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BUYER’S GUIDE FOR BODY MODIFICATION PROFESSIONALS
ISSUE 166
MARCH
contents
12
Point 2 Point
SOM
16
Newport Tattoo
18
Ask Angel
14
APP
Flash History
26-27
by Ohio Tattoo
Museum
Show/Expo
28
advertisersindex
99cent Body Jewelry
43
AAB Style
50
APP 21st Annual Conference & Expo 2016
32
APT 7th Annual Tattoo Trade Show 2016
44
Body Art Solutions
24
BodyJewelry.com
31
Body Shock
47
Bicknee Tattoo Supply Company
26-27, 49
CHAMPS Trade Show
39
Delta Gloves
34
Desert Palms Emu Ranch
17
Derma Numb
21
DPS Tattoo Products
7
Dr Piercings Aftercare
20
Eternal Tattoo Supply 52-Inside Back Cover
Friction Wholesale Tattoo Supply
13
H2Ocean Natural Aftercare
9, 36, 51
Invictus Body Jewelry / Salesone
5
Ink Mayhem / Laughlin Tattoo Convention
33
Metal Mafia
IFC-1, 4
42
Art Gallery
NZ Tattoo & Arts Festival
46
PAINful Classic:
Billy Wayne Davis
Micky Sharpz USA
10
Monster Steel
Back Cover
Myke Chambers Ink
Inside Back Cover
Needlejig
25
NeilMed Aftercare
Cover Sponsor
48
Nuclear Tattoo Supply
23
Painful Pleasures
6
Palmero Health Care
37
PPIB
45
PRIDE Aftercare
11
Rejuvi Labs
31
Signature Needles / H2Ocean
51
Tat Soul
2-3, 11, 35
Tatt2Away
29
Tatu you
37
Tattoo Goo
15, 45
That’s The Point
22
Tommy’s Supplies
19
Welker Tattoo Needles
52
PAINMAGAZINE 8
[email protected]
Art Director
Bill Wetsel
[email protected]
Contributing Writers
Elayne Angel
Jay Cousins
Austin Ray
Darin Burt
Judi Perkins
Tanya Madden
Account Executive
Jennifer Orellana
Best Business
Card Contest
Sexy Side
Makani
40-41
Sales Coordinator
Michael Gonzales
30
Communicating
38
Big Ceeze
Editor-In-Chief
R Cantu
Editor
Sandy Caputo
Product Spotlight
H2Ocean
Artist Profile
Publisher
Ralph Garza
24
36
NZ Tattoo &
Arts Festival staff
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Richard DePreist
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505-275-6049
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Newport Tattoo in Newport Beach, California. page 14
I
t is officially Spring Pain readers and you know exactly what that
means! The coats, scarves and mittens are coming off and people
are beginning to line up at your door. Are you ready?
Did you know that according to a recent medical association
report, sixty percent of patients who switch primary physicians
do so because of a breakdown in doctor-patient communication.
We believe that this holds true for the tattoo artist/client relationship
as well. Please join Darin Burt as he discusses key points in
communication and connecting with your clients.
Next, any retailer not offering gift certificates is going to
be missing out on sales. For a minimal outlay, you’ll have the
potential to generate a great deal of profit and fulfill a variety of
customer requests. Check out Elayne Angel’s column this month for
the pros and cons of gift cards. Are you missing out on sales
because you don’t offer them?
Lastly, Pain Magazine needs you! Send us your most recent
work for a chance to be featured in the Art Gallery or as our Artist
Profile of the month! Please email for submission specs. We can’t
wait to see what you’ve been hiding.
Cheers everyone!
PAINMAGAZINE 10
PointtoPoint
C
Jay Cousins
THE CANADIAN PROVINCE OF ALBERTA
overing an area of nearly 4 million
square miles, Canada is the second
largest country in the world by total
area after Russia and makes up
most of North America. Canada
has a population of 35 million people.
To the south, Canada shares the world’s
largest land border with the United States
as well as the longest coastline. Alberta is
bounded by the Province of British
Columbia to the west and Saskatchewan
to the east, the Northwest Territories to the
north and the U.S. State of Montano to the
south. Alberta, Canada is one of only
three Canadian provinces and territories
to border only a single U.S. state and one
of only two landlocked provinces.
The government of Alberta, as in all of
Canada, is organized as a parliamentary
democracy. As Canada’s head of state,
Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state for
the government of Alberta. Her duties in
Alberta are carried out by the current
Lieutenant Governor. The Queen and
lieutenant governor are figureheads whose
actions are highly restricted by custom and
constitutional convention.
