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Hi Deb thanks for the poetic insight. I feel ya. When I need a good quote, I look to Mark Twain for inspiration. He seemed like a timeless man, full of wisdom when it came to watching the trends of time pass and renew themselves. "The radical invents the views. When he has worn them out, the conservative adopts them". Mark Twain. My father talks of the same changes...having been a biker in the sixties til around the nineties. I remember people pulling off to the side of the road in fear of us coming along side them on the highways in LA. Of course I was just a little one then, wondering in awe, why I saw fear in those peoples faces. I realize now, my pops and his friends looked like demons to them. Now. Well, lets say when I see someone riding by on their new Harley, with their shiney new Harley gear, tassles and all. I know. Its just not the same. Im happy to know the difference. Im happy to have witnessed a small part of the small tattoo clan that existed. The clan has grown for sure. Some will never know what it was like to be disowned from family/friends because of our want to be tattooed/die our hair blue/cut it into a mohawk, fight to show our individuality, in a time when society looked down on us for choosing to go against the norm and follow the life we loved. Quality still shines, even then. Because of quality, mainstream adopted us. Love and respect, Mikki

I recently had a young lady make fun of the awesome eagle on my chest. She also said that people with tattoos just get them to make up for their lack of personality. I told her to get the fuck out of my apartment.

There was a time that I could be pretty sure - that at any given time , I was the only tattooist on a plane flight or at a baseball game or at parent- teacher school open house. That if I met another tattooist at such an event it would be like meeting a former schoolmate while vacationing in a foreign land. What are the odds of that? I remember a time that I could tell , just by looking , that someone did what I did and we shared a common bond and if you spotted one another at an amusement park or a mall- you knew one or the other of you had travelled out of your own territory. There was a time when introduced into the life of a child that they would remember you, for the rest of their lives as the tattooed man or lady. There was a time that when responding that I was a tattooer, when asked what I did for a living - was met with the same awe, disbelief or astonishment as if I had answered that I was an alligator wrestler, an astronaut or in the French Foreign Legion. That was a great time!

Almost my whole life I have always ran with people years older than me so I think I forgot and often times still forget they are older than me, set in their professions, and lots of other variables that I forgot/forget when starting to get visible tattoos. Not gonna psychoanalyze it and I don't regret it one bit, however, do know even living in SF/Bay Area it has limited me in certain cases here and working elsewhere. I do know I've had to and continue to have to prove myself to many people in my profession not familiar with my work due to being "heavily" tattooed. I wear suits to my contracts to compensate for the tattoos though I do have an obsession with suits and think i partially developed it due to the visible tattoos and my work. Bottomline, I totally get the argument and support the argument to get a fair amount of other spots done first. I had to goto other tattooers early on as Scott and some others would not tattoo my hands, fingers, and/or neck until more recently like the last two years or something. My first finger/thumb tattoo was done by I can't remember who around nine years ago. My first hand tattoo which is a small one in between my thumb and pointer finger was done by Tim Lehi around nine years ago at Tattoo City and had a mutual friend of ours take me in-between some of Tim's other appointments. Tim didn't seem too phased by the fact I didn't have my arms fully covered. For my other hand tattoo I went to Zach Johnson when he was at Picture Machine in SF which was a spur of the moment thing. I swung by the shop to hangout with some of the guys there before dinner and one thing led to another and blammo, hand tattoo covering the whole top and missed my dinner reservations. My fingers were also done at Picture Machine except I believe by Iggy and I was pretty well covered on my arms and about half my front done by this time. I went to Nick Rodin when he first moved up here to do my neck tattoos as Scott Sylvia refused to do my hands and neck for many many years though I had almost both arms sleeved and my front pretty well covered in tattoos. I totally respect Scott for his reasons and acted like a kid hiding something from their parents, haha. I remember my heart beating pretty damn fast hoping he didn't ask what I was in getting tattooed that day. For those who don't know they both work at Blackheart so I just acted like I was there getting a regular old tattoo from Nick. I remember when Scott walked over mid tattoo, looked at what was going down, shook his head and gave one of those chuckles/laughs he does. I am very satisfied with the tattoos Nick did and Scott even came over and gave Nick some visual help on the front of the neck tattoo as Nick asked for his advice. Scott has since given in and tattooed my upper knuckles and sides of my fingers. As mentioned above, I don't regret them though know it has limited me and will continue to limit me and/or put obstacles in my way. Yes, Scott and some of the other older friends were right and can say, "I/we told you so".

I wish more shops would consider about tattooing hands and necks, than just giving it out, but it's personal preference on the shop owner's and artist. I am tired of seeing people who don't even have sleeves get the side of the neck or hands done before even getting their legs done. I saw this kid at the mall who had a small tattoo on the side of his face of a cross, and he didn't have any other tattoos. Another example, I saw a kid who had all of his hands and neck done, but no sleeves, it just looked stupid. On personal taste, I think having the side of you're neck looks good if it isn't too huge, and the top of you're hands if you already have sleeves/legs and you're torso/chest/stomach already done. I am still debating if I would get my hands done, the side of the neck unless I was really sure on what I'm doing in the future.

I would love to get my hands and neck tattooed. Here's why I'm waiting/saving them for last: 1.) I've got an entire back, stomach and right leg that are bare. 2.) I'm not in an industry where I can get away with it. (Maybe in ten years if I'm some kind of superstar..) 3.) I truly feel that those spots should be earned, especially if you're not a tattooer. 3a.) Nothing lamer than some dude who only has hand and neck tattoos.. especially when they're tiny. 4.) I have two little tattoos on the inside of my fingers -- they were excruciating. I plan on being extra choosy about who tattoos my hands. And neck. 5.) I live in NY. Tattoos very accepted here but it also means I have to see everyone's half-assed hipster hand tattoos.. which really forces you think about em. 6.) How do you have the balls to walk into a shop with only a few tattoos and ask to get your hands tattooed? I'd be bashful even to ask my tattooer friends right now..

This was something I suggested on another forum, but never saw any progress on it. I plan on getting tattooed every major city I visit, but sometimes I'm unaware of who's tattooing in the area. A map would be awesome.

Thanks for the suggestion, it is definitely something we've talked here at LST. It's currently on our wishlist, and I imagine it will happen in the near future, hopefully not to long after the roll out of the new gallery system.

First episode and already like four arguments including a shove. I'll be watching each and every show. I'm bummed it's the same ol same ol. Lemme guess, youre getting tattooed cuz somebody died? oh what's the story behind your tattoo? Who cares?!!!!! Getting tattooed and tattooers and people in general are interesting enough. No need to fish for a story. I still think it needs to be done taxi cab confessions style. That counter lady is crazy. She mentioned she comes from the corporate world and wanted something a little less formal. The first thing she does is start micro managing and acts like a secretary in an office to people coming into the shop. Lame. The woman tattooer looks like she does good work. The whole not getting respect thing is probably bullshit. Look at women like dawn Cooke, Katie sellergren, and our very own Deb Yarian. If she feels she's not getting respect, I don't think it's because of her work must be something else. All this crap being said, I love tattooing. The good and even some of the bad. My DVR is set. Hopefully we'll get to see some real good tattoos on this show. A little less chattin and a little more tattin.

that chick linda tattoos for oliver in Dallas, i was totally fucking with her while she was tattooing because i thought she was doing her first tattoo on her boy friend and it was facing the wrong way. an hour later when she was shading it i was like"whatever it's the first one it's not like you do this for a living" which i found out ten minutes later she did...totally bummed her out. she has the craziest cover ups al over the place..