Ed Hardy or Ami James

[Bubbleberry]

Ok, here is the pattern as far as I see it.

Ed Hardy is an amazing artist, but he was virtually unknown outside the world of tattooing for a long time.

Ami James (and all the other reality guys and girls on varied shows) introduced tattooing to the "normal" folk, and it became accepted as part of main stream society.

So who has had a greater influence on the world of tattooing - as a whole ?

Remember most of the people who buy Ed Hardy merchandise will never be tattooed, and while his images are iconic, there is more non Ed Hardy tattoo clothing that there is stuff produced by his companies.

Has he had a greater impact on fashion that he has on tattooing.

Did reality TV start the growth, or did Ed Hardy ?

Did Ed Hardy pick up where reality left off?

How do you see the story and when and where do you see it ending???

[rleger]

Ed Hardy, hands down, in my opinion. I remember the first "fine art-tattoo" exhibit that I went to. It was in L.A. about 1991. That alone predates any tattoo reality show by a long shot.

Also a much better tattoo artist in all aspects of what that means to me.

[rleger]

also, as far as the growth part of your question, watch the Kore Flatmo interview.

[Bubbleberry]

Also a much better tattoo artist in all aspects of what that means to me.

For the record I agree with that, hands down, just before this thread gives someone a heart attack lol

[Bubbleberry]

I watched it, but will give it another shot, they are all VERY cool !

[Joe Shit]

I don't think you can put Ami in the same arena as Ed Hardy.As far as i know Ed was one of the first American's to be doing big Japanese work.He was a big influence to a lot of tattooers years before Ami was born.I remember when Ami was tattooing in NY for a little while and wasn't impressed with his work.I don't think many people even heard of Ami until he got on TV.His work wasn't good enough to put him in the spotlight,but being on these shows certainly did.

[ian]

you watch too much TV...

[Bubbleberry]

My question really is, reality tv or ed hardy - biggest impact?

[Petri Aspvik]

Without Ed Hardy there wouldnt have even been reality tattoo shows.

[Mel Noir]

I'm going to ho off the fence into Ed Hardy's corner, here. I get what you're saying, though I think Ed Hardy's been a lot more influential. From my perspective, anyway. I don't own a TV (I'll admit I've seen one episode of Miami Ink.. maybe two of LA Ink?), yet adore tattoos to the point where I'm making a living writing about them. Furthermore, I could look at a tattoo from Ed Hardy and know it's by him straight away- can't say the same thing for Ami James. I'm fairly sure I'm not the only person with this perspective.

[hawk]

It took the Village to raise the Child of tattooing we see today.

[Valerie Vargas]

uggggnhhhhh

[Joe Shit]

uggggnhhhhh

You win for the best reply.

[Deb Yarian]

Ami James for influencing the middle aged lady that works at the convenience store down the street and all the girls in my son's high school football team

and Ed Hardy for influencing me.

[BoMcConaghie]

this post makes me sad. Debs however does not.

[Stitch626]

Unfortunately I'm a young-un All I know of ed hardy is that he's one of the beginning artists who now all you see or hear of him is on merch. Ami I know some what more of, and I can kind of thank him for bringing back my will to draw again. I give respect to the "men of old" as is due, but to see his stuff every where like common flash, kinda depressing what we've combined both ami and him into. Guess I'm tryin to say its sad to see it (tattooing) so main streamed.

[Bubbleberry]

Ami James for influencing the middle aged lady that works at the convenience store down the street and all the girls in my son's high school football team and Ed Hardy for influencing me.

What she said

[Deb Yarian]

Oh there aren't any girls on my son's high school football team:o

[Paul Shachtman]

This question stupefies me almost as much as the actual video I watched last night of two nineteen year-old Ukrainian dudes slowly bludgeoning an innocent 48 year-old man to death. (Google "Dnepropetrovsk Maniacs Murder Video", if feeling particularly intrepid.) It disturbed and nauseated me. With all due respect, for Christ's sake, do your homework. Read, study the tattoo aesthetic for a decade or so, then reconsider your question. I personally can't wait for "Tattoo School" to debut. It looks hott and hopeless.

[Paul Shachtman]

At the same time, I must admit Megan Massacre's contribution to Inked Magazine obliterates what Hardy Marks Publishing has accomplished.

