Mel Noir

The Magpies? Haha, as in Newcastle United? You've just been deemed even cooler in my books.

Haha, yeah I sometimes forget about the tattoos on my back! I think the arse is a good place to get tattooed for the size and shape of the place, especially when backpieces go down to there... but I complain enough about healing tattoos enough to have to have a healing one that I also have to sit on!

I'd never get my face tattooed. I think that's a place that's only for tattoo artists to have them, in my opinion. Other than that... I'd never get my neck, soles of my feet, hands (though when I'm old I might change my mind as there'll be no space left!), boobs and anything where my underwear is supposed to be, haha.

I wonder if Ed would have sold the rights to his work if he knew those trainers (or sneakers? Haha) would end up in existence.

I hate websites like that. People who are new to tattooing seem to think it's a fucking tattoo catalogue where they can choose someone else's tattoo for their own.

The best thing about Google+? The fact that notifications pop up when I'm checking my emails. I don't even have to use it that much to still be able to chat to everyone on it! Brilliant stuff.

Nice one mate, haha. To be honest, half of those TV shows are online anyway. I don't know how it is where you are, but in the UK, every BBC, ITV and Channel 4 show is on their website. I don't think I've owned a TV since about 2004, haha.

What I found helps is first finding someone really great you can be tattooed by- then you'll probably realise why you like them, by thinking, "yeah, that guy does a great snake", or "she does a wonderful dagger"- then you could ask them to do something like that, while filling in the space. Worked for me anyway, just today! :)

Well, I've been reading the replies here, and normally I'd probably start to lean towards your ideas of just leaving the whole thing alone, never mentioning it at all. However, since changing my Facebook picture, about six people I know who aren't too knowledgeable about tattoos have asked me what it's about- three of them being people who were going to make appointments at the local studios that aren't much better than Lisa's "school". I wouldn't have normally talked to them (four were people from high school!) so it was cool that that's opened up a little discussion with them and probably saved their skin from the laser treatment place. A silver lining, even if it is a small one, is always good.

There's quite a few, now! Like Perez said, it's not likely to change TLC's mind, but at least if people sign these things and make themselves heard now, they may be discouraged from ever putting out another show like this again.

Along with what's been said, I have to agree with this the most. You'd have the utmost respect from myself, for what it's worth (which I know isn't much, haha).

Ursula, I'm glad you've decided to say "fuck em" to those who you don't think should know certain things. Everyone with an internet connection thinks they're a fucking expert on anything, so it's cool to still have some things out there that you can't find out easily.

I was going to edit my above post, but I can't seem to- boo! Anyway, the lovely DCostello sent me an invite, so I'm online now. Just search "Mel Noir" and you'll see me- feel free to add that. Thanks again, mate!

These are all beautiful! I really love the way one of my friends, Ian Parkin, does lady heads. I think right now this is my favourite. I posted this up on the Inkslingers blog the other week, but more has been added to this, which I saw the other day. I just haven't had the chance to put up the current picture yet. If you check out the blog here you'll see loads more, I even have one of my own from him. Anyway...

Oh yeah mate, for real it's different. I did say that, but I'm guessing you kind of skimmed through when you were reading what I said. No worries, I do that all the time.

Guns in America are SCARY. Here's a drunken picture from me. I've realised that if I'm drunk, whatever I'm reading or listening to really influences what I draw. It doesn't make my pictures any better though, I'm rubbish! I think this was supposed to be a Baphomet figure with boobs, but it just looks like a normal Baphomet.

Haha, I have a print of a painting by a welsh tattooer called Ashley Davis of a rotten dirty hand, that has "ebay" on the top of the knuckles and "hep b" on the lower knuckles. It also says "Scratchers" in a rose on the top of the hand, with "ain't worth shit" on a toilet paper ribbon. That's what you should get instead, haha.

Don't tell them a fucking thing, and don't feel bad for it either, Ursula! You've put too much time and money into getting to the great standard you're at, telling everyone else how you do it would be pissing it all up the wall, in my opinion. Telling everyone how to do what you do wouldn't be much different to the effects this TLC we've been talking about may have, though obviously on a much smaller and less dangerous scale- you'll have loads of people out there putting out bullshit copies and making money from inferior copies of your work. I think you should just stick with what you've been doing so far. :)

Ah but Pat, this could be a social networking site that actually works! Facebook is nothing but trouble for me, I can rarely see things people have said to me half of the time. If anyone with invites wouldn't mind sending one my way, that would be great! My email address is [email protected] . Don't laugh at my email address.

Haha, did you guys look in the mirror and cry while the tattooer said, "do you love it?"? I'm kidding, I think it's really lovely. When I get married, my husband is going to get a huge backpiece of my face, with the words "Mel Noir is a god to you cretins"... okay, no one would really agree to that.

There's an ignore button? That's brilliant, I didn't know about that before- thank you for reminding everyone, otherwise I may not have noticed it. :)

I think that's really cool you got your wife's name on you- after 36 years, it can't be the kiss of death at all! Hopefully, I'll be attending this year! I'm also hoping that a friend's filming schedule will line up with the convention. I'm not sure if it will, but surely I can endure the Megabus to get there. Well, I hope I can endure the Megabus. Actually, I won't, and I'll be whingey until I get there. But hey, it'll be worth it!

I'm really jealous! They're not coming back to Newcastle on their UK tour, apparently due to some fuck up with the promoter. I would have loved to see them! They were the band I ran away from my high school prom to see live, haha.