According to Alberta Health Services
(AHS) the City of Alber ta follows a
document called, “Guidelines for Personal
Service Establishments.” The purpose of
the guidelines are to clarify the expectations
of operators of PSE’s and provide guidance
on the prevention of health hazards
associated with services that could involve
blood or bodily fluids. The PSE document
covers tattooing, body piercing, ear
piercing, micro- pigmentation, tattoo
removal and many other services Canadians
use on a daily basis.
Even with the PSE’s in place, health
officials in Alberta continue to encourage
residents to research any facility providing
a ser vice that could transmit viral or
bacterial infections such as hepatitis or
serious skin infections. “Body ar t is
something that should be done in as safe
an environment as possible,” said Dr. Chris
Sikora, a medical officer of health with
Alberta Health Services. Concerns about
health and safety at tattoo shops came up
in March 2014 after AHS shut down a
home based operator in Edmonton, Alberta
due to unsanitary conditions. The Notice of
Closure identified 11 critical areas including
tattoo needles and tubes contaminated with
ink and blood and tattoo needles being
re-used on multiple clients. Other critical
violations included inappropriate work
surfaces which could not be adequately
disinfected between clients, insufficient
access to hand washing sinks, tattoos being
conducted on the tattooist’s bed which is
not a surface which can be cleaned or
sanitized, and the lack of an adequate
autoclave to disinfect tattoo and piercing
equipment between uses. According to the
AHS, tattoo shop closures are unusual in
the Edmonton area. Most of the closures were
were initiated at home based tattoo shops.
According to documents on the AHS
website, three other tattoo shops have been
closed by the health authority in the
Edmonton Zone since 2011. Nine tattoo
operators in the Calgary Zone have been
shut down in the same period and another
six were shut down throughout Alberta.
Alberta Health Services conducts
routine inspections on tattoo operators. Part
of that inspection is to assure that operators
are in compliance with tattooing regulations
and guidelines from Alber ta Health
Services. Mr. Sikora also confirmed it’s
particularly important that those receiving
tattoos from home based operators follow
the rules very closely.
Most of the time, a home based tattoo
operation is not going to be an inspected
facility. “ If the tattoo shop has a store front
that is clearly identifiable, there’s a better
chance that it will be an inspected facility,”
added Sikora. He suggests clients ask for
an inspection report from Alberta Health
Services and check their business license.
“It’s perfectly within your right as a customer
to ask for an inspection report or business
license to ensure tattoo shops are
conducting business safely. If the tattoo
artist is unable to provide these basic
documents, customers should contact AHS
or their local regulator.”
Although a majority of Alberta tattoo
shops are extremely safe and have passed
their routine inspections and a majority of
the closures occurred at home based tattoo
shops, the Alberta Health Service has
published tattoo and piercing safety
guidelines on their website. It’s called
“Think Before You Ink.” The guidelines
include a section called, “MUST-HAVES”
for any tattoo or piercing shop in Alberta.
The Alberta Health Services website,
www.albertahealthservices.ca/eph.asp
has a punch list of the 12 “Must-Haves” in
any tattoo shop in the Alberta, Canada
area. The Alberta Health Service recommends all residents check the website
before considering getting a tattoo
in Alberta. O
Jay Cousins works for the Albuquerque Environmental Health Department. He started working for the city in 1985. In 1994 he started working
for the restaurant, swimming pool, and body art inspection program. He has approximately 600 facilities in his jurisdiction, including body art
establishments. He started doing body art inspections in 1999 and has conducted over 500 body art facility inspections since then.
Jay is also a high school and college baseball umpire and works as a fill-in umpire for the Albuquerque Isotopes.
PAINMAGAZINE 12
N
ewport Tattoo is one of the oldest shops in Orange County,
California. Located in Newport Beach, home to some of the best
surf waves in the world, Newport Tattoo has been in business since
1989, back when there were only a handful of other shops in the
area. Kareem Masarani has been a tattoo artist at the shop since
2001, and has been the proprietor since 2006 when he claimed the
opportunity to buy the business. Four years later, he opened up a second
shop down the beach in Costa Mesa.
It all sounds pretty sweet and simple. But Kareem insists that there's a
lot more to the story.
continued on page 22
PAINMAGAZINE 14
Ask
Elayne
Angel
The Ins and Outs of
Gift Certificates
This isn’t exactly a piercing question, but it is related to my piercing business and
I’ve seen you answer questions like that in the past, so I hope you can help me.
I had a customer ask me for a gift certificate last week, but I don’t have them in
my shop, so I just said no. Then this week, TWO more people wanted to buy them,
so we could definitely have made more sales if we had them. Now I’m rethinking it
but wanted to ask your opinion.
