Usenet 1994 January/usenetsourcesnewsgroupsinfomagicjanuary1994.iso/answers/tattoo-faq/part2

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Newsgroups: rec.arts.bodyart,news.answers,rec.answers
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From: [e-mail] (Lani Teshima-Miller)
Subject: rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 2/4: Artist & Shop List
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Followup-To: rec.arts.bodyart
Summary: This posting contains the Frequently Asked Questions
    file about tattoos and other non-piercing bodyart. Anyone who
    wishes to read/post to the rec.arts.bodyart newsgroup should
    read this first.
Sender: [e-mail]
Organization: University of Hawaii
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 18:54:36 GMT
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Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu rec.arts.bodyart:10791 news.answers:15939 rec.answers:3383

Archive-name: tattoo-faq/part2
Last-modified: November 22, 1993
Posting-frequency: Monthly

This is Part 2 of the 'other' half of the rec.arts.bodyart FAQ file that
is posted on a monthly basis (in the latter half of the month) and
includes information about everything but piercing that might concern
bodyart. If you are a regular reader of r.a.b. and do not want to read
this monthly posting, you may want to set a KILL command in your file
for all four tattoo FAQ postings.

The rec.arts.bodyart tattoo FAQ is broken up into four parts:
   Part 1/4: Introduction, and getting a tattoo
   Part 2/4: Artist list
   Part 3/4: How to care for a new tattoo
   Part 4/4: Miscellaneous information

Part 2 includes the following information:
     1. Who is a good/bad tattoo artist near me?
       1.1 US West Coast: Washington, California
       1.2 US Southwest: Arizona
       1.3 US Midwest: Ohio, Minnesota, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois
       1.4 US Southeast: Louisiana, Florida
       1.5 US East Coast: Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island
       1.6 Pacific: Hawaii (US)
       1.7 Canada: British Columbia, London
       1.8 EUROPE/UK: London
       1.9 EUROPE/POLAND
     2. Where on my body should I get a tattoo?


 1. Who is a good/bad tattoo artist near me? ----------

The following is a growing list of artists  whom come with a personal
recommendation by readers of r.a.b. Most of the non-attributed
submissions came with the original FAQ compiled Paul Davies. In some
cases, artists have been posted here as a warning against visiting them.
A posting on this FAQ does *not* constitute approval.

***UNLESS IT SAYS IT WAS MY PERSONAL OPINION, I TAKE NO RESPONSIBILITY
FOR THE VALIDITY OF THE PERSONAL OPINIONS IN THE SUBMISSIONS FOR THIS
ARTIST LIST, AND I WILL NOT BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR NEGATIVE REVIEWS. IF
YOU FIND OFFENSE IN A NEGATIVE REVIEW, YOU ARE HEREBY INFORMED TO
CONTACT THE CONTRIBUTOR DIRECTLY.***

It is YOUR responsibility to check out the artist and make sure s/he
will do quality work.

You may submit names to: [e-mail]. Include the
artist's name, address, phone number, hours, general prices (or pricing
scheme--per hour rate, etc.), & specialization. If they have email
access, please provide their email address as well.

In order to avoid "politicizing" this list, please use some common sense
by not posting a "mediocre" artist and proclaim him/her as excellent, or
submit a bad review as a way to bad-mouth someone. Try to be factual
about your information. Gossip and rumors are discouraged. Personal
opinion should be noted as such. Good artists should also have some
business sense--a clean, sanitary environment, straightforward fees,
insurance coverage, etc. Fly-by-night operations will NOT be posted here
(unless the artist has a reputation for doing this, and should be
avoided), and postings by those with self-interests (i.e. your brother
owns the shop) is highly discouraged. After all, if your brother is an
excellent artist, someone else will probably recommend him, anyway. You
can include other information, such as whether they've won some awards,
travel the convention circuit, take credit cards, or what their policy
is for out-of-town customers.

Where possible, I have included the name and email address of the person
who submitted the information about the artist/shop for accountability
purposes, and so that you may email directly for more details. *I WILL
NOT TAKE CONTRIBUTIONS FROM AN ANONYMOUS ID. YOU MUST BE WILLING TO PUT
YOUR NAME AND EMAIL ADDRESS BEHIND YOUR CONTRIBUTION.* Artist
suggestions are the sole opinion of the contributor! I take no
responsibility for vouching for the artist's quality or lack thereof.


 1.1 US West Coast:


**WASHINGTON (State)**

--Dermagraphics of Seattle, 1516 Western Ave., Seattle, WA
  [phone], by appointment only.
   This is Vyvyn Lazonga's shop. She specializes in combining bold
   primitive lines with colorful, flowing abstract geometrics--lines,
   bubbles, etc. "A fusion of primitive and modern tattooing" according
   to her card. The whole effect is very pleasing, and rather unique, &
   would work well for both  men and women, I think. Also works out
   of San Francisco. (P.S. According to her card, her name is spelled
   "Vyvyn," not "VyVynn.")

