T0t4lTattooMagazin3September2015 PDF

THE UKS FINEST TATTOO MAGAZINE - FOR THE LOVE OF INK
Sexy or
Sexist?
The magazine cover
model debate
PHATTGERMAN
An all-round
class act
ROZA
Crazy neo-trad
from this talented
young Greek
YKTATTOO
TATTOO
THETABOO
Tattooists unite
to raise awarenesss
of mental health
THEBRISTOL
TATTOOCLUB
PART3
Modern traditional
Japanese
RAMONMAIDEN
The weird and wonderful world of

the Wanderlust King
The third and final part of

the story of the Skuse family
Plus - CONVENTIONS: BRISTOL LEEDS KRAKOW BE INSPIRED BY OUR

3.95
MASSIVE GALLERY SECTION CONVENTION CALENDAR MUGSHOT - SEAN
TTM131
FRED HEDGER, NEEDLE AND FRED NEWS AND REVIEWS PLUS LOTS MORE SEPT 2015
CONTENTS 131
EDITORIAL
Jamess view on the world of ink
NEWS&REVIEWS
All the news thats fit to print
94
MAGAZINECOVERMODELS
SExYORSExIST?
78
The great debate
82
KRAKOW
22
88
YKTATTOO
Jimmie Skuses story
94
INFOCUS
96
CONVENTIONCALENDAR
97
NExTMONTH
98
MUGSHOT
PHATTGERMAN
Jack of all trades, master of many!
14
BRISTOLTATTOOCLUB
PASTPRESENTANDFUTURE
28
BRISTOLTATTOOSHOW
History is made in the spiritual home
of tattooing
35
RAMONMAIDEN
We met this amazing ink-inspired artist
TATTOOTHETABOO
Tattooed charity day in aid of MIND
42
47
GALLERY
Another fine collection of tattoos

from around the world
64
ROZA-SAKETATTOO
Shares her beautiful work
73
LEEDSTATTOOCONVENTION
A show that is hitting its stride
28
The Polish show that just keeps

getting better
The future of Japanese tattooing
This month we shine the spotlight on
O Happy Dagger
Plan your social diary with the help of
our convention calendar
The future is looking bright
Fred Hedger makes his way to the
hot seat
Cover by Ramon Maiden
64
Advertising & general enquiries
01603958062
[email protected]
Subscription enquiries
01603958062
[email protected]
dISClaIMer
SUBMITTING PHOTOS
Adverts and articles appearing in Total Tattoo magazine carry no implied

recommendation from the magazine or from KMT Publishing Ltd. We reserve
the right to refuse an advertisement or article which we consider unsuitable. All
details are correct at time of going to press. Whilst we make every effort to
ensure all advertisements, articles and credits are correct, Total Tattoo magazine
and KMT Publishing Ltd will not be held responsible for errors or omissions.
Images must be high resolution (300) and sized at

100mm by 150mm. The disc needs to be labelled
with the artist & studio name. Or email them to
[email protected]
Material appearing in Total Tattoo may not be reproduced for any purpose
without the written permission of KMT Publishing Ltd.
All letters sent to Total Tattoo magazine will be treated as unconditionally
assigned for publication and copyright purposes and as such are subject to
editing and editorial comment.
COMPeTITION TerMS
aNd CONdITIONS
All correspondence should be sent to
Total Tattoo Magazine

111 Furze road, Norwich, Nr7 0aU
All winners will be picked at random (or on merit if applicable) after the closing
date. Entries received after the closing date will not be considered. The editors
decision is final. Only one entry per person please, and remember to include your
name and address.Winners of convention tickets will be responsible for their own
transport and accommodation unless stated otherwise.Total Tattoo is not
responsible for items lost or damaged in transit though of course we will try to
help if we can.
www.totaltattoo.co.uk
Total Tattoo magazine No. 131 September 2015

Published monthly by KMT Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
Printed in England on re-cycled paper by Buxton Press Ltd
Distributed by Seymour Distribution
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Editor
Art Director
Advertising Manager
Social Media Manager
Contributors
JamesSandercock
PerryRule
LukeWilson
EmmaWhittaker
TravellinMickLizzyLongstaff
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
EDITORIAL131
When youve got writers block, and youve been staring at a screen or
a blank piece of paper for a prolonged period of time, the rule of
thumb is just write something, anything... just do it! After all, whats the
worst that can happen? So thats what this Editorial is: the result of me
just doing it.
When youve recorded an interview with an artist, you have a great
framework to hang your words off; when youre writing an article
about something, you have the indisputable facts to weave your
warbling around; but when you have nothing but a blank piece of paper
in front of you and there is no map follow, things can get a little tricky.
I can now imagine why a tattoo artist might dread those five little
words: Just do whatever you want. Of course, what that phrase really
means is I dont know what I want, but I sure as hell know what I
dont want. There is no trap more booby for a young or
inexperienced artist to fall into.
More often than not creativity needs a nudge, a muse, something to fire
it up. That is the job of the customer. It is their part of the deal. Oh, and
to sit still and shut up, of course. So give your artist some ideas and
you will soon have your expectations exceeded, if you have chosen
your artist wisely. Mind you, if I actually got whats in my minds eye
tattooed on me, I wouldnt go out in the daylight hours seriously!
Of course, giving your artist an idea is one thing, but the other end of
the spectrum wont be appreciated: a seven-page email with exact
instructions, containing all the elements that must be included in said
tattoo; the approximate size they need to be; the GPS co-ordinates of
each one of them; and, of course, the all-important meaning behind
them. Want to crush any creativity out of an artist? This is the approach
you want to be taking.
So this is what you get when you just do it... random thoughts.You
dont want a tattoo like this, do you? No, I didnt think so. I have a
deadline, but thankfully there isnt one when you decide to get
tattooed. Take your time, trust your artist and remember, all good
things come to those who wait. After all, Just Do It is merely an
advertising slogan.
James
Just play. Have fun. Enjoy

the game
Michael Jordan
NEWS&REVIEWS
Tattoo news and reviews for your delectation and

delight. If it goes on in the tattoo world, it goes in
here. Send us your news items, books or products
for review and items of general curiosity and
intrigue for the tattoo cognoscenti.
News, Total Tattoo Magazine, 111 Furze road, Norwich, Norfolk, Nr7 0aU
TATTOO HISTORY FINDS A HOME IN NEW YORK

Over 150 years ago in lower Manhattan, a
German sailor named Martin Hildebrandt
opened the first permanent tattoo premises in
the United States. Thirty two years, later in
1891, the first electric tattoo machine was
patented by Samuel OReilly, also in New York
City, and the first generation of modern era
tattooists made its home on Chatham Square
and the infamous Bowery. Tattooing was
banned in NYC in 1961 and wasnt re-legalised
in the city until 1997... the same year that
Daredevil Tattoo opened its doors for
business.
The museum is open during regular shop

hours, noon until 10pm every day. Co-owner
of Daredevil Tattoo, Michelle Myles says Were
hoping to be a global destination for the tattoo
community and anybody else who is interested
in the history of the Lower East Side of
Manhattan and the Bowery.
In 2013 Daredevil Tattoo relocated to a new

space at 141 Division Street, just a couple of
blocks from Chatham Square and the Bowery.
Their new studio is also home to the
collection of historic tattoo artefacts amassed
by co-owner Brad Fink over the 27 years of
his tattoo career. Among the gems in his
collection are a Thomas Edison engraving pen
(the invention on which the first tattoo
machine patent was based), various antique
machines and a large collection of flash
including work by Samuel OReilly himself.
RIDE WITH SAILOR JERRY

Its summer! Here at Total Tattoo we can think
of nothing better than hitting the open road
on a motorcycle or enjoying a spiced rum
cocktail (just not at the same time of course!)
so when Sailor Jerry, purveyors of the finest
rum, got in touch and told us all about The
Ride 2015, we felt compelled to share. This is a
16-day road trip that runs from August 16th
through to September 6th. Sailor Jerry has
teamed up with London-based bike builders
Kingdom of Kicks to build a totally badass
1950s Panhead Harley Davidson to munch the
miles. The crew, consisting of James Jordon
from Kingdom of Kicks, BMX rider Nathan
Williams and tattooist Simon Erl, will take to
the road, going to London, Brighton, Cornwall,
Edinburgh, Leeds and Cardiff. Along the way
they will stop off at various points for a spot
of surfing, skateboarding, barbecuing and live
music.You can join them on any of the legs,
hang out with the crew, or head to one of the
events. If you want to be part of it, head to
www.housepr.com/sailor-jerrypresents-the-ride/ and find out where
you can jump on board. Its what summer was
made for!
For more about the museum, and the

fascinating history of tattooing in New York,
check out this cool short film.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mI2ael
-awUe
Shoptalk
arTIST WaNTed - 10 Volt
Tattoo in Coventry are looking for a
Black and Grey/Realistic tattooer to join
their busy team. The lucky applicant will
have a strong portfolio and three years
minimum shop experience. Contact them
at [email protected]
and send a few examples of your work.
arTIST WaNTed - electric

Punch Tattoo are looking for another
custom artist to join the team at their
studio in Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire (30
mins from London Liverpool Street
Station). The position is for an excellent
artist with a strong preference for Black
and Grey and Realism. Initially 2 days a
week, possibly leading to full time.You must
have a minimum of 3 years studio
experience, be clean, tidy and punctual, and
have a good attitude towards your work
and your customers (no egos!) Email your
contact details, with a brief description of
your previous experience and 5 examples
of your most recent work, to
[email protected]
or via electricpunchtattoo.co.uk
MIND THE GAP REMIX
BIOMeTrIC INK
reCOGNITION?
Strange bedfellows perhaps, but French

tattooist Loc Lavenu (better known as Xol)
has teamed up with clothing giant Gap to
produce a limited edition t-shirt for their
Remix Project. Eleven cutting-edge
artists were chosen in all, and their
brief was to recreate the Gap logo
through their own minds eye. Eleven
cool ts were created and are available
from www.gap.co.uk for the princely sum
of 22.95.
With one in five Americans having a tattoo these days, its

not really surprising that the FBI is looking at developing a
computer program with the ability to identify people
based on their body art. And if Uncle Sam gets the
technology, you can bet your bottom dollar it will soon
make its way across the pond. There is a lot of research
going on into tattoo matching technology, and its getting
very accurate apparently. Not a particularly comforting
thought perhaps, but having said that, tattoos have long
been used as a way of identifying both the perpetrators
and the victims of crime. So is there really anything
sinister about using computer technology instead of good
old-fashioned human eyesight? Let us know what you
think by emailing [email protected]
VATICAN, TATICAN
Lynton Lasers from Manchester have landed quite possibly the
strangest gig a tattoo removal company could get. They have
been hired to remove dirt from priceless artworks in and
around St Peters Basilica in the Vatican. As chairman of the
company Andy Charlton explains, The laser light heats up the
dirt and blasts it off, but it's self-limiting, so it doesnt also heat
up the paint underneath. Its similar to removing a tattoo, where
you want to blast away the ink without damaging the skin.
THE POWER OF
0THE SEMICOLON
You may have seen a trend emerging for
tattoos of semicolons. Project Semicolon aims
to help and support those who suffer from
depression, suicidal thoughts or self harm. This
particular punctuation mark was chosen as
the symbol of the campaign because it
symbolises where a writer could have ended a
sentence, but chose not to. As the campaigns
website www.projectsemicolon.com
puts it, The author is you and the sentence is
your life.
Even if mental illness has not affected you
directly, there is every chance that it has
touched someone you know. The fact it has no
physical symptoms means it can be almost
undetectable, and people who suffer from it
can be very good at concealing it from friends
and family. Project Semicolon encourages
anyone who is suffering from mental illness to
draw a semicolon on their wrist. It doesn't
have to be a tattoo, but many people have
chosen to ink it permanently which only
goes to show the power and depth of the
emotions associated with these difficult
illnesses.
HTC INK PROJECT

