As some of you may know, I have started a magazine with a few friends and some LSTers who I have connected with over that last few years. This is just a little synopsis of my thoughts on the project. I will be posting a free online edition of the magazine and will have physical copies available for any of you who want one. It is an expression of my experience in tattooing and also something that I have made to give back to those who helped me create this indescribable idea of what tattooing means to me. Thanks, LST. Hope you guys are as excited about this as I am.

I constantly get stuck between wanting to show certain people what tattooing is and letting some people do their own thing. It takes a singular individual to take what you think you know about something like tattoos and embrace a whole different reality. Tattoos are inherently cool and rebellious and counter-culture, yet professional tattooing has so many supporters who are just regular people who happen to have very good taste; however, at the same time, there are those who will show you why you will never be as in the know as they are, and they aren’t afraid to express that. And, rightfully so, because they are the ones who have paid dues and built this house to be what it is today. We owe our coolness and sense of tattooed self to these people, the people who put in hours every day, doing what they love and building discerning tastes and frameworks for tattooing’s progress. As a humble collector and writer, I recognize when some of the more involved people pass on knowledge, and I roll with it, because this culture is tradition, progress, and friendship.

Thank you, 12 oz. Prophet, Last Sparrow Tattoo, and all the tattooers who have influenced my tastes, ideology, and plans for this magazine. All the tattooers who I have gotten work from, I respect you until the end, and I will proudly continue to get tattooed and listen to those who are willing to pass on parts of the puzzle. Stay enigmatic, because that’s what drives me. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.