--Seattle Tattoo Emporium, 1106 East Pike St., Seattle. [phone]


**CALIFORNIA**


Bay Area, California (South Bay):
--------------------

--Pinky Yuen, Dragon Tattoo, San Jose:
  Pardon the inconvenience--this section currently under renovation.
  I have pulled the information in this section because:
  a) My institution and I have been threatened with a libel suit by the
     artist's attorney, and;
  b) I cannot find the contributor who wrote the original statement
     about this artist and is willing to back it up.
  For more info about the artist, please email Karl Elvis MacRae
  ([e-mail]) or Becky Fenton ([e-mail])
  privately.

--Eddie Lum, Eddie's Skin Works, in Santa Clara 1207 El Camino Real
  [phone]
   I highly recommend Pinky's brother, Eddie Lum. His forte, not
   surprisingly, is Oriental stuff. Very good with flowing lines,
   dragons,tigers, flowers. I have 2 pieces from  him and am very
   pleased. Warning: if you're taking in a custom design, there's a
   language barrier, and you may have to explain it several times.

--Robert Roberts, Mad Dog (His name is Robert Roberts--Mad Dog is
  the name of his tattooing enterprise.)
   Inconsistent. While some of it is truly outstanding, others aren't
   that great: It really depends on what you're getting. Robert is great
   w/ all-black, but you might want to go elsewhere if you want color.

--Ed Hardy, Tattoo City on Columbus, 415-433-9437
   The best in tattoo shop in SF (Actually, without a doubt the best in
   the state, and possibly the best in the country) "Tattoo City" on
   Columbus; the shop is owned by Ed Hardy, and the guys who work
   there (Freddy Corbin, Eddie Deutsch, Dan Higg) are simply great.
   You cannot go wrong with the three; Freddy and Eddie are the two
   best tattooists I've ever seen.

--Erno Tattoo  252 Fillmore, San Francisco, CA  94117  [phone]
   Hours: Noon to 9pm. Appointments recommended.
   Shop is clean, businesslike. Autoclaving used.
  Artists:
 o Nalla: Specializes in blackwork, celtic designs, excellent artist.
   Also knowledgeable about piercings.
 o Patrick: Good at black & celtic, but specializes in high fantasy art.
   Excellent dragons, fairies, etc. Also excels at sci-fi art).
 o Jaime Trujillo: More traditional; good artist--ease & skill of a
   seasoned pro.


San Jose
--------

--Steve Cameron at Zap Illustrations.  1385 W. San Carlos, #202
  [phone]
   Mostly custom work; not for beginners. May try to talk you out of a
   tat, if he doesn't think it appropriate to the rest of your body-
   scheme. Very good free-hand work; likes bold, aggressive designs.
   He'll also put in vast amounts of design work for free, if the design
   excites him.


Sacramento
----------

--Ken Cameron, California Tattoo Company. 7946 Auburn Blvd.,
  Sacramento-Citrus Heights CA 95610. [phone]
  Contributor: Tim Lu ([e-mail])
   This is in Sacramento not San Jose, they are kind of close together.
   Maybe Ken and Steve are the same person, but maybe not.


Redwood City
------------

--Redwood Tattoo, 846-M Jefferson Ave., Redwood City, CA
  [phone], walk-ins welcome, but appts have priority. Closed
  Sun. & Mon, appts required for custom work. Cash only. Contributor:
  Rebecca Fenton ([e-mail]).
 Artists:
 o Paco Dietz: Was at Picture Machine in San Francisco; specializes in
   fantasy art, custom designs. New shop w/ lots of new flash.
   Beautiful tribal and celtic designs, as well as some unusual Native
   American designs.
 o Karl: Apprentice, past experiences have been scratching out of his
   home. Specializes in Neo-Japanese style art. He does very nice
   custom work (my favorite of his is a butterfly with a tiger face
   peering out at you through the wing designs), and has experience in
   blackwork and fine line.
 Piercer:
 o Fashia Fontaine: Trained under Fakir Musafar
  *WARNING*: I have received some very, disconcerting information from
   r.a.b. regular Barbara MacRae regarding the quality and sanitary
   conditions of this piercer's operations. Until her work condition
   improves, this warning will remain.


Santa Barbara
-------------

--Pat Fish, Tattoo Santa Barbara
   Bar-none! I've seen some of her Celtic work (her specialty), and
   she's *really good*. (I read an interview where she said she thinks
   it's a genetic race-memory or something, and went into tattooing
   specifically to get into Celtic work.)


