Scott Sylvia

DJ Rose and Chris Lain are interviewed by Jeremy Swed and Brian Bruno at Abosolute Art tattoo studio in Richmond, VA, during November of 2014.

Keet D'Arms of Southern Star Tattoo in Atlanta, GA is interviewed by Jeremy Swed and Brian Bruno for LST in a hotel room at the 2014 Richmond, VA Tattoo Convention.

Mike Wilson is interviewed by Jeremy Swed at the Inksmith and Rogers Atlantic blvd shop during fall of 2014, late at night.

I first met Mike Rennie when he moved to Jacksonville, Florida to work at Inksmith and Rogers. We then became quick friends over late night drinks and riding in the midnight toucher. A short time later he moved back to Richmond, Virginia to start work at Absolute Art. Through Mike, I met and became friends with Brian Bruno; a tattooer at Absolute Art. These two guys are a couple of my favorite tattooers. They may have their own styles, but one thing remains the same; and that is their passion for this industry. When I am around these two watching them tattoo or listening to them discuss the history of it, it makes me excited about tattooing all over again. Hopefully this interview will give you some insight on their personalities and also how amazing their shop is. One thing is for sure, and that is, no matter how many times you come and go from their shop, you will always find something new and interesting on the walls. -Jeremy Swed

I first heard the name 'Uzi' from a couple of snot nosed, drunk crust punks named Alison and Adam, who kept coming around Spotlight Tattoo and lived out of a nice craftsman home they turned into a shithole around the corner from the shop. They had these really bold, well designed tattoos, but what made them stand out was a little bit of flair, a certain sensibility to the girl heads, a touch that most tattooers doing traditional work never seem to find. I imagined some scrawny Israeli hipster kid, who thought calling himself Uzi would be clever. Then one day on the porch of said house, drinking and hanging out, I remember asking 'who's that Mexican biker dude over there? He looks pissed...' 'That's Uzi' was the reply. Years have passed, I think Alison became a Mormon, and Adam... Who know what happened to that kid. But Uzi's still with us, and in the odd case you don't know, he's kicking some serious ass in the tattoo department. Miguel has taken American tattooing in, processed it's strengths completely, internally combined it with his other visual influences (people like R. Crumb, Jim Phillips, Tex Avery), and has projectile vomited out a tidal wave of neon colored, in your face, next level All-Native-American Awesomeness. And when I say Pro-jectile, what I really mean is Pro-lific! This dude draws and paints like it's goin' out of style. If he doesn't have 100 sheets of flash under his belt by now, I'm a monkey's uncle. Along w a few other choice heads, like Aaron Coleman and Danny Reed, Uzi has truly moved the big unwieldy steer of 'Traditional Tattooing' into new pastures. This has been done the old-fashioned way, with a lot of elbow grease and a little of that most rare commodity in today's world: Creativity. He's a key player in the new movement, and is now being imitated not only by all the new snot-nosed crust punks on Instagram, but has come to rub-off on damned near all of us. And personally, I think tattooing is better for his influence. The lessons Uzi's tattooing has to teach are useful: how to turn the most wacked-out, Mad Magazine idea you can think of into a strong tattoo design that works. How do you molest people to into wearing them? Paint tons of it up to show them! Simple as that kids, yet don't be fooled! Miguel makes it look easy, but that's because he's mastered his game, not because it is. After spending a little time in Southern California at Dark Horse Tattoo and Port City Tattoo, Uzi has once again taken up residence at American Graffiti in Sacramento. Just like he and I, this interview is now a little old, but I like it and it all still rings true. Party on Brother, This Bud's for You, Miguel! Bryan Burk

Interview by Jimmy P. With the ease of information now that comes from basically having a supercomputer in our pocket, it seems strange to think of a time when we were "floored" by anything visually. I can vividly remember the first few times I saw Robert Williams artwork. The impact it had on me was instant and overwhelming. I didn't exactly know what would come from being exposed to this powerful, outrageous, wonderful and over the top art, but I could tell, even at that age in my life seeing it was the beginning of something that was going to help shape my artistic and aesthetic vocabulary forever and although his art specifically didn't pave the road for 90's era tattooing and tattooers it damn sure helped clear the forest. Immaculate Tattoo's Aaron Coleman is the kind of tattooer whose art hits the viewer like a lawsuit! It's no coincidence that the "low brow" art movement of the early 90's, spearheaded by Williams, and nurtured by other artists like R.K.Sloane, Ed Roth, S Clay Wilson and XNO, along with teenage angst and punk rock was a driving force in the artistic education of Mesa Arizona's finest. Throw a little Bob Roberts,Ed Hardy and Dave Lum into the mix as Aaron's early and constant tattoo glossary and one can easily see how this beast was born. We've all heard the term "A tattooers tattooer" but he is truly that. One of the most prolific artists out there, he produces countless huge tattoos including multiple body suits, back pieces, and sleeves every year. Besides tattooing, he is constantly making piles of flash, books, posters, skateboards, shirts ,etc he DOES NOT STOP! Aaron's work ethic is serious and when you are around him you can tell he's compelled, almost possessed to draw. A fantastic artist and a great guy with a keen wit and sharp sense of who he is and what he wants his tattoos to look like. I first remember seeing Aaron's work around 1993-1994 in the Phoenix area on local folks at punk rock shows and the tattoos he was doing even then were super powerful, bold, electric, sometimes even skateboard graphic-like. Since then I'd seen his stuff everywhere, from show flyers to flash books and flash hanging in nearly EVERY shop i've ever been in. His work blew me away then and I knew I wanted to get tattooed by him. Years later I did, and it was the beginning of a great friendship. Anyone who meets Aaron loves him and if you know him or his body of work you probably feel, as I do, that the world needed an interview with this art-mutant. So, needless to say I was honored to sit down and have a conversation with a guy that puts out more work in one month than most of us do in a year and makes it look so easy while doing it. Thanx for EVERYTHING Aaron, I hope you dig it! Keep amazing us. Jimmy P