Mobile phone manufacturer HTC are
launching a series of limited edition phones
celebrating art, design, and individuality. The
tattoo-inspired HTC One M9, with its mirrorpolished dual-tone body, is a collaboration
between super model Jourdan Dunn and
British tattoo artist Cally-Jo (who is based at
New Yorks Grit & Glory studio). Those
interested can register their interest at
www.htc.com/uk/ink/
Shoptalk
arTIST WaNTed - Sword and
Sparrow Tattoo in Manchester are
looking for a tattoo artist to share the
busy workload in their modern studio.
The successful applicant must have a
portfolio of good clean work - nothing
less! Get in touch, with some examples of
your recent work, via
[email protected]
or www.swordandsparrow.com
BOOK REVIEW
aBC - Tattoo artists Illustrate the alphabet
US$ 12.99 (in a child-friendly padded cover!)
available from www.oosbooks.com
For this book, 26 tattooists from around the world were each commissioned to illustrate a letter
of the alphabet. The result is a volume of brilliantly executed artworks, all in a different style.
Every piece is imaginative, and every one of them successfully showcases the artist's talent
whilst appealing to children too. It's difficult to single out any favourites... but I have to mention
the Vegetables by Kelly Violet, which are reminiscent of a Rorschach test, and the the quirky
composition of a Bullfrog sat on a Brain by Andrea 'Antikorpo' Lanzi. The publishers say that they
want this book to be "a special tribute to kids, parents and families who are loyal to loving ink
and loving art", and I think it is exactly that. I bought it for my daughter... but if I'm honest, she
won't be getting her grubby little hands on it for a little while yet!
Lizzy Longstaff
Correction corner
The portrait of Winston Churchill in our Tattoo Tea Party
feature in Issue 128 should have been credited to Ollie
Tye of Cosmic Monsters Inc. Ollie also fell foul of the
SO NEAR,
YET SO SPA
caption gremlins in our Liverpool Tattoo Convention

coverage in Issue 130 Sorry Ollie...
In our coverage of Ink & Oil in Issue
130 we featured a portrait of
Beetlejuice. It was captioned as artist
unknown - but not any longer! It was
done by Jamie Wilson of Inked
and Pretty. Credit where credit's due
Our Liverpool Tattoo Convention in

Issue 130 contained some incorrect
information. We've been asked to
point out that Banana Tattoo was not
a tattoo school but a tattoo experience
with instruction, the idea being that the
general public could have a go and get
some idea of how it feels to tattoo
(on a banana skin, that is...)
TOGETHER FOR ART, TOGETHER FOR NEPAL

The organisers of the Nepal Tattoo Convention have decided to offer for sale the statues that
were originally intended as competition trophies. The money raised will go towards
the charity Tattooists and Toilets (www.facebook.com/tattooistsfornepal) which aims
to provide much-needed sanitation for villages in this catastrophically earthquake-damaged
country. The 20cm tall statues, which are being sold for just 50 each, were hand carved by a
Nepali Artist and there are of course only a limited number available.
Check out www.facebook.com/NepalTattoo for more details.
Email [email protected] to place an order or find out about postage
costs and options. This is a unique opportunity to help Nepal and at the same time acquire a
beautiful piece of art and history.
10
As the global growth of tattooing continues,

and more and more people get themselves
some ink, it seems even the staunchest of
adversaries are feeling compelled to review
their anti-tattoo stance. The Japan Tourism
Agency has begun a nationwide survey looking
into the reasons why hot springs and spas
around the country have a no tattoos policy.
Many tourists visiting Japan are caught out by
this and find the restrictions hard to
understand. 3700 inns, hotels and public baths
have been quizzed as to why they turn away
the tattoo wearer. One major hotel group in
Japan recently announced that they would be
supplying patches so that their guests could
cover up their body art. Japan Tourism Agency
commissioner Shigeto Kubo was reported as
saying, Many foreign tourists have tattoos for
fashion and ethnic reasons. Onsen (hot springs
and the resorts that have developed around
them) are an important resource and a place
where visitors can learn about Japanese
culture and the Japanese way of life. We would
like to get a better grasp of the situation and
deal with it.
OBJECTS OF DESIRE
The last seven years have been something of a
whirlwind for 27-year old artist and designer
Matt Manson. It all began when, aged 20, he
moved to London to study surface pattern
design and screen printing. I got very
interested in the craft of screen printing and
the socialist politics of William Morris and the
Arts and Crafts Movement, he explains.
Whilst I was still studying, I contacted Flavor
Paper in New York. They make screen printed
wallpaper by hand and I was lucky enough to
get offered work with them. I dropped out of
uni and moved to Brooklyn to work as a
printer, hand-printing wallpaper for clients
such as Jay Z and Lenny Kravitz. It was a lot to
take in at quite an impressionable age. When
Matts visa ran out, he returned to the UK but
soon relocated to Amsterdam to work as a
designer at Marcel Wanders, a prestigious
interior design company. Matt says, It was
while I was in Amsterdam that I had the idea
of combining my love of geometric art with
well-made bespoke products, to start
producing my own collection of items.
From that point on it was a voyage of
discovery into the world of repeating patterns
starting with the swastika, though perhaps
for different reasons than you might think. My
first reason for using the swastika within my
work was actually a very practical one. I
needed to hide the seams in my pattern! I
found I kept using it, and this led me to
research its true meaning. I discovered
Moorish patterns, Native American quilts,
Celtic knots and so on. Through this I found a
similar ideology going on in the tattoo world
and I started to see parallels in design ideas.
Matts work is beautiful, and his product range
is growing all the time. His latest collaboration
is with Stronger Than All hand-crafted leather
in Cheltenham, to produce a range of wallets
and lanyards. To check out the complete range
head to www.mattmanson.co.uk
11
XED LE HEAD
XHIBITION
An exclusive exhibition of prints and artworks by
Xed le Head
at The Norwich Body Art Festival, 15-16 August 2015
at Open, 20 Bank Plain, Norwich NR2 4SF
FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL PRINTS WILL BE FOR SALE
Xed has recently been forced to retire from tattooing due to a serious medical condition
which has left him currently unable to use his arms and legs. We, the tattoo family, are
appealing for donations to enable Xed to fund his rehabilitation, because the specialist
medical equipment and services that he needs are far beyond both his and the NHS's
budgets. A gofundme account has been set up and further information can be found at...
www.facebook.com (and search for) Xed Le Head fundraising page

We thank you in advance.
Interview: James Sandercock Photos: Phatt German
hatt German is neither fat nor German, as it

happens. I guess thats why it took me so long to
figure out who the hell he was when he first popped
up on the convention circuit. All I knew was that so many
times when a great piece of work won an award or came
to be photographed it would be credited to this mystery
artist. But eventually I put a face to the name. Alec Linsjo
(Phatts real name) is a man of few words, so it took a
while to get to know him, but I was finally able to sit
down with him at No Regrets Tattoo Studio in
Cheltenham for a cup of tea and a chat.
Alec was born in Sweden in 1984 and raised there by his mother. She was a sailor in the merchant
navy and a lover of tattoos a wild child, and a woman ahead of her time. Many of Alecs earliest
memories feature tattooing, including a trip to Royal Tattoo in Denmark for his mum to get tattooed
by Henning Jrgensen. (Years later, Alec got his own piece from Henning to celebrate his 30th
birthday.)
14
15
When I was very little, my mum already had four

tattoos, Alex recalls, which was pretty unusual in
Sweden at that time. There were no tattooists where we
lived so we always had to go further afield. With most
artists, you just had to turn up and wait in line, so we
would travel, say, six hours and if we were lucky my mum
would get a tattoo. At one point mum had a boyfriend who
had a tattoo studio. I remember hanging out there. I was
around 10 and they would have me run to the shops and
buy beer, cigarettes and porn mags; the three essentials! I
would sit in the studio and draw flash. I never thought I
would become a tattooist but I was definitely interested in
that style of art.
At the grand old age of 13 Alec got his first real tattoo. It
was done by a guy called Yari. His shop was in a garage. It
was full of bikers and I was shitting myself. I had around
50. I walked in and asked him what I could get for that.
He told me to look in his folder. He didnt ask my age or
anything. I started to flick through and it had just what you
might expect in a flash book from that time: a bit of tribal,
some skulls, a scorpion and Donald Duck in a suit. You
can guess which one the 13 year old went for!
16
Mum knew I was going to get a tattoo. I went with an older friend who
was about 20 and covered in tattoos. I think mum may have said to him,
Make sure he doesnt get anything stupid. It was really cool and not a
bad tattoo for back then. I was king of the school. I ask Alec what his
teachers thought about it. It was such a strange thing for them to have to
deal with. Perhaps it didnt seem like such a bad thing at the time. I didnt
live in a rough area and tattoos didnt have any stigma attached to them. I
never thought about the placement of it or getting a job. I dont remember
anybody saying anything negative. That came later, when I was more
heavily covered.
Despite his love of tattoo art, Alec didnt see it as a potential career. It
wasnt until he took a break from his job as a DJ in Spain, and headed
home to re-group after a year of wearing his finest party pants, that an
opportunity presented itself. I had planned on going back to Spain but my
Mum told me about a tattoo studio looking for an apprentice. I thought
you had to have some sort of special gene to become a tattooist; it never
occurred to me that I could do it. Mum said I should show them my
drawings. I said, What drawings? as I hadnt kept anything. So I drew a
few things and headed down to the shop. The owner took one look and
told me to come back on Monday. That was the start of my apprenticeship:
22nd January 2007.
17
A realistic tattoo
will last as long as
a traditional one if
it's done properly
18
Alec started tattooing full-time a year later and, after three years, he moved to the
UK. He is a firm believer in learning to tattoo the basics well before you move on
to any particular specialism, and this is a lesson that he is drumming into his own
apprentices head at the moment. When and where I started tattooing, things were
not labelled like they are today. Nobody asked for a traditional sleeve or a
Japanese backpiece; people just saw something that looked cool and they got it.
Thats just the kind of shop it was. It was only when I moved to the UK that
people seemed to be a lot more switched on to what they wanted and more
educated with regard to what was available. That encouraged me to study a certain
style. The UK has a great tattoo history and is really progressive. When I moved
here I really started to understand tattooing.
Soon after settling here, Alec started to show up on the tattoo medias radar.
I was happy doing traditional tattooing. I always thought portraits were too
complicated... But when I eventually did my first one and posted it on Facebook,
I went from having 100 likes for a tattoo to 1000. And boom! The bookings
came flooding in, based on that one tattoo.
Once I'd realised I could do that kind of work, I just continued experimenting.
Although people assume I specialise in realism, in a month I might only do three
portraits. I find it really difficult to label my style. I envy people who have it all
figured out, but I dont. I did a skull yesterday that was supposed to be realistic,
but it ended up being a cross between a Victor Chil tattoo and a Dave Tevenal
piece. I like to stay loose in the planning and see what happens. Sometimes you
have the guts to go for something crazy and it usually works out. Thats what I
love about Victor Chil. He has all areas covered, he is so good.
19
As we chatted about adventures within

tattooing, the conversation turned to what Alec
is concentrating on now and a subject that
has become somewhat contentious over the
last few years namely longevity and how it
can be achieved. I want to do tattoos that look
good forever, Alec tells me. As I get better, I
get faster, and that means less trauma and
easier healing. I use a lot of white and I have
found a way to make that last longer. People
say its only for the photo, but the way I do it
now, almost in blocks, it keeps the ink in there.
There are so many factors to longevity
including the skin you are tattooing of course,

and aftercare, both of which are out of the
artist's control but a realistic tattoo will last
as long as a traditional one if it's done
properly, with understanding. You'll have to
ask me again in ten years to see if Im right.
The process of refining his art is clearly very
important to Alec. Im trying to simplify my
tattoos but still keep that feeling of realism.
Perfecting the quality of my work really
interests me and thats a constant process,
tattoo by tattoo. When I feel happy maybe I
will take a course, watercolour painting or
something like that, and then the process will
20
start all over again. But, for the time being,