I have seen gift certificates at the office supply store and you just fill in the blanks,
but those looked kind of cheap and unprofessional. Also one of the ladies wanted a
gift certificate for her sister who wants an industrial piercing. She wanted to pay for
the piercing fees (we count it as two) and jewelry, too. But I don’t know if those forms
could work for that.
A
Elayne Angel Author The Piercing Bible—
The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing President,
Association of Professional Piercerst
ny retailer not offering gift
certificates is going to be missing
out on sales. For a minimal outlay,
you’ll have the potential to
generate a great deal of profit
and fulfill a variety of customer requests.
Since my studio closed after Hurricane
Katrina, I no longer deal with certificates,
but I recall that there are some unique
considerations when it comes to selling
this product in a piercing studio.
Some people will want to purchase a
certificate for a certain dollar amount, such
as $50 or $100. Dealing with fixed
amounts is obviously easiest. But others will
wish to pay for a specific piercing (and
often jewelry and aftercare product(s) too—
especially if you suggest this).
A complicating factor in the situation
you mentioned is that you can’t be sure
whether the recipient of that certificate is
even a candidate for an industrial piercing
until you evaluate her anatomy. Nor can
you know if she’ll be interested in an
alternate placement you might suggest
based on her build, should she fail to meet
Do you have any suggestions? I don’t have any experience and don’t want to get
into something that is more trouble than it is worth.
Thank you very much,
F.
the requirements for the desired piercing.
Still, you don’t want to turn down business.
Fortunately, this challenge is not an
insurmountable one.
To provide optimal satisfaction,
I offered all options, including certificates
by dollar amount, for a piercing fee only,
for a “full package” of piercing, jewelry,
and aftercare products, and everything in
between and beyond. If a patron wishes to
pay, figure out a way to make it work with
your system.
The complexity of your options will
depend on your studio’s fee structure(s).
If your pricing is comprised of a single cost
including piercing and basic jewelry, this
is simplest. However, even if you use an a
la carte method of separate piercing fees
and jewelry costs, you should still be able
calculate a minimum cost that will entitle
the gift recipient to what the purchaser
wishes to give.
You can write a certificate for “One
Navel Piercing and Basic Curved Barbell,”
for example. But in your documentation,
PAINMAGAZINE 16
whether digital or hard copy, you must have
a dollar amount recorded, so the value of
the certificate can just be applied to the
purchase, even if the piercee ends up with
a different transaction.
The commercial fill-in-the-blank style
of gift certificates is not particularly
impressive, but they are very economical
and can do the job. If possible, get the
type that can be filled in on a computer
and printed out, unless you or a staff
member has talent with calligraphy. This
type of document should be hand-signed
by both the gift-giver and also a studio
employee, manager, or owner, depending
on your policy. By request, I have allowed
purchasers to sign “Anonymous” on the
“From” line, or leave the “To” line blank,
or you can write it to “Bearer.”
I stocked professionally printed,
numbered certificates containing my logo
and studio information. They came with a
register similar to that used for checkbooks,
in which to record the details. Nicely framed
sample certificates were displayed in my
jewelry case and on the walls, along with
informative signage: “Available in any
amount. No expiration date.”
Written policies governing the sales and
documentation for certificates are crucial to
assure consistency in your operations and
provide a system of checks and balances. If
poor records are kept, customer dissatisfaction
can result, as can loss of revenue. Dishonest
employees could issue unpaid-for certificates
to their friends, and other types of fraud
may be possible if you don’t establish
standardized procedures for issuing and
accepting certificates.
Always take certificates back from the
client at the time they’re redeemed, or your
records will be much harder to keep. For
example, if someone “loses” a gift certificate
and you honor it without receiving the physical
document, you’d need to keep clear records
to make sure nobody comes in to spend that
same certificate at a later date. I’d suggest
you inform patrons that certificates are like
cash: if lost, they can’t be spent.
If a certificate-bearer’s purchase is lower
than the face value of a certificate, it is not
standard practice to give cash back. In these
cases, we simply issued a new certificate for
the balance. Having the statement “no cash
value” on your certificates and “no cash
refunds” on store signage can help to forestall
potential arguments. Having the words “no
cash value” on the certificate is also wise.
A wonderful newer alternative to consider
is the studio-branded, hard-plastic gift card.
If my business were still open, I would definitely
stock these. You can get them with magnetic
stripes like credit cards and/or barcodes that
can work with your POS system. You control
the value of the cards electronically, and they
are also reloadable and reusable. They have
a number of other advantages. Statistics show
that only 80% of a gift card’s value is
redeemed, on average1, and that plenty of
gift cards go unredeemed2. Many clients often
spend above and beyond the value of the gift
card as well.
