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#154
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MARCH • 2015
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★ MAJESTIK CREATIONS ★ BEN KELLY ★ WAR OF THE ROSES ★
issue 154
March
2015
contents
12
Point 2 Point
SOM 1
16
14
staff
Publisher
Ralph Garza
Editor-In-Chief
R Cantu
Art Director
Bill Wetsel
[email protected]
Contributing Writers
Elayne Angel
Jay Cousins
Austin Ray
Darin Burt
Judi Perkins
Tanya Madden
Ask Angel
Majestik
Creations Tattoo
18
APP
20
Tattoo Removal
SOM 2
26-27
Best Business
Card Contest
Show/Expo
32
War of The Roses
Tattoo Convention
Account Executive
Jennifer Orellana
30
Studio Yorick
28
Editor
Sandy Caputo
Help Wanted
[email protected]
[email protected]
505-332-3003
Executive Assistant
Richard DePreist
[email protected]
505-275-6049
38-39
Sexy Side
42, 44
Art Gallery
Artist Profile
46
40
PAINful Comedy:
David Cross
Ben Kelly
advertisers index
21
APT 5th Annual Tattoo Trade Show 2015
50
Bicknee Tattoo Supply Company
49
Body Vibe / Helix
51
Desert Palms Emu Ranch
17
Domos Tattoo Machines
20
DPS Tattoo Products
7
Dr. Piercing’s Aftercare
47
Eternal Tattoo Supply
52-Inside Back Cover
Face and Body
43
Friction Wholesale Tattoo Supply
13
Galaxy Tattoo MFG.
23
H2Ocean Natural Aftercare
4, 48
Invictus Body Jewelry
5
Kingpin Tattoo Supply
9, 45
Live Free or Die Tattoo Expo
24
APP 20th Annual Conference & Expo 2015
Inside Front Cover-1, 31
Micky Sharpz USA
10
Monster Steel
Back Cover
North American Bancard
43
Needlejig
29
Painful Pleasures
6
Palmero Health Care
37
PPIB
33
PRIDE Aftercare
11
Rejuvi Labs
33
Tat Soul
2-3, 11, 35
Tatu Derm
37
Tattoo Goo
15, 25
Tommy’s Supplies
19
Welker Tattoo Machines
Inside Back Cover
Metal Mafia
PAINMAGAZINE 8
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See page 4 and 48
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I
t’s officially spring time Pain readers! And you know what that
means…the weather is warming up, clothes are coming off and all
of the hustle and bustle is headed your way. Are you prepared?
Join Darin Burt this month as he guides you through part I of the
hiring process. Gone are the days when you could stick a HELP
WANTED sign in the front window and hire the first person that walks
through the door asking for the job. Check out these tips and put
them to use!
Next, how familiar are you with tattoo removal? Please allow
®
us to introduce to you Rejuvatek Medical Inc.’s Tatt2Away , the only
in-house, non-laser, tattoo removal method that is all-natural, removes
all colors and pigments, minimizes the possibility of scarring, hardly
hurts, and is less expensive to have done. This product is the real
deal and is taking the industry to an entirely new level!
Lastly, Elayne Angel addresses Sexual Harassment (and
Assertiveness) in the Studio in her Ask Angel column. This is one you
don’t want to miss.
And as always, we want to hear from you! Tell us what you
want to see more of. And if you are a talented artist…send your
work to [email protected].
Cheers!
PAINMAGAZINE 10
PointToPoint
Jay Cousins
The Marshall Islands
T
he Marshall Islands are considered a United Stated
territory and located in the north- west equatorial Pacific
Ocean. In 1945, following Japan’s defeat in World War
II, the Marshall Islands became a Trust Territory of the
United States under administration by the United States.
The islands include 29 atolls and five islands. The ring shaped
corral islands are approximately 2600 miles southwest of Hawaii.
The Marshall Islands are probably best known for the 67 atomic
bomb tests that were conducted in the late 40’s and early 50’s.
In 1954, a hydrogen bomb was ignited at Bikini Atoll. The test
was referred to as the 15 megaton Bravo Test and was thousands
of times more powerful than the atomic bomb. The hydrogen
bomb vaporized the island of Elugelab. In 1956, the Atomic
Energy Commission regarded the Marshall Islands as THE most
contaminated place on Earth. Nuclear testing on the Marshall
Islands was stopped in 1958. In the early 70‘s, U.S. government
scientists declared Bikini Island safe, however, islanders were
re-located again in 1978 after ingesting high levels of radiation
after eating foods grown on the former nuclear test site. Two
billion dollars was awarded to the Bikini Islanders in personal
injury and land damage claims.
Prior to extensive nuclear testing on the Marshall Islands in
the 40’s and 50’s, the Japanese seized the Marshall Islands from
Germany in 1914 and banned tattooing. The Japanese declared
tattooing a police offense under penalty of enforced labor for a
period not to exceed 30 days. It is believed this law may have
been an effort to erase the physical marks of distinction separating
chiefs from commoners. In less hierarchical societies such as the
Marshallese culture, tattooing developed as a means to identify
members of a local population with claims to contested lands
such as an entire island.