Im really focusing on quality before I try to
make any more changes artistically.
www.facebook.com/phatt.german
please mention total tattoo when replying to adverts please mention total tattoo when replying to adverts
Jimmie Skuse is the grandson of Les Skuse, who

founded The Bristol Tattoo Club and is surely one of
the most famous names in British tattoo history. In
the last two issues of Total Tattoo Magazine we
brought you the Skuse family story, in exclusive and
fascinating conversations with Jimmie. Now, in this
third and final instalment, it's Jimmie's turn to talk
about his own life, his unique travelling museum,
and The Bristol Tattoo Club today.
BRISTOL
TATTOO CLUB
Part 3: The Past, Present & Future
Jimmie was born in January 1962. Made in Brighton and born in Bristol, is
how he describes it. As a kid I was always aware of tattooing, because of my
dad and my granddad. I remember walking down the alley past my granddad's
shop. I would look in, and it was a very scary place for a small boy. In them
days, tattoo shops were full of stuffed bats and skeletons. None of us had
televisions, so we weren't used to seeing those kinds of things and it was really
quite frightening. But of course I would brave it to get a ten bob note from my
granddad for my birthday... Jimmie had to go right through the shop to get to
where Les was working, and Les had a silk-lined box with a plastic replica of
a severed Maori head that terrified the life out of him. I used to push my
brother towards it Jimmie recalls, and he would scream!
As he got older the shop became less daunting and Jimmie discovered much
that was of interest to an adolescent boy. Tattoo shops were still very much
the domain of men, and in granddad's shop like many others there were
mens magazines in the racks. So I grew up learning to read with Knave,
Fiesta and Men Only, he tells me. We talk about how things have changed.
Old-fashioned tattoo shops, with their covered-over windows, had a real air of
mystery and foreboding. You needed to be brave to go in. Jimmie feels that
with the arrival of the modern, welcoming, glass-fronted hairdresser / coffee
shop style of studio much of that magic has been lost. As is often the way,
progress is tinged with a sense of sadness.
Jimmie with Doc Forest

In 1973 Les Skuse died and
Jimmie's father Danny took
over the shop at 71 Mina Road.
The whole family moved into
the flat above, where they
stayed for three years before
moving to the house that
Dannys widow Carol still
lives in today.
Jimmie with his father Danny

22
Jimmies father
Danny Skuse
I wanted to know if there was any pressure on Jimmie to

follow in his father's footsteps and become a tattooist. I was
always interested in tattooing, he tells me, so I was keen to
learn. Towards the end of 1973 my dad started to teach me. At
first all I did was cover up names. Back then, you'd do it with
a flower and nine times out of ten it would look OK. When I
was fourteen or fifteen, I was sent to work with Ronnie Ackers
during the summer holidays exactly the same as what my
granddad did with my father.
I asked Jimmie what he learnt during this time. I would watch
customers choose their design from a sheet of flash, then
they'd sit down and Ronnie would do the tattoo freehand. He'd
send the guy over to me for the colouring in, and I would look
at all flash on the wall to see what colours to use... and realise
that this tattoo was nothing like any of the ones on the sheets!
Once, I asked Ron about it and he told me, 'Jimmie, the guy
wanted a bird with a heart and a scroll and thats just what he
got'. That's how things were in them days. The guy spent ages
picking a design and got nothing like it.
Jimmie Skuse age 11
Jimmie with other family members
Dave Fleet [of Abracadabra] once

told me a great story, Jimmie
continues. He was three quarters of
the way through tattooing a black
panther on the back of a bloke's arm
when the bloke says to him, 'Ive
always wanted a tiger on my arm...'
Quick as a flash Dave asks. 'When do
you leave here to go home from your
holiday?' 'Tomorrow,' comes the reply.
'Good,' says Dave. 'Well you keep this
dressing on for twenty four hours and
don't take it off until you get home'.
Jimmie also did a stint with Doc Price, another good friend of Les and Danny's. Knowing
he could do colours and basic line work, Doc gave Jimmie a design of Casper the Friendly
Ghost to tattoo. It was easy, because the lines are wobbly anyway, Jimmie tells me.
And that was it. Suddenly I became the king of Casper the Ghost tattoos. I came back to
Bristol, drew up a sheet of Casper flash and put it on the wall in between my dad's and
granddad's designs. I was only a teenager, and I felt right proud. I was convinced it was
the best flash ever. But next thing I know my dad's booked me in a customer for a Casper
tattoo the following Saturday. Im shitting myself! The bloke comes in, I do the tattoo,
Dad takes a look at it and says, 'Yeah, thatll do', and from then on I help out in the shop
every school holiday. My dad would do the lines and I would finish them. Late-night
Fridays and all day Sundays I would open the shop on my own, and I would do anything
that came through the door.
Jimmie, Ken Rivers, Rambo and Willie Robinson
Jimmie with his

brother and sister
Jimmie admits to being a workaholic.
As a youngster he would always work
weekends and he never really went
down the drinking and partying route,
and when he finally opened his own
shop it was strictly seven days a week.
I asked Jimmie if hed ever wished for
another career? Back then tattooing
was never very busy, so we all had
second jobs. Even artists like Ian of
Reading stacked shelves for a while.
When I was seventeen a friend of mine
started a business and for a while I
helped him out during the week and
tattooed on Friday nights and at
weekends. Then Bristol got lots of
tattoo shops and the young guys would
slag off the older guys as they always
do until they themselves have been
around a while and learn to respect the
old timers. Dad's shop got quiet and
eventually he decided to knock it on
the head. I got out of tattooing
altogether for a while.
23
Doc Price with Jimmie
Then one day, about ten years later, I visited Chris

Williams' studio in Cheddar. We got chatting, and
next thing I know I'm working there Fridays and
weekends. I was still doing my sales rep job during
the week. Then dad decides out of the blue that
hes going to be working the Mantra Tattoo
Convention in Cheltenham! I drove us there and
went along to help out. Dad starts tattooing this
guy's leg, and the bloke jumps about three feet in
the air screaming. In those days you dipped the
needle in the ink once, and lined really fast until
the ink ran out, so I had to step in and take over.
The bloke says, 'Thank God youre doing it. Can
you finish it?' Next thing, dad's saying. 'Got
another one for you here, boy. And another... and another...' so thats me
back into tattooing. I worked in other people's shops until 2003, then I
opened my own shop in Keynsham where I worked until 2012.
Jimmie tattooing
It was early in 2012 that Jimmie had his first
heart attack, and this signalled the need for him
to slow down. I dont really tattoo any more,
he tells me. I miss the banter with the
Danny Bullman, Andy Morris, Jimmie and Micky Bee
customers, but I dont regret stopping tattooing
because my passion for history is much stronger
each time. It's hard work and it
and I prefer to focus on that. I do ink the occasional Bristol
requires immense dedication on his
Tattoo Club bat logo on people who really want it (and
part. Every convention I go to, I
who I feel really deserve it). But I never go anywhere with
have to pack everything in the van,
the intention of tattooing. I just do it when get collared!
drive to the venue and set it all up,
I visited Paul Rambo Ramsbottoms private museum in
then sit there all weekend
Manchester and ended up doing the bat logo on a young
explaining things to people. I
lad while I was there, sometimes it just happens like that
really appreciate it when a
convention organiser gives me
Jimmie is well known as a collector of tattoo artefacts and
space for free or even pays for
memorabilia. He takes his travelling museum round the
my hotel room but I still have to
convention circuit, showing different selections of items
pay the petrol and feed myself...
and that's after I've paid out to buy
all the stuff in the first place.
Jimmie with Lyle Tuttle
I sacrifice a lot to keep this going,
but I cant stop because it's my
passion. I think it's more important
to have this museum at a tattoo
convention than, say, a five minute
burlesque show.
Jimmie tattooing Iain Trudgill

24
Jimmie with Tattoo Peters

son Eddy
The first convention I ever did was the North

Lakes show and we have a lot of Bristol Tattoo
Club members in Cumbria because of that.
Rambo has gathered together a huge collection
of fabulous stuff, and I understand and
appreciate what he's done, but he keeps his
museum private and I'm not like that. I believe
our history needs to be seen and shared with
everyone, so that people can understand how
we came to be at this point in tattooing. Say a
convention gets a thousand visitors; thats a
thousand people who could come and take a
look at the museum and learn something of our
history. If it was kept in one place, like a
traditional museum, the cost of the premises
plus the staff and security would make it
financially impossible. And how many people
would come to see it each day?
Frank from TV show American Pickers
Jimmie with Bristol Tattoo Club members

So which item from his vast collection does
Jimmie treasure most? Well obviously I have
personal stuff to do with my granddad, he
says, but I do also have an original 1876
Thomas Edison Electric Pen, the machine
famous for starting modern electric tattooing.
For me, its the Holy Grail. There are only
three in the country mine, Rambos, and the
one in the Victoria & Albert Museum in
London.
Charlie Sheen,
Bristol Tattoo Club member
Building a collection takes time. The internet is a great source of old

tattoo equipment, and social media provides valuable contacts, but as
Jimmie explains, You do have to keep going on about it (something he
is well known for!) It can take literally years to get hold of this stuff,
he tells me. and it's taken a while for people to realise that I'm not in it
for financial gain. Its much more of an obsessive passion. Ive been
working on a book about Joseph Hartley. My granddad used his
machines, and I obtained one from Derek Campbell, and then years later
I managed to get hold of a couple more. I had one sheet of Joseph
Hartley flash, then suddenly someone heard I was putting this book
together and now I have seven sheets. At the moment I am trying to find
anything to do with the company Ultra who were big suppliers in the
seventies.
Jimmie recalls being aware of the importance

of the Skuse family name very early on in life
and regrets not gathering more historical
pieces as a young man. We went everywhere
and everyone came to meet my granddad and
my dad. I wish I had picked up more business
cards. There were all these people coming to
visit us from miles around. People like George
Bone, Dennis Cockell, King Arthur, Jeff
Baker... Once, in 1975, Lyle Tuttle came all the
way from California to see us and we were out
fishing!
Jimmies grandfather
Les Skuse with Bristol Tattoo club
member Marion in 1965
Jimmie with club members in Denmark
Jimmie with Marion in 2013

25
In talking about his own tattooing career,

Jimmie has a humble opinion of himself. I
walk in taller mens shadows, he says. I
follow my granddad, who was a giant in
tattooing, and my father, who was a huge
character and did such a lot for the industry.
They lead the way for me. Everyone who is
here now owes so much to those who have
gone before. I was bought up to respect my
elders and Ive never really promoted myself. I
feel lucky to be a Skuse, but I believe
everybody has to make their own way in life. I
can never be a better tattooist than my father.
Even if technically I was, people will always
hold him in higher regard. And I am very
happy with that. Maybe my niche will be in
the history side of things and maybe people
will remember me for that.
Four generations of the Skuse family (Danny with Jimmie and his
son and grandson) pictured two weeks before Danny passed
What of the future? Jimmie has two sons, Ashley and

Daniel. Ashley is doing very well for himself in the
building trade; Daniel, the younger of the two, often
accompanies his mum and dad to conventions and has
already tried his hand at tattooing. The time isn't yet right
for him to commit completely but Jimmie is happy to be
patient. He's confident that Daniel will carry the Skuse
name forward in the world of ink.
Jimmie, Danny
Derek Hingham and Lyle Tuttle
Jimmie with Crazy Philadelphia Eddie and Lyle Tuttle

