Hello from Philadelphia

[ShawnPorter]

I sort of jumped the gun and went directly to posting without an intro. So... that said.

Hiya. I'm Shawn, from Philadelphia by way of Florida. I'm a collector (pretty much of everything, but forum relevant in that I also collect tattoos) who's spent the majority of my life fascinated by tattoos.

I got my first tattoo when I was 15 and my most recent tattoo last week. Thats 21 years of my 36 getting worked on. Big ones, small ones, good ones and bad ones.

These days I tend to lean towards more eccentric design choices (I have a portrait of myself as a turkey. Just saying) by people I love over getting random tattoos. If I wouldn't call you a friend I wouldn't be tattooed by you; that's how it should be.

Otherwise, I'm kinda boring. I hang out with my girlfriend. I watch an unacceptable amount of cinema per week and I maintain a ass-ton of blogs, ranging from my Pushead collection to a cooking blog.

I'm dang glad to be here.

[Lochlan]

Sounds like you'll fit right in from the tattoos to movies to food to ????. We do lots of eating and cooking as well for that matter. Thanks for the introduction and welcome!

[AlannaCA]

welcome shawn!! like lochlan said you'll fit right in here! feel free to add your thoughts to our food and drink list thread. i was reading your entry on the palm tattoos thread and i love the pictures! Awesome work you have there!

[jinxproof1996]

check out olde city tattoo on 2nd near the kyber and topper at the 4th st philadelphia eddies location.

[ShawnPorter]

I started getting tattooed at Olde City in 2000, though I haven't really done in since Hoffman moved on. I'm fairly sure I met Topper through Wilson when he was in town years back. Seemed like a nice dude.

[dari]

Hello Shawn,

Nice to meet you. I've been enjoying your contributions here on LST. I live in Oakland, but I'm a Philly girl at heart. I was also at the Philly convention, but it was so crowded and narrow-isle'd, I never made it to the back until everyone was breaking down. Here's a pic of my new outline, we didn't color it in yet because I was being such a baby, lower rib tattoos are truly not a good time. Sorry it's backwards, but I'm pretty sure you'll get the idea. Also, I was jumping around, but I swear the lines are much clearer than the photo shows!

[ShawnPorter]

Hello Shawn,

Nice to meet you. I've been enjoying your contributions here on LST. I live in Oakland, but I'm a Philly girl at heart. I was also at the Philly convention, but it was so crowded and narrow-isle'd, I never made it to the back until everyone was breaking down. Here's a pic of my new outline, we didn't color it in yet because I was being such a baby, lower rib tattoos are truly not a good time. Sorry it's backwards, but I'm pretty sure you'll get the idea. Also, I was jumping around, but I swear the lines are much clearer than the photo shows!

When I tried to go to the convention on Saturday and there was a line for the line.... I knew the aisles would be killer. I've been to enough conventions in my day to know when to cut bait.

We have an unofficial afterparty at my bar every year so I still get to see a lot of out of town friends. I hope Troy sees how big his baby is getting and moves it to the convention center next year.

And I love the 215. As a transplant.. I didn't know if a Philly tattoo was appropriate, as I have no Florida tattoos. Then I said f' it and got PASS and STOW tattooed on my hands. I visited the Liberty Bell on my lunch break five days a week for 6 months. It seemed appropriate.

[mattyrunks]

Right on Shawn...welcome to Hostile City...I work at Kadillac Tattoo in the Manayunk neighborhood of Philly.. I also have enjoyed your recent posts..The guy I work for has a lot of those Higgs tats from that article you posted..feel free to stop by the shop if you ever come up Manayunk way...there's tons of good cats in this town..Topper is the man, J and Marty and Steve and all at Olde City...Dave ,Hoode and Eric at Black Vulture...and we do our fair share of good stuff in The Yunk...hope to meet ya in person one day soon..peace man..

[ShawnPorter]

Wilson did my foot at one of the Kadillac locations 6 or so years ago but I don't think it was the Manyunk spot. I need to post about that in the war stories forum cause it was a f'in doozy... after hours foot tattoo in a closed shop and we ran out of nitrile gloves.... it ends badly. Haha.

I've been in Philly since 99, btw. I'm just a hermit who rarely does anything social.

[dari]

When I tried to go to the convention on Saturday and there was a line for the line.... I knew the aisles would be killer. I've been to enough conventions in my day to know when to cut bait.

We have an unofficial afterparty at my bar every year so I still get to see a lot of out of town friends. I hope Troy sees how big his baby is getting and moves it to the convention center next year.

And I love the 215. As a transplant.. I didn't know if a Philly tattoo was appropriate, as I have no Florida tattoos. Then I said f' it and got PASS and STOW tattooed on my hands. I visited the Liberty Bell on my lunch break five days a week for 6 months. It seemed appropriate.

Lines for the elevator super sucked when I was just trying to get me and my 2 kids back to our room. They definitely need to have a bigger, and more than one, entrance and exit, I'm surprised the fire marshall hasn't objected yet.

Where is your bar? After the convention, I was staying with a childhood friend on Katherine and 3rd, not far from South St. I didn't go out much at night, just walked over to Horizon restaurant as it belongs to another friends' brother. What neighborhood do you live in?

I've seen a few Liberty Bell tattoos, but Pass and Stow is rich. But 5 days a week for 6 months? Are you a man of mystery, or can you tell us why the Liberty Bell had such a strong pull for you?

[ShawnPorter]

Lines for the elevator super sucked when I was just trying to get me and my 2 kids back to our room. They definitely need to have a bigger, and more than one, entrance and exit, I'm surprised the fire marshall hasn't objected yet.

Where is your bar? After the convention, I was staying with a childhood friend on Katherine and 3rd, not far from South St. I didn't go out much at night, just walked over to Horizon restaurant as it belongs to another friends' brother. What neighborhood do you live in?

I've seen a few Liberty Bell tattoos, but Pass and Stow is rich. But 5 days a week for 6 months? Are you a man of mystery, or can you tell us why the Liberty Bell had such a strong pull for you?

I live in South Philly, just off of Snyder. It's a great location. Little 'hood, but my house only cost me $100k so screw it, I'll own it in no time.

I'm a 10 minute walk from Ikea, Target, Best Buy (all east) and the Italian Market (north).

My bar is in the gayborhood, off Walnut. It's a.... niche.. bar, but totally fun and worth leaving my real job for last year.

My Liberty Bell obsession came from having an hour lunch break every day and working 3 blocks from the Bell. I'd take my breaks there every day... grab some street vendor food, lay out a towel during the summer and take my shoes off and just enjoy the tourists and the scenery. I had just recently moved to Philly then, and the Bell just sort of became a symbol for everything I loved about the city.