Latex Allergies and bad ideas.

[ShawnPorter]

I posted something about this in the intro forum, but I figure it's more appropriate here.

I first met Mike Wilson when I was a teenager. I think 16. He was a few years older and not yet tattooing. We became friendly, and as he moved from apprentice to tattooer and I moved from little pieces to big, he started doing the occasion piece on me.

My second tattoo from him was a back piece. Outlined and shaded in one bigass session.

But years later.... after I moved to Philly.. Mike did my foot.

He was guesting at Kadillac tattoo and dropped his business card in my mail slot when he got into town. (Not much of a texter back then, apparently. hah)

So I head up to Kadillac and we decide to do a Free Mason monkey with banana pentagram on my foot. He draws it on, Eric closes up the shop and heads home.

He's about 3/4 of the way done when he realizes theres no more nitrile gloves left in his box. Or in the shop.

It's after midnight, and there's no drug stores open to buy new gloves.

And I'm very allergic to latex. Like hospital allergic.

So we're racing the clock to finish the tattoo without having to change gloves one last time. We discuss finishing it the next time he visits. We discuss what would happen if he wore a latex glove.

Finally... when changing gloves became an absolute necessity...

We wrapped the fuck out of his hand with paper towels and prayed to god I hadn't made any bad lifestyle choices in the last few months.

15 years of friendship made us a little more comfortable with the bad idea that we were doing.

[Petri Aspvik]

Then what happened?!

[ShawnPorter]

I think we went to an all night Dennys and had dinner.

[Petri Aspvik]

OK :D I was expecting a scene out of Toxic Avenger...

Wait, they ARE in a diner in that scene!!

[maxx1221]

Thats a pretty crazy story, I'm sure you'll always remember that one! I'd love to see that foot too, sounds like a rad piece!

[ShawnPorter]

I'll snap a picture of it when I get a chance. about a week after he tattooed it he did a painting of the design. I think I have that saved somewhere too.

[Deb Yarian]

So Shawn are you from Daytona or Jacksonville?

I met Mike when he had just started apprenticing.

[gougetheeyes]

Then what happened?!

You had Petri on THE EDGE OF HIS SEAT! Hahaa great story though dude.

[Petri Aspvik]

You had Petri on THE EDGE OF HIS SEAT! Hahaa great story though dude.

Fuck yeah :D Captivating shit, man.

[ShawnPorter]

So Shawn are you from Daytona or Jacksonville?

I met Mike when he had just started apprenticing.

I'm from Plant City, Deb-

I went up to Daytona to get tattooed by Aitchison and Wilson was at Cindy's shop just hanging out. He was closest to my age so we just sort of clicked.

[ShawnPorter]

I'll snap a picture of it when I get a chance. about a week after he tattooed it he did a painting of the design. I think I have that saved somewhere too.

He painted this from a photo of my foot. I think a week or so after the tattoo.

[peonyfish]

I like how this story end with going to Denny's. That is a happy ending.

[Ursula]

I know that painting! Neat to hear the story behind it. When I first met my fiancé he had a painting he did based on that painting Mike did and I always liked it. Oh tattooing, how small of a world yet how large. When I saw Mike's tattooing I knew I was ready for a back piece.

[slayer9019]

damn that's a lot of trust!

[ShawnPorter]

To quote Wilson.... You can't get jungle diseases if you live in the jungle.