And the Bristol Tattoo Club?
Jimmie admits it can be a bit of a
monster. The Club took over my
tattooing. You have to be organised
and look after everybody. I am
constantly being emailed
for information by people
doing college projects, or
researching books, or trying
to track down old pictures of their
relatives. In time, I think Daniel
will take over from me, and I will
make sure it is all set up for an
easy transition. I see myself as
simply a custodian. My role is to
safeguard our history to pass it
on.
Keeping this history alive requires
funding. Obviously anyone who
buys a t-shirt, a tattoo machine or
26
membership to the Club is buying direct from me and

supporting the Club. Their money goes towards buying
more artefacts and ensuring that our history has a strong
future.
Only time will tell how much longer Jimmie will be able
to bring his museum to conventions. His unique
philosophy and dedication to keeping the past alive is very
special and something to be treasured, and I would
personally like to thank him for all his time and effort in
collaborating on this series of features. Anyone wishing to
join the Bristol Tattoo Club (the oldest tattoo club in the
world) or support the museum can contact Jimmie through
the website: www.bristoltattooclub.co.uk
BRISTOL
Words by James Sandercock Photos by James and Perry
1.
TATTOOCONVENTION
In my editorial in Total Tattoo issue 127, I wrote about a fork in the
road regarding tattoo conventions and tattoo shows. A show could
perhaps be defined as an event that revolves around tattooing but has
loads of other good stuff to entertain the punters too (the Tattoo Tea
Party is a great example). At the other end of the spectrum you have the
pure tattoo convention, which exists for the sole purpose of bringing
lovers of tattoo together to celebrate the art. That is exactly what the 1st
Bristol Tattoo Convention was all about.
The city of Bristol has a special place in
tattoo history. If you have been reading our
three-part series on the Skuse family and the
Bristol Tattoo Club, you will be up to speed
on that. However its been a very long time
since the city has hosted any kind of tattoo
event, so whoever took the bull by the horns
would be under pressure to make a proper
job of it, as we say in the West Country.
That person was Fil from Broad Street
Studio in Bath, and he certainly did Bristol
proud.
His first job was to find the right venue, one
that that reflected Bristols unique flavour.
The Passenger Shed in Brunels Old Station
was perfect; its an outstanding Grade 1
listed Victorian building and part of one of
the oldest railway stations in the world. The
shed has 1,500 square meters of floor space
so there was plenty of room. To Fils credit,
he used every inch, but didnt get greedy; the
artists had spacious booths and the aisles
were wide enough to allow people to stop
3.
28
2.
and chat, check out an artist working and

flick through their portfolio without the
whole convention grinding to a halt.
The intention was always to keep this event
pure, and to shine the spotlight firmly on the
artists and highlight their individual skills.
Yes, there were traders but a lot of care was
taken to make sure that they also brought
their own unique brand of creativity to the
event. If you are going to have a room full of
the finest and most innovative tattoo artists
in the country, your traders also need to be
on song and, for me, they were.
Whether it was Alex Binnie selling his
beautiful woodblock prints, Dapper Signs
hand painting on site or Jacknife Posters
incredible array of lo-fi loveliness (including
their fantastic convention print, which
simply flew out of the door), each trader had
something different to offer and nobody
seemed to be treading on anybody elses
toes.
4.
5.
2.
7.
6.
8.
9.
10.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
matt lodder giving his talk

limited edition hand silk-screened poster
by bradley tompkins, frith st tattoo
by joe farrell, kilburn originals
by che crook, lowrider tattoo
by chad koeplinger (usa)
by mike wall, cult classic
by ozzy, dave ayres skin deep
always outnumbered never outgunned
alex binnie woodcut exhibition
29
11.
12.
13.
15.
16.
14.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
by henrik g (france)
by teide, seven doors
by capex (italy)
by cesar, black garden tattoo
by marcus kuhn (holland)
unknown artist
by valerie vargas,
modern classic tattoo
18. by max pniewski,
southmead tattoo
30
The very gentle entertainment was all

tattoo-related and had an educational
theme. Dr Matt Lodder gave his talk about
Sutherland Macdonald, the man at the
forefront of tattooing at the end of the
1800s, whilst Jimmie Skuse was there
with the Bristol Tattoo Clubs museum
and his own wealth of knowledge. All you
had to do was ask. In the bar area Marcus
Kuhns excellent Gypsy Gentleman film
was showing, along with the fascinating
movie Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry The
Life of Norman K. Collins.
17.
After the machines had stopped buzzing, it

was party time at the Old Stations
Tunnels venue; there was a cracking hog
roast outside and Vince Rays Loser
Machine and Sicknote Steve supplied the
musical entertainment.
There were many things that made the
Bristol Tattoo Convention work so well
but, at the heart of it, were the artists.
When you have the likes of Duncan X
working next to Curly, with Lal Hardy a
couple of booths up from George Bone,
and Ian Flower tattooing next to Marcus
Kuhn, you know something a bit special is
happening. People really wanted to be part
of this show. Seven Doors Tattoo was
there, as were Black Garden and Frith
Street Tattoo; Jo Harrison, Matt Hunt and
Hanumantra Lamar represented Modern
Body Art; Higgins and Co were in the
house, as were Southmead Tattoo, Matt
Oddboy, Sam Ricketts, Nipper and Nick
Baldwin. Capex travelled from Italy and
was just one of many international guests.
Even Ozzy from Dave Ayres legendary
Skin Deep Tattoo in Bristol came out of
convention retirement for the occasion.
18.
31
20.
19.
23.
21.
22.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
32
by ben boston, the tattoo studio

by miss jo black, black inc tattoo studio
by ben parry, avon tattoo
the venue, brunels old station
by ryan evans, new wave
by ethan jones, nala tattoo
by martin, avon tattoo
by george torrington, avon tattoo
by nipper, bridgend tattoo
by chris higgins, higgins & co
by martin, avon tattoo
By now I guess youre getting the

message that I think this was a great tattoo
convention. I talked with punters and
artists and everybody seemed genuinely
pleased to be there. Of course it wasnt
perfect but no convention is on its first
outing. It needs tweaks, but I take my hat
off to Fil and his team for creating the
tattoo event that they wanted, with love
and respect. Long may it run.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
33
Interview by James Sandercock Pictures by Ramon Maiden
panish-born Ramon Maiden is very much a citizen of the

world. His global wanderlust is matched only by his visual
curiosity. Combine these two vital elements with his
interest in history, politics and ancient religions and his love
for tattoo imagery and you have a fantastic cocktail. The art
he creates works on so many different levels. You can delve into
his images as deep as you wish or simply marvel at the stunning
graphic impact they have. We needed to know a little more
about the artist who calls himself the Wanderlust King.
Ramon, can you tell us how you first discovered

your creativity and was there any particular
catalyst for it?
Ive got distant childhood memories of doodling
tattoos on famous historical figures my textbooks
and school materials were all covered in drawings. I
still have some of them. I also used to draw on my
own skin. I dont know why but ever since
childhood I have felt strongly attracted to the tattoo
scene. Back then it was nowhere near as popular as
it is today. My mom is an artist and my dad was a
musician so Ive been around art since I was a kid.
Creativity has always been highly prized in my
family.
35
My training as a social worker, my passion for

travelling, my family history and my
experience with visual arts... all these diverse
things enable me to be very creative. It is
impossible to name one thing or one person
that inspired me or acted as a catalyst, but if
we talk about influence, my mother is the
greatest one. My mother is highly creative and,
since I was little, she has encouraged me and
supported my passion for art. Ive been
involved with the art and tattoo community for
a long time. A lot of my friends are either
tattoo artists or are involved in the arts.
Because of its meaning and reference, my art
has always been well received on the tattoo
scene. I have been fortunate enough to
collaborate with many tattoo artists, studios,
conventions and publications, and I suppose all
this permeates through my work.
I see tattoos as a true form of artistic
expression. Many of the artists I follow not
only create tattoos, but they are also very good
at other types of art: Seth Wood, Cris Cleen,
Annie Frenzel, Sebastian Domaschke,
Matthias Boechtter or Amina Charai, Inma,
Rodrigo Kalaka, Dr Lakra, El Monga they
are all excellent tattooists and great artists.
Do you have any formal training and, if so,
was it a help or a hindrance?
I have never studied art and so I am entirely
self-taught. Luckily I always had the support
of my family which has allowed me to devote
36
myself to what pleases me most. My way of

becoming an artist has been slow, but very
rewarding.
You say that you were fascinated by tattoo
art even as a child. Why did it appeal to you
so much?
When I was a kid I used to draw with pens on
my own skin. I also used to tattoo my sisters
dolls. I dont know why! The tattoo has a
strong aesthetic and symbolic meaning. In my
case, I consider my body to be the map of my
life and it shows all the moments that have
marked me as a person, in one way or another.
My passion for art and tattooing allows me to
be part of the two scenes I love: tattooers,
tattooed people and images on real skin, and
also artistic images on paper and other
surfaces. They are not the same obviously, but
they have something in common.
37
Ive come close to starting to actually tattoo many times, but the energy
required for tattooing is very different from the one needed for other
artistic disciplines. Tattooing requires a special attitude and commitment
to the clients, the appointments, the shop. Working as an illustrator gives
me so much more freedom to work when and where I choose. It also
allows me to avoid creative clichs and to draw and paint what I want
.
What has attracted you to your current style of work and the imagery
you use?
I always try to experiment with different methods and techniques. Lately,
Ive been working a lot with watercolours and felt-tip pens. Mixing them
has produced some powerful and solid results. Im also very interested in
experimenting with new methods. In my last work I used plant pigments
which I picked myself and mixed with water. I also used octopus and
cuttlefish ink, and acid to treat the paper. Visually, the results were very
interesting. Some time ago I started painting on wood too. Its a laborious
but very rewarding technique.
38
Im also drawn to everything involving recycling,

giving a second life to different objects that for some
reason have fallen into oblivion: magazines, old
posters, obsolete religious and military imagery...
I describe myself as a Wanderlust King because one
of my many passions is travelling. Im a restless ass,
so I couldnt exist without moving around. Knowing,
understanding and exploring the world is one of the
best ways to grow as a person and as an artist. When I
am travelling I collect so many images virtual or
physical and afterwards Im able to use them in my
creations. Theres nothing more nourishing and
inspiring than mixing with other cultures, artists and
places.
www.ramonmaiden.com
39
TATTOOTHETABOO
Helping to break down the stigma surrounding mental illness
by Lizzy Longstaff
If you have a tattoo, chances are that you

have been driven or influenced to have it
by an event or an emotion. You see it every
day parents have their childrens
portraits proudly tattooed; lovers bear
their partners names, adorned in hearts
and significant dates; others might have a
tattoo simply to celebrate the moment
when they are legally allowed to do so.
The list is endless. I am no exception;
I have always loved tattoos and art, and
alby, tattoos at 58
was driven to get my first one because
I needed to commemorate the slow demise of the eating disorder
that had plagued me for so many years. Im a recovering anorexic
and I am over the worst of my depression.
I feel compelled to write this because the stigma surrounding mental illness needs to be stopped.
Trust me, its bad enough hating yourself, without worrying whether others see you as unstable or
fearing that you wont get a job because of health questions during the interview process.
kasi firefly, painted lady tattoo parlour
Ive always thought that

there was a relationship
between tattoos and
emotion. Im not a
psychologist but, through
being tattooed and working
in tattoo shops, Ive noticed
that the tattooist and the
client can develop a bond. In
that very close setting, the
customer will sometimes
talk very frankly about their
life, especially when their
tattoo has a meaning.
kerry-anne, cock a snook
When I heard that a

fundraising tattoo day was
being organised to raise
money for the mental health
charity Mind, I was eager for
Total Tattoo to cover it. The
event, called Tattoo the
Taboo, was organised by
Kerry-Anne Richardson from
Cock-A-Snook Tattoos in
Newcastle. It took place on
4th July and artists from all
over the UK came along to
be part of it.
42
I spoke to Kerry-Anne about

the concept behind the
event. She explained I
decided to challenge the
stigma surrounding mental
health, so more people will
feel comfortable asking for
support. If there were so
many people like me, why
did everybody feel the need
to keep quiet? It felt like a
complete injustice and I
wanted to change it in any
way I could. It seemed
natural to call upon our huge
network of tattooists for
help. We are a community
and we have so many
resources at our fingertips.
Why not incorporate the
two!
When referring to people
like me, Kerry-Anne is
alluding to how her personal
experience gave her the idea
to raise money for Mind; she
suffers from a severe anxiety
gemma b,
fat anchor tattoo club
disorder, clinical depression

and agoraphobia. It took me
a long time to figure out
how unwell I was. From a
young age, I was constantly
worrying, over-thinking, overanalysing, avoiding situations
and letting others down. I
felt that I was completely on
my own and completely
isolated. Ive always had an
underlying sadness that often
overwhelmed me. In fact, I
felt so desperately alone that
my illness was the only
constant thing in my life.
Somewhere along the line
I had just accepted it as part of me. I had

convinced myself that I was shit at life and
that my neurosis was perfectly normal. It
came as a complete shock to realise this
perspective was really skewed.
Meeting my fianc forced my hand, so to
speak, and I had to really challenge the
way I felt about myself. He encouraged me
to look at things from a more positive
perspective. Without him I would still hate
myself and assume everybody else did
too. Deciding to ask for professional help
was very hard as the stigma is so great. If I
asked for help was I admitting I was weak?
Would it change how people saw me? The
prospect was terrifying. Unfortunately the
first step wasnt the hardest; I found the
support system in this country to be
completely flawed and, upon sharing my
alby, tattoos at 58
experiences with others, it was apparent

that many others were being let down in
the same way. I cant bear the thought of
others going through similar problems
and having to fight for support when
there might be no fight left.
Kerrys openness and honesty is
inspirational, especially to other sufferers.
In conjunction with the event, she started
a support group on Facebook where
members can openly express their
feelings. This continues to break down the
barriers between mental health and
everyday life. It seems that tattooists and
tattoo collectors are united, not only by
their love of body art, but by their
experiences of being ill. I wondered if this
was the driving force behind starting up
the online group.
Only one person said we shouldnt be