Body ornamentation in Marshallese culture comes in three
forms; body painting, pigment tattooing and scar tattooing. Whole
body painting is a reversible ornament, pigment tattooing and
scar tattooing is permanent. Scar tattooing is defined on the
Marshall Islands as a piercing, slicing or burning of the skin to
cause a scar thus creating a three dimensional ornament. All
three methods of body ornamentation are common on Oceania
and especially in Micronesia, although only pigment tattooing
and to a very small degree, scar tattooing were practiced in the
Marshall Islands.
Spiritually and conceptually, Marshallese tattoos and their
motifs are firmly rooted in the marine environment. Marshallese
tattooing has drawn its elements and ideas from the sea.
Many designs, for example, are abstract forms of specific fish or
represent canoe parts or the canoe movements.
Body art regulations on the Marshall Islands loosely resemble
laws of the United States. U.S. law guides and influences Marshall
islands law and practice. The Republic of the Marshall Islands
modeled its constitution on the United States Constitution and
therefore influenced by the American legal system. In a recent
development, all Marshall Islands attorneys are bound by the
American Bar Association. In addition, the Marshall Islands
Business and Corporations Act is applied and construed to make
the laws of the Republic uniform with the laws of the State of
Delaware. Tattoo and body piercing in the Marshall Islands follow
cultural and traditional ideals but the shops on the islands also
follow the laws of the State of Delaware in the areas of shop
safety and pathogen control. Marshallese tattoo shops require
all operators to demonstrate skills and knowledge in basic human
anatomy, skin disorders and conditions including diabetes,
hazardous waste disposal and removal, basic facility safety and
sanitation and universal precautions as defined by the Centers for
Disease Control. The Marshallese tattoo guidelines also require all
shop owners to assume that all human blood and specified human
body fluids are infectious for HIV, HBV and other blood pathogens.
In addition, the Marshall Islands Rules of Civil procedure
(MIRCP) are modeled after the United States Federal Rules of
Civil Procedure. The 2013 MIRCP were adopted on February 4,
2013 and became effective on March 4, 2013.
The CDC recommends that all travelers to the Marshall
Islands receive the measles- mumps-rubella vaccine,
the diptheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, the chicken pox vaccine,
the polio vaccine and a yearly flu shot. 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
L
B Swafford, owner and lead artist at Majestik
Creations, in Moorseville, Indiana, had what you
would call an old school upbringing in the tattoo
industry. It was a time getting a tattoo meant living on
the wild side – and owning a tattoo shop did too.
“In the seventies and eighties around here it was all
biker tattoo shops,” he says. “Back in the day, if somebody
was found tattooing out of their house, and they got found
out, there would be hands broken. It was a treacherous
business. . .there were some shops that tried to open
and then they were on fire.”
Before opening Majestik Creations Tattoo, LB himself
was living on the rougher side. Tattooing since 1996,
LB managed the first licensed studio in Marion County
– Dog’s Tattoo Studio, from 1999 until he went on
“vacation” to the state penitentiary.
But he put his time behind bars to good use,
earning a bachelors degree from Ball State
University. One day in business class, the question
was posed – if you were going to open a business
what kind would it be?
continued on page 22
PAINMAGAZINE 14
Ask Elayne Angel
Elayne Angel Author The Piercing Bible—The Definitive Guide to Safe Body Piercing President, Association of Professional Piercers
Sexual Harassment
(and Assertiveness) in the Studio
Hi Elayne,
My name is F. I am a piercer in [location deleted to protect her identity] and I am an APP member, although
I have not had the pleasure of attending a conference yet. I am a big fan of yours. I bought and read your
book and have also purchased a few of your genital piercing videos, which have helped me so much.
Maybe it’s only in my area but I have had some awful experiences from male clients and male bosses in my
time in the industry. I’m not very assertive, and I’ve never really known what to do. Do you have any suggestions?
Also I have seen male piercers act inappropriately to trusting female clientele and also to myself. I know
other female piercers who have had similar experiences in the same shops. Does it happen often?
Thanks F.
Hi F.,
U
nfortunately, sexual harassment is a widespread occurrence
in general. I don’t know how prevalent it is in our industry
because I am unaware of any dialogue on this subject.
I believe that it should be discussed, so I intend to start a
conversation here and now.
A client who came to me for repiercing following a botched
job divulged a shocking story: her prior piercer had inserted his
ungloved finger into her vagina to “make sure her hood was in
the center” before piercing it. I’m deeply disgusted by a
so-called “professional” piercer who would violate a client in
that way. Such blatant abuse should never be tolerated. Anyone
who is sexually harassed while in a studio to be pierced should
report the incident to management and possibly the authorities.
Many cases are less overt, so we should identify what
constitutes sexual harassment. In the US it is legally described as
“unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and
other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that disrupts
the workplace.” It could include behaviors like direct or indirect
threats or bribes for sexual activity, sexual innuendos and
comments, sexually suggestive jokes, and attempted or completed
sexual assault. Note that the victim and harasser can be either
male or female, or they could both be the same gender.
