Publicists?

[ShawnPorter]

I received an email the other day from a publicist trying to get the tattooer she represents on OV.

Does that strike anyone as odd?

I mean, the guy looks like he's a pretty good tattooer, but the weird impersonal nature of it had me scratching my head. That a tattooer has a publicist had me scratching my head.

I guess it's a logical extension of the way tattooing is evolving from craft to 'high art' but... very strange to me.

[Our Endless Days]

that's strange, but awesome for you. OV doing work.

[CultExciter]

Yes, it sounds odd. While, I'm not a tattooer (Ha, that has to be the most used phrase on this forum), I would imagine that most tattooers who are worth their weight don't actively need a publicist getting them exposure.

[Michael Evans]

who knows it might be that way in the future-alot of tattooers have guys taking photos for them now and submitting them to mags,shows etc.

[Hogrider]

I would imagine that most tattooers who are worth their weight don't actively need a publicist getting them exposure.

You don't think that Kat Von D got where she is just on the strength of her work, do you?

[David Flores]

Most tattooers are their own publicist. I can understand to some degree looking to market yourself better. I think the people who do good work deserve all the credit they get, and for the most part well know tattooers certainly are putting out quality work, but we all know how many people are putting out phenomenal work and no one knows their names. Being in the right book, or at the right convention, doesn't take the place of years of hard work, but a few friends in the right places certainly doesn't hurt. .That being said, I only know of one guy with a publicist and it didn't surprise me a bit when i heard he had one if that makes sense.

[CultExciter]

You don't think that Kat Von D got where she is just on the strength of her work, do you?

I don't care how Kat Von D got anywhere. But I would imagine it might have had something to being married (formerly) to Oliver Peck and being an attention whore.

[Abellve]

Man, is that what it's come to?...never mind...yes. It seems like a publicist is someone you hire to speak for you when your work isn't...speaking for you. It's lost on me, this chase for fame. Do good work, make clients happy. I'm not opposed to acclaim but we have to do this for its own sake and if something else comes of it, fine. It should come your way because your work can't be ignored not because you paid someone to see that you're well positioned.

All ubercurmudgeonly ranting aside, good on you for OV being the place to be seen.

Edited July 10, 2012 by Abellve
typo

[Avery Taylor]

I don't care how Kat Von D got anywhere. But I would imagine it might have had something to being married (formerly) to Oliver Peck and being an attention whore.

Kat worked at True Tattoo with Chris Garver, and Tim Hendricks. That is how she got on Miami Ink. She was married to Oliver at the time, but he didn't have anything to do with Miami Ink.

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I received an email the other day from a publicist trying to get the tattooer she represents on OV.

Does that strike anyone as odd?

I mean, the guy looks like he's a pretty good tattooer, but the weird impersonal nature of it had me scratching my head. That a tattooer has a publicist had me scratching my head.

I guess it's a logical extension of the way tattooing is evolving from craft to 'high art' but... very strange to me.

I hate publicists. I hate the word publicist. Everything about that profession is ingenuine and shitty.

[ShawnPorter]

OV is niche and I like it being niche.

The guy's stuff was nicely done by it's just not the kind of stuff I feature. I might have considered it had the artist himself contacted me. But having a third party contact me was weird for me.

Right now OV is me and Jennifer Stell. Eventually I'll have other people helping out, but they have to be people who get it. We're never going to take ad revenue (though for my birthday I'm going to ask for presents. Believe it!) and we're never going to be a general tattoo blog. So it's strange when I get email like that.

[Avery Taylor]

OV is niche and I like it being niche.

The guy's stuff was nicely done by it's just not the kind of stuff I feature. I might have considered it had the artist himself contacted me. But having a third party contact me was weird for me.

Right now OV is me and Jennifer Stell. Eventually I'll have other people helping out, but they have to be people who get it. We're never going to take ad revenue (though for my birthday I'm going to ask for presents. Believe it!) and we're never going to be a general tattoo blog. So it's strange when I get email like that.

I love OV. Keeping it the way that it is perfect. When is your birthday? So I can get a jump start on shopping.

[Androosh]

I agree with Avery. OV is great.

KISS. Keep It Simple Shawn.

[CultExciter]

Kat worked at True Tattoo with Chris Garver, and Tim Hendricks. That is how she got on Miami Ink. She was married to Oliver at the time, but he didn't have anything to do with Miami Ink.

I might add how she got to that position as well.

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I'm sorry. That was sassy. I just am unimpressed (as I am sure most of you are). Tim Hendricks and Chris Garver are, of course, legends. Just sucks when you see media attention deflect capabilities. You can be a rock star tattooer without the rock star persona.

[Avery Taylor]

I might add how she got to that position as well.

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I'm sorry. That was sassy. I just am unimpressed (as I am sure most of you are). Tim Hendricks and Chris Garver are, of course, legends. Just sucks when you see media attention deflect capabilities. You can be a rock star tattooer without the rock star persona.