According to the National Retail
Federation (NRF), more than 80% of holiday
shoppers are now purchasing at least one gift
card, so this is a huge market. Plastic gift
cards are not just for the big retailers anymore,
and I think they’re surprisingly affordable for
the value they offer. They can also be
programmed as loyalty cards to monitor sales,
customer preferences and histories, and more.
PAINMAG.COM
Cer tificates or cards are great for
indecisive gift-seekers and those who are
unsure about the jewelry size a recipient
wears. They’re definitely preferable to selling
jewelry that might end up being unusable,
and isn’t returnable.
Gift certificates also make it easy to take
part in community fundraising events such as
raffles and silent auctions. This is especially
worthwhile for your business when contributors
are listed by name and/or logo with the event
information. It is good to support local efforts,
and this enables you to specify a dollar
amount, rather than donating a particular
piece of jewelry, which may not be useful to
many of the potential participants.
Do your best to accommodate your gift-giving
customers. If you establish your studio policies
and adhere to them faithfully, gift certificates
or cards are well worth the effort. O
1 http://www.consumeraffairs.com/gift-cards
2 http://www.consumeraffairs.com/gift-cards
“The mission of the Association of Professional Piercers is to circulate
vital health, safety, and education information to the professional piercing
industry, health care providers and the general public.”
1-888-888-1277
www.safepiercing.org
Concluding Thoughts
At the time of this writing, I have no hard evidence that UK authorities would interpret the
piercing of a white indigenous adult female’s genitals for adornment as “female genital mutilation.”
However, if a UK body piercer performed a female genital piercing on an adult woman from a
UN/WHO/UK recognized “FGM-affected community” the legal outcome gets trickier to
predict. If the piercing were discovered by a healthcare provider, the situation would create
an ethical dilemma for the healthcare worker, compelled by law to report any alterations.
If the reported incident were investigated by law enforcement, it could lead to criminal
prosecution of the body piercer, counter staff, shop owner, and/or a friend(s) that
accompanied the piercing client (anyone that “aids, abets, [counsels] or procures”)
for violation of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 carrying a penalty of a fine
with up to 14 years imprisonment. To mitigate risk, a UK piercer could refuse to
pierce female genitalia, while continuing to pierce male genitalia. As another
option, UK piercers could sort clients by using the same geographical criteria as
the National Health Services and law enforcement; however, in practice, I doubt
denying services based on country of origin would go over well. It would probably
lead to accusations of xenophobia and racism.
Therein lies the crux of an ethical dilemma. Most people will not believe that every
injury of the female genitals is “mutilation.” “Female genital mutilation” is understood to
only happen in “FGM-affected communities.” It’s common sense that Janet Jackson’s,
Christina Aguilera’s, or Lady Gaga’s pierced genitalia is not “female genital mutilation,” and
as such the definitions of and rules for “female genital mutilation” should not apply. However,
“common sense” is not universal; it is influenced by life experience, education, class, economics,
religion, ethnicity, sex, gender, country of origin, etc. Healthcare workers, police, legislators,
and the public operate under this blind bias. Few want to admit that they see and treat others
differently, that is because it directly clashes with other deeply held Western values of tolerance,
decency, and fairness.
continued on page 20
PAINMAGAZINE 18
app
continued
In March 2015, the UK Home Affairs Committee recognized the
“double standard” of pressuring other communities to stop their
“mutilation” practices while allowing UK females to have genital cosmetic
surgeries. They have appealed to parliament to amend the 2003 law
in order to criminalize female genital cosmetic surgery. This action will
likely meet allegations of patriarchy and sexism. Many Westerners fail
to realize that our understandings of medicine and science (such as
“necessary” or “not necessary”) as well as violence, mutilation, harm,
pain, etc. are always shaped by culture. Ones most deeply held religious
and moral beliefs, including notions of what is “right” or “wrong” are
shaped by the culture one is born into. The dominant culture within any
particular nation is in a more powerful position to propagate its beliefs.
The UK government and anti-“FGM” organizations genuinely desire
to protect immigrant women and their daughters. Most Westerners, this
author included, would find it repugnant to defend the most commonly
told story of a practice that physically restrains a very young girl crying
against her will, to have her clitoris cut out and her vagina sewn shut,
a procedure that endangers her life, sexual pleasure, and ability to
procreate. However, the anti-“FGM” campaigners risk weakening their
public support when they overreach their claims to consider all practices
regardless of invasiveness, all females regardless of age, and all physical
and psychological consequences regardless of the wide range of
experiences and perceptions, as the same. Once the UN labels a
community as practicing “FGM,” then at the international level, those
community adult women’s legal “rights” to consent to any genital
alteration are stripped away.