Though it is common in the workplace, employees in the US
and other countries do have legal protections against being sexually
harassed at work. That said, a lawsuit is a pretty extreme measure,
and one that most people would prefer to avoid if possible.
If you feel harassed, it is reasonable to respond directly
to the individual and ask them to stop. Be firm and stand up for
yourself. Failing to take any action can be viewed as a silent
form of permission, perpetuating the belief that their conduct is
okay, and does nothing to prevent future harassment of others.
You might reply to a verbal incident with a statement such as,
“What you’re saying is inappropriate and makes me feel very
uncomfortable. I don’t want you to talk like that to me again.”
Similarly, if you are subjected to unwanted touching, make it
clear that it is unacceptable, non-consensual behavior. As soon
as you realize something improper has gone on, document any
actions by noting what happened, who was involved, and the
time and date.
If the offender is a coworker with whom you feel you cannot
communicate directly, go to your manager or the owner. Describe
what transpired and any steps you took to address the incident.
If your harasser continues to engage in the same behavior, you
should file a formal report detailing the events that took place.
In a best-case scenario, your superior will not stand for further
problems and will discipline the individual—and dismiss them,
should it happen again. If you speak to a superior and are
intimidated, not taken seriously, or encouraged to “forget about
it,” that should also be documented.
When a proprietor tolerates (or is guilty of) serious and
repeated transgressions, you should consider taking legal action.
Locate and contact the agency responsible for handling such
cases. Try to connect with the other victims of your harasser. You
may find that they have previously lodged complaints, or that
they will want to file a grievance when you do. To support your
claim, secure in writing the testimony of any witnesses to the
incidents. Once you start down this path, don’t give up; see it
through to the end to put a stop to criminal misconduct.
PAINMAGAZINE 16
Another scenario you mentioned was witnessing other piercers
behaving inappropriately with the studio’s clients. If you feel that you
have a good rapport, you may want to try resolving the problem
directly with the offenders. Otherwise, this would also be an issue you
should bring to management. An ethical business owner would never
sanction harassment on their premises and would want to rectify the
situation immediately.
When I teach piercing seminars I advise students to be careful
with their use of humor in the procedure room. This is especially
relevant when piercing nipples and genitals. Opinions on what is
funny are subjective and vary widely, so jokes can end up coming
across in a way that is quite different from how they were meant.
I had a wonderful employee who would never intentionally upset,
insult, or harass anyone. But his sense of humor was a bit odd, and
I became aware that he was making jokes that could be taken the
wrong way, so I had to talk with him about changing his approach—
and he complied.
Because piercers deal with the human body and nudity is
required for certain procedures, this could potentially make appropriate
boundaries between piercer and client somewhat trickier to discern.
But the piercing room is one place in which you really do hold the
power, so don’t let anyone take it away from you.
I recall a middle-aged man who came in for a Prince Albert
piercing early in my career. He undressed and then said, “Well, I took
off my clothes; aren’t you going to take off yours?” I explained that he
had come to me for a professional service that necessitated his
disrobing, but that it was not appropriate for him to make such a
statement. Also, I expressed my doubt that he’d say the same thing to
a female healthcare professional in a medical setting. I was stern but
not unforgiving, and after he apologized the rest of the appointment
went just fine.
Use this take-charge approach any time a customer or piercee
misbehaves. If speaking up doesn’t come easily to you, practice in the
mirror or try some role-play rehearsals with a friend or colleague. You
must be assertive and leave no room for doubt about who is in control.
If you do your best to handle the situation but still feel uncomfortable,
you should be able to refuse service or request that another piercer take
care of the client. If necessary, take the matter to the manager or owner.
There are numerous potential scenarios and circumstances
in which sexual harassment abuse could take place within a body
art studio. Be assured that you should not have to endure any
unwelcome advances; stand up for yourself, attempt to enlist those
in charge when necessary, and if all else fails seek resolution through
legal channels. V
i U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: http://www.eeoc.gov/index.cfm
ii Information for business owners: http://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/preventing-sexual-harassment-workplace-29851.html
Elayne Angel; Mérida, Mexico in the Yucatán!
Have questions about piercing? Have Photos? Need info? E-mail her at: [email protected], www.piercingbible.com. Subject Pain Mag. or [email protected]
PAINMAG.COM
APP
COME CELEBRATE TWENTY YEARS OF HEALTH, EDUCATION & SAFETY
WITH THE ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL PIERCERS
O
ur 20th Annual Conference and Exposition will be at Bally’s in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 7-12, 2015. Our
classrooms will once again fill with attendees from all over the world. Piercers, Studio Owners, Vendors, and Health
Inspectors will all come together for a week of education and peer-to-peer sharing. Whether you are an experienced
practitioner or a new piercer, you will be able to learn core requirements for a successful piercing career or update your
skills and ensure your knowledge is current.
You do not have to be an APP member to attend the Conference, although some restrictions apply to the Exposition and Members
Only & Piercing Technique courses/roundtables. You must be a piercer in order to attend Piercer Technique courses and must prove
industry affiliation in order to access the Expo.