Greater Los Angeles (Orange County, LA)
---------------------------------------

--Skin Works, 313 East Balboa Blvd., Newport Beach CA, 92661, ph.
  714-675-8905 (in Orange County, just south of Los Angeles)
  Contributor: Tim Lu ([e-mail]).
 Artists:
 o Ardee Allen (owner): An excellent artist, always very professional. I
   feel it's important to support women in business--I've been going to
   her for about 5 years now and she has done my entire chest and
   about 3/4 of my back. Periodically attends conventions, and her
   work has appeared in a number of tattoo magazines.
   Specialties: Custom work, coverups, and colorwork, sumi (Japanese
   calligraphy) style grey work.
 o Lynda Tobbin: Talented artist who does very nice custom work.
 Piercer:
 o Val: Specialize in body piercing.

--Kari Barba's Twilight Fantasy Tattoo. 3024 W Ball Rd (at Beach),
  Anaheim, CA 92804. [phone]. Contributor: Tim Lu
  ([e-mail]).
 Artist: Kari Barba (her hours are usually 11-5pm, off Wed--shop is open
 11-10)
   Extremely well-known for her work with nature and wildlife. Her
   style is reminiscent of a watercolor-like quality, which sets her
   apart from many other artists. Her shop wall is covered with awards.
   Nice front reception area; work area is behind reception counter. Not
   too much privacy as the individual work areas are not divided.

  They also have a second shop in Riverside, although Kari Barba works
  primarily out of the Anaheim shop. Contributor: Jonathan Ward
  ([e-mail]):
--Twilight Fantasy Tattoo of Riverside, 5517 Van Buren Bl (Sylvan & Van
  Buren), Riverside, CA 9250? . [phone]
  M-Th 11-10 FSS 11-11 MC VS AM Disc, cash no checks

San Diego:

--Avalon Gallery, 1035 Garnet Ave., San Diego, CA  92109 (in Pacific
  Beach) [phone]. Email: [e-mail].
  Needles autoclaved & new ink used for each new client. Hours: Noon
  to 8pm. Appts preferred--walk-ins on Sat. only. Cash only. Each artist
  has a studio booth so privacy ensured.
 Artists:
 o Patti Kelley: Specializes in bright color work. Award winner, booked
   a few months ahead.
 o Fip Buchanan (her husband): Graffiti art.
 o Steve Barjonas: Likes all styles but particularly enjoys Native
   American gray work.
 o Randy: Comic book art-style.
 o Mike Strobbe:


1.2 Southwest

*ARIZONA*

--Jil, Skin Alive Tattoos, Prescott, Arizona. [phone].
  Formerly of Bodygraphics, Reno. By appointment only.
   My *favorite* tattoo artist. Her forte is wildlife, but good with
   just about everything--would be very successful wildlife artist in
   another  medium. Her tattoos have an incredible amount of life, and
   her detailing is incredible. 20 years' experience. She's a custom
   fineline specialist, and has won awards. Her style is what I think of
   as "fineline steel engraving" (as opposed to Kari Barba, who does
   incredible animals, but primarily with striking colorwork). I found
   her by pouncing on a total stranger and demanding to know who did his
   *incredible* tats.

1.3 Midwest:


*OHIO*

--Marty Holcomb, Marty's Artistic Tattooing, 3160 West Broad St.,
  Columbus, Ohio
   Marty won several national "Best Tattoo Artist" awards in the 1991.

--Dana Brunson, Designs by Dana, 4167 Hamilton Ave., Cincinnati, OH
  [phone]

--Tattoos by Woody. Toledo Tattoo, 2068 Airport Hwy, Toledo, Ohio
  43609, [phone].
  Contributor: Jean-Luc Reutter ([e-mail])
   Needles autoclaved but I don't know about new ink for every
   customer. Good custom designs, by appointment only, very
   reasonable prices. Refuses to do fascist swastika sh*t. Clean and
   friendly atmosphere.


*MINNESOTA*

--Acme Tattoo Co., 1045 Arcade St., St. Paul, MN, [phone]
   *Good* but expensive. Pre-designed tats are costly and other work is
   $200/hour (as of '92).

--Steve Butterfield, Tattoos by Yerkew, 3127 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis,
  MN, [phone]
   Steve is real good, but the shop's owner, Dave "the fat guy" Yerkew
   leaves quite a bit to be desired.  Steve around after about 6:00 pm

*INDIANA*

--Jeannie Fritch, Personal Art Tattoos, 3453 Central Ave., Lake Station,
  IN, [phone]

--Roy Boy's Badlands, 3849 Broadway, Gary, IN 46409, [phone].
   Needles autoclaved. I got an all-black, tribal piece (a very even
   dark gray)--Design was reproduced on my skin quite accurately. Flash
   is stereotypical and old-looking, though some nice Celtic designs.
   Felt vaguely sleazy--badly painted signs in the front, water-damaged
   ceiling panels inside. Actual work areas were spotless, but the
   building doesn't inspire confidence. Good enough, but not really
   anything special, what with Guy Aitchison a few miles away.