People throw around the terms "godfather" and "king" all too much in reference to tattooers. Don and Deb Yarian however deserve more than a grandiose title. I see them in a protective honorable roll in tattooing tied deep in tradition and history. They are not lost in overnight hype or international stardom. Instead they tattoo in a real shop and have taught all of their kids to tattoo. Keeping it a family tradition that seems to work so well for them. This is why I refer to them as the mother and father of tattooing in our times. I have had so many great interactions with them and always leave feeling better than I was in the beginning. People like this are attractive to me. It becomes infectious. Good will and good intentions go far in this world of struggle and savagery. I am so grateful for the time they gave me to do this. It was my first time interviewing a couple. I enjoyed the story so much and am glad that the world can hear it now. I'm sure it will be a better place every time it's sounds bless the air. Thank you in the most humble and grateful way to Don and Deb. I hope you find this as great as I do. -Scott

Me and Jeremy have been friends for a while, and I was fortunate enough to get the chance to do this interview while he was doing a guest spot at our shop. Jeremy is a very talented tattooer - he is from an era of tattooing when you didn't specialize, which makes him incredibly well rounded. He has the ability to do amazing black and grey and then do a perfect traditional tattoo, all the while being able to handle all the modern requirements of contemporary tattooing. You shouldn't miss out on this man. If you have the opportunity to get tattooed by Jeremy, you should definitly jump on it. Thanks so much to Jeremy for doing this interview, and my apologies for this taking so long to be put up! I hope you all enjoy this and I'm sure his character will come across as well. -Scott

When I was asked to interview Scott, it didn’t occur to me that I would have to write an introduction as well. I had heard of Scott Sylvia from very early on in my career. I was really green at the time and coming from Chicago, the SF tattoo scene seemed light years away. I watched for his tattoos and flash in magazines and read articles on the shops he was apart of. We met in 2007 in Salt Lake City through our mutual friend Maya. We did some arm wrestling, shared a few meals and really had a blast that weekend. Later that year I was asked to fill in at Blackheart for a few days and Scott and I have been close ever since. To me, Scott Sylvia is a tattooers tattooer. He's helped define and shape a generation that is now taking on a senior role in tattooing. He builds great machines and has a work ethic that’s hard to match. I’ve always respected his work, but I feel a great bond with him because of who he is. Being around Scott helps make you a better person. He's as real as they come. He's lived a lot in his life, has seen many things, still struggles with things and through it all keeps trying to be good. In a business where it's a lot easier to be a jag off, Scott Sylvia is a stand up man. He's an amazing father and husband, both of which dominate his life. His insights on even the smallest things have helped me immensely in my career, my marriage and my business. He is one of those guys that people seek out just to be around. The guy at conventions who everybody makes sure to say hi to. So here it is the Scott Sylvia interview. I think I was just as nervous as Scott was. We decided to do it in a place where he felt the most comfortable; at his work space. I was very honored to interview Scott. He is a man that I respect and look up to. I'm sure you'll enjoy this as much as I did. -Nick Colella

Interview by Ryan Spangler. Growing up in Omaha, I heard Dick Warsocki's name often when the conversation turned to tattooing. I kinda knew Dick as this guy that worked at Tattooland and came back to town. Growing up, I remember seeing Dick's script on customers, and it blew me away. As circumstance would have it, I never met Dick until a few years ago. It was through the help of my good friend Chad Elsasser that I got to hang out with Dick and interview him with Chad. Dick is an honest guy, that loves tattooing and art in general. He's full of great stories about his life and tattooing, and I figured people would enjoy them. Dick was kind enough to welcome Chad and myself into his home to spend the morning hanging out and interviewing him. Dick's insights and kind demeanor make me proud to be a tattooer. Sincerely, -Ryan Spangler