I’m not saying we should do nothing for individuals that want to be
helped, or that we should not impose policies to protect minors,
particularly in our own countries, but I do believe definitions and
regulations that could specifically deny a female adult the choice to
consent or not to consent to altering her genitals, whether by: piercing
the genital tissue; or shaving, trimming, bleaching, dyeing, lasering, or
waxing the pubic hair; or surgically altering the appearance, etc.,
violate current commonly-held notions of sexual equality and fairness.
Ultimately, the course of action is best decided by the piercers and
the women of the UK, although international piercing communities
should assist when asked. Currently, an e-petition is circulating that UK
citizens can sign requesting that the government legally recognizes
female genital piercing is not mutilation. UK citizens can write and call
their elected officials. They can email responses to all names and
department heads associated with the anti-”FGM” regulations. Everyone
can email news agencies that spread the story. At its source, this is an
international issue that will keep occurring as a result of the definitions
and policies of United Nations and the World Health Organization.
Since the medical field and personal grooming industries may be
affected, alliances should be sought. Body piercing communities and
their allies should simultaneously apply pressure for legislative changes
at both the local as well as the international levels.
My concerns about this current issue in the UK are somewhat eased
by the excitement of what the future may hold with this opportunity for
the UK piercing community to unite behind a common cause.
The original article has been edited and footnotes and citations
have been removed for this publication. Please contact the author with
questions: [email protected] O
PAINMAGAZINE 20
shop of the month
continued
“My girlfriend brought me to Newport Tattoo in 1994 when she
and her friend went there to get a tattoo. I'd done art my entire life,
and it was so cool to watch the tattoo artist, and I asked him one
question after another. At the time, I was painting, and tattooing seemed
like a cool medium. He made it look really easy, and the next day I
persuaded my brother to give me five hundred dollars so that I could
get a tattoo kit out of the back of a magazine. I went ahead and tried
to tattoo myself. . . it wasn't until later that I realized I didn't need to put
ink in the machine to do that.”
After tattooing some friends, Kareem quickly accepted that this
was a skill that was going to take some time to master. He lucked into
an apprenticeship, but before finishing, he found himself in Alaska,
living in his van and working in a fish factory. One day he stopped in
a local biker tattoo shop just to check it out, and before long he had a
job there. It was a real-life learning experience, for sure.
“It was really an opportunity to sharpen my skills. I also dealt with
a wide array of people because in Alaska people are just a little
different,” Kareem says. “I also found out that I never wanted to live
through another Alaskan winter.”
From the coldest to the warmest. Kareem moved to Las Vegas
for another tattooing stint on the strip. And after finally landing at
Newport Tattoo, he eventually decided it was time to do art and do
things his way.
“It wasn't about telling other people what to do, but rather not
having anyone tell me what to do,” Kareem says. “It's a lot more
stress in running your own shop, but throughout the years, I'd learned
what NOT to do. . . there's not a lot of attitude in our shop and it's
very welcoming. All I'm looking for (in staff) are people who want to
improve as tattoo artists and as people and want to move forward.
And keep it cool.”
“I treat the business like a plant,” Kareem adds. “I figure as long
as you feed and water it regularly then things will go well.”
The building where Newport Tattoo is located has an odd layout,
and in redesigning the space, Kareem instituted an open environment
that leads to a better sense of camaraderie among artists and a better
experience for clients.
“It allows the creative juices to flow,” Kareem says. “When
(clients) see us laughing and having a good time, and that we
don't hold ourselves to a typical cubicle job, it turns into a really
great experience.”
Being located in a beach community means Newport Tattoo sees
a fair share of walk-ins looking for that small commemorative tattoo.
But there's no simple flash – everything is custom. Being that the shop
has been around for so long, its built a reputation with the locals for
quality work, and the artists have many loyal repeat clients.
“We got rid of all flash quite a while ago. It's not like it was twenty
years ago where there were these common pieces. . . nowadays
because of the internet there are so many different things that people
request,” Kareem says. “We have a diverse group of artists, and so
when somebody walks in, whatever they want, there's an artist who
can handle that style.”
“It's a gift that we get to make a living making art. The worst day
here is way better than any other job I've ever had. . .and I was even
a barback at a titty bar,” Kareem says with a laugh. “There's an
experience in getting a tattoo, and there's an energy in a shop like this. . .
when everyone is in sync it's unbeatable.” O
Newport Tattoo
PAINMAGAZINE 22
Newport Beach, California
www.newporttattoo.com
Communicating with Clients
TattooInsider
ccording to a recent medical association report, sixty percent
of patients who switch primary physicians do so because of a
breakdown in doctor-patient communication. When you think about
it, tattoo artist and client, aren't too far apart from doctor and
patient. You're both dealing with a person's wellbeing, and
expressing yourself with clear and concise communication is a key to
providing them with good care. As a professional tattoo artist, your goal
should be to make your client feel more informed and more confident in
your ability to give them the most satisfying experience possible.
