Kristina Shares Two Stunning Virginia Elwood Tattoos

One of my favorite Tattoosday encounters involves Kristina, who I featured here back in 2010. As I recall in the post, I had originally met Kristina in Manhattan a couple years earlier, and had run into her again in my neighborhood when we were both picking up our kids from camp.

We've since become friends and I've kept up to date on some new tattoos she has had inked since we last featured her on Tattoosday.

Over the summer, we finally had a moment to stop, talk, and take pictures of her newer tattoos, both of which were tattooed by the fantastically awesome Virginia Elwood of New York Adorned.

This is the larger piece on her shoulder and upper chest:

She loves birds and the emblem on the chain was Elwood's idea. Kristina had wanted a compass but, as she put it "Virginia-ized." She added, "she [Elwood] does these beautiful geometric flowers like a spyrograph - I wanted it in that style."

Kristina also has this crane on her right ankle:

Kristina's son Oscar told her to get a crane, "which originally scared me," she said, "because he was little and I thought he meant a construction vehicle."

Clicking here will show you all the work I've featured by Virginia before on Tattoosday. Some day, I hope to get work from her, as well.

Thanks to Kristina for sharing her birds with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Vice Concludes Valerie Vargas Segment on Tattoo Age

The third and final installment of Vice's Tattoo Age is up:
 
This concluding segment was really cool. There's less tattooing and more about the relationship between Valerie and Stewart Robson. You see them hanging at the zoo and it's really interesting to see them and their reaction to some of the animals.

This is definitely a great series!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

BUDDHA.

Work in progress on the homie LT.

Emil Shares His Timon and Pumbaa Tattoos

Back at the end of July, I met Emil in Penn Station. He shared these two tattoos from his left arm:

These are the characters Pumbaa (top) and Timon (bottom) from the Disney animated film The Lion King.
Timon is a meerkat and Pumbaa is a warthog, and both were the characters providing comic relief in the film. 
"Why did you get Timon and Pumbaa?" I asked.

"They are my idols," he told me.

Emil credited an artist named Richard Holm at Magic Man Tattoo and Art in Skövde, Sweden. Believe it or not, these are not the first tattoos we've come across from Magic Man Tattoo. A piece was featured previously here, back in 2009.

Thanks to Emil for sharing his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

English roses

Ok, guys, Allan is super busy and i am super sick, so this is the only sneak peek we have time for.
Allan has finished his London rose flash set and we will be bringing a limited run to the convention where you can buy them!*
He'll also be tattooing roses from the set, but it won't be the usual "custom flash" deal that can only be done once, as these sheets are for sale.
But there'll be other designs to choose from too, not just roses, and we'll bring along the flash from last year as well, so anything that didn't get tattooed last year, will be up for grabs this year.

As for merch, we'll have t-shirts, flash, and some other limited prints that we'll keep a surprise for now.
Possibly originals too.
So come see us at the booth this weekend and check out what we got!
We have also updated Uncle Allan's portfolio with a bunch of brand new tattoos, some of which that haven't even been on the blogs or instagram, so that's worth a look too.

Oh, and for those wanting to get tattooed: if you get to the booth and there happens to be more than one person there, please form a line behind the person who was there first!
If people just stand around, we have no way of knowing who got there first, and we want it to be as fair as possible.

Hard at work, every night after actual work

See you tomorrow, London!


*We will make more when we get home, so they will eventually be for sale here on the blog too, but probably on different paper.

Stefany's Chameleon Explodes with Color

I'm still marveling over the cool tattoos I spotted at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade back in June.

This chameleon tattoo which belongs to Stefany is impressive to begin with....

and then you see the whole piece that wraps onto her back:

This piece was done by Nick Caruso at Bound for Glory Tattoo on Staten Island. Work from Nick has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

You can tell Stefany has a lot of amazing work, including the seascape down on her ribs and hip, as well.

Thanks to Stefany for sharing this beautiful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Matthew Shares Some Autumn Ink

Sometimes some people's tattoos are just destined for Tattoosday.

Case in point: this past July I was traversing the Brooklyn Bridge with family and some out of town friends. On the way down the bridge into Manhattan, a guy passed me walking toward Brooklyn. He had an amazing, colorful tattoo on his left arm. Under normal circumstances, I would have stopped him, but we were going different directions and the bridge was crowded.