The Exposition is the only one of its kind in this country. Nowhere else can you find this range of great jewelry, products, and
body piercing related services all in one spot. At the 2015 Conference we expect that our Vendors will donate generously (as in past
years) to our Raffle – in past years, total value of prizes have exceeded $60,000; with more than 200 individual prizes donated. Social
events for the week include an Opening Party, a Banquet Dinner, Yoga, and more…
WHAT IS THE CONFERENCE?
The conference is a week long educational event for professional
piercers. It consists of classes, workshops, round table discussions,
meetings, the Expo, and has two main scheduled social events:
the Opening Party & the Banquet. There are often additional
smaller events or presentations which vary from year to year.
EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES
The APP provides ample course selections for both the new attendee
and our returning piercers. The APP restricts Piercing Technique
(advanced) courses to professional level piercers (piercers with a
year or more experience). We encourage new piercers or piercers
new to our Conference to start with our more basic courses. We
also offer a Mentor program for those that are new to Conference
and feel they would like guidance on course selection and/or
extra support throughout the week.
2015 CLASS & ROUNDTABLE LIST
CORE CLASSES
Aftercare: Rethinking Our Approach
Aftercare: Troubleshooting Piercing Problems
Aftercare: Wound Healing Dynamics
Anatomy of the Body for Safe & Successful Piercings
Basic Steel & Titanium
Becoming Jedi: Grounding, Bedside Manner, and Using the Force.
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens 2015
Initial Jewelry: The “Rules” (and when to break them)
Medical Considerations for Body Piercing
Oro-Facial Anatomy for Safe & Successful Piercings
Studio Documentation: Putting the Paper to Work
ELECTIVE CLASSES:
20 Years: An APP Timeline
Apprenticeships
“But I Don’t Want to Be a Piercer…”
(Non-Piercer Careers in the Industry)
Communication: It’s Not All About What is Said
Creating Your Market
The Ear: Beauty in Simplicity
Female Genital Piercings: An Added Perspective
Flesh and Stone: A Course on Lapidary Anthropology
How to Use a Statim
Awesome and Effective Jewelry Displays
Needles: the Cutting Edge
Piercing as a Lifetime Career
Portfolio Presentation
Recovering History of Western Body Piercing from the 1890s to the 1990s.
Scratching the Surface (Jewelry Polishing/Finishes)
Stretching Dynamics: Not Just Earlobes
Studio Analysis
Successful Surface Piercing
Suspension: Analyzing the Attraction
SPECIAL GUESTS:
ELDERLORE: Concepts and Trends in the Early Industry Days by
Blake Perlingieri
The Early APP: How We All Got Here by David Vidra
Tribal Rites to Industry: Our Journey by Fakir
ROOTS by Jim Ward
WORKSHOPS:
Basic Technique Fundamentals
Safe Practices in the Piercing Room
Safe Practices in the Sterilization Room
Strategic Marking Workshop
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS:
APP Membership
Community Outreach: Sharing the Safe Piercing Message
Disorders in the Industry
Implementing Change in the Studio
The Jewelry Monster Won’t Back Down
Legislation
Shop Owners
Transgendered Effect
OVERALL CONFERENCE ACCESS
The APP’s Conference is an industry specific continuing education conference designed for professional piercers. While the APP allows non-industry attendees
to attend classes, the Conference is not designed for them. Appropriate reasons to attend classes as a non-industry person are:
Work in an adjunct field (Suspension, Health Inspector, etc.)
Taking a specific class for other professions/education, not offered elsewhere (Anthropology, BBP)
Preparing for a professional apprenticeship
Unless you are taking classes or you are a guest (spouse, child/parent, significant other) of a professional piercer, we ask that you respect that our Conference
is not open to the general public. Our social events are open only to Attendees/Vendors and their guests.
Please see our 20th Annual Conference & Exposition website for additional details and policies. The Conference site can be accessed at APP safepiercing.org.
“…that’s really what the conference boils down to, the fact that we all get to come together, from everywhere in the world, with different backgrounds and
knowledge levels, and just share ideas. Our industry came from cut-throat practices and has evolved into something that no one could call anything less than
a family.”-Attendee Nate Grosvenor
PAINMAGAZINE 18
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
SmartThinking
Rejuvatek Medical Inc.’s Tatt2Away®…Leading the way!
TATTOO
REMOvAL
W
by Judi Perkins
ashing machines. Automobiles. iPods. Cell
phones. CDs and DVDs. All life changing
ideas that have rendered their previous
method secondary or obsolete. And now, to
that list, add Rejuvatek Medical Inc.’s
Tatt2Away®, the only in-house, non-laser, tattoo removal method
that is all-natural, removes all colors and pigments, minimizes the
possibility of scarring, hardly hurts, and is less expensive to have
done. No longer must the tattoo – and flexibility of the client dictate the cover up. Good-bye lasers. And all other methods,
self-induced or otherwise, that are currently used to remove a tattoo.
“Tatt2Away allows the artist to manage the end product,”
said Diana Tucker, the company’s Director of Marketing. “If an
existing tattoo needs to be lightened, the artist has to let go of
control while the client gets lasered, and then work with
whatever results come back.”