A
Essential to communication is being able to quickly establish
rapport with your client. Simply listening to your client is one of the
easiest ways to get off to a good start. The first step is to give your
client your undivided attention – turn off your cell phone, take off your
headphones, and close the door to the work area (with the client's
permission) if there are any outside distractions.
In one-on-one communication, it is not only critical that the listener
really does listen, but that the speaker also feels heard. One common
cue that a person is not feeling heard or understood is that their statements
continue to be repeated. A useful technique for helping the client to feel
understood is reflective listening, which is basically repeating back to
the person what you think you've heard. Something along the lines of,
“So, if I understand what you're saying. . . .” Reflection lets the clients
know that you are listening and trying to understand their point of view.
It also provides an opportunity for them to correct any misunderstandings
and to share additional information.
Focus on nonverbal communication. The manner in which you
communicate to a client is as important as the information being
communicated. A client is looking for both verbal and nonverbal cues.
To show that they have your attention, lean forward, maintain eye
contact, nod appropriately, and don’t cross your arms.
Studies show that people's perception of time spent increases if
the person they are meeting with sits down. Ask yourself: Do I appear
unhurried? Available? Do I provide emotional comfort and take time
to answer questions? These are factors that impact a client's perception
of their provider whether it be a doctor, lawyer or a tattoo artist.
Speak in a “language” that they can understand. You don't need
to give a technical how-to lesson on tattooing or piercing. But make
sure that you explain procedures and aftercare methods on a level
that your client can truly understand. By keeping it simple and using
familiar words, you avoid any potential miscommunication that may
arise if you go more of a textbook route and overuse fancy jargon that
only you and your fellow artists understand.
Ask First. Once you are finished discussing the details, you can
safely assume that your clients are going to have some questions;
many times, they’ll be too nervous or shy to ask without you prompting
them. If you notice that your client is being particularly quiet, be sure
to ask if she has any questions. This will help to get you both on the
same page and may also help them open up about any concerns they
may be having (which can be helpful for you to know about as well).
Take a cue from Patrick Swayze dealing with customers in the
movie Roadhouse, and Be Nice. It may seem like something simple,
but a little kindness can go a long way, especially when it comes to
making clients feel at ease. There are a lot of people who walk into a
tattoo or piercing studio and are immediately anxious simply because
they don’t know what to expect. Lose the rockstar persona. By keeping
a kind and compassionate disposition, it can quickly calm your client’s
senses and relieve any fears they may have. Something as simple as
a smile can make all the difference. O
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TattooShow
Photos courtesy Bradley Garner, www.bradleyggarner.com
F
or many New Zealand is the land of sheep, the mighty
All Blacks rugby team, and hairy-footed Hobbits (it was
the filming location for Lord of the Rings). It's also the
home to the NZ Tattoo & Art Festival. The event, now in
its fifth year, brought together 8,000 tattoo fans and more
than 250 artists - over 150 of those being internationals from a
wide range of countries.
“I think New Zealand's culture and tattoo tradition make
the festival unique,” says organizer Brent Taylor. “We always try
to give the visiting international artists an insight into Maori
culture. New Zealand being so far away from Europe and
America means the artists treat it as a holiday convention rather
than just a working convention creating a unique vibe.”
continued on page 34
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TELL THEM YOU SAW IT IN
TattooExpo
“We are very lucky with the amount of international artists that
make the trip down under for the convention. . . it's a long flight & we
appreciate it greatly that they choose to attend our event,” Brent adds.
“Of course, all of New Zealand's best artists were also in attendance
as well.”
The line up included some of the top talent in the tattoo world
including LA Ink star Dan Smith, Best Ink winner Teresa Sharpe, American
realism star Paul Acker, Best Ink model & judge Sabina Kelley, Swedish
tattoo artist & model Cleo Wattenstrom, American black & grey master
Carl Grace, Tahitian tattoo artist Manu Farrarons, lettering master Big
Meas, new-schooler Dave Tevenal, and dot work specialist Dillon Forte.
Tattoo competitions were extremely challenging to judge, Brent
notes, as the level of talent exceeds expectations each year. Best of the
Day awards went to Karl Van De Linden and Emma Kerr (with a moth
under boob piece). New Zealand legend Dean Sacred won Best of
Show with a Hanya leg tattoo.
