Hello all, Boiled Dove here

[Boiled Dove]

I'm from Indiana, grew up a punk rock kid in the '80s and got a couple of really bad tattoos. Stayed drunk and broke for many years so I never got any more. Sobered up in my early 30s and thought about getting coverups but by that time I had two daughters to take care of so I never did.

Through the power of the internet I realized I knew someone who tattooed in a shop in Denver. I happened to work for a company that was opening a warehouse in Denver so I suddenly had a plan. I realize now that what I did next was a bit uncouth but I did not think it through before I asked. I knew my friend through the Butthole Surfers forum and I asked him if he would give discounts to forum members if I happened to find myself in Denver. I realize how uncool that was now, just like someone asking me to spend hours setting up their servers or cleaning viruses off their laptops, but he was cool about it and just told me to come out.

I had a very poorly done anarchy symbol on my arm. This tattoo was done by a guy who made his own tattoo machine using the motor from a walkman and the shell of a ballpoint pen for a tube.

*****I just lost a really long post as the forum logged me out before I posted it. I will do my best to recreate but I'm tired now *********

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So that anarchy tattoo was really, really bad.

After talking with my girls about what would be an acceptable cover up I decided upon a TARDIS. Went out and saw my buddy and he laid it on me, That was my first really professional tattoo and it was a great experience. I was a bit nervous about how much it would hurt as it had been 20 years since I had a tattoo and I was sober now. It was not bad at all.

I found myself headed back to Denver about a year later and I was going to have Martin finish up some stuff around the TARDIS but my wife had different ideas. My other tattoo was one I got on a beach in Ensenada with my ex and she hated it. She wondered why I got the other one covered up first. I got out there and Martin was in a new shop but he drew something up and did some touch up work on the TARDIS.

Now I'm hooked and am looking to really add to my collection over the next few years as I have now learned how good a tattoo can be and I want some awesome, really well done tattoos.

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Guess I should dig up some pics.

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So here is the drawing of the TARDIS over the old anarchy symbol

And here is the finished product

Still need to finish up work on the time vortex.

Edited to use images that I added to the gallery, hope they display better.

[Boiled Dove]

So the other tattoo I was talking about above I got while with my ex-wife in Mexico. We were staying on the beach in a microbus and we woke up one morning to find another microbus there. That guy had a tattoo shop in his van, autoclave and everything. I traded breakfast for a tattoo. I don't seem to have a handy electronic pic of the tattoo, as it was a really long time ago. Anyway, you can kids see the old one here after it has been drawn over, it was a yin yang kinda thing.

And here is the completed coverup

[Boiled Dove]

So I have spent a great deal of time reading this forum and looking around the site. The interviews are just amazing, really loving those. I know the work I've had done is not at the same level as a lot of the stuff I'm seeing on here but it is a damn sight better than what they covered up. ;-)

I am going to hold up some cash to get some new stuff, as I have nothing else that needs covered up, but choices are limited in southern Indiana. We have one guy in town who has done some really nice looking work (I still say that after reading the "what makes a good tattoo thread") named Colin McClain, Colin McClain Tattoos & Artwork

Outside of him I would have to work something into a trip. It is about 6 hours up to Chicago from here and I did buy the family tickets to Riot Fest in the fall so I might be able to work something in then. There is not much listed here for Indiana so I will have to keep looking around.

[Shaun1105]

If you are in Indiana you must go to Black Anvil Tattoo in Fort Wayne. I stopped by there when I was in IN for a conference during the summer - super cool shop. The tattooers there are amazing also. Actually, I'm wearing the shirt I bought there as I type this. I will definitely go back and get a tattoo there someday.

The artist you linked to looks like he does great work too. You'll be in good hands if you go with him. Welcome to the forum, by the way!

[Mark Bee]

So I have spent a great deal of time reading this forum and looking around the site. The interviews are just amazing, really loving those. I know the work I've had done is not at the same level as a lot of the stuff I'm seeing on here but it is a damn sight better than what they covered up. ;-)

I am going to hold up some cash to get some new stuff, as I have nothing else that needs covered up, but choices are limited in southern Indiana. We have one guy in town who has done some really nice looking work (I still say that after reading the "what makes a good tattoo thread") named Colin McClain, Colin McClain Tattoos & Artwork

Outside of him I would have to work something into a trip. It is about 6 hours up to Chicago from here and I did buy the family tickets to Riot Fest in the fall so I might be able to work something in then. There is not much listed here for Indiana so I will have to keep looking around.

If you end up in Chicago go to Great Lakes Tattoo. Currently you could get tattooed by Nick Colella, Mario Desa, Mike Dalton, Erik Gillespie, Frank William, or Matt "Beatdown" Ziolko. That's six killer tattooers right there. Not to mention, it's one of the coolest shops I've ever been in. Check out their work on Instagram. If you have to wait a bit to save up for the trip, it will be well worth it. Good luck with your hunt for great tattoos. This forum is a great resource. And if you ever get a chance to cross the border, come visit The Pearl in Toronto.

[Boiled Dove]

Thanks!!! I will look up both of those shops. I've already heard about GLT quite a bit. I follow a bunch of tattoo blogs on tumblr (you really have to filter through those to not just get a bunch of Suicide Girls style pron though (not that there's anything wrong with that)) and they are in heavy rotation on some of them.

Guess I will have to break down and make an Instagram account. Seems like every good tattooer puts their stuff on there, not that I need another online account but this one will be well worth it. Perhaps I will just drop my Lady Gaga fan club account.

[Mark Bee]

@Boiled Dove If you start an instagram account, look for the thread here - many of us are on it and post regularly. Sometimes tattoos, sometimes travel, always cats.

[Boiled Dove]

Thanks. Found the thread.

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