Tatt2Away eliminates the
disconnect by bringing the removal in-house. “Professional
tattoo artists take great pride in their work. Tatt2Away allows
them to manage the entire process, better meeting their vision
and the client’s need. “ And adding revenue to the studio.
Think of it as un-doing the tattoo. Tatt2Away is the patented
result from years of careful research. A machine similar to a
tattoo machine is used to inject a natural solution into the skin,
which draws the ink to the surface. Two scabs appear: first for
the ink, then for the wound.
“It evokes the body’s wound healing response to essentially
expel the pigment from the body,” said CEO Jack Savage.
“Wounds heal from the bottom up, so as the area heals, it’s
pushing the pigment out. This is very different pigment absorbing
the laser and then exploding into smaller molecules which are
dissipated and absorbed into the body.” In other words, the ink
is left to roam through the body and perhaps be channeled and
expelled via lymph nodes and liver. Considering the contents of
some inks….very unhealthy.
Treatments max at five but can be as few as three. The
secret is the patented template, a scientifically-spaced dot
pattern which allows for treating segmented areas in a methodical
manner, maximizing healing and minimizing the likelihood of
scarring, depending on the tattoo’s location and patient
compliance. Said Savage, “It’s very important that the template
treatment pattern is used, because that’s about as big as you can
go, or as small as you can go, to get that correct type of effect.”
continued on page 25
PAINMAGAZINE 20
PAINMAGAZINE 22
“I decided to open a tattoo studio. I’d done the paperwork,
and when I got out, I made it happen,” LB says. “Tattooing and art
is my love, and being with a mark on you after being incarcerated,
it’s difficult to get a job even sweeping floors. Luckily, I had the
trade of tattooing, I work hard and I don’t let anyone tell me I can’t
do something.”
There’s still a stigma where tattoo shops are concerned,
but LB has tried to change that outlaw perception, by offering
professional, friendly service in a welcoming environment.
“I wanted people to come in and feel like they’re part of
something,” LB says. “People come in, and we cut up and have a
blast, but we also give them a top-quality tattoo or body piercing,
and make their day.”
Majestic Creations can tackle just about any request. If a
customer wants something off the flash wall, the artists are happy
to do it; if a custom design is desired, they can do that too. LB
prides himself of no-line color portraits and Japanese traditional
style; Christoper “Tank” Price is a tattooer and piercer with nearly
two decades experience, who produces some amazingly crisp
line work; Joe “Jo Jo” Kline specializes in color pieces, portraiture
and black & grey.
“It doesn’t matter what it is – we can do anything from
American traditional to color portraits and anything in between,”
LB says.
“Flash, though, represents history. A tattoo studio needs to
have flash,” LB adds. “I’ve had custom artists who have worked
for me, and they were amazing, but you tell them to do a piece
off the flash rack and they drop the ball. They might be able to do
a piece off their own drawing without making any mistakes,
but they need to be able to reproduce something as simple as a
horseshoe, nautical star, or basic script names. . .it’s tattooing 101.”
The guys at Majestik Creations are exploring the realms of
tattooing from machine building to developing a line of natural
aftercare products to expanding their techniques with oil painting
and charcoal drawings. LB has certainly seen tattoos evolve into
a legitimate business and art form.
“Before, it was just a bunch of old bikers who couldn’t really
tattoo that well. . .most of their tattoos looked terrible. Back then,
if somebody had suggested tattooing without a liner, I would have
thought they were crazier than hell,” LB says.
“Nowadays, we’re breaking all the rules.” O
Majestik Creations Tattoo
Mooresville, Indiana
PAINMAG.COM
Tattoo Removal continued
An area of skin is treated only once. “Each treatment uses the
template to treat between the previous treatment dots,” said Savage.
“As the treatments progress, the treatment area gets smaller.
The final treatment might be more like a touch up. “
Tatt2Away is founded on Savage’s background in medical
device lasers. Although he loves lasers, he realized there was a
more natural solution to the widespread problem of unwanted
tattoos. “This approach solves a lot of the issues that lasers don’t
address,” said Savage. “It works on all colors; the laser doesn’t.
It will work in fewer treatments, which is less disruptive to the dermis.
It’s less painful, and it’s less expensive, because it takes fewer
treatments.” Not only that, the system is also less expensive for the
studio. And no doctor needed.
It’s new to the states but well established in Australia, where it
was first marketed and where award-winning tattoo artist, Dave
Lukeson, and his wife Melissa, came across it. They were considering
buying a laser for their studio to expand revenue, but when they
discovered Tatt2Away, the laser was forgotten. “There were so
many things about it that made sense. It’s one-third of the cost, and
we didn’t need a physician,” said Melissa, who conducts the
training session for studios who have recognized the opportunity of
becoming Tatt2Away centers.
“One gentleman wanted everything on his forearm removed
and then had the entire forearm redone,” said Melissa.
More often than not, however, it’s about cover ups, and
Tatt2Away allows their studio to keep the communication, and thus the
control, in house. Melissa said an artist may want a pattern broken up,
rather than entirely removed. The artist marks it; she removes it. “It’s a
great addition for revenue, but not just from doing the treatments.
