionately, as well, for good reason. The whole thing's an adolescently-fixated joke. Glad there are a few tattooers who see through the weakness. They're good arm wrestlers, too! I love good arm wrestlers. God Bless!

Oh, I forgot to ostentatiously name-drop Fred Corbin among the pantheon of big-name tattooers that I'm cool enough to have tattoos from. I probably neglected him in this discussion as, in my experience, he was as far from disrespectful as you can get. Dude was fucking cool to me the first time I ever travelled out to the Bay to get tattooed in 2002. I greatly appreciated it. Oh, and one other note: With all due respect, I'd argue that the relationship of collector to tattooer, and vice-versa, is not analogous to that of bartender or sales clerk to customer. I don't spend three hours naked with the gas station attendant as they grope and permanently alter the appearance of my ass. I do with Tim Lehi. No wonder tattooers hate people. I would hate all that intimacy with people, and this is coming from a personable guy who can muster a semblance of social skills, at times. I can see how being "nice" to people all the time and babysitting them through what some perceive as some mystical rite of passage would get old, fast. So I sympathize with tattooers' plight. At the same time, I'm not exactly a fucking imbecile, and I've done my homework. It was cool of Dick Stell to say to me last month "You'd be a great shop owner or manager. You know more about tattooing than some tattooers." I'm the first to acknowledge that I don't know shit about tattooing, drawing, or painting, technically. However, if I haven't developed at least a mediocre eye for the aesthetic over 15 years of study, I'm retarded. Problem is, everything becomes a fucking insecure little boys' pissing contest. I really don't give a fuck, I just want to learn shit. If I have any insight to offer anyone who's sincerely interested in this bullshit (and not ascending the social hierarchy of "cool"), great. There are shit tons of tattooers who know more about this crap than I ever will, and if they're willing to part with some of their knowledge, I'm grateful. It seems pretty simple. I swore a lot in that paragraph. Tattooing is rock-star shit, ego-trip-wise. Difference is, you don't interact with rock stars. The reason why so many tattooers are so disrespectful is because they can get away with it. I had issues with a few of the tattooers I encountered right from the get-go, when I first started getting tattooed. Why? Well, I'm an adult, and I demand some modicum of respect . . . And I happen to get along with almost everyone I meet. If you have a problem with me, it's your problem. I'm far from perfect, but I treat others respectfully. I see right through these idiots' weak facade. It's boring and pathetic. Not everyone's as dumb as they think they are. If this particular breed of person who makes a living as a tattooer wants to see an imbecile, find a fucking mirror. Can I get a witness??

Paulywhore: You are correct, period. Not that it's a prerequisite for seeing simple insecure egomania for what it is, but I have a decent amount of experience from the collector's perspective. I've been lucky enough to have been tattooed by the following, among others: Lehi, Rassier, Malone, Sylvia, Grime, Don Nolan, Bert Krak, Stell, Adam Ciferri, Seth Ciferri, Whitehead, Brooks, Spanks, Roberts, Conn . . . and my best bud Kyle Franklin! You don't need a fancy bullshit worthless psychology degree from a "Little Ivy", which I happen to have, to deduce that most tattooers succomb to the temptations of warped adolescent egomania. There are exceptions, but those guys (and gals) tend to get so disillusioned with tattooing that they quit. Read Mike Malone's letters to Keith Underwood in recent issues of TAM. Spot-on. He rags on "cool guys" who are too self-absorbed to actually learn about the fucking artform. I've wondered if the absolute elite echelon isn't as likely to be possessed by this meek demon. Hell, if you spend all your time seeking empty accolades and proverbial fellatio, it might be hard to fully concentrate on something of substance. Then again, I don't know: Bullshit megalomania permeates tattooing from the bottom up, doesn't matter how well you paint or tattoo. Power corrupts, in every context. If you're used to having your ass kissed, you come to expect it. Fucking pathetic. I'm sorry these folks are really insecure and immature, but it'd be peachy if they wouldn't take it out on me while I put food in their mouths. To be fair, at the same time, I can totally see why tattooers get sick of clients. I couldn't do their job. Hell, I can be annoying as fuck, myself. Give me a painkiller and I never shut up. That being said, some of the behavior I've personally experienced and witnessed is absolutely inexcusable. Straight disrespect. Funny thing is, most tattooers are sedentary lumps of shit that couldn't fight their way out of a colostomy bag. Tattoos don't make you tough. Tattooing's an intimate and intense experience, and, too often, familiarity breeds contempt. Like I said, having spent a fair amount of time in tattoo shops, I can totally see why being a tattooer is the yellow brick road to misanthropy. I hate people, too, but I try to be humble, honest, and respectful. Ya know, all that "Golden Rule" bullshit. Speaking for myself, I'm glad my bodysuit's about done. I'm too old for this shit. It's too much work. God Bless!!