But this show isn't just about ink – it's about the culture and community
surrounding the art.
“New Zealand is a small country and for the event to continue to
be successful and grow we feel we want to provide the public with
more entertainment than just the tattooing alone, ensuring everyone
has a great time whether they got tattooed or not,” Brent says. “The
burlesque girls are always a fan favorite and the FMX and BMX riders
always put on amazing shows the entire family can enjoy. Music has
always been apart of the event, and creates a real party vibe!”
“There are always people new to the tattoo scene in attendance,
but we also get lots of hardcore tattoo collectors from around the
country who come to get a tattoo from some of the very best in the
world.” Brent says, “they are knowledgeable, and the artists seem to
enjoy that people are there to collect a piece in their style from them.
We always have a great deal of walk-ups happening. . . it's fun for
everyone involved.” O
NZ Tattoo & Arts Festival
New Plymouth, New Zealand
November 28-29, 2015
www.nztattooart.com
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H2Ocean, the leader since 2001 in developing natural health care products using
patented sea salt formulas, continues to develop natural products for safe and
effective healing without using harmful chemicals.
H2Ocean is a family owned and
operated small business that serves
multiple industries, selling Sea Salt based
Natural Products to Tattoo and Piercing
Studios, Dental Offices, Veterinarians,
Medical Centers, Podiatrists and other
clients. Their Natural Products include
mouthwash, lotions, numbing antibacterial
products, nasal sprays, first-aid sprays,
ointments, tattoo and piercing aftercare,
skin protectants, small and large animal
wound care, diabetic healthcare
products an organic vegan friendly line
of products.
You will see an H2Ocean Booth at most Tattoo and Piercing
Conventions throughout the year supporting the shows and artists. Often
times, hosting one of their extremely talented H2Ocean Team Members
in their booth tattooing or spreading the truth to artists around the world.
They are long time members of trade
associations including the National Tattoo
Association (NTA), American Professional Tattooists
(APT), Association of Professional Piercers (APP),
European Association of Professional Piercers
(EAPP) and European Union of Tattoo Research.
H2Ocean has 5 US Manufacturing Facilities that produce their
patented products and are proud to be able to claim their products are
100% made in the United States.
The owner of H2Ocean, Eddie Kolos, is a hard working
entrepreneur who started the company from the ground up. He
always has been and currently still is an active traveler to Conventions
both domestic and internationally. Eddie
Kolos said, “We are just a small
business, with big-hearted employees.
We are from a small town (Stuart, FL),
with big expectations. We are not a
fake company, they are the salt and soul
of healing you with Ocean Science.
We are thankful to the Tattoo and
Piercing Industry and Artists who have
helped make it what it is today.”
H2Ocean’s support of the Tattoo and Piercing communities is
second to none when it’s about the care of the artist and the body art.
H2Ocean supports Tattoo Trade Shows
and attends more than 50 shows each year. They
were the first to form a Professional Pro Team of
Artists to give back and help to research & develop
the line of products. They currently have more
than 80 Professional Artists who have been
selected to be a part of their Elite H2Ocean Team
of Artists. This includes both National and International Artists.
H2Ocean has been built on hard work, vision, trustworthy
employees, great customer care and a continued growing line of
innovative products that possess the healing powers of the ocean.
H2Ocean is proud to have been part of the evolution of the
public’s perception of the Tattoo and Piercing
Industry over the past decade. They’ve traveled
the convention circuit for years, healed millions
of tattoos and piercings with their products, and
have made close friendships with thousands of
Artists. They watch and work together to bring
standards and respect the art deserves.
You can now find H2Ocean products in
more than 10,000 retail locations including;
Walgreens, CVS, Amazon, Independent Tattoo
and Piercing Studios, Hot Topic, Piercing Pagoda, Spencer’s,
Albertson’s, Safeway and in other countries worldwide. O
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Big Ceeze got his first tattoo at 17. It said Mom. “That was the only way she’d let me get one,”
said Ceeze, who’s been an artist since he was five. “It was cool, and I wanted to tattoo, so I started
making machines and jacking up people.” His formative years were tough: gangs, drugs, abuse,
violence. Few adults who cared and the early loss of the only two who did. He took in a cousin who’d
been shot and subsequently paralyzed, who with a large settlement check, in gratefulness bought Ceeze
his first professional machine. “I was a scratcher for a long time,” said Ceeze.
Change, which began inwardly, came when he left gang life, moved away from the neighborhood and started going to
church. “I went from this anger rage and suppressing feelings to accepting God into my life,” he said. “Now I’m emotional.
I love my kids. I used to push them away.” He feels he’s earned his faith. “And I know there’s someone there, God, who loves
me more than anything in this whole world. It’s all I ever wanted.”
