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Watched last night. And everyone who said "Stop talking about TLC, stop going ape shit, you're just giving them more power," were absolutely right. This should be the response. This should be the well-crafted answer to their shit show shitshow.. Beautifully done and exceedingly inspiring for us lay people so I can only imagine that it's even more positive for you tattooers. Ten thousand thank yous to Marcus Kuhn and for everyone involved. I hope this sets a new bar.

Hahhha. Fucking funny. Literally, 20 seconds after I wrote the Hail Satan and posted reply, my coworker walked in and said Hail Satan. I need some tissue paper :D

Just got this one done. Manee Friday from Imperial Tattoo in Downtown Portland.

Ok, beer nerds, HOP to it. GET IT?

I liked this 'show'. While I prefer the stripped down no frills technique of Scott's interviews here and the simple monologue/face-to-face chat of Tattoo Age. I think it's great that Marcus has brought a different, more flamboyant element to tattoo media without it turning out like an egotistical vanity project. I like the way marcus is more like a narrator/guide than the 'star' of the show. It feels insightful and respectful and spiritual, regardless of the subjects and setting. If I have a criticism (however small) it would be that it is almost a little too cool sometimes, maybe because I'm a dork and Marcus is tough, handsome and charismatic! I'm looking forward to the rest and I'm stoked that someone with opinions, knowledge and balls is making tattoo media with high production values. I'm sorry to single this quote out as I don't disagree with you per say but I feel that shows like this are probably not and certainly shouldn't be a 'reaction' to bottom-of-the-barrel mainstream coverage of tattooing. Maybe the initial spark comes from frustration at tattooing being mis-represented but I always feel it's best to produce something as pure and high quality as you can - for it's own sake. If you define yourself by what you are not, when you succeed in conquering what you were fighting, nothing defines you at all. If we work to create beauty and strive for quality, the effort is it's own reward. The resulting creation exists to enrich others.

Shit, do we need to start a scotch thread?

for me the easy ones were elbow, shins, inner arm i kind of feel like the people who ask where to get it so it hurts the least shouldn't be getting it at all... like someone mentioned earlier, the least painful place for a tattoo is on someone else!

Ok fine. My name is Pat, I'm 28, from Maryland and am currently working as a copywriter in New York. I've done a fair share of tattoo-related writing and, after a self-imposed hiatus have returned to find that I never should have returned to it and should've stuck with my own advice of letting the tattoo be the truest experience I have in relation to tattoos. I'm getting married in November and eventually would like to move out to the country, mostly because I'm worried I will end up in an institution with a diagnosis of acute agoraphobia and general shitty attitude. I dislike flying, sweating, puffy toilet paper, loudmouths, rudeness, and the breed of Manhattan gentry that are completely clueless and throw money around because they want people to see them throwing money around. I enjoy cool mornings, fishing, exercising when I'm in the mood for it, learning when I'm interested in the subject, traveling (disliking flying hasn't stopped me yet..), especially road trips, Cormac McCarthy's westerns, crime fiction/pulp novels, beer, whiskey -- especially single malt scotches, -- having time to myself, and, of course, tattoos. I enjoy LST much more than I thought I would, especially since I tend to be cynical about computer/internet/technology/people in general. So thank you for that. I've been able to get some fantastic tattoos through LST and am surprised I've made some 'friends'. Smiley face. Or, winking smiley face.

hope this is ok to post, i took a picture from a page in 'outlaw biker tattoo revue' from the early 90's that i bought online some months ago.. tattoo by Ed Hardy.

chris conn and freddy corbin are the only two people i can think of who actually pull off the facetat.

ps. HERE is the tattoo Nikki did on me

Man why do you care so much?You talk about a guy that you should JUST STUDY if you care so much about the world of tattooing.

Yes, not a reaction, poor word choice. You summed it up much better than I did. I only meant that instead of shouting and protesting, the best thing to do is work at and create something positive. That this is the kind of high-calibre production that is, in its way, a kind of quiet "answer" to the other things out there. A wonderfully crafted, thoughtful, artful and very human piece that celebrates the hard work and unbelievable talent that is out there.

"Until The Light Takes Us" is an excellent documentary = )

i watched it again last night with Jackson and i have to admit, i actually got a bit teary eyed. i know it sounds corny, but it's just sooo good, and so relieving to see after all the other shit that has exploited this craft.