sharing personal stuff like that on
Facebook, that its to be shared only with
family, and that anybody who tries to kill
themselves is just selfish and wants
attention. I think they completely missed
the point and it shows how ignorant
people can be. Its sad, but I guess they are
the kind of people we are hoping to
educate.
gary stanley, painted lady tattoo parlour
Kerry-Anne told me I decided to start

the group because I wanted to be open
and unapologetically so. I wanted to let
everyone know there were reasons
behind lots of my odd behaviours; I was
sorry for letting down customers,
colleagues and friends but not sorry for
being poorly, as I have had very little
control over that. I figured that if I felt
that burden maybe others did too, and so
the group came about. I had no idea so
many people would join and want to
share. Ive had so many messages from
people saying thank you, and sharing their
own experiences with me. I was so
grateful that people wanted to confide in
me, mostly complete strangers. Im not
sure how much I helped but I like to think
that, in my own little way, I have. Lots of
people who havent shared have said they
still like to read the posts as it makes
them feel less alone.
andrew john smith,

painted lady tattoo parlour
Im trying my best to
be completely
unapologetic for the
illness I have.
alby, tattoos at 58
Those who choose to
judge us for something we have no control over,
something that causes us daily pain
...well thats on them, not us
43
lauren stephens, cock-a-snook
The support for Tattoo the Taboo has

been tremendous, with studios from
across the UK participating. From predrawn themed flash, to baking cakes and
contributing artwork for further projects,
its been quite moving to see other artists
participating. I asked Kerry-Anne how she
felt about this and what future plans she
has for the event. Its been an amazing
response, quite overwhelming at times. Its
harrowing to hear the things people have
been through. Its been an emotional
journey, discovering just how silent people
are when it comes to mental health.
We are making the fund-raiser an annual
event, with lots more exciting things on
the horizon. The more we can do the
better. I always wanted it to be a national
thing as I wanted to go for maximum
awareness but were aiming for
international next year, as a lot of
overseas artists have already made
contact.
kasi firefly,
painted lady tattoo parlour
44
I have to tell myself to

accept compliments, be
kinder to myself and
remember that when
ian morgan, skullianz tattoo
people say negative things its because they are

unhappy with themselves or their own work
From looking at her work, and from our
conversation, I get the impression that
Kerry-Anne has a perfectionist streak; the
artists at Cock-A-Snook are certainly well
respected in the industry. I wondered if
this created extra stress for her and how
she managed it. We are still a relatively
new studio. The six years that we have
been open has gone
really, really fast. Im not
sure how well-known we
are but I do know we all
try our best. My best
might be managing to get
out of bed that day, or it
could be making a
tattoo, it all depends. All
the guys at the studio
are so understanding and
supportive as well as
stupidly talented. Im
very lucky. As for
pressure... Im my own
worst enemy. There have
been times that I cant
even draw or paint
because I want so much
for it to be perfect. I
stress about every single
line.
charlee, tattoos at 58
ian morgan, skullianz tattoo
ramon, painted lady tattoo parlour
Then obviously there are other

pressures. Being a studio owner
has had its ups and downs and its
so much harder than working for
somebody else. I worry about
everything. When I was working
for somebody else I didnt have to
think about overheads or if
everybody is happy. Ive learned
more about people these last six
years than in the twenty-odd
before that.
dom holmes
nikki proctor,
twit twoo
laTeST NeWS
At the time of going to print, the amount raised on

the Tattoo the Taboos donation page stood at
nearly 7000. The next fundraiser is an auction and
raffle on August 15th.
There will be an auction and exhibition of original
artworks donated by tattooers and artists at B&D
Artist Studios in Newcastle. To get yourself on to
the guest list, please donate 3 in advance to the
events Justgiving page or alternatively, you can pay
5 on the door.
alby tattooing
If you are unable to attend in person, head over to

Instagram, and follow @Tattoothetaboo to bid
online. Its easy to do: just comment on the item
that you want to bid on, with your maximum bid.
alan proctor, twit twoo

gre hale, rain city tattoo
lal hardy, new wave tattoo
Coinciding with the auction is a raffle. A 5 ticket,

bought at B&D or via the Justgiving page, gives you
a chance to win one of the awesome items up for
grabs, which include breakfast baps delivered to
your door, jewellery, prints and even a tattoo
worth 500 from Peter Hall at Evil Needle!
With such generous prizes, as well as knowing that
your money will be going to an excellent cause,
there really is no excuse not to take part.
Whether you got tattooed on July the 4th, bought
a wristband, or even shared your story in the
online group, you have helped to break down the
shame associated with suffering from mental health.
Together, we can all destroy the negativity. In KerryAnne's words As hard as it is to be honest about
this stuff, I think its important. One person on their
own cant do much but if you add all the voices
together, the stigma can and will change.
For more information, with links to the support
group and how to be entered in the prize draws,
please head over to
www.justgiving.com/tattoothetaboo/
The website also contains links to
The Samaritans and Mind.
45
GALLERY
beany, secret society tattoo atelier
shennaki,
tribal trading (germany)
matt oddboy barratt jones, real art
georg moser, die

buntmacherei tattoo (austria)
boris, boristattoo (austria)

47
lorenzo gentil, black garden tattoo
karol rybakowski,
ink-ognito (poland)
gareth woody sones, eight fold tattoo
48
horihui, horihui tattoo (taiwan)
charlotte ross, aurora tattoo
gerry carnelly, octopus tattoo
simon cooke, the inkspot

49
mat bone, octopus tattoo
gishi (japan)
gege boristattoo (austria)
yomico moreno,
yomico art (venezuela)
50
xam, seven doors
patrick mcfarlane, the black freighter
toni moore, forever bound
ben nuthink, aching soul dermagraphix
51
yun, yun tattoo (taiwan)
hollie sirena, inkantations
paul johnson, triplesix
han maude, jekyll and hyde

52
hollie may,
the old smithy tattoo parlour
guil zekri, reinkarnation tattoo (germany)
fabrice koch,
fabinkognito (germany)
andy wharton,
octopus tattoo
scott pullin, broadside tattoo

53
theo zinas, giahi (switzerland)
steven,
memories and mischief (germany)
54
nigel kurt, funhouse tattoo
joe talbot,
minerva lodge tattoo club
natalia borgia
beaver tattoo (usa)
emma kierzek,
aurora tattoo
jenna mcaleese
skullduggery tatu
norby kovak, true colours
55
paul tipping, o happy dagger
georg moser, die buntmacherei tattoo (austria)
kelly smith, five magics
daniel hofer (austria)

56
jordan croke, second skin
adrian finsterkram,
three nails tattoo (austria)
alex hennerley,
adorned tattoo
mike wall, cult classic

57
santa perpetua, black sails tattoo
joao bosco, black garden tattoo

58
tomasz tofi torfinski, ink-ognito (poland)
charlie hurman, utopia tattoo
inky joe, illustrated primate
59
hayley hayes, o happy dagger
alan hindes, tatt house
jack wolf, blood and honey tattoo
alex m krofchak, le fox method ink
craig smart, shamanic tattoo

60
kelly smith, five magics
nick chaboya (usa)
nick brierley,
art house tattoo
miguel, latin angel tattoo studio

61
By Perry
oza is one of a new breed of young artists who have

only been tattooing for a few years. She was drawn
to art from a young age but, like a lot of people,
lacked confidence in her ability. So she opted for a
completely different career path and trained to be a
dentist. However, during her studies, roza got tattooed
at Sake Tattoo (in her home country of Greece). She
showed the artists there some of her drawings and they
were blown away. They could see her potential and
immediately offered to help her fulfil her dream of
becoming a tattooist.
In actual fact Sake Tattoo wasn't the first studio to offer Roza an apprenticeship, but she was
smart and declined the others, knowing they werent right for her. When I first saw Sakes work,
I thought, Wow! Is this in Greece? I was shocked the first time I visited the studio because there
was so much great work being done there. And the place was so clean! I decided that if I was
ever going to work in the tattoo world, it would be here. So when they asked me to join the
crew, I had to ask them three times if they were serious. Sake said Yeah, I have known you since
you were little and I know youre a good kid.You will fit right in. That was only three years ago
and, in that short space of time, the studio has grown both in size and reputation. Now there are
ten resident artists working as one big family, with a constant flow of international guest artists
too.
I feel completely blessed to be doing this job, which is also my hobby, Roza tells me. It gives
me an enormous sense of satisfaction and fulfilment. Plus she has found an added bonus: In
Greece its not cool to be a dentist with tattoos, so when I was doing that job I would only get
tattoos on my stomach, thighs, back anywhere they wouldnt show. But as soon as I started at
Sake, I was getting them on my hands, forearms everywhere thats visible!
64
Roza is typically humble regarding her

tattooing. I havent been doing it very long
and I have so much to learn. I am never very
happy with the work I do; I can always see
room for improvement. I always look back at
the previous months work and the previous
years, to see where I could improve. If I cant
see it, I stop what I am doing and focus on
other aspects of my tattooing. I tend to
specialise in realistic and neo-traditional. If one
of those is not working so well, I focus on the
other and allow myself time to clear my mind
for a while, before coming back to start again
with a new perspective. It always seems to
work. Also, working with so many great artists,
there is always a lot of support and advice.
Anybody who gives you good advice is
basically offering you a short cut, from their
own time invested in making a discovery, so
you should always listen.
65
Another important ingredient in Rozas work are her Sunskin coil machines. I am always open to
trying new things. I have tried a lot of rotary machines, which I like because they are light, but
whenever I come back to coils and Sunskin in particular I find they have just the right weight
and the right vibration. I can shade smoothly with them and get a good line. I am always looking
to develop but inevitably I come back to my trusted coils.
I ask Roza to talk me through the technique she uses when tattooing. It all begins with the
sketch. I dont tend to use a lot of flow in my designs. Each element is deliberately placed within
the piece. The construction is very important, with elements lining up in such a way to create a
hidden geometry and structure that helps the eye to move smoothly through the design.
I have studied the tattoos that George at Sake does. He specialises in geometric designs and I
am trying to unlock what it is about this style that work so well. So I have read a few books,
learnt a bit about architecture and complementary shapes and, since incorporating some of this
knowledge into my tattoos, I have found people are more receptive to my work. I think that it
possibly works on a more subconscious level, tapping into a universal visual language.
66
67
Roza is constantly looking at other artists

work for inspiration too, keen to unlock the
secrets of their creations. One of my idols is
Nikko Hurtado. I love the way he translates
images on to the skin, playing with the tones
and structures in a way that enhances the
image into more than just a carbon copy; it
becomes an image with a life of its own. I also
love a lot of neo-traditionalists, especially
Eckel.
With my own work, I aspire to find the right
balance between representation, technique,
light, and giving the image a life of its own. If
you over-work the skin it will heal badly and
wont last. It needs to be simple but look
detailed, focusing on certain areas to give the
tattoo dimension. If you look at a persons
face, you focus on their eyes, and the hair is
slightly blurred. If you tattoo everything in
sharp focus it will look fake, even though it has
taken more work.
68
Its impossible to write about a tattooist in