Sometimes a client comes in for removal, and we can do a cover up
without the removal. But they’re still a tattoo client, and we’d never
have gotten that customer had they not come in for removal.”
Interestingly enough, Tatt2Away is not interested in placing
thousands of units in studios across the country. Instead, they’re
looking for a select group of studios who understand the concept and
how it revolutionizes the studio, tattoo removal, and the tattooing
profession. That means a degree of exclusivity to a studio using the
system. “They’ll receive an enormous amount of notoriety, because
they’re one of the few studios or the only studio in a given area that
may have this,” said Savage. “And not everyone in an area is going
to be able to have it.”
Certification comes with becoming a Tatt2Away center and is
a three-day process, intensive for a method so akin to what a studio
is already doing. But skilled tattooing isn’t learned in a year, nor is
skilled un-tattooing simply plugging a machine into a wall. “We see
this as such an important addition to the studio, and we want to
make sure the training is absolutely spot on,” said Savage, “and
more than that, we want to make sure they’re successful.” Day one
involves classroom time: theory and medical lectures. Days two and
three are hands-on experience doing removals.
Certainly some studio owners will ignore the ease and beauty
of how Tatt2Away works and how their studio can benefit. But the
cultural impact of talking pictures and daguerreotypes wasn’t initially
recognized either. O
For more information, visit www.Tatt2Away.com
PAINMAG.COM
I
taly is an old-fashioned country, especially the
central area, but despite of this, enthusiasm
for ’’body art’’ is ever growing. Unfortunately,
potential employers often frown upon tattoos that
are visible. With the financial crisis and the level
of unemployment, I often see people who are forced
to ‘’hide’’ their tattoos, choosing less visible places
to have them. I am Ukrainian, born in Russia, and I
still remember the communist regime, where tattoos
symbolized criminality and time in prison, but upon
comparing that situation with that in Italy, my country
of origin has quickly changed mentality after the
fall of the Soviet Union. I hope that soon in Italy,
tattoos will be viewed as an expression of art and
not an obstacle to overcome in the job world.
In the expanse of short time a lot of studios
have opened. Now many educational courses
have taken foot for tattoo artists, which are
mandatory to open a tattoo studio. There, you
are provided with information about sanitary and
hygiene laws and a short course in dermatology
– there are also hygiene companies that do
periodic evaluations. Let’s just that in Italy, there
is a lot of monitoring that, in the end, are positive
for the client and for the tattoo artists.
“In reality there isn’t much of a story behind
me,” says Yuliya Volpe. “I frequented art school
in Kiev (in the Ukraine) concentrating on figurative
painting, and where I established myself as a
painter, and worked for 18 years as graphic
artist.” Because of her talent for drawing, she
often tried her hand at tattooing, but she never
dreamed of becoming a tattoo artist and used to
mock her friends in college who would secretly
tattoo their friends, saying that such a thing could
never become a ‘’real job’’.
“Back then I couldn’t even imagine that 20
years later I would eventually leave my job as
Graphic publicist, to pursue a career as a painter,
on a human body no less,” Yuliya says.
continued on page 36
PAINMAGAZINE 26
TattooExpo
PAINMAGAZINE 28
T
he War of the Roses Tattoo
Convention started as a good
natured bet between Jessie Kline
and fiance Amanda Nixdorf. The
couple had gone to another
convention, and as they left the event,
Jesse turned Amanda and bragged that
he could put on a better convention.
One thing Jesse planned to do better
was to keep his show to a manageable size.
And rather than pocketing the proceeds,
the convention would serve as a fundraiser
for the ARK Angel Foundation, a non-profit
organization for the research and
awareness for children with a brain
malformation called Schizencephaly. It a
personal connection for Jesse as his
daughter is challenged by the rare condition.
Now in its third year, the Lancaster,
Pennsylvania convention has grown in
popularity, but remained intentionally
limited in attendance with some 100
artists representing close to 20 studios.
“The first two years, we had a lot of
local artists, but as our rep has grown, we
now have artists from all over the country,”
Jesse says. “We keep the show small and
invitational; kind of like a high school
reunion, but where you actually like the
people. It’s been more of a family thing –
we don’t do egos and it’s really cool.”
continued on page 34
PAINMAG.COM
To enter your business card in our monthly Best Business Card Contest, simply mail your card to PAIN Magazine, 9901 Acoma Rd. SE, Albuquerque,
NM 87123. Cards are selected based on what we think is cool, creative, or otherwise worthy of attention. All cards will be entered into a contest
for “Card of the Year” in 2015. The owner of the card selected by our distinguished panel of judges will win $100. Winner will be notified by mail.
PAINMAGAZINE 30
Business Wise
G
one are the days when you could stick a
HELP WANTED sign in the front window
and hire the first person that walks
through the door asking for the job.
If you're trying to hire someone to work in your business,
you want someone who's smart and responsible. What
you don’t want is somebody who could turn into a
big, hairy problem and bring drama and
unwanted tension into your otherwise
cool studio.
If you want someone who can educate customers on using
products, then say that. If you’re looking for somebody who
has a passion for creative street marketing, put it that way.