I have a book tip for tattoo artists. Up until I became a busy grown-up I was a voracious reader. But as an adult I stopped reading because I get so drawn into my books I don't get anything else done. I used to keep the TV on while I would draw but only crappy tv or boring stuff. Cold Case files was a favorite because it wouldn't distract me and the guy would drone on with the story. I got tired of the mindless TV and had the idea to try listening to audio books. I'm a huge fan now! So far I've listened to War and Peace (64 hours!!!) Moby Dick, The Odessy, In Cold Blood, Wicked, The Jungle... I'm trying to get through some of the really dense stories i never got through in the past. It's really cool because listening to the story doesn't distract from your drawing the way TV can. and I hate listening to music at home because it makes me feel like I'm at work. Plus I get tired of all my music from listening to it at work.

1.) A River Runs Through It 2.) Jumanji 3.) Faith No More 4.) Roller coasters 5.) The Random Picture Thread. 6.) Metallica S&M

I agree Dick & Bush tattoos dont look good.

I give you, The Ramona Lisa

Here are the latest additions. The Tiger is on my wife, the Fudo sword is me, both by Matt Arriola. The Christ is on me by Vinse One. I have three or four sessions left on my back, but Matt is moving to NYC so I won't be getting more work on it until November. All of this work was done within the last two and a half months so now I am broke.

Neil Diamond it is then, MsRad.

I've wasted time on dumber things, to be honest, haha. It reminds me of those iPhone apps that people use to try to figure out what their tattoos will look like. That's really great man, I'm sure I saw some of Niki's work online just today actually! Can't for the life of me remember where now, though. I think it looks great! :)

Christ... this says it all...

Yes. The name also translates to (roughly) Hvis lyset tar oss. Hvis lyset tar oss - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia One of the best black albums. Edit. or doesnt translate. tomato tometo

Woodford is a great one, and while I'm not a bourbon guy so much, Buffalo Trace has really grown on me, thanks to the trusty barkeeps who keep pushing it on me. Rory, I pretty much want to sample everything you listed. "Trouble thread"..

Thread of sins.

I very much enjoyed your list of likes and dislikes hahaha...

Haha, thanks man. :) I know no one will be exactly excited about it until they know it's not a shitty tattooer, but I thought I might as well add this in here, haha :P

So uh... congratulations?!

Hey all, I just posted up a Grez interview from 2010 in the blog section. I'd been thinking of sharing it on here, since the magazine in which it appeared only published a portion of it in 2010. Figured this was an ideal place since so many people will be able to read, learn, share, etc. May be from last year, but it still holds up. Hope you all enjoy, and thanks to the LST admins and the exceedingly talented Grez for giving me the go-ahead. And keep your eyes out for another one... Thanks. Also, make sure to bookmark the King's Ave blog!

Pshhhhhh... Seen it. Rules almost as hard as the man himself. I wish I could have been in his class at UCLA before he passed... Talk about a teacher.

I think some of my fav novels are from Isaac Asimov, Kurt Vonnegut, and I really enjoy old classic novels like 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, and The Time Machine. I read a lot of tattoo referenced books like Bushido, Tattooing from the West to Japan, Invisible Man, and Horiyoshi III Biography is awesomesauce. I am currently working on The Art of Happiness a book about the Dalai Lama, and once in a while pick up this psychology book about science of thinking and personalities behind them. In school right now, so a lot of my books are dealing with programming, database, server related, and theory of computers and software design.

Artwork Rebels is a good shop, Atlas, Scapegoat, Mr. Tattoo, and I am pretty sure that Scott Harrison still tattoos out of his own place. I think that you can contact him through his website SACS AKIMBO!!!. I am sure there are more good shops there, but these are the ones I am most familiar with.

I may have to buy a kindle after this..I like Biographies too,and spiritual/psychology books.One of my favorite Author's is Eckhart Tolle.The Power of Now,and A New Earth were pretty deep books. Amazon.com: The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment (9781577311522): Eckhart Tolle: Books Just read another favorite called.. Amazon.com: Discover the Power Within You: A Guide to the Unexplored Depths Within (Plus) (9780061723797): Eric Butterworth: Books Also Wayne Dyer.. Amazon.com: The Power of Intention (9781401902162): Dr. Wayne W. Dyer: Books My next read is American Conspiracies. Amazon.com: jesse ventura: Books

I'm Shawn. I'm originally from Florida, I lived there until my early 20s when I moved to Philly in 1999 with a girl. Relationship didn't work out, but I fell in love with the city of Brotherly Love and have been there ever since. I used to be totally self sufficient; from farming my own vegetables and hunting my own meat to canning or preserving the results. I could sew my own clothes, et all. 12 years in Philly and I've lost a lot of that. Luckily my Dad moved up here two years ago and already has me helping out with his garden and is re-honing my archery skills. My eventual goal is to move to North Carolina and not wear shoes unless I have to. (and that's not a joke) I'm a foodie, a toy collector (biding my time before I start a Pushead thread on LST) and a nerdy blogger.