It was a hot day, so we paused for some water at the bottom of the bridge before crossing into City Hall Park. There were seven of us in all and we were hanging by the Jacob Wrey Mould fountain when, who should I see, but the guy with the tattoo I so admired. Rather than crossing into Brooklyn, he had returned to Manhattan.

His name was Matthew and he was visiting from Utah. Check out his amazing tattoo:

It seemed appropriate to save this tattoo for the first full day of fall (I know it started yesterday, but technically not until 10:49 a.m. E.S.T.).

Matthew explained that this tattoo represents "where I've started [and] what I've grown to be."

He added,  "I got the colors because my birthday is in the fall ... so autumn colors, as well as, it looks more like a Dr. Seuss, so it's different than anyone else's tree tattoo." I couldn't agree more!

The artist is Craig Secrist at Ironclad Electric Tattooing in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Thanks to Matthew for sharing this awesome tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Domenic Helps Tattoosday Usher in Autumn

We've saved this one for today, the first day of fall:

This half-sleeve of falling leaves belongs to Domenic, who I met in Penn Station back in early July.

He credited the artist Laura Usowski at Lovecraft Tattoo in Hamden, Connecticut. He says he wanted something representing fall and Laura designed the tattoo. She did a great job!

Thanks to Domenic for sharing this tattoo which we here think is a perfect tattoo for the first day of fall!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Quickie

Here are a few pictures of tattoos... from the phone, sadly, but still, better than nothing, right?

We have some news soon, and hopefully i'll have time to post some London flash preview before next weekend (gah! So soon!), but for now, this is what you get!

Finished rib piece on Mads (his second one, see the first one here)

Henrik's really old bodysuit in progress... 90% of our medical tape supply goes to wrapping up this guy!

We went to Berlin last week where Allan tattooed Sarah in her beautiful new shop... hopefully we'll have a healed picture of this soon... it's geeky as fuck!

We'll be bringing new prints, t-shirts, flash and possibly some originals to London, so that should be exciting!

Dino drawings up for grabs!

The Dino Baby is back from a successful trip to Iceland, which you can read more about here, but since he didn't have time to do all the pieces he'd prepared, there are some sweet leftovers for you guys.
So you can get tattooed without even having to use your brain to come up with ideas or anything!
He'd really love to do either of these designs, so if you're interested in getting one or more of these babies, send him an email (tankrjc@gmail.com) or give him a call (+ 45 28 68 49 34).

Og så på Dansk!
David er tilbage fra convention på island, og da han havde rygende travlt deroppe, var der en del af de designs han havde lavet som der ikke blev tid til at tatovere.
Men det kan komme jer til gode, for han vil stadig rigtig gerne lave disse designs, så hvis du er interesseret i en af dem, eller flere for den sags skyld, skal du bare kontakte ham via mail (tankrjc@gmail.com) eller telefon (28 68 49 34).
Easy as that!

Sweet stuff indeed... get on that asap!

Chelsea's Pisces Tattoo

I met Chelsea over the summer in Penn Station and she shared this tattoo from her upper back:

As many might guess, this tattoo is astrological in its origin, and reflects that Chelsea is a Pisces.

She said that tattooer is a free-lance artist in Brooklyn named Vega.

Thanks to Chelsea for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Tattoo Age on Vice: Valerie Vargas Part 2 is Now Up!

So we here at Tattoosday have committed to keeping our readers up to date on the new installments of Vice's amazing "Tattoo Age" series.

That said, here is the second installment of Frith Street Tattoo's extremely talented Valerie Vargas:


Enjoy!

This Little Piggie ... Runs Up Peter's Arm

Earlier this month, I headed to the Carroll Gardens section of Brooklyn on a mission - Melanie had sent me to Shelsky's Smoked Fish on Smith Street to fetch her some, well, smoked fish. Shelsky's has amazing lox, herring, and other tasty treats that cater to that refined palate. They also make some amazing sandwiches, flavored cream cheeses, and salads. I enjoyed their horseradish cream cheese and their citrus-roasted beet salad. Melanie's still kvelling about the thinly-sliced pastrami lox and house mustard herring. But, I digress.