Stell with fortitude: Login | Facebook

Not to be a wiener, but that backpiece doesn't look at all like something Stell would do. The rat fink attributed to Rudy is cool.

I just saw "hambone's" Brooks posts. There's tons of good stuff going on there. 25 hours? I really like that boar. Speaking of bores, this is an informative post . . .

You can tell Grime likes Leu's tattoos. Those horns above remind me of how Grime conveys them. Tension, texture, and flow.

I saw that Leu thing walking around Lausanne while I was picking my nose and sunbathing on Saturn last night. 14 hours?? Masterful employment of negative space. It's not even a tattoo anymore. Far out. Dude that's on should be forcibly taxidermied. If Katsushika Hokusai saw this he'd have to concede that tattooing's not complete hogwash. Thanks for posting.

I'm stranded in SLC, post-convention, for four days due to blizzard in MN. At least I got to look through Brian Bruno's portfolio yesterday. He can burn in hell with Lehi, as well. Stell put some half-assed shi shi head on my groin. His tattoos aren't even tattoos. That's why I enjoy looking at them. Killed by the dead arcane.

Not that it's relevant, but the two Higgs tattoos SBoyer posted above are on Bryan Burk (top) and Gary Martin (bottom). Anyone who hasn't checked out Martin's signs are missing out: Gary Martin - Sign Painter Buy shit from this guy. He's more than earned it. Ueber talented. He has a couple Deutsche tattoos that, along with what Stell has on his gut, compelled me to get tattooed by Deutsche (tiger, especially): Login | Facebook Login | Facebook I believe Higgs did the apeshit kitty in the photo immediately above. Martin's shop is a block from Rock of Ages in Austin. Look at the cutouts on his site. Talk about a tragically dying art. Comparing the signs he's done around Austin to the mass-produced eyesores surrounding them's depressing. His stuff's plastered all over Perfection Tattoo and he did Blackheart's main sign. It ages really well. Gary's real into doing Jerry and Rollo stuff. I'm sure he'd be up for any of that potent dead guy stuff.

Just ogled hogg's tiger again. Sickening flow. Nothing against Lehi, but when I look at that thing I hate him.

Truan's back may be the best traditional backpiece I've seen.

Awesome. Thanks for posting this.

Go under "tattoos" and check out the ROA (photo #1) and girl head rose (photo #8), among others: Jason Brooks Tattoo - Austin, Texas The way Brooks does girly eyes is what compelled me to get this: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?id=578681696&aid=177091#!/photo.php?fbid=400781836696&set=a.400181946696.177091.578681696&theater (Rose of No Man's Land 5th from the end amidst Brooks' photos is very strong, too.)

Hell, anyone who gets to look at tattoos of the above caliber wins. Only about half of those are on me. I can barely see the places I have skin left, so it's all for the better if they're on other people.

This is why I'm having Lehi cover my lasered shit (I'm glad he's willing to do it). Thrice-lasered Celtic armband cast into obsolescence: Login | Facebook Login | Facebook