*MICHIGAN*

--Suzanne, Creative Tattoos, 307 E. Liberty, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104
  Contributor: Jean-Luc Reutter ([e-mail])
   Needles autoclaved but I don't know about new ink for every
  customer.
 Artist:
 o Suzanne: BS & MA of Fine Art. Great custom designs, preferably
   black only or celtic. Skilled artist however she sometimes lacks
   motivation with smaller pieces and the results may vary in quality.
   Cash only, usually no receipt. Usually by appointment only, very
   rarely walk-ins. Sometimes guest artists. Nice friendly atmosphere.
 Piercer:
  -Barbara

  Lance "Zaphod" Bailey ([e-mail]) says:
   "She really doesn't specialize in Celtic stuff. she used to, but she
   doesn't any more--says her old eyes aren't good enough for it. I was
   in her shop yesterday and she seemed pretty disinterested in doing
   some Celtic stuff on me. Maybe Celtic-inspired, but it's going to
   take some work from me to get a design she's willing to do, and
   I'm willing to wear...sigh. But she does specialize in being good
   :) I saw a wizard she did yesterday and it was so very nice.

*ILLINOIS*

--Guy Aitchison, Guilty + Innocent Productions, 3105 N. Lincoln
  Chicago, IL 60657,  [phone] tattoos, 404-6963 merchandise
  $1 catalogue available by mail.
   Contributor: Phredd Groves ([e-mail])
   One of the most popular and well-known artists in the country.
   Work reminiscent of futuristic beetles from album covers of the
   band, Journey.

--Milios Hair & Skin Studio, 3205 N. Clark St, Chicago, IL 60657
  [phone].
  Contributor: Adam Rybaczuk ([e-mail])
   To my knowledge the only tattoo shop in the country set in a full
   service hair salon and clothing boutique! Shop also has a pool table
   and a very relaxed, non-traditional atmosphere. Flash available, but
   custom pieces preferred. Referenced in the November '93 issue of
   _Allure_ magazine. Cash only, $100/hour (custom), deposit required.
   All equipment autoclaved; needles used once and discarded. Chicago
   Health Dept inspected & approved, proper licenses present.
 Artists:
 o Robert Koss: Main artist, works at Guy Aitchison's Guilty + Innocent
   Prod 2x/week. Does mostly custom work and does fine, fine work.
 o Adam: Apprenticing under Rob. [Note: Adam the contributor, is also
   Adam the apprentice. While you can email him about the shop, his
   account is through his "day job," so please use some common sense as
   far as taking time out from his job to reply to you. If you're in the
   area, it's probably better to phone.]

--Tatu Tattoo, 1754 W. North Ave., Chicago, IL, (312) 772-TATU
  Contributor: Phredd Groves ([e-mail])

--Body Basics Precision Tattooing and Body Piercings
  613 W. Briar, Chicago, IL, 60657. [phone], (a block south of
  Belmont, just west of Broadway), Tues.-Sat. 2 to 10pm
  Contributor: Phredd Groves ([e-mail])
   Run by Mad Jack and Anna, Jack does the tattoos and both do
   piercings (both by appointment only). I can personally recommend
   these guys as far as piercing and professionalism goes.

--I'm No Angel Production, 2606 W. Farmington Rd., Peoria, IL 61604.
  [phone]. Contributor Steven Parks ([e-mail])
   Wanda Harper is the owner/artist. Open Noon to 8pm everyday.
   New needles and ink for each new customer. Appointment required.
   Specializes in Celtic and Native American designs, as well as
   piercings. Learned from Jim Hawk (Galesburg), who occasionally
   stops by for a visit, and people in town who know him may come in
   for a special tat. Wanda looks out for her customers and won't do
   work that won't turn out--It's all in the reputation.

1.4 Southeast:

*FLORIDA*


Orlando
-------

--Ancient Art, (407) 855-TATU
   Lance R. Bailey ([e-mail]) says he was happy with Mike.
   Caroline Emmons ([e-mail]) says: "Ancient Art"
   inked several of my friends, who were all quite satisfied. I think
   the main guy is supposed to be kind of an asshole, but he has a new
   assistant who I hear has less of an attitude


*NORTH CAROLINA*

Carrboro
--------

--Choice Peach Tattoo, 304-E W. Weaver St. Carrboro, NC 27516. (919)
  932-9888 is excellent.
   They do 100% original work, NO flash. By appointment only.


*TENNESSEE*

Memphis:

--Rocky's. 604 South Highland St., Memphis, TN 38111 [phone].
  Hours: 3pm to Midnight. Appointment preferred, especially around
  military payday (good side trip from Graceland!).
   Place owned by Rocky, but I only know about Kevin, who did 2 chest
   pieces on my husband. Kevin is trained as a scientific illustrator,
   so his wildlife is *incredible*! His stippling method makes for a
   very realistic rendering. One word of warning: My husband said he saw
   a poster of Hitler in the back room, and that Rocky wore a "W.A.R."
   (White Aryan Nation?) tat on his knuckles--but that he thought Kevin
   just worked there and wasn't part of "all that."