Peter Shelsky, the owner, was gathering my order and I couldn't help but admire the pig tattoo on his arm:

He even rolled up his sleeve to show me that the tattoo had two parts:

Since the shop was busy when I was snapping the photos, I later asked Peter to tell a little more about the piece:

"My tattoo is an old-fashioned butcher's diagram of a pig.  He is running into my Nenox chef knife which is above the elbow.

I got them done in 2009 after eating pork every day through 2008.  I decided on New Year's eve 2008 that I wanted to make a resolution that I knew I would gladly commit to.  Eating pork every day of 2008 was that resolution, and I did it.  Pork is my #1 favorite meat.  The pig is a miracle animal. You can use every single part of the pig.  So, naturally, the tattoo just made sense to me.  The juxtaposition of me owning a Jewish appetizing shop, and working behind the counter with a pig tattoo on my arm is great.  It's a conversation starter, and I really like that.  I'm sure some folks are offended by it, but that's life."

Peter's tattoos were inked by Robert Bonhomme at Brooklyn Tattoo. I reached out to Adam Suerte at the shop, since Peter told me that Robert had moved on. Adam informed me that Robert is now working out of Hand of Glory in Park Slope.

Today is the second day of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, and it seemed appropriate, or inappropriate, depending on your perspective, to share this during the holidays. After all, as Peter reminded me, Shelsky's has "tons of smoked fish, salads, and platters to offer for Break Fast on
Yom Kippur!" Check their full menu out at www.Shelskys.com!

Thanks to Peter Shelsky for sharing his porcine tattoo with us here on Tattoosday! And Happy New Year to  all!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

A Day Off and Some Librarian Tattoos

I hadn't prepared a post for today but a friend messaged me on Facebook with this link, which shares "11 Amazing Library Tattoos".

Go check it out and you'll see cool stuff like this one:

from Mental_floss post by Jill Harness

Enjoy!

Gatsie Shares an Undersea Half-Sleeve and Some Additional Work from Royal Street Tattoo

Back in June, I met Gatsie on the West 4th Street subway platform in Manhattan. It was this, her undersea half-sleeve, that first caught my eye:

Gatsie told me that this work featuring sea turtles, jellyfish and a shark, was originally a cover-up and it was done by Matt Skinner at Royal Street Tattoo in Mobile, Alabama.

Gatsie was kind enough to send me some other pieces she's had done at Royal Street, as well. Needless to say, she's a huge supporter of the shop.

Her other arm hosts this phoenix by Kelly "Pony" Stephenson:

She also sent me this piece from her back:

This literary tattoo features Edgar Allan Poe and some ravens. This was done at Royal Street, as well, by Pete Anderson.

Thanks to Gatsie for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday! We'll be sure to check out Royal Street Tattoo if we're ever in Mobile!

DELICATE.

I never get tired of doing roses.

Marshall's Vesalius Tattoo

I met Marshall at the end of May in Penn Station and snapped a photo of his leg tattoo:

This is an image from the first human anatomy book by Andreas Vesalius, circa 1543.

The tattoo artist is Needles from East Side Ink.

Thanks to Marshall for sharing with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Teegan's Dragon Tattoo Wraps Around Her Leg

I met Teegan at the end of July in Penn Station after spotting her cool dragon tattoo that wraps around her leg:

She credits this work to Adam Jeffrey at the Baltimore Tattoo Museum.

The concept of the dragon wrapping around the limb is pretty cool and Teegan explained that she and the artist "worked on the design together... going back and forth."

She appreciated the fact that dragon tattoos have a whole array of traditional meanings, which contribute to her appreciation of the tattoo.

Thanks again to Teegan for sharing this piece with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Lisa Shares a Portrait by Casey Anderson from The Devil's Rejects

Today we have another shot from the Coney Island Mermaid Parade. This piece belongs to Lisa:

She credited this piece to Casey Anderson at House of Poncho's Tattoos in Abingdon, Maryland.

This is a portrait of the character Vera-Ellen "Baby" Firefly, played by Sheri Moon Zombie,  in Rob Zombie's film The Devil's Rejects.

This tattoo, which takes up most of Lisa's upper right arm, is attributed to the fact that, in her words, "I'm a fan of horror movies and she was a totally awesome killer in that movie and I just liked her character."

Thanks to Lisa for sharing this awesome tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Valerie Vargas, Part 1, Now Up on "Tattoo Age"

The first installment of the first feature on Vice's Tattoo Age is up now!