Probably the best reason/way to be broke!

I said that recently, then remembered that my entire ass is tattooed. Funny the things you forget sometimes.

i wear ed hardy, because i like to party

But dude if you buy the perfume you get a free handbag!!!!!!!

if you've been around tattoo shops for 30 years i have some questions for you why is your wife doing an apprenticeship now? apprenticeships are for the young. if you're already 50 you're a little to late for getting into the tattoo game. if you've been in the tattoo game for 30 how come you've barely got any tattoos? you said in another post you've put tons of money into tattooing yet when you posted the tattoo your wife did on you there is nothing else anywhere near it. no one gives a fuck that you read a tattoo magazine, anyone can do that. just because you look at pictures doesn't mean you know ANYTHING. you are the same person who said opening a shop in a very small town that already has a very reputable shop it ok because it will "generate industry", if you've been around 30 years you'll know there's already industry in the tattoo world. asking the people on a tattoo forum if a full leg piece on someone who's going to become a tattooer is just dumb. OBVIOUSLY we are all going to say yes go for it because pretty much everyone on here is already or on they're way to the full body look. did you ever think that maybe the reason EVERYONE on here is jumping all over isn't because they didn't read your post properly it's because you're asking stupid and offensive questions

I thought I did answer the original question. Almost every thread you've started here didn't need to be posted. 5 minutes of thought would have answered your own question. There's an 'old' saying regarding people who constantly make 'controversial' threads and posts on internet forums. "Do not feed the trolls" Do you realise that one of the founders of this site makes some of the best tattoo machines available? Do you realise that many forum members and interviewees also make the highest quality machines and other equipment? It's not about you making money, nobody cares. It's about respect and acting professional while asking professionals (and serious enthusiasts) for advice. People come here to discuss topics in an informative and hopefully positive way. It's hard to do that when people ask if a dvd is a good place to learn anything to do with tattooing. Here's an honest tip: There is NO Bob Ross of tattooing. It's also not like Popular Mechanics or Model Engineering where everybody shares their tips and advice to everyone. You can complain all you like about people being smart asses or dicks, but we've all been in the same position. Really, we have. We found our own way, often with help, but we had to earn that help, usually face-to-face. The journey and the self-discovery is what makes the outcome more valuable. I didn't always tattoo in a shop but I found that pretty much anything I could buy from someone who didn't care where I worked wasn't worth buying. I've said too much. I'm going back to not feeding trolls...

do you really want to learn the "secrets" of a tattoo machine from a DVD? honestly, those "secrets" exist for a reason, and are best kept to those who get their hands dirty building them. if you, or your wife, or whoever wants to know about the different parts of a machine, it's probably best to ask in person, to an artist you know or trust(or in the case of your wife, to the person/shop who's apprenticing her). and if it's about maintenance, i'm sure those who have actually made the machine can give you tips on how to best clean and take care of it. learning anything about tattooing from a dvd or online course feels a bit like replying to one of those ad's that used to be on the back of MAD magazine, where you could enter a drawing test to win free drawing lessons and a certificate stating you won. just because you can draw cartoon bear or turtle doesn't make you an artist. i'm sure others will chime in on this.

I got this Baphomet head from Tim Lehi last month. Why? Easily my favorite tattooist, and I think he understands what I am going for. He has tattooed me a few times and always gives me suitable tattoos for me, like he knows me, ha.

"If you come at the king you best not miss" - Omar

did someone say ANDREW WK?!?!?!?!

The outer forearm, the top of the thigh, and the outside of the thigh have been the easiest spots for me so far. I was getting my ribs tattooed a couple of years ago, and the girl at the booth next to where I was asked her tattooer about the least painful spot for a tattoo was and his very deadpan response was "On someone else."

hmm.... i think outer forearm was pretty pleasant, chad koeplinger did that one, same with my knees. they were ok, some nasty bits like with everything else but fairly ok. front and side of thighs are always a nice easy spot, ive not got the back of them done yet so not excited about that recounting my customers reactions but its all gotta get done at some point! kinda sad my lower legs are complete i thought that was always an easy area to get done.

Ben, Watchmaker Thats funny, haha. "Dammit Jim i'm a tattooer not a watchmaker" (says like bones from star trek)...