Put the fucking crackpipe down and find someone to teach you something. If an idiot like me can develop somewhat of an eye for tattooing, anyone can. I had no idea what I was doing when I first started getting tattooed (hence, 36 laser removal sessions). However, when Adam Ciferri kept shoving Jerry flash books in my face, I listened. When he strongly suggested I get tattooed by Mike Malone, I did. When he showed me Greg Irons' flash, I looked at it, even though I didn't get it. Ami James? I'm not here to shitbag anyone, but if you asked him to compare his contribution to the evolution of American tattooing to Hardy's, his eyes would look like saucers. They sure as fuck better. Dude's making money. That's it. You see all that aboriginal-derivative "tribal" imagery adorning motorcycle tanks and douchebags' t-shirts? Thank Ed Hardy, Mike Malone, and Leo Zulueta for that. How do I know this? I read it in a Malone interview, in which he bemoaned the fact that no one knows this shit. Ami James is a "tattooer." Ed Hardy is arguably the greatest tattooer in American history. Period.

Wanna see real tattooing? Buy Kuronuma's "Horiyoshi's World." Zeke Owens, Jerry, and Hardy all pored over any 5x7 photo they could get of that guy's shit. He's the greatest tattooer I know of.

I need to leave the coffee alone.

[Bubbleberry]

So I guess I am learning that I need to learn, A LOT.

I watched some of Shawns videos and have to admit that I was impressed by Ed Hardy, he is not at all how I imagined him. Tattooing really is a world that I thought I understood but the truth is that I was clueless to the complex contradictions that exist within the industry.

I thought being around it for years gave me an insight, but even last night talking with people who have tattooed for nearly as long as I have lived, I realise that that tattoo "scene" is different from country to country, city to city, state to state.

I also realise that its possible to enjoy one part of a person and dislike the other, which is in itself a contradiction.

Jeez, how did tattooing get so complicated?

[Old Rose Tattoo]

So everyone in this thead is talking about Ed Hardy or Ami James. Tv Vs. Ed Hardy. The thing is Ya Ed Hardy took tattooing to another level by being one of the first Americans to do Traditional Japanese, but what about everyone else around that time that helped make tattooing what it is? Sailor Jerry was the first to bring purple pigment into tattooing, Sailor Jerry took Ed Hardy under his wing. I highly recommend everyone on this board to watch Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry. The full movie is on youtube. But other that Jerry, Lyle Tuttle, Bert Grim, Philadelphia Eddie (Crazy Eddie), Mike Malone, Stony Sin Clair, Gil Montie, all these guys helped take tattooing to a whole different level. The reality TV crap helped to bring tattoos to the main stream and be more "acceptable." But really is that what the world of tattooing wanted? I think if tattooing was meant to be in the main stream and acceptable it would have been a long time ago.

Lyle Tuttle says it best " Tattoos arent meant for everybody and they're too goddamn good for some people." I believe in that statement very much. Being a Tattooer myself, I dont do this for the money or to be famous. I do it for the love of the art. A lot of the TV personalities want to get rich and famous, There are a few that do it because of the art. Tim Hendricks, Megan Massacre, and Cory Miller are some of the few that I can name that do it because of the art not for the money. Kat Von D does very good work, but i think now shes in it for the celebrity and money. Otherwise why would she be writing so many books, having a clothing line, doing a make up line etc. Dont get me wrong I am a fan of her but thats just my observation.

So to some up my rambling I think that Ed Hardy, Sailor Jerry, Lyle Tuttle, Bert Grimm, Crazy Eddie, Gil Montie, Mike Malone, and Stoney Sinclair all had more influence than the Reality TV shows.

[Mark Bee]

I watched one of those reality shows. Once. That was plenty.

[Graeme]

PLEASE we don't need to resurrect old Bubbleberry threads.

[Killercook76]

definitely Ed Hardy!! He was one of the first people who started large scale Japanese tattoos in the U.S. I think eventually it would have happen with or without Hardy. Clothing line or not no one can dispute how hugely his influenced modern day american japanese styles..

Ami James has talent but the success of the show and everything he didn't do alone.. Garver, Hendricks, etc. I think the show did a lot of positive things but also some really negative as well. I will not trash talk anybody's shop.. i'll just leave it at that!!