His wife, Sandy, is an extension of that love. “God helped me to win the lottery, which is not money, it’s my wife and
the woman she is,” said Ceeze. “She encourages me, supports me, and pushes me to be who I am to help me be successful.
She’s everything.” Since marrying Sandy, his career has been climbing. “Because we make God the center of our relationship,
the goals we’ve set for ourselves are being answered.” He owns his own shop. He’s been on Ink Master. He’s travelling the
world. He’s selling his paintings for substantial sums. “Every sponsorship I have is because of her. She goes out and exploits
me. She puts me out there like a cheap hooker,” he said laughing.
Humor and love spill over in abundance from Ceeze. His shop name recognizes the importance of his clients and the
relationships he builds with them. “I strive to please all my clients and make them happy. It’s not the money that drives me;
that will come. It’s the happiness and satisfaction I get from my clients.” Notably a young woman with Lou Gehrig’s disease,
getting her first and last tattoo to commemorate her father who had recently passed. “I thought, ‘Thank you, God, for giving
me this gift to do what I do, because that’s what I love.” O
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illy Wayne Davis is being promoted as a “thinkingman’s hillbilly,” and if that sounds like an oxymoron,
you may want to first give his debut album a listen.
Everything from his name to the album’s cover
practically screams “Blue Collar Comedy Tour,”
but he would puzzle the halfwits who attend such shows.
He instead offers a refreshing take on an oft-stereotyped
“country” sensibility, one that can only be toppled if more
artists like Davis step up and let their voices be heard.
B
A native Nashvillian who has since put down roots
in Seattle (even placing second in 2010’s Seattle
International Comedy Competition), Davis’s fish-out-ofwater status gives him plenty of leeway to fuck with
urbanites, as he does on a bit about colored pencils
(you do the math on that one). He has fun playing with
this confusion (i.e., that he should be a close-minded
rube, according to his accent) when in reality, he gets
down with all sides. In a bit about how rednecks and
gay dudes dislike each other, he notes that they don’t
seem to realize they both hate sleeves. When a joke
about diabetes doesn’t go over, he claims the white
people in the room who aren’t laughing simply don’t
have any black friends. His taste in music runs the gamut
and doesn’t exactly prove that he’s non-judgmental in
regard to race, though going out to a small-town bar
with actual live bull-riding – wherein he’s concerned for
the lives of the black men there – sort of does.
Moreover, Davis doesn’t mind taking the piss out of
so-called liberal institutions. While discussing his move
to Seattle, he talks of how he read the city was a “utopia
of progressive liberality” that rained open-mindedness
every day. “Take off that Patagonia and soak it in!” he
jokes in a cheeseball tourism voice. “You’re not wet,
you’re a better person!” But it doesn’t take him long to
wonder, “Where’s all the black people?” before realizing
how “fucked up” it is that, with exception to sports players
in gated communities, they all live in Tacoma, and how
“all the gay people” live on a hill. Not only do the
citizens of this allegedly progressive place look down
on him for the way he talks, but they’re really not as
progressive as they claim to be, anyway.
Considering his utterly calm demeanor on stage,
it’s no surprise that Davis has worked with folks like Louis
C.K., Mitch Hedberg and Colin Quinn. Relative
newcomer though he may be, his confidence is infectious
in such a way that it almost makes the duddier jokes go
over better. He nonchalantly shuts down hecklers
throughout as if it’s his job. After a guy yells for a
“Tennessee joke,” Davis asks him if he sees anywhere
on Davis’s person where the heckler could insert a quarter
before quickly concluding for him, “I don’t take goddamn
requests.” Elsewhere he informs a clearly-very-drunk
woman that the performance is a “monologue, not a
dialogue.” His effortless ease with both the crowd and
his material is admirable; some comedians will play up
their seriousness for laughs, but it’s Davis’s lightheartedness
that really makes him shine, whether he’s talking about
Texas bravado or terrible grammar.
All in all, Billy Wayne Davis is an exercise in
tolerance, and not in the way that might be expected,
but for big-city, blue-state, bleeding-heart liberals. Davis
is a reminder that not every large, bald, Southernaccented meathead of a guy can be judged on face
value alone. Maybe, just maybe, he also thinks rednecks
are assholes, or that a guy at the Texas border asking
whether or not you’re a faggot is ridiculous, too. Of
course he’ll still perform that same joke in Texas in the
meantime, because they’ll laugh even though they don’t
realize the joke’s on them. He can hang with the hicks
because he understands them, but by absorbing their
asinine behavior and later mocking their ignorance,
Davis is both funny and subversive. v
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