1.5 East Coast:

*MARYLAND*

--Main Street Tattoo Studio, Starlite Plaza, Rt 40, Pulaski Hwy,
  Edgewood, MD, (410) 676-TAT2 (8282). Also in Elkton: [phone].
   He's done some very spectacular work and just completed an excellent
   cover-up of 2 small pieces (which were quite dark; red, green, blue,
   purple) I had for over 10 years. The cover-up is a tiger lily
   (magenta, black, pink w/ yellow tipped petals) w/ delicate curving
   tribal thru the lily that is quite breathtaking and required his
   exceptional artistic talent.

--Great Southern Tattoo Co.. 9403 Baltimore Blvd. (Rt. 1), College Park,
  MD  20740. [phone].
   Located right off the Washington Beltway (495), right up the street
   from the Univ. of Maryland College Park Campus.
   Contributor: Kristen Herzog ([e-mail])
   Operated by a family (Charley, Sandy, and Dee Parsons); very
   relaxed atmosphere. They've also done some of the best work I've
   seen in the area.
 -Not everyone agrees with Kristen, however. Andy "Ozric Tentacles"
   ([e-mail]) (Ozric Tentacles) was not satisfied: "Charley
   estimated one price, and upped it halfway through. I'd only gotten
   from the cash machine what he quoted, and didn't intend to pay more
   than the original quote, so the work stopped unfinished. I suppose it
   might have been my fault for not getting pissed about it then. In
   talking to people about their experiences, they seem to divide along
   gender lines. Those who were happy with the work were women, while
   those unhappy were men. I've heard more than one of them give the
   impression that the difference in service might be attributed to
   being the only close option in a college town, and not needing to do
   a high quality job for the typical frat guy client."


*NEW HAMPSHIRE*

--The Tattoo Shop, 109 Daniel Street, Portsmouth NH 03801
  [phone]. Contributor: Fred Jewell ([e-mail] )
 Artists: Hobo, Tattoo George
   Prices start at $40; average $100. In business since '76, are clean,
   use sterile instruments and do good solid work.

--Sign of the Wolf, Wiers Beach NH, [phone]
  Contributor: Fred Jewell ([e-mail] )
 Artists: Dave Sr., Dave Jr., several apprentices.
   Friendly and laid back, would make you feel comfortable if you were
   anxious. So clean, you could eat off the floor. Dave Jr. has won a
   few awards. Price range: $100 to $350; average is $260 for a fairly
   large piece. They specialize in wildlife and American Indian art.

--Juli Moon Designs Inc., Route 1, PO Box 1403, Seabrook NH 03874
  [phone]. Contributor: Fred Jewell ([e-mail] )
   What can you say about Juli Moon except, "When?" She is booked
   a month in advance, and is truly award winning.

--Brothers Too, South Broadway, Salem NH, Exit 1 Off Rt. 93
  Licensed and Board of Health Approved. Contributor: Fred Jewell
  ([e-mail] )
  Tattoo Frank scared me. Asked if he'd been vaccinated for Hep A and
   B, he said, "I only got hepatitis once and that was from a customer."
   His brother, "Bennies Tattoos" is just down the street and has the
   same kind of attitude.

--Bill's Tattoo Palace, Broadway , Derry NH, [phone]
  Contributor: Fred Jewell ([e-mail] )
   Nice guy, but I set up an appointment and he didn't show!  I called
   back, and got someone who thought he was doing me a favor by
   talking to me.  Some of the work is really good but there seems to
   be a lot of new people in the shop trying out the profession.

*NEW JERSEY*

--Ernie White, Tattoo Factory, 94 Main Street, Butler, NJ.,
  [phone]

*NEW YORK*

--Bruce Bart Tattooing. Main Street, Tannersville, NY  12485.
  (518) 589 - 5069. Second shop at: 274 Lark Street, Albany, NY  12210
  [phone]. Hours: M-F Noon-8pm, S/Su 11am-6pm.
  Cost: $120 an hour. $5 disposable (and autoclaved) needles, new
  ink for each customer.
   Contributor: Kirsten Herzog ([e-mail])
 Artists: Bruce Bart and Bruce Kaplan
  Specializes in Japanese , modern primitive, colorwork, Celtic styles.
   Prefers appointments, but will accept walk-ins if not busy. Lark St.
   shop looked like a dentist's office. Very friendly and totally
   receptive. Impressed by the ready art and sketches they had in the
   waiting room. Seemed very professional.