For me it is mostly just sad. She has earned every bit of shit she gets from the tattoo community. Her persona is embarrassing, and easy to hate. I think that she is just a really insecure person who got caught up in something that she had no idea how to handle. I was getting tattooed at True quiet a bit when she worked there and she was a nice person. She did not act like the idiot she became on tv.

I can't say that I have a ton of insight into it, but I was getting tattooed by Chris when he found out he was going to be on a TV show. I remember the day he told me, and it sounded like a good idea at the time. We talked about the funny shit that happens, and how it would make a good show. No one knew what kind of a shit storm it was all going to turn into. It sounds naive now, but those guys really thought it would be a show about working in a tattoo shop. Now the sob story format has been burned into our brains, but I don't think anyone (besides the producers) had any idea that was the direction it would take. I think that Chris and Tim have survived the backlash of it all because their roles on the show were based on talent and not a persona. Nobody seems to hate Corey Miller either. The producers of those shows were smart enough to know that they needed something to anchor the shows, and give them some credibility. Everyone else got thrown under the bus. But you can't get hit by a bus if you're not standing in the street.

[CultExciter]

If you stand in the rain, you're gonna get wet. It's quite true. Luckily, we have so many incredible people who avoid it like the plague and just continue making incredible tattoos, and remaining incredible people on top of that.

[dari]

But you can't get hit by a bus if you're not standing in the street.

Good one.

[Duffa]

I hate publicists. I hate the word publicist. Everything about that profession is ingenuine and shitty.

I'm a publicist, or have been/had to be in the past. I can see what your saying don't get me wrong, However in mine and others defenses - I work in indie music. There is no (or little money) and you do it for a love and usually because you believe in the project/artist/s and you want to see it and them do do well.

Not all publicists are like this, sure. But not everyone is ingenuine or shitty. I won't take anything on I don't believe in as I can't sell something I'm not passionate about nor would I want to. That and I don't have the time lol.

[Abellve]

See, I get that for music. So much of it is about exposure and broadening an audience. Tattooers having the broaden-your-audience mindset seems foreign to me. I always came up in the mindset that the way to increase clientele is do good work, treat them well and build a reputation organically. Is it slow? Yes but it's lasting.

...But I'm just old enough and just in this long enough to remember when tattooing wasn't entertainment.

[Avery Taylor]

I'm a publicist, or have been/had to be in the past. I can see what your saying don't get me wrong, However in mine and others defenses - I work in indie music. There is no (or little money) and you do it for a love and usually because you believe in the project/artist/s and you want to see it and them do do well.

Not all publicists are like this, sure. But not everyone is ingenuine or shitty. I won't take anything on I don't believe in as I can't sell something I'm not passionate about nor would I want to. That and I don't have the time lol.

I was afraid someone on here would be a publicist. Sorry Duffa. I lived in Los Angeles for eight years, and my experiences with publicists and agents were generally pretty bad. Sweeping generalizations are never good or right, and I don't usually make them. I will rescind my statement now that I know there is at least one publicist in the world that I think is a nice person.

[ShawnPorter]

I think one of the things that struck me was that there was no personal note to me; no "hey, we really dig OV and would like to see (artists) name featured on your blog!".

It was just a "here are lowrez photos for web and high rez for print".

[CultExciter]

@ShawnPorter, that's when you say it'll be this much $$$. Obviously, I hate payola, and am not driven by money either, but sometimes...sometimes my friend...:)

[Hogrider]

I think one of the things that struck me was that there was no personal note to me; no "hey, we really dig OV and would like to see (artists) name featured on your blog!".

It was just a "here are lowrez photos for web and high rez for print".

I don't think there is anything wrong with using a publicist, but this approach is unprofessional and disrespectful to both you and their client. There is a lot of tradition behind the tattooing profession and even when you are trying new things, you have to respect that tradition. This is just amateur hour and the person doing it should be ashamed and embarrassed.

[Our Endless Days]

i think for folks that have their roots in/do mainly traditional americana style tattoos, having a publicist is really fucking stupid. to be honest, i think any tattooer having a publicist is really fucking stupid. as already mentioned, if you do good work, your work will speak for itself. you won't need a publicist. to me, this person sounds like a try hard really trying to bank on the popularity of tattooing and being an opportunist. fuck em.

[kylegrey]

I think one of the things that struck me was that there was no personal note to me; no "hey, we really dig OV and would like to see (artists) name featured on your blog!".

It was just a "here are lowrez photos for web and high rez for print".

Good point Shawn , no one says please or thank-you or even "hey-there " anymore , the internet has made everyone all business and so impersonal . Seems old-fashioned but a little manners still counts a lot .

[Dan S]

...if you do good work, your work will speak for itself...

Here's a card from my file, from like 1978...check out the slogan on it.