Greece without mentioning the crisis in that
countrys economy, which is all over the news
at the moment. I wondered if this has had an
impact on tattooing. I dont think so, Roza
tells me. For us at Sake Tattoo, because of the
size of the shop and standard of work we
produce, it has not been so bad, but I am
aware of how it has affected my clients. Many
have two jobs one of them just to pay for
their ink, which means I really have to do a
cool-arse tattoo! Tattooing in Greece is
amazing at the moment, Roza continues.
People seem to be getting bigger pieces, and
the taboo that used to surround tattoos
seems to have lifted. Greece is still a
conservative country, but we now have a few
conventions and the interest in tattooing
seems to be growing really fast. We have
tattoo shops opening on every corner. Many
people think this is bad, but I think the more
people getting tattooed the better. I love all
aspects of tattooing and for me, the more the
merrier.
69
There is a disarming honesty around

everything that Roza does; in fact, by her own
admission, she is maybe a little too honest for
her own good! I would love to do some
larger back pieces, she says, but I still dont
feel I'm ready. If a customer asks me, I always
tell them, I need to do more research and feel
totally confident that what I'm going to do will
be my very best and I guess this unnerves
some people. The other thing I need to do is
refresh my own ideas, which becomes harder
when you become recognised for a particular
style. My ultimate goal is to be able to
influence the viewer and to gain the trust of
my customers, to allow my work to develop,
so that if I introduce a new set of sketches,
people will have confidence in me, and not
keep asking me for a design I did three years
ago. Thats something I am aspiring to.
Artistic and technical developments play a big
part in the development of a successful studio
like Sake. All the tattooists have access to a
separate place away from the shop where they
can go to share drawing sessions, or to watch
and analyse tattoo seminars. Roza admits to
being completely immersed in tattooing, and
having little time for friends or family outside
of the shop. I dont need more than tattooing.
Its a choice to make your whole life revolve
around tattooing, but its born out of a total
love for it. I feel lucky to have found
something that fulfils me, artistically,
emotionally and financially.
Roza loves travelling and sees the benefits it
brings to her craft I am planning to work
more conventions over the next couple of
years. I love sharing the connection of being
around other tattooists. Ive learnt so much
just from spending time with other artists.
70
One of the most important aspects of tattooing for Roza is to remain

professional at all times. You have to put in the hours and strive to improve,
and sometimes you have to deal with clients that you wouldnt normally
choose to spend time with. But its also the kind of job that requires a lot of
focus and can be used as a way of clearing out the mind, similar to painting.
This is what makes it stand out from other jobs, because it also helps me as
an artist. Its very much a two-way street.
Despite landing a position in a world-class studio and beginning to make
waves on the European convention scene, Roza is acutely aware of the
challenges that lie ahead. I really have so much work to do if I want to
achieve all the goals I have in mind. I need to look at different styles of
tattooing. I have noticed that when I return to what I love doing after trying a
new style, I bring a little of what I have learnt back with me. This adds more
character and helps to push my tattooing further.
Roza is keen to encourage people to follow their dreams. I never imagined
that I could ever become a tattooist. But now I am involved in this world, it
makes me want to be a better person and it makes me want to be
productive. Tattooing has taught me that if you are not fully devoted to
something, you will never reach your full potential. I feel so blessed to be
where I am and I feel so grateful to Sake for making me a better person.
www.saketattoo.com
71
LEEDS
Text & Photography: Neil Dalleywater
INTERNATIONAL TATTOOEXPO
1.
fter the inaugural show last year, which saw the

heavens open and rain fall in Biblical proportions,
the sun shone brightly on the righteous for the
second incarnation of the leeds International Tattoo
exposition. The crowds of tattooed disciples descended on
the New dock Hall for another feast of great tattoos and
entertainment. last year was dominated by a very healthy
proportion of new/old school and neo-traditional artists in
attendance. This was still the overwhelming influence in
2015 but there was a better cross-section of other tattoo
styles represented, creating a nice mix of work to choose
from if you were in the market for some new ink.
Silvia and the Ultimate Skin team had amassed a collection of well-known names from the
tattoo circuit but there were also some artists Id not come across before, creating an
interesting selection of styles and creativity. This didnt go unnoticed and a few others visiting
the show also mentioned it to me. Alongside tattooing stalwarts like Valerie Vargas and
Stewart Robson sat up-and-coming artists like a young lady called Eszter from London,
whose graphical style was absolutely stunning. Her use of black and her ultra-precise line
work were nothing short of amazing. In her portfolio were tattoos containing circles and
straight lines that looked like they had been created using a ruler and compass, such was
their precision. Drawing shapes like this on paper is difficult enough but to do it on skin is
astonishing.
3.
4.
2.
1.
2.
3.
4.
by victor del fueyo,

tatau suite custom tattoo
(spain)
by eszter, happy sailor
by paul owen, naughty needles
by justin burnout,
ghost house collective
73
6.
5.
7.
8.
9.
74
Just a bit further along from Eszter was Kiley,

whod come over from his Copenhagen
home. Hed drawn some sheets of flash with
small images that hed hoped to tattoo at the
show, but he was also offering hand-poked
work. This proved to be an absolute winner
and he tattooed close to twenty unique
dotwork designs over the weekend. Others
who were flat-out included Dave Barry from
Follow Your Dreams in Sheffield. Dave does
some great old school designs and, in
between his main appointments, he was
catering for lots of walk-up clients. But I think
the busiest chap at the convention was
Niorkz from Creative Vandals in Hull, with his
ultra-clean freehand lettering. There was a
queue at his booth literally all weekend.
10.
11.
12.
13.
Once again there was a healthy selection of

Spanish artists at the Expo, offering a range of
styles some old school, some new school,
and some doing great portraits too. Two guys
who stuck in my mind were Diogo Nunez and
Samuel Sancho, both creating life-like indelible
images.
Last year the show clashed with a large music
festival in Leeds and I felt that this had a
direct effect on the number of folks coming
through the doors. This year though the
public came in their droves, filling the aisles
but not to the point of over-crowding.You
could still move around the venue and the
crowds created a nice warm environment.
For those not lucky enough to get tattooed,
there was some great entertainment laid on
with live music at a very acceptable volume
level and the Leeds Steel Cats, three ladies
doing some interesting fire-eating and
dancing. If shopping was your thing, Silvia had
arranged for stalls selling some diverse
goodies from jewellery and clothing to
artwork.
Talking to visitors at the Leeds Expo, the
overriding comments were that the event was
very laid-back, well run, with a good layout, a
very special artist line-up and a general feeling
of friendliness. Everyone was just getting on
and enjoying the art of tattooing. The
organisers asked me if there was anything that
I felt could be changed. Upon reflection, I cant
think of one thing. Lets do it all again next
year!
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
14.
by jonny gilbert,
new mind tattoo lounge
by ben carlisle, devil in the detail
by matt curzon, devil in the detail
by steve wade, all seeing eye
by jaysin burgess,
northside tattooz
by lewis parkin, northside tattooz
by jesse sinclair,
scratchline tattoo
by jota paint (spain)
by craig wilson, black craft
by brenden jones, tattoo hq
75
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
15.
16.
17.
18.
party, party
by matt adamson, jayne doe
by katriona macintosh
by daryl watson,
rock n roll tattoo
19. by mope, renaissance tattoo
(switzerland)
20. by craig wilson, black craft
76
ex sells, and tattoo magazines

have always been adorned with
beautiful cover models. But with
the closure of lads mag Nuts in 2014 and
technology magazine Stuff ceasing to use
scantily-clad women on its cover, is it time
tattoo publications changed their approach
too? Is it sexist to use only female cover
models? In the name of equality, should
semi-naked men be featured too? And
what does all this say about sexism in
the tattoo industry as a whole?
Magazine
Cover Models:
by Nacho Brown
Sexy or Sexist?
gigi fair
The magazine publishing industry is rapidly evolving in the face of fierce competition from the
internet. There's also growing pressure for change from various campaigning groups such as
No More Page 3, who are lobbying for an end to topless women in the UKs tabloid newspapers
(with the support of celebrities, politicians and former glamour models). And the once-thriving
lads mag industry is a shadow of its former self, with declining sales and publication closures. So
why do tattoo magazines continue to use female models on their covers to get readers attention?
You only have to look at the cover shots of some tattoo magazines to answer that question, says
tattoo artist and business woman Fade FX. I don't wish to sound crude, but women are
represented as wank fodder. Cover girls usually have tattoos that I could critique all day. It seems
that showing off your fake tits and sucking your finger, in your underwear, overrides any need to
display quality tattoos.
Sexism in the tattoo industry is an issue many tattooists care passionately about and there is a
growing movement, driven by young, progressive artists, to move away from the old clichs of
how women are represented. Fade continues, These over-sexualised images misrepresent
tattooed women and make the magazines look like top-shelf material, not art publications. Many
in the industry say they want to move away from the seedy image that tattooing once had.
However, the industry is shooting itself in the foot by making magazines look cheap and using sex
to sell them, as opposed to printing tasteful representations of the beauty of tattoos and tattooed
people.
American-based artist Kali Amoona Masters agrees with Fade that the industry is sexist. She feels
that it is not the depiction of sexual imagery itself which is at fault, but the bias towards using
images only of women. If it's exclusively one gender that is being portrayed in a particular
manner, then it can almost always be called sexist. Most tattoo magazines only use women for
78
Fade has seen the same kind of attitude in the

UK. Tattooing is a male dominated industry
and that directly affects the women working in
it. I have faced prejudice for being female. If I
am speaking with a male customer in the shop
and another man walks in, they assume the
male in the room is the one in charge and they
direct their questions at him.
Fade sees the problem as stretching beyond the
magazines' covers and into the content of the
publications themselves. Advertisements in
the industry can be worse than the magazine
covers. I saw an ad showing a female tattoo
model wearing a PVC American flag, and
sucking off a hot dog with mustard dripping on
her breasts I mean, cmon! Who exactly
does this appeal to?
Gigi Fair is a tattoo and pin-up model whose

passion for body arts equals that of any
tattooist. She disagrees with Fade and Kali.
Most of the time, I dont think women are
portrayed in a sexist way. There will always be
those that cross the line, whether its a
magazine, a model or a brand, but in most
cases I dont think its sexist. Tattoos are sexy
and personal. They can also be done in some
intimate areas. Their placement can follow our
curves and emphasise how we feel about
ourselves. Tattooed models have a certain
confidence and sex appeal that is very different
from many other types of modelling. Theres a
common misconception in our society that
women being sexy or comfortable in their skin
is sexist, or that they are being objectified by
men. I love seeing women being confident,
powerful and sexy and nowhere is that more
apparent than the tattoo community. To me,
that couldnt be further from sexist.
Gigi doesnt see there being a major problem
with the industry being male-dominated.
I think the tattoo community will always be
more dominated by men, but I couldnt be
happier to see more women take on the role.
There are certainly more women tattooing and
more acceptance of them doing so. I think this
has been helped by the media. The tattoo TV
shows and social media have brought a lot of
attention to tattooing and especially to the
females. I believe an artist is an artist. Im
happy to see anyone doing great work and
whose passion shows through. My last two
tattoos were done by a woman who I think is
pretty badass, so this topic is right up my
alley.
by fade fx
The issue of sexism in the tattoo industry is

not simply a matter of magazine covers; both
Fade and Kali have faced sexism in the
workplace too. Ive had to deal with a lot of
drama and crap for being a woman in this
industry from customers, bosses and coworkers, says Kali. In the USA women are
still not paid the same as men, and they
continue to fight for everyday equality.
Despite the laws focused around equality,
women have a lot of negativity to handle.
Many people still view us as sexual objects
who are not worth being taking seriously. Ive
actually had clients say to me, You dont do
tattoos. Youre a woman, women dont do
tattoos. Youre lying and you must have taken
photos of your boyfriends work. As for coworkers, I dont even want to get into that!
Needless to say, having a shop split by gender
isnt a fun environment. Nobody wins because
it ruins friendships as well as the harmony of a
business.
gigi fair
fade fx
jenn
their covers and they often present them in a

sexualised way. Using sexuality isnt
necessarily wrong, but when it is only women
being viewed this way, it is sexist, plain and
simple. Perhaps one day men will be viewed in
the same manner. Of course sexism and any
form of bigotry needs to be done away with.
79
jenn
by fade fx
gigi fair
Despite the movement towards equality, Fade
believes that women in the industry need to
push further and go beyond the stereotypes.
She would like to see magazines, tattooists and
models come together and fight to close the
gender gap. There should be greater demand
for equality, with cover model genders
matching the population balance of male and
female. Entertainment at tattoo conventions
80
needs to be more tasteful and artistically

driven, instead of just focused on flaunting
female bodies. Female tattooists should be
represented as artists, not eye candy. My hope
is that in the near future tattoo magazine
covers will be about tattoos not tits.
gigi fair
gigi fair
Kali and Gigi may have differing views on

how women are portrayed in the industry but
they do agree that more women are gaining
influence in tattooing and that TV has helped
this process. I believe the industry is
becoming less male-dominated for several
reasons, explains Kali. Since the sexual
revolution of the 1960s, women have been
fighting their way into every aspect of the
workforce, including tattooing. I believe the
change is due in part to social standards but
TV has also played a role: tattoo shows have
changed the way the public views us. Kat Von
D is a big role model and that has changed
how tattoo shop owners view women. So far
Ive only seen the changes in a shallow,
money-making, gimmicky way but change is
change, and one step ahead usually leads to
another.
Laura Way is a feminist and teacher of social