Todd and i have been friends for quite a while. we have been to many conventions at the same time and spent plenty of time together. a trip to Sweden together is what it took for me to get to know him well. we spent a week at Drew Horner's place. then off to the Stockholm convention. many laughs and many hours of talking. i found a new respect for him by the end of this. to be honest before this i just thought he was another loud party tattooer. i was glad to find out what a loving father and passionate tattooer he is. i am always happy to find a great person lying in the ash of the burned out mediocre masses. Todd's drive and ability has set him apart from many tattooers. We did this interview in the back of black heart tattoo when Todd was visiting i would like to thank him for taking the time do this. i would also like to thank you for taking the time to read this and watch this interview. thanks Scott You can find Todd here: www.blackcobratattoo.com http://rightcoasttattooing.com/section/288063_Todd_Noble.html [email protected] @noble1 (instagram)

I first met Ron in Philadelphia at the Philly convention. we hit it off right away he is very easy to talk to and has a very genuine demeanor. i liked him before i ever saw a single tattoo he had done. when i did finally see them i was truly impressed. he has a very distinct style of his own. we did this interview when he had been stuck in san francisco after the convention when hurricane sandy had everyone stuck. we did the interview at my warehouse space which most of you will recognize the train sounds. i hope this finds you all well and full of great joy. Ron is a great tattooer and i would like to thank him for doing this with me. my best

I first met Henning probably about 19 years ago when I was a young man just trying to find my place in tattooing. Henning at the time traveled a lot with Trevor Mcstay. Trevor is from Australia and an amazing tattooer who also needs to be interviewed. Why Henning and Trevor always stuck out to me wasn't because they were great tattooers, I was too young and dumb to realize what I was looking at, but that they were always so nice. This is a time when the older generations were not really all that happy with the new scourge of fresh tattooers. Sound familiar? Anyways not that Henning is old but he has me by 10 years and held all the respect from guys like Paul Jeffries, Jack Rudy, etc... So for him to acknowledge me let alone be nice was a little strange.... Fast forward 19 years...... now Henning is currently one of the best tattooers in the world with 30 some odd years of tattooing and still extremely relevant and current. Most would have found a comfortable niche and stayed in it though he is constantly working to better his craft and with that - himself in the process. I am not going to go on in some sort of ramble to try and sell this man because if you watch this video you will understand. I was just going to write, "Henning....get out of his way!", but I thought that could be misinterpreted. We did the original interview in Long Beach and had some camera issues so we decided to redo it the next time we saw each other so the SFO Convention it was. I hope you enjoy and understand how great this man is to tattooing as I have been blessed to work with him and it is a real eye opener. I would like to thank Henning for sitting down with me not once but twice to do this.

They say you can judge a person by the company they keep, if this is true Erik is one grand person. I haven't met anyone who is friends with him that I didn't like. He is surrounded by great people and I don't think that is an accident. I met him and Nick Colella at the same time in Salt Lake City where we have pretty much been friends since. This man is a great person and an even better tattooer. He loves tattooing like no one else! His level of respect for the art is unparalleled.His style and approach is very professional and proper. if you have the chance to get tattooed by this man don't pass it up. This interview was done while we were sharing rooms at the Long Beach convention, Ink and Iron. The nervousness of Erik in this is amazing, you can definitely tell he is not comfortable in front of a video camera. While sharing a room with him, we would just stay up all night talking like school girls. I wish there were more times like this in my life, we all could use it i think. Thank you to Erik for sitting through this and thank you for watching this.

Stewart Robson has done what every tattooer wishes he could, he has made him self irreplaceable. He works at Frith Street Tattoo in London England. He tattoos in multiple styles and has an amazing grasp on all of them from Japanese to traditional and even black and grey. Plus he's an incredibly nice person. You can tell by looking at his tattoos, the volume that he produces, and the quality that they are, how devoted he is to the end result. His Japanese work has amazing form, flow and skill. The traditional tattoos are powerful and right on target. Black and grey is what threw me the most as doing proper black and grey takes a completely different approach than any other style of tattooing and he does it flawlessly. So smooth, they are instantly timeless. The humility and approachability of his personality shines in this video! If you are familiar with this site then you probably know about his opinions and views on tattoos and the tattoo industry. I personally hope someday to get tattooed by him. So please enjoy the video and thanks to Stewart for sitting down with us as our site is a better place for it!

One can't say enough good things about this women. She is humble, smart, incredibly talented and a really nice person to be around. I don't think she needs help getting notoriety as she is one of the most in-demand tattooers you may never have heard of although I find that hard to believe. We did this interview after the State of Grace convention last October. I had the pleasure of spending a little time with her and Stewart when we sat down to do this. We did it at the shop after work one night while they were in San Francisco. I knew nothing about her career before this, so it was a nice learning experience for me. I want to start making these intro's shorter as I feel no one is here to read my opinion nor do I feel it's of matter. What I do believe the important thing is that exceptional tattooing prevails over mediocre - always. Valerie is just that, exceptional and great! She does so with amazing grace and integrity. I would like to thank her for doing this and having what some lack and we all need the most: gratitude.