Deb Yarian

And customers often make the assumption that the person booked out the furthest is the best! I used to work in a shop with 6 other tattooists. We were booked according to seniority at the shop. So, inevitably some were booked out further than others. A customer would come in only to be told that Joe is booked out for 6 months and Jim for 3 months and 2 months out for Jay and John but You can get in with Deb TOMORROW! Customers assumed then that if you weren't booked you weren't worth waiting for, usually not taking in to account that Jay only booked 1 appt a day or Jim only worked every other week. People are weird, they like the hard to get, the over priced .

Greg Irons

Remember, as difficult as it may be to believe- there are many people out there who view many of our tattoos the same way. Hand tattoos, necks.

I'm not into the whole treat my customers like they are at a spa experience--- However, i've always felt I don't want them to feel like an ass for paying me at the end of the tattoo either. Sometimes I think tattooing can be like a " trip together" -"get stuck in an elevator together" kind of experience---you are bonded for the time that you are getting tattooed. It can be an intense sometimes intimate experience. But then you come down, the door opens and you go on your way.

A recent thread from a customer's point of view got me to thinking------ as a tattooist, how do you treat visitors to your shop who are also tattooists. Have you been treated well or horribly when visiting other people's shops? I know that the poor treatment that ive received stopping in at a shop has shaped the way That I treat visitors.

It doesn't make me cringe but I don't like the term - leg sleeve

I hope so.

I recently had someone in my chair getting some celtic knot work or something tribal ---not sure- but he said that he looked in my portfolio and was impressed by one of my portraits or something realistic which is he chose me?????? Go figure that motivation. So if someone chooses a traditional artist to do their portrait they can only expect a "traditional" style portrait. Or if they look at a portfolio full of photorealism and get a Sailor Jerry style pin up they are bound to be disappointed. I say that the responsibility lies with them. Perhaps the tattooist should explain what is self explanatory. Remember when Chris Conn auctioned off his time? I dont believe he said what he wouldn't do- just that it wasn't in the best interest of the winner of the auction to choose something out of his genre. in his own words of course ( which I don't remember)

Thank you all for the kind words of encouragement. This too shall pass. Im just a worry wart.

I can't help obsessing over it and my husband/ tattoo partner is tired of hearing about it I'm sure but I need to vent. Some background---- In 2000 my husband and I moved to Alaska and tattooed at a shop in Anchorage. We bought a house in a small suburb ( pop.30,000) about 20 miles from where we worked. About 2 1/2 years ago we decided to leave the shop where we worked and with the blessing of our boss and coworkers, opened our own shop. Our town, Eagle River has a business district just a couple of miles long.4 stop lights. We are off the main drag and fit in with our neighbors, a church, our children's school and a realtor. We keep a low profile but have a good clientele and a good reputation. Well it has come to my attention that a new shop is in the process of opening . A guy and his apprentice. Neither of them live in our town. My issues---- yes, everyone is entitled to make a living but they don't even live here, to my knowledge they've never been in to our shop. They don't care that I have 4 kids or the hard work and $ we've put in to our business .He has a terrible personal history and I can't help but feel like the good rep that we have is now endangered, merely by association. I ve been following his progress through his posts on facebook. I'm not happy

AlannaCa So did you tell him you have tattoos or are planning on getting them? Probably a big weight lifted huh?

Yes there are.

Yes there are

She would be so flattered

could it be bill liberty he was the only one that i recall but that was the 80s also ken cameron had a brother who tattooed in sacramento (area) i dont think either of these guys were old and crusty - then??

I'm no fan of celebrity---- but on the subject of weight----- THIS is the reason I have been dieting my entire life. She is far from chubby( keep in mind that the camera adds pounds) so in reality she is probably no bigger than a size 5 or 8. So, little girls see this kind of stuff and feel like they are too big. I come from a family of chubbier than average women and unfortunately not one day has gone by since I was 10, and put on a diet, that I don't think about my weight.

Anything a person says about somebody with celebrity status, is often perceived as envy or jealousy. But unfortunately for the person who seeks fame---- like those discussed on a different thread( Jonathan Shaw, Gil, Roy Boy, Crazy Ace, Kat etc -- open discussion, judgement and criticism comes with the territory.

Funny side story. I was working at Gill's underground shop in Daytona---- he went out and the the police raided the shop while he was gone--- we all got arrested , our equipment confiscated etc etc etc but the press he got in all the magazines!!! --- I do believe he called---he and Mr Tramp were of the PTBarnum school of thought "even bad publicity is good publicity"! ---- Also, the same shop I was manning the shop alone when Roy Boy and his lady friend came looking for Gil. While there, a group of 1%s from Pa came in----- so what did Roy Boy do? Left me alone there with the group. Someone took one of my machines. A fight went on in town afterward, over my machine. Someone got very hurt. The following year after having tattooed for 4-5 bike weeks in a row-- I cocktail waitressed instead ---in a bar that featured David Allen Coe along with go go dancers Those were dark days. And now roy boy is gone and crazy ace too

The balance and symmetry shown on Tomas Tomas's blog is uncharacteristic for Jonathan---

I think it's just personal preference There was no rhyme or reason to his "tribal" work? It didn't really do anything to enhance the part of the body he was working on and over time it tends to run together

I worked for Gill and one bike week worked with him, Randy Adams, Crazy Ace with the occasional visit from Roy Boy. No offense to any one but it wasn't the high point of my career. Gill really looked up to Mr Tramp--- I think they all fancied themselves "Tattoo Celebrities" Jonathan was just a little more avant gard.