sciences in the further education sector (she's
currently researching a PhD on how ageing
women be and do punk). She believes the
portrayal of tattooed women is part of a bigger
picture. Tattooed women being presented in a
sexual way is just part of a culture that
reinforces that view of women generally. A
number of feminists would refer to the
sexualisation of culture, with the focus being
on women and their bodies. Magazine covers
are just a reflection of the general view
concerning the portrayal of women and men;
tattooed women are presented as sexually
alluring more often than tattooed men. I think
there is more prejudice and judgement towards
women with tattoos because womens bodies
are policed far more than men; they are
constantly monitored and scrutinised and this
is reinforced by the media. I believe societal
attitudes towards tattooed women are part of
that general policing.
And what of the future for the tattoo industry
itself? Many artists believe the tide is turning
and equality is gaining a better foothold;
others see the industry changing only very
slowly. With veterans like Shanghai Kate
Hellenbrand opening doors for my generation
of female tattooists, things are moving
forward, says Fade FX. But she thinks there
is still a long way to go. We are still far from
an equal balance. With more women tattooists,
there will be more female-run studios so
naturally things will even out. But this wont
be immediate.
e'd love to feature a man on

the cover of Total Tattoo now
and then, but we know from
past experience that it's a risky thing to do.
Sales fall dramatically when a magazine that
usually has a woman on its cover opts for a
man instead, and with every penny of our
sales revenue going towards producing the
next issue of Total Tattoo that's a gamble
we just couldn't take.You only have to look
along the shelves of any newsagent to see
that while it's OK for rock music and male
fitness titles to feature men on their
covers, most other categories still favour
women and that's because, in general, the
magazine-buying public (both men and
women) seem to be more strongly drawn
towards female cover models. But maybe
times are changing and you'd like to prove
us wrong?
Email [email protected] and
tell us what you think! Incidentally, we'd
also love to hear what you thought of the
painting on this month's cover.
Perry
2.
1.
3.
5.
4.
82
6.
KRAKOW
TAT T O O F E S T
Text & Photos: Travellin Mick
7.
For ten years the Krakow Tattoo Fest has been slowly climbing the
ranks to become one of Europes best tattoo conventions. For this
special anniversary show, the organisers set the bar even higher. The
tenth Tattoo Fest was not only bigger, more colourful and more
successful than ever before, it was also much better than many other socalled top conventions!
Who would have thought that, a decade ago, a small meeting of tattoo lovers in this city in
the south of Poland would one day set the standards for Europes tattoo elite? But this is
exactly whats happened, and Krakow is now mentioned in the same breath as mega-events
like London and Paris. The event is organised by the hard-working team from Tattoo Kult
studio in the centre of Krakow who, incidentally, are also behind the excellent magazine
Tattoo Fest. Original team members Radek and Anja have now been joined by Aleksandra
and Krisza, and they have a truly Europe-wide view.
8.
Tattoo Fest has always been a medium-sized event, focusing on quality rather than quantity,
but for the anniversary edition, the team pulled out all the stops. They finally left the cosy but
creaking Centrum Targowe to relocate the convention to the much larger, brand new expo
centre on the outskirts of the city. This was a risky move not only because of the higher cost,
but also because nobody could predict how the tattoo artists and fans would feel about this
shift away from tradition. However, these doubts proved unfounded once the show got
underway. The modern hall, which is set against the slightly bizarre backdrop of a disused
Communist-era power station, was brimming with visitors from the first minute; a stream of
people which continued over the two days of the event.
9.
10.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
11.
by timur lysenko (on the road)

by max, freedom & pain (russia)
by bartosz panas, caffeine tattoo (poland)
by smee, smee machts (on the road)
by robert borbas, dark art tattoo (hungary)
by pjotr olejnik, evil tattoo (poland)
lenu and gabe
by karolina, primitive tattoo (poland)
by robert borbas, dark art tattoo (hungary)
by ad pancho, rock n roll tattoo (poland)
by tom lennert (germany)
83
12.
13.
14.
15.
The Krakow show marks the beginning of summer and, as the tarmac
around the venue melted in the heat, a large beer garden offered shade and
refreshments, with excellent food to lure people outside. Inside, the air
conditioning kept things at a very agreeable temperature, giving artists and
their clients the very best conditions in which to work.
Krakows strongest point has always been the line-up of artists: the
organisers are fussy and only the best are good enough to take part. They
stuck to their principles this year, and every one of the 260 artists was
hand-picked and personally invited by Aleksandra and her team. She told
me 80% to 90% of the artists are on the list because we know them, or
their work, already. The rest are chosen from new applicants. Their work
must be good, of course, but we are also looking for artists who fit in with
the Tattoo Fest family.
16.
17.
Tattoo Fest is casual and uncommercial. Nobody comes here to make

money, but rather to show off their work, meet old friends, make new ones
and exchange knowledge and thoughts about art and tattooing. It really
does feel like a family gathering! This doesnt mean that Polish tattoo
artists and their clients arent competitive though. The fiercely fought
contests are a highlight of the event, and dozens of entrants vied to be in
the top three in each category.
An absolute highlight of the weekend was the presence of Polish tattoo
pioneer Andrzej Lenu Lenczuk from Tattoo Alien, who is enjoying a
comeback on the convention circuit after three years away (fighting off a
long illness). Other artists at the Krakow show who are highly respected in
Poland included Robert Hernandez, who simply loves to return to his home
soil, Zappa, who is now living in Poland again having spent decades in
neighbouring Germany, and Sebastian Junior. These guys all serve as role
models to the young guns, and happily share their valuable knowledge to
help up-and-coming talented artists on the rocky path to success.
84
18.
19.
20.
Other artists worth noting included Robert Borbas of Dark Art Tattoo in
Budapest, whose style of work fully lives up to the sinister name of Zsolt
Sarkzi's shop; Zmierloki Tattoo, who showcased a more graphic
approach to figurative tattooing; Kuba Kujawa, with his flamboyant
decorative style; Karol Rybakowski, rising star of hyper-realism, and
colleague Domin from Lucky Tattoo; the mighty neo-traditional work of
Bartosz Panas; the nightmarish surrealist tattoos of Tofi and Lukasz
Sokolowski; the humorous images of Luk from Artforce, and Miro from
Skingrafix. All these artists confirmed just how versatile and multi-faceted
the Polish tattoo scene has become.
Poland has really found its place among the great tattoo nations of the
world, and the outstanding Krakow Tattoo Fest has certainly played a
major part in this. More information about the convention can be found
on the events website www.tattoofest.pl
21.
22.
23.
12 & 13. by zmierzloki tattoo (poland)

14. by david rudzinski, theatrum symbolica (poland)
15. by kuba kujawa, bright side tattoo (denmark)
16. by lipa, cikada tattoo (poland)
17. by alex, rock n roll tattoo (poland)
18. tattooed by uncle paul (greece)
19. by miro, skingrafix (denmark)
20. by luk, artforce tattoo (poland)
21. by kosa, speak in colors (poland)
22. by lukasz sokolowski, totootatam (poland)
23. by domin, lucky tattoo (poland)
85
25.
24.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
29.
27.
28.
30.
86
26.
by enzo, ink-ognito (poland)

by timur lysenko (on the road)
by krzystof wisniewski, theatrum symbolica (poland)
by maya, artforce tattoo (poland)
by victor portugal (poland)
by dzikson, wildstyle (poland)
by marcin, bloodline (poland)
88
Text & Interviews:

Travellin Mick
Translation & Assistance:
SANAxxx
enji and Yasuno, joint owners of YK Tattoo,

have been together as a couple since junior
high school; they have tattooed side by side
for ten years and have co-owned their studio for
seven years. In 2013 they relocated YK Tattoo to
Omiya, in the northern suburbs of Tokyo. This was
a clever move as this part of Tokyo is easily
accessible from the city centre and the airport,
making it convenient for their local as well as their
worldwide tattoo clients.
Former tax accountant Kenjis early tattoo

career was much the same as many western
artists: acquiring a starter kit and trying it out
on himself and friends. He was later joined by
Yasuno and they began working towards
becoming Japans best tattooing couple.
Initially, their only achievement was poverty,
but soon their work improved and they
became more and more successful in their
new careers.
Yasuno started tattooing some time after
Kenji, so she takes care of smaller designs and
walk-in customers. Her speciality is incredibly
graceful, feminine Asian-style work. Kenjis
tattoos bring something new to Japanese
tattooing, combining traditional Japanese
motifs with designs from all over Asia, blended
with western-style realistic elements. Like
some of his contemporaries, especially those
in Taiwan, Kenji brings new life and colour to
an art form that had remained largely
unchanged for 200 years.
89
Travellin Mick: Tattooing is still not

really a respectable profession in
Japan, is it? With this in mind, was it
difficult for you to find a studio to
rent?
Kenji Shigehara: Very difficult. Landlords
would assume that I was somehow connected
to gangs. Some tattoo artists actually conceal
their occupation so they can rent studios, but
I wanted to run my business in the open and
with dignity. Luckily, after a long search, we
found premises with an understanding owner.
TM: What kind of clients do you
have there?
KS: All different kinds, because we offer a
variety of tattoo styles, from small one-point
designs to large Japanese work. Amongst our
clientele we have craftsmen, construction
workers, business managers and even
company bosses. Those who go for extensive
work are mainly people who are selfemployed. Recently we have started getting
lots of foreign clients too.
TM: These days you hear a lot about
the difficulties some Japanese tattoo
artists are facing: too few clients, too
much hassle and harassment from
society. What do you think is the
reason for this?
KS: The way Japanese society sees tattoos is
very judgemental. There are No Tattoos signs
in swimming pools, hotels and golf courses.
The media has a tendency to give tattooing a
bad image too. Legislation is very vague; there
is too much room for individual interpretation
of the law, leading to more and more
restrictions. If tattooing was recognised as a
proper occupation, the situation might
improve.
90
TM: Is there a chance this will

happen?
KS: I really hope that the public will come to
accept tattoos, at least a little bit. Perhaps
things will change when the Olympic Games
are held in Tokyo in 2020. Then Japan will have
to welcome and accept more cultures and
customs from overseas, and more tattoos will
be on show.
TM: Can a tattoo artist make a living
in Japan today? I hear some studios
are going out of business...
KS: The balance of supply and demand is not
that healthy in Japan. When I started posting
my work on social media, I was pleased to see
how many people from overseas were
interested in tattoos. Conventions, the
number of people wanting to tattoo and get
tattooed... everything is bigger outside Japan.
However, there are plenty of people within
Japan who love tattoos. We are lucky at YK
Tattoo as we have a constant flow of clients,
so we never go hungry! I believe that as long
as I tattoo with passion and work hard to
improve and learn something every day,
people will want my art work.
TM: Ive hardly ever seen a portfolio
containing as many different styles
as yours. do you think its important
to cater to every taste or is it that
you just enjoy the variety?
KS: Every person has different skin, body
shape, mind and way of thinking. Thats why
each tattoo design should be created to suit
each client individually. I choose the image
according to the clients character. Maybe this
is why my portfolio seems to contain so many
different styles.
91
TM: and you dont just do

traditional Japanese styles, do you?
There is a lot of influence from
Western realism. Can you tell me
how that came about?
KS: After I went to the London Tattoo
Convention I was inspired to include some
elements of colour realism in my tattooing. I
dont really want to tattoo in a single style or
genre. That would limit the flexibility and
range of my work. I have to stay free to
create. I am inspired by Japanese woodblock
prints and paintings by artists like Hokusai,
Kuniyoshi,Yoshitoshi, Kyosai, Jyakuchu and
others, and recently Ive become fascinated by
Chinese paintings too. I can admire art
without knowing who has done it. The most
beautiful thing about Japanese painting is the
subtle way it depicts expression, humour and
grace. I try to put these qualities into my
tattoos. Among Japanese tattooists, two in
particular inspire me: One of them is the late
Horiyoshi II (Tamotsu Kuronuma of Tokyo)
with his bold but sensitive work. He invented
many elements of modern traditional Japanese
tattooing and his work had enormous vitality.
The other is Horiyoshi III (Nakano Yoshihito
from Yokohama, no relation to the former)
whose work is highly expressive and strong,
yet warm at the same time. I felt honoured
when he told me that he appreciates my work
because it combines the styles of Japanese
tattooing with painting. Another tattooist I
admire is Master Horiyasu from Asakusa,
Tokyo for his technical skills at shading and for
his professional attitude.
TM: When a client first comes to