--Spaulding & Rodgers
   Sells tattoo guns, needles and ink. The few artists that have worked
   on me (Cliff Raven, Kevin Brady, Phil Payton) usually do a lot of
   custom work on their needles if not the gun itself. Needles
   continually dull from use or sterilizing and have to be resharpened
   and soldered into the appropriate groups and configurations.

--C&C Tattoo, 307 Congress St., Troy, NY 12180, [phone]
   Ask for Sue Daves (apprentice). She did my full back piece, and it
   came out awesome!

*RHODE ISLAND*

--Electric Ink Tattoo, 153 Waterman Ave, E. Providence, RI
  [phone].
  Needles autoclaved (required by law in RI). New needles/ink for
  every customer. Cash only; walk-ins welcome.
 Artists:
 o Chris Borge: All-around great tattoo artist. Specializes in tribal;
   probably the best in the shop.
 o Skott Greene: Great for those who like to customize to a greater
   extent. Doing them since Dec '92, he's already very adept; the one to
   see about great custom designs. (Trained as an airbrush artist)
  Note: Don L. no longer works out of Electric Ink as of 11/93.

--Artistic Tattooing, 405 Atwell Ave., Providence RI, 02909
  [phone]
   All needles are brand new and autoclaved, artists wear gloves, and
   ink is individual.
 Artists: Rusty, Dean II
   Pricing is done by the piece, but may be hourly for large pieces. I
   found pricing to be very reasonable and am very happy with my tats
   (backpiece by Rusty, earpiece by Dean II). They do everything from
   tribal to coverup. They do not participate in any tat conventions.

1.6 Pacific

*HAWAII*

--China Sea Tattoo, 1033 Smith, Honolulu, Hawaii, [phone]
  The oldest tattoo studio in the US with a grand tradition. In
  Chinatown area near Downtown Honolulu. Suggest going during the
  day (hours: Noon-11pm) to avoid seedy nightlife scene.
 Artists: Mike Malone, Scotty and Kandy.
   All are excellent. Mike is very active in the tat world, and attends
   (I think they all do, rotating. I know Kandy was at the Chicago tat
   convention recently), and has served as a judge at tat conventions.
   Kandy only works there on Tuesdays, (also works at Dragon Tattoo
   in Wahiawa on Mondays), specializes in Hawaiian-style designs and
   has 10 years' experience.

--Skin Deep Tattooing, 2128 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu [phone].
   If in Waikiki, you may want to stop by , as it's right on the main
   strip. The place is run by Winona Martin and several of her workers.
   Advertises heavily; may be pricey due to Waikiki location.


1.7 Canada:

*BRITISH COLUMBIA*

--Sailor Cam, the Dutchman Tattoos, 630 12th St., New Westminster,
  BC, Canada, [phone]

*LONDON (Canada)*

--Blue Dragon Tattoo, 253 Wellington London, 519-434-4706
   The busiest shop in town, does a lot of flash work. I have found them
   either pretty grumpy/opinionated or at times friendly.

--Tattoos Unlimited, 847 Dufferrin, 519-672-8025
   Al Newcombe has been tattooing in London for a looong time. His
   work is mostly flash, he can create stencils from your artwork. His
   work tends to have a '50s feel to it--the stuff you see on ex-seamen.

--Tattoos by Gypsy <does not list address>, 519-453-0822
   Tony is pretty young and is a design artist. I've created some really
   nice work with him starting with my rough sketches. but his work is
   pretty uneven it can be really good or really bad.

--George Lewis, Tattoo Art (est. 1980), 244 King St. S., Waterloo, Ont.
  N2J 1R4, [phone]
 Artists: George Lewis, Ken Lewis, Todd Evans (I have experience
   only with George--cannot commend on the other two). "Sterile
   conditions", "lifetime guarantee" (which I assume means I can
   return to touch up color fades, etc.) by appointment only. Does
   exotic piercings. Visa and Mastercard accepted.Mine are very well
   done--lines are even and seem to connect properly  and all of my
   friends are amazed at the fine detail and how bright the colors are!

*ONTARIO*

--Tattoo Art by George Lewis. 244 King St. S., Waterloo, Ont. N2J 1R4
  [phone]. Visa & Mastercard accepted.
  According to their card: Ultra modern; sterile conditions; modern
  designs--fine line; specializing in cover-up work; custom work;
  lifetime guarantee. Appointments only. Also does pierces.
  Contributor: Judy Carr ([e-mail])
 -Artists: George Lewis, Ken Lewis, Todd Evans.
   Although I don't know much about 'good' or 'bad' tattoos, I believe
   mine are very well done!  All my friends are amazed at the fine
   detail and how bright the colors are!

1.8 EUROPE/UK

London
------

--Lal Hardy, 157 Sydney Road, Muswell Hill, London N10 2NL.
   Tel: [phone]
   Gifs of a thunderbird back piece available from 141.214.4.135.