Listing some of the benefits that go with the job is another
way to grab attention. Do you provide supplies? If you are
willing to bring in artists from out of town, are you paying
relocation costs or offering a place to crash while they're finding
a new home? These are things to be sure to mention.
Don’t be shy about listing the name and
location of your business. Some employers
run "blind ads,” where the company
information is left out because they don’t
want a million phone calls, or because they
don’t want their current staff to know about
the opening (somebody may be about to
get the axe). Many people won't respond
to blind ads, though, reasoning that if
they are giving personal information
to someone, they want to know
where they're sending it. Being
upfront shows that you’re legit.
Before you can even start to put
together a job posting, you need to
figure out what goal you’re trying to
achieve by filling the position. Are
you simply looking for somebody to
run the cash register or stock
shelves? Unless the job is operating
a nuclear reactor, the new wave
in hiring practices is to look
first for potential employees
who fit smoothly within your
company culture, and then
focus on those with specific
skills or who can be trained for
the job.
Making Contact
End your ad by telling
applicants how to apply. You should
specify if you want them to send their resume
and cover letter by snail mail or through the
internet. To keep responses organized
and prevent applications from being
lost in your junk mail, you should
create a unique email account for
your hiring process. Rather than
having artists send multiple photos
of their work, you might ask for links
to their online portfolio – not only
will this reduce the amount of material
you'll need to sort through, but it
will also help you separate the
wannabes and rookies from those
at the top of their game.
How can your expect to attract
the big fish when your first cast
into the talent pool is an uninspiring list of job requirements?
Simply put - to hook a marlin
rather than a trout you need the
sparkliest lure in your tackle box.
As Matt Linder man
writes in the blog “Signal v.
Noise”, the kind of ad you
write can help determine what
kind of applicants you get.
Write an honest, thoughtful,
clear ad and you’re more
likely to hear from candidates with those qualities. Spout a lot of
buzzwordy nonsense and you’ll attract people fluent in bullshit.
Sell the Job
The first step to advertising your opening is to create a solid
and enticing description of the job. According to the employment
site TheLadders, candidates spend an average of only 76.7 seconds
reading job ads before they decide to apply or move on.
Keep it brief but compelling.
You're in a creative business, so be creative about selling your
business and the job that goes with it. Make it so that job seekers
can imagine themselves doing the job rather than making sure they
meet all of the qualifications.
Along with a short list of must have skills and requirements,
such as licenses and experience, an effective help wanted ad should
include active phrases that describe what the person will be doing.
Place Your Ad
There are a lot of people looking for jobs, and they’re not all
looking in the same place. Your goal should be to put your ad in
front of the people you want to attract. Unless you are looking for a
national sales rep, it’s likely you're reaching out to people in your
local community.
Newspaper classifieds are the traditional place to post job
openings. Since you're a counter-culture type business, it makes
sense to go straight for the alternative tabloids rather than the
business journal.
The Internet has opened up even more doors to qualified
applications with websites such as Craigslist, LinkedIn, Simply Hired,
and Yahoo! jobs. If you really want to target your ad, you can join
Facebook groups for people with specific interests.
Don’t forget to post the job on your own social media feed and
website— your most adamant fans may turn into your best employees. O
PAINMAGAZINE 32
PAINMAG.COM
TattooExpo
Tattoo contests are held each day, with the winners of
each “Tattoo of the Day” competing for the O’Reilly Cup –
named for New York tattoo artist Samuel O’Reilly who invented
the electric tattooing machine in 1891. Tattoo artist and horror
master Bill Atkinson, of Hallows Eve Tattoo, Palmyra, PA, took
home the trophy for the third year in a row. His winning piece
was a full-color portrait of Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
Atkinson shared his techniques in a color portrait seminar,
and tattoo artist and machine builder Paco Rollins traveled
cross-country from Washington State to put on a workshop in
tattoo machine tuning and tinkering.
Add live music, burlesque shows and unique vendors to
a line-up of talented tattoo artists – all helping a great cause,
and we’d say Jesse won the bet.
“People came out to get tattooed. . .they weren’t here
just to kick tires,” Jesse says. “As long as the artists are busy
and everyone has a great time, that’s what it’s all about.” O
PAINMAGAZINE 34
“It may seem odd, but one day I decided to
start practicing the art of tattooing. After a year of
practice I opened my own studio thanks to the help
of my name as a painter. I must say that I found
peace almost right away in this line of work, I felt
happy and satisfied to hear about and transform
my client’s thoughts, emotions, experiences, angst
and happiness into tattoos.”
In creating the studio, Yuliya wanted something
a little different from the usual. “Even though it is a
very humble studio, it’s built with much love,” she
says. “The tattoo room is absolute white, and I
created the furniture with recycled plumbing pipes.
Everything was built and created by my husband,
his father and me. I also learned to solder. . . that
way I can add another profession to my curriculum.”
Yuliya’s vast knowledge in art allows her to
explore new tattoo styles, and satisfy client’s
requests. Her personal preference, though, is
realistic drawing or watercolor style, and she
draws everything by hand or uses digital graphics.
She also collaborates with studios in Treviso and
Rome, which opens her eyes to even more styles.