you, how do you decide what tattoo
he or she will get?
KS: I start by talking about why they want to
get tattooed. Large tattoo work takes time
and money and is painful, so I have to make
sure they are dedicated enough for the
project. Then we talk about design, placement,
style and also the meanings behind the images.
A dragon can look rugged, craggy, tough, cool,
friendly and so on. There are many ways to
tattoo any design, so I need to grab the images
that are in the clients head.
TM: You are travelling to overseas
conventions more and more now.
How do you prepare for these trips?
KS: Actually the 2014 London Convention
was only my second overseas visit, so I did
worry about the preparations. When I am at a
convention I have to think in a different way to
when I am at home. Its a great experience
though. The next step would be to work as a
guest artist, if the opportunity comes along.
TM: How do your overseas clients
compare to those at home in Japan?
KS: Compared to Japanese clients, foreigners
have strong personalities and voice their
opinions very clearly! They obviously know
themselves well. [Laughing] Japanese people
are rather shy, but I think they have great
mental strength. Foreign clients often want to
get tattooed for fashion reasons, while for
Japanese people it is more about their inner
self rather than showing off. Remember: a
kimono is often more beautiful on the

inside than on the outside.
TM: Yasuno-San, whats it like
to be married to a tattoo
artist in Japan?
Yasuna Shigehara: Thats hard to
answer because we have always
tattooed together!
TM: Are there differences between
the way you and your husband work?
YS: Probably. My husband is eager to
study and I learn a lot from him. He
can be very strict and sometimes
reminds me to take every single tattoo
seriously, even if its just a little star.
TM: Is it difficult to work and
live together, 24/7?
YS: We don't have an on-off switch
between work and home. Sometimes
we talk about tattooing until late into
the night, but thats how we want it to
be. Its a give-and-take relationship.
TM: and finally, who cooks
and who does the dishes?
YS: Most of the time we eat out, so
there's not much to do at home.
Otherwise, well... I do it, I guess. He
helps me out though... sometimes!
YK Tattoo art Studio
Katou Bld. 2F
3-8, dote-tyou
Omiya-ku
Saitama
Japan
Website: www.yktattoo.jp
Facebook:
www.facebook.com/YKTaTTOO-arT-STUdIO
92
INFOCUS
Ben
In these pages we showcase a small selection of work from a group of artists working together.
This month O Happy dagger, Unit 17, 63-65 Woodside road Chiltern Business
Centre amersham, Buckinghamshire HP6 6aa www.ohappydagger.co.uk
We would love to feature your work, please send examples to:
In Focus, Total Tattoo Magazine, 111 Furze road, Norwich, Nr7 0aU, UK
Paul
Luke
Sophie
Hayley
James
Luco
Hayley
94
Paul
James
Paul
Hayley
Sophie
Luko
Luko
Luko
James
95
CONVENTIONCALENDAR
UK CONVeNTIONS
Nov 7-8
august 14-16
Wolverhampton Racecourse
Holiday Inn Garden Court
Dunstall Park Lodge, Wolverhampton WV6 0PE
www.halloweentattoobash.co.uk
Tatcon Tattoo Convention

Norbreck Castle Hotel
Queen's Promenade, Blackpool,
Lancashire FY2 9AA
www.tatconblackpool.co.uk
Halloween Tattoo Bash
November 14-15
Sheffield Tattoo Show
Open, 20 Bank Plain, Norwich, Norfolk, NR2 4SF

www.norwichbodyartfestival.co.uk
Magna Science Centre, Sheffield Road,

Templeborough, Rotherham
South Yorkshire S60 1DX
www.sheffieldtattooshow.co.uk
august 22-23
UK CONVeNTIONS 2016
august 15-16
Norwich Body arts Festival
robin Hood Tattoo Festival

Cotgrave Welfare Club, Woodview, Cotgrave,
Nottinghamshire NG12 3PJ
www.robinhoodtattoofestival.co.uk
September 5
Ink and art

The Ballroom, The pavillion Theatre
Bournemouth
www.bournemouth.tattoo
September 13
Female Tattoo Show

The Assembly, Spencer Street, Leamington Spa
CV31 3NF
September 25-27
International london Tattoo

Convention
Tobacco Dock, 50 Porters Walk, London E1W 2SF

www.thelondontattooconvention.com
February 5-6
Needle Gangstas
annual Beano
Pride Pkwy, Derby DE24 8XL
www.tattooteaparty.co.uk
March 5-6
The Tattoo Tea Party
Phoenix Way, Off Barton Dock Road, Urmston

Manchester. M41 7TB
www.facebook.com/needlegangstsa
april 3
Ink and Iron

Tattoo Convention
The New Bingley Hall
1 Hockley Circus, Birmingham, West Midlands
B18 5PP
www.inkandiron.co.uk
Arena Berlin, Eichen Strasse 4, 12435 Treptow,

Germany
www.tattoo-convention.de
September 12-13
Galway Tattoo Show

Radisson Hotel, Lough Atalia Road, Galway, Ireland
www.facebook.com/galwaytattooshow
September 18-20
3rd annual Steel City Tattoo

Convention
David L Lawrence Convention Center

located at 1000 Ft Duquense Blvd
Pittsburgh PA 15222 USA
www.shaneoneillproductions.com
Oct 9-11
Florence Tattoo Convention
Fortezza Da Basso
Viale Filippo Strozzi, 1
50129 Florence, Italy
www.florencetattooconvention.com
Oct 30-Nov 1
dublin Tattoo Convention
Red Cow Moran Hotel Dublin

22 Naas Rd, Dublin 22, Co. Dublin, Ireland
www.dublintattooconvention.com
November 1
Tattoo Sunday - Brugge
Studio Hall, Boogschutterslaan 41, Sint-Kruis

Brugge, Belgium
www.brusselstattooconvention.be
april 31-1 May
October 10-11
The Brighton Centre
Milton Keynes Tatoo

Convention
King's Rd, Brighton, East Sussex BN1 2GR

blog.brightontattoo.com
Brussels International
Tattoo Convention
Planet Ice Milton Keynes

Leisure Plaza, 1 South Row
Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK9 1DL
May 6-8
Tour & Taxis, Avenue du Port 86,

1000 Brussels, Belgium
www.brusselstattooconvention.be
Oct 30-Nov 1
Jurassic Coast Tattoo

Convention
Premier Inn Hotel Bournemouth Central
Westover Rd, Bournemouth,
Dorset BH1 2BZ,
www.jurassiccoasttattooconvention.co.uk
liverpool Tattoo Convention

Britannia Adelphi Hotel, Ranelagh Place
Liverpool. L3 5UL
www.liverpooltattooconvention.com
November 13-15
OVerSeaS CONVeNTIONS
august 7-9
Berlin Tattoo Convention
Tattoo convention listings on this page are free. Send your details to
Convention Calendar, Total Tattoo Magazine, 111 Furze road, Norwich, Norfolk, Nr7 0aU, UK
or e-mail [email protected] All details correct at time of going to press. E&OE.
NExTMONTH
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Ink and
bikes are
what he
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97
mugshot
We ask tattooists some probing questions and encourage
them to reveal a different side of themselves!
This month
Sean Fred Hedger

Needle and Fred
What makes you happy?

Kittens, candy floss, puppies, poetry, gimp
masks, flavoured lube and the smell of napalm
in the morning.
What makes you angry?
Finding out some one has napalmed my back
garden.
What was the last book you read?
Does the back of an air freshener count? The
things you read whilst taking a shit! Apart
from that, Chris Kyles autobiography
American Sniper. Great book.
What was the last movie you saw?
The new Mad Max. I loved the first two films,
but this new one is more like Mildly Miffed
Max.
What pets do you have?
I have two pythons called Slithery Steve and
Conker Head Fred, after my very good friend
Steve Hunter and me. I also have a British
bulldog called Ernie, and a right little
delinquent Jack Russell called Helmet.
If you won the lottery what's the

first thing you'd buy?
A highly trained attack ostrich who doesnt
mind getting his beak dirty... Know what I
mean...?
Who would play you in the movie of
your life?
Sloth from The Goonies.
What would your super power be?
Jedi mind tricks, so when someone asks for
tribal I can say This is not the tattoo youre
looking for!
What achievement are you most
proud of?
Deep breath. Serious answer. I lost both my
parents at a young age and Id like to think
that Ive made them proud by being half
sensible at something. Have a deep belief in
yourself and keep surging forward when
everyone else says youll fail. That comes from
my mothers side. My father... well, he taught
me to drink!
What's your biggest regret?
Not starting in this truly wonderful game a lot
sooner. I didnt start properly until I was about
31 and its now turned into a deep love affair.
What keeps you awake at night?

Both ends of my bulldog: his top end snores
like a walrus and his arse end blasts off like
Hiroshima.
What would you eat for your last
meal on earth?
Why, where are we going??? Fillet steak, a bag
of Chewits and a gnaw on my girlfriends
*)%@!
Whats your funniest tattoo story?
Tattooing a guys upper thigh, and when I say
upper thigh I mean I could see the welcome
mat... Welcome mat needs shaving, and I'm dry
shaving it just as someone opens the back
door, so I end up with a gob full of curly clock
springs. Ginger yet tangy!
98
Your favourite tattoo?

The portrait of my mum when she was
younger, done on my leg by my good friend
Darren Stares. Hes still got it!
Whats the best lesson life has

taught you?
That sometimes its a hard day not a hard life.
Keep rolling with the punches and moving
forward, and dont ever listen to the doubters.
Nothing is impossible.
How would you like to be
remembered?
In the papers: MAN SHOT BY ZOOKEEPER.
Zookeeper says By fuck, I thought it was a
rampaging gorilla!
What is your favourite tattoo that

you have done, and why?
My very good friend Ash Wheelers tiger leg
sleeve. Weve struck up a great bond and hes
one of the strongest people I know. Weve
won a couple of awards for it, which is nice.
Sadly time isnt on our side and our tattooing
journey together might be shorter than most
but, fuck me, we are smashing it!
any exciting news you'd like to
share?
The crabs are migrating...
Finish this sentence: Fred is...
... still waiting for his Jimll-Fix-It badge.

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THE UKS FINEST TATTOO MAGAZINE - FOR THE LOVE OF INK

The weird and wonderful world of

The third and final part of

Plus - CONVENTIONS: BRISTOL LEEDS KRAKOW BE INSPIRED BY OUR

Jamess view on the world of ink

The great debate

Jimmie Skuses story

We met this amazing ink-inspired artist

Another fine collection of tattoos

Shares her beautiful work

A show that is hitting its stride

The Polish show that just keeps

Fred Hedger makes his way to the

Cover by Ramon Maiden

Advertising & general enquiries

Adverts and articles appearing in Total Tattoo magazine carry no implied

Images must be high resolution (300) and sized at

All correspondence should be sent to

Total Tattoo Magazine

Total Tattoo Magazine

Total Tattoo magazine No. 131 September 2015

Social Media Manager

Just play. Have fun. Enjoy

Total Tattoo Magazine

Tattoo news and reviews for your delectation and

TATTOO HISTORY FINDS A HOME IN NEW YORK

The museum is open during regular shop

In 2013 Daredevil Tattoo relocated to a new

RIDE WITH SAILOR JERRY

Total Tattoo Magazine

For more about the museum, and the

arTIST WaNTed - electric

MIND THE GAP REMIX

Strange bedfellows perhaps, but French

With one in five Americans having a tattoo these days, its

HTC INK PROJECT

caption gremlins in our Liverpool Tattoo Convention

Our Liverpool Tattoo Convention in

TOGETHER FOR ART, TOGETHER FOR NEPAL

Total Tattoo Magazine

As the global growth of tattooing continues,

Total Tattoo Magazine

An exclusive exhibition of prints and artworks by

FOR THE FIRST TIME ALL PRINTS WILL BE FOR SALE

www.facebook.com (and search for) Xed Le Head fundraising page

Interview: James Sandercock Photos: Phatt German

hatt German is neither fat nor German, as it

Total Tattoo Magazine

Total Tattoo Magazine

When I was very little, my mum already had four

Total Tattoo Magazine

Total Tattoo Magazine

Total Tattoo Magazine

As we chatted about adventures within

including the skin you are tattooing of course,

Total Tattoo Magazine

start all over again. But, for the time being,

Jimmie Skuse is the grandson of Les Skuse, who

Jimmie with Doc Forest