--Dennis Cockel, Walkers' Court London W1 (a small side street in
  Soho)
   Tattooed myself and a girlfriend about four years ago and we are
   both very satisfied.

---Mark and Andy, Kensington Market, London W8. Their designs
   were drawn by several artists over many years, they claim to do
   award winning custom work and my opinion is they are good. The
   parlor is on the basement of the market building, it doesn't have any
   name (as I remember) and is not listed on yellow pages.

--Saint's Parlor, Portobello Road, London
   Warning: He had some photos of the tattoos he had done that at first
   looked ordinary, but if you look at them more closely, you can see he
   has *redrawn* parts of the design on the photo afterwards by pen. At
   least I wouldn't trust on a tattooist who does that.

--Terry's Tattoo Studio, 23 Ghisholm Street, Glasgow G1 5HA, U.K.
  Tel [phone].
   Three artists in 1992: Terry, Stuart, and Steven--Quite popular. The
   ready-made designs were nice and my boyfriend is very satisfied
   with his tattoo. I think in this parlor a first timer can feel
   comfortable in, since it looks a lot like an ordinary shop with show
   window and quite large, light waiting room for customers.

1.9 EUROPE/POLAND

--(Acid Shop) Studio Tattoo. ul. Ogrodowa 20, 61-820 Poznan, Poland
  Phone: 522-851. Hours: 11:00am-9:00pm. Needles sterilized via
  pressurized steamer (120C)
  Contributor: Ulf Nagel ([e-mail])
 Artist: Slawek Slavomir
   Slawek has been tattooing for about three years, since Poland and
   Russia were introduced to a free market economy. The only other
   person in Poland who has been tattooing longer (6 years) is in
   Gdansk. Slawek is yet to refine a specialization. He recently won
   an award at a German tattoo convention.


 2. Where on my body should I get a tattoo? ----------

Duh--This may seem VERY trivial, since the answer can be "anywhere
you please!" The ONLY places you cannot technically get permanent
tattoos are your hair, teeth and nails (even the cornea used to be
tattooed years ago for medical purposes). Interestingly, women and men
tend to get tattoos in different locations. This, according to
sociologist Clinton Sanders, is because men and women get tattoos for
different reasons. Men, he says, get them to show others, while women
get them for the sake of decorating their body--and often place them
where they can't normally be seen, so that it doesn't prompt comments
about her "reputation." However for the sake of this FAQ, the following
is a short list of areas to get inked:

--Head: The "head" in this case refers mostly to the area where your
  hair grows. Obviously, you'll need to shave the area for the tat to be
  most visible. If you need to hide your tat, you can grow your hair
  out. Areas more commonly inked are the sides of the head (above the
  ears), and above the nape of the neck in the back. There are people
  who have their entire heads inked.

--Sides of neck (nape):

--Back of neck: I've seen some tribal pieces as well as bats done on the
  back of the neck. You'll need to keep your hair short or tied up to
  keep it visible.

--Face: Various areas possible. Facial tattoos could fall into the
  cosmetic, prison, or standard categories. Cosmetic would include
  darkening of eyebrows, eyelining, liplining, etc. Prison tattoos
  (which are actually in their own category) often include the tat of a
  single tear near the eye to signify time served. Getting a regular tat
  on the face is serious business and crosses a portal because people
  will never look at you the same way. Can we say "Circus," boys &
  girls?

--Upper chest: One of the more standard areas for tattoos, for both men
  and women. Allows lots of flat area in which to get a fairly large
  piece. One of the areas where you can choose to get symmetrically
  inked on both sides.

--Breasts (women): Used to be trendy to get a small tat on the breast.
  Women (particularly larger breasted ones) need to be careful about
  eventual sagging of the skin in the area. Do not get a tat that will
  look silly when it starts to stretch.

--Nipples: Usually, the artist leaves the nipples alone--the omission of
  ink tends not to be so noticeable. There HAS been work done with
  tattooing a facsimile of a nipple onto a breast during reconstructive
  surgery for those who have lost their nipples, though--for aesthetic
  and self-esteem purposes.

--Rib cage: This area can be rather painful because of all the ribs you
  work over. However it offers a fairly large area, and can be
  incorporated into a major back piece, wrapping around toward the
  front.

--Stomach/Abdomen: Some people choose not to get work done on
  their stomachs for a couple of reasons. The area is difficult to work
  on because there is no solid backing to hold the skin steady. It is a
  sensitive area that may feel uncomfortable. Finally, the tat may look
  horrible after your metabolism slows down and you develop a --er--
  "beer gut."