“It’s nice to see, even in the round of a couple
of years, that the requests of the clients have
changed from the simple things that I had in the
beginning to more complex things like tresh polka,
realistic style, and watercolor,” Yuliya says. “Even
if you wanted to, you are never able to do the
same design twice – they will always be different
and that is a wonderful thing.”
“I don’t know If I could call ‘Studio Yorick,
unique,” Yuliya adds, “but here every client and
their story become the only protagonists of an art
that transforms them into a permanent mark on
their skin.” O
PAINMAGAZINE 36
PAINMAG.COM
PAINMAG.COM
PAINMAGAZINE 40
PAINMAG.COM
Spooks Joya
Pride N Envy Tattoos
Kissimmee, FL
Alayna Magnan
Art & Soul Tattoo Co.
Los Angeles, CA
Bobby Tinker
Black Hand Tattoo
Chattanooga, TN
Wes Moore
Time-Honored Tattoo
Stafford, Va
PAINMAGAZINE 42
PAINMAG.COM
Sarah Miller
Wyld Chyld Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Carlos Duenas
Taboo Tattoo
Dallas, TX
Candice Costa
Treasure Coast Tattoo Co
Jensen Beach, FL
Monty Siam
The Honorable Society
Tattoo Parlour and Lounge West Hollywood, CA
PAINMAGAZINE 44
“The only thing that was kind of manufactured,
with an eye toward ‘This is something we can make fun
of,’ was the molecular gastronomy thing,” Cross says.
“We chose molecular gastronomy for exactly [that
reason]: It would be funny to make fun of that. But it’s not
a commentary where we’re like, ‘This is bullshit.’ It’s just
something that’s easy and fun to make fun of.”
Cross cast Will Arnett as Margaret’s London boss,
who, like many characters in the series, ends up being
more interesting than his surface reveals at the outset.
“IFC said—and it’s totally their place—‘Listen, we’re
putting in this extra money for you to do this show;
it would help us to market and promote the show if you
wrote something, or a cameo, for one of your big-time
celebrity friends,’” Cross says. “So that’s what we did.”
David Cross
T
here are plenty of reasons to admire The
Increasingly Poor Decisions of Todd Margaret,
the IFC sitcom co-created and co-written by David
Cross, which aired from 2010-2012, and will
have a third season later in 2015. Margaret is
a go-nowhere dolt working in the U.S. who is inexplicably
promoted to run a London sales team promoting an
energy drink called Thunder Muscle. Through a series
of—you guessed it—increasingly poor decisions, that the
viewer only learns about over time as they occur, he
slowly gets into deeper and deeper trouble, while the
worst decision seems to have been made by whoever
promoted him to London in the first place. Each episode
begins with a courtroom scene which presumably
exists at a time in the future where Margaret is getting
his comeuppance, the judge reading off a ridiculous list
of charges that, even after a few episodes’ worth of
watching Margaret bumble around, lie and generally
mess everything up (albeit, usually with pretty good
intentions), are still pretty insane.
Meanwhile, Todd Margaret is more than happy
to take the piss out of particularly overwrought and
ridiculous humans you interact with every day. From
pretentious indie-movie nerds to foodies to Scientologists,
no one is safe, but then again, no one is exactly targeted
either. That is, except molecular gastronomists.
PAINMAGAZINE 46
Although it sounds like he was working outside of
his comfort zone, he was actually hemmed in by several
factors that he had no control over. Organized chaos,
as it were. “It was the only time I’ve ever really done
anything this way, which was when these guys
approached me with the possibility of doing a show in
the U.K. with U.K. writers for me to be in to air on the
U.K. and potentially, hopefully selling it to the States and
getting a co-production in the States,” Cross says.
“Initially we did the pilot for Channel 4 in the U.K.
before it had any American co-production or funding or
anything like that,” he continues. “We shot the pilot and
you can see, maybe you can’t see it now, but trust me,
once you see the 12 episodes, you’ll see that there’s stuff
in the very beginning—in the pilot, the first episode—that
pays off in episode 12. So, we had to have the whole
story, I always knew before I wrote a word what the
beginning, and some of the middle and what the end
would be. I always knew what the end was.”
Thankfully, no one seems to know where Cross’
artistic end will come, least of all the 47-year-old funnyman.
Quite the contrary, in fact: It feels like Cross’ time has come.
Much like Louis C.K., another comedian who has paid
more than his share of dues, Cross might finally be reaping
the benefits of a life of hard work. He’s done brilliant work
on shows such as Mr. Show and Arrested Development,
under-heralded work on any number of less-known ventures
(Freak Show, Paid Programming, David’s Situation), made
brief appearances and plenty of great shows due to his
legendary stature (Modern Family, Tim & Eric, Archer, etc.)
and paid his bills with movies like the Kung Fu Panda
franchise or the much-gossiped-about Alvin and the
Chipmunks threequel, all while underscoring this with
perhaps his one true love: a 30-year career in stand up
comedy that will go down as one of the best when he finally
hangs up the microphone. O
THE WORLD’S FIRST
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BAL ANCING SYSTEM