If you really want to have some tattoo envy, just behold the amazing work of the brilliant Valerie Vargas from Frith Street Tattoo in London. We'll be posting when new installments are released.

Tommy's Card Represents Birth and Death

Back in June, I ran into Tommy, in Penn Station, who shared this tattoo:

Tommy told me this is based on a Tarot Card, and that it represents a message.

"I got it the same day one of my best friends passed away. I actually didn't know that happened that day. A friend of mine has a book of birthdays ... and every birthday has its own card and this is my card and I went to go get it and then later that night I found out one of my really close friends passed away. So, it's kinda like represents a whole lot more to me now." 

The piece was inked at Philadelphia Eddie's Tattoo Haven.

Thanks to Tommy for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Milkshakes and rants

Phew.
After a very hectic, and very, very fun August, we're kinda back to normal here.
We miss all of our buddies, but it's also nice with a little quiet once in a while.
The quiet is not gonna last too long, though, cause London is coming up, and that convention has a way of sneaking up on us, fast!
Allan is working on designs for the convention, and maybe, if they're ready in time, we'll post a little preview. If not, you'll just have to wait and see!

I have some good news for everyone who've been asking ever since it closed; the waiting list will open soon.
Yay!
Not saying how soon, but soon-ish, so start thinking of fun ideas!
Also, since we're on the topic of the waiting list....

Sometimes i'll write someone about finally getting their tattoo appointment, and they're unable to accept due to various circumstances like loss of a job, moving house, or just being plain broke, which is understandable, of course, but also a giant waste of time for us and the other people on the list.
And then there are the people who are super stoked in their mails, but never reply, which is just weird... or my personal favorites; the people who get tired of waiting and go to another artist, but never think of letting us know.

The point is, while most people are more than happy to jump at the chance to get tattooed, and are well prepared, there are some who seem to sign up without considering that they will eventually have to get tattooed!
We do try to give everyone a few months notice, but my point (i have many points!) is: when you sign up for the waiting list, start saving up. And if something happens that makes you unable to get tattooed, like say moving house or getting pregnant, please just take yourself off the list and sign back up when you're ready again.
If you don't, you're missing the point and you're wasting our time.

Whoa, that sounded harsh! But really, i'm just looking to make our system as efficient as possible, and make sure that the people on that list who really want to get tattooed, can get tattooed with as little waiting as possible.
So if you're a person who's on the waiting list but maybe shouldn't be... please send a mail to uncleswaitinglist@gmail.com with the subject "delete me". You can always sign back up later.

Ok, rant over!
Here are some pictures from the Black Metal show.
And some other random shots too.
Most of these are taken with my analog Canon and as you can see, it was entirely too dark at the show for that kind of film, but i had to try anyway!

The dino looking rather blurry... and slightly constipated?

Statue

Another one

Front room goodness

And workroom

I already published these on my blog, but i like them a lot, so i'm putting them up here too! 

From left: Wendy, Allan & Lucifer, Matthew and David

From left: Matt, Davee, random photobombers and Nick

Here's one from the instagrams of our painting night a few days before the Aussies had to leave

A tattoo Matthew Gordon did on one of our coffee shop buddies

Oh, and here's one from that time me and Wendy wore floral jumpsuits and traveled through a wormhole and ended up on the cover of Time Magazine, and that was coincidentally also the time we liked stupid iPhone apps a little too much!

More exciting news soon, and maybe some tattoo pictures too?
I know i've been holding back on the Uncle Allan pictures, but we're kind of enjoying keeping them secret, so we can blow people's mind at the London convention with a portfolio full of never before seen tattoos!

Re-Post: A Patriotic Tattoo for Patriot Day

I am rarely satisfied with something from my unpublished backlog when September 11 rolls around.

I have re-posted a 9/11 Memorial Tattoo several times already, so I am re-posting this one, from 2008, because it also seems like an appropriate sentiment for this day.

I also like to share this poem, which I composed back in 2001.

~ ~ ~

I ran into Rob in my neighborhood in late August and he gladly shared his patriotic tattoo.

Rob is a Revolutionary War buff and has a distinct interest in American history.

He wanted an "old school" tattoo back in 2000, and wanted something patriotic back "before it was fashionable". He's referring of course, to the explosion of post-9/11 red, white and blue ink. He wasn't disrespecting or being critical of patriotic tattoos done after 2001, he was merely clarifying for me that his piece was not a product of the huge wave of emotion that surged through the country after that day of infamy seven years ago.