--Genitals: Said the matron nurse, "Did you see the patient in #409? His
  penis has a tattoo that says 'SWAN' on it!" "Oh no it didn't," says
  the second, younger nurse. "It said "SASKACHEWAN'!" All kidding aside,
  people DO get inked in their genital area. The prospect may sound very
  painful, but a friend of mine said it wasn't any worse than any other
  sight. However, do consider that there *will* probably be some
  blurring in the area because of --er-- shall we say, the amount of
  movement the skin experiences (kind of like hands)? A recent thread in
  r.a.b. discussed whether penises are flaccid or erect during
  tattooing--some are, some aren't (however how one can *maintain* one
  during the process is a wonder to me). The only female genital tattoo
  I've seen (inner labia, I think) was in _Modern Primitives_, and it
  looked rather blurry. Note: that many artists refuse to do genitals.

--Thighs: A rather popular area for women to get larger pieces (often
  extending from the hip area). Shows well with a bathing suit but
  easily concealable in modest shorts. The entire area of skin around
  your thighs is bigger than your back, so you can get quite a bit of
  work done.

--Calves: A nice area to get a standard size (2" x 2"). However if you
  have very hairy legs, it may cut down on the visibility somewhat.

--Ankles: The current trend-spot. I think you have to have an ankle tat
  before you can go to the Eileen Ford Agency with your modeling
  portfolio. :) You can either get a spot piece on the inner or outer
  ankle, or get something that goes around in a band. Vines and other
  vegetation seem popular (pumpkins, anyone?)

--Feet: I've seen some incredible footwork (pun intended) in some of
  the tat magazines. Easily concealable with shoes. Probably don't have
  as much wear and tear as hands so you might get less blurring and
  color loss. This however, is the TOPS of your feet. You will have
  trouble retaining a tattoo on the bottom of your feet.

--Armpits: Usually reserved for those who want to get full coverage
  around the arm and chest area, and need the armpits filled. Probably
  not strongly recommended for the highly ticklish.

--Upper arms: One of the most common areas for men, although I have
  seen some nice on women as well. If you decide to get a piece done on
  your upper arm, consider how much sun it's going to get. Will you be
  able to put sunblock on it regularly? Otherwise, expect some color
  loss and blurring. If you want some serious work done, and you want
  to show it off, you may want to consider getting a "sleeve"--full tat
  coverage throughout your upper arm.

--Inner arms: A more unusual location than the outer upper arm area,
  this area is often not easily visible. Be careful if your genes are
  prone to "bat wing" flab, however.

--Forearms: Popeye sported his anchor on his forearm. Probably not as
  popular as the upper arm but common just the same. You can have
  your upper arm "sleeve" extend down for the long sleeve effect. For
  an example, check out the heavy metal video disc jockey on MTV
  (who also has a nose pierce, BTW).

--Wrists: Janis Joplin had a dainty tat on her wrist...easily
  concealable with a watch.

--Hands (fingers and palms): This usenet receives frequent queries
  about fingers, palms and hands in general. Some artists don't do
  hands because the ink will have a tendency to blur or fade easily.
  Consider that you probably move your hands the most out of your
  entire body. A friend of mine had a multi-colored tat on his finger by
  Ed Hardy (who apparently cringed upon hearing about where my
  friend wanted it), that is only several years old and is now barely
  noticeable.
  Some people want to substitute their wedding bands with tat bands.
  The palm side of your hand doesn't retain ink well--if you can find an
  artist who will do it, you can expect it to be a rather basic line,
  and that it will not last too long. Perhaps just matching tats
  someplace else would be okay? There *IS* a photo of a tattoo on a palm
  in Sandi Feldman's book on Japanese tattooing. This seems to be an
  exception.

--Shoulder blades: The back shoulder blade area is another popular
  spot for women, who can show off the work with a bathing suit or
  tank top, but cover it up with regular clothes. If this is the case,
  be particularly careful with sun because you're not gonna be wearing
  that unless it's warm and sunny. It's a "safe" place--but may get in
  the way later on if you decide to commit yourself to a large back
  piece.

--Back: You can get any part of your back done, or find yourself an
  artist you really like, and save your money for a "back piece" that
  encompasses your entire back. Expect to pay several thousand dollars
  for a full back piece (not to mention many tat sessions).

--Buttocks: Again, beware of potential sagging in the area. Rumor is
  that George Schultz has a tiger on his, and Cher has a bunch of
  flowers on hers (I wish she'd stop getting the silly small things and
  get some serious big custom pieces done on her bod! Has anyone seen
  that "necklace with three charms" that she has on her arm? Yeeech!)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
This ends the rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 2/4. This section should
be followed by rec.arts.bodyart Tattoo FAQ: Part 3/4.


--
Lani Teshima-Miller ([e-mail]) "Sea Hare"  o/ /_/_/
UH School of Library & Info Studies. "Whatever the cost of our   o|<0_0>------*
libraries, the price is cheap compared to that of an ignorant      \=^-| |_| |
nation." -Walter Cronkite         [R.a.b.bit says: "Think Ink!"]       \_} \_}