Rob's "Land of the free, Home of the brave" banner with the original 13-star flag was inked by Darren Rosa at Rising Dragon in Manhattan. Work from Rising Dragon has appeared on Tattoosday previously here.

Thanks to Rob for sharing his red, white, and blue patriotic tattoo with us here on Tattoosday on this occasion.

~ ~ ~

This entry is ©2008,2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

A Monday Mermaid from Mandy

Back in July, I met a woman in Penn Station named Mandy. She has a lot of ink, estimating between 16 and 17, but surprised me when she revealed this cool mermaid on her back:

Mandy explained that the original artist of this piece was the late Jason Guilbault, who worked at Addiction NYC, Their friend Eric finished the piece, adding the color and Guilbault's name at the bottom of the piece. Jason's MySpace is still active here, where you can see some of his work and see messages left in memory of him.

"Why the mermaid?" I asked.

"I've always wanted to be a mermaid," Mandy told me, "and now I'm going to be a professional mermaid." I asked if she was going to Florida to live out this dream, but she said she is going to stay in New York, since there are no professional mermaids in New York City.

Thanks to Mandy for sharing her mermaid with us here on Tattoosday, and helping us keep the memory of Jason Guilbault alive!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Swallowing the Sun(day)

As I mentioned a couple days ago, back in July, I attended the 2nd Annual New York City Poetry Festival on Governor's Island. One of the people I met was Anthony, who shared this tattoo on his arm:

Anthony explained that this is an eagle, swallowing the sun. It represents being part of the earth and the sky, being one with the universe.

He credited the work to Flying Ace! Scotty Lowe at Shotsie's Tattoo in Wayne, NJ

Thanks to Anthony for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Tattoosday: Five Years and Counting

Thanks to Nathan @ KnuckleTattoos.com for This Image

I'll be honest with you, Dear Readers, when I managed only six posts in August, despite a backlog of over fifty subjects, I feared the worst. The fact that I only had 1 (one) reader inquiry asking if everything was okay certainly deepened my concern.

You see, July 31, marked the fifth anniversary of this post, over on my original site, BillyBlog. That was 1997, and I had my most fruitful year as a blogger. Within six weeks, my idea to highlight someone's tattoo, be it a friend's or a stranger's, had exploded. I had more material than I expected, and I loved it.

So, on Saturday, September 8, 2007, after six Tuesday posts, I spun off Tattoosday into a stand alone entity. And BillyBlog hung around, and still exists, in theory, although I posted exactly three times in 2011 and three (so far) in 2012.

Five years for a blog is past middle aged for this type of media. For, you see, for every HuffPo or other serious, amazing, SUCCESSFUL blog, there are thousands that don't make a year, or two.

But here we are, five years old, celebrating our anniversary. And even though we officially first posted on July 31, 2007, I neglected to celebrate back then.

Like I mentioned earlier, last month was bleak. My job of fifteen years ended on August 31st and I was distracted by the closing of our company which was located across from Penn Station, where there was a prolific supply of tattooed commuters and tourists.

But September, which often marks the beginning of the end of summer, prime inkspotting season, brought me renewed faith in the site, and the desire to continue through this mid-blog-life crisis.

You will be seeing the standard sights from my fellow tattooed New Yorkers. My backlog, as is generally the case, stretches back several months. However, I will be expanding a bit in the format department, adding more news and media.

I've been documenting tattoos in New York City (and beyond) for five years. This is our 1317th entry into that little experiment I started way back in 1997 as a once-a-week feature.

I want to thank all of our readers and contributors for their support and participation in Tattoosday. Your existence, as subjects and fans, makes my life richer, and I am humbly appreciative of your existence.

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Tattoo Age, Season Two, is Coming!

Loyal readers who don't read any other tattoo blogs, I apologize, I may have let you down.

There is a great on-line tattoo feature from a site called VICE that produces a fantastic tattoo series called Tattoo Age.

They told me about it last year but, because I was more involved with my man-on-the-street posts, and because my good friends over at Needles & Sins posted about it, I made a mental note, but didn't talk much about it here on Tattoosday.

But we're evolving here, and as there may be readers who don't read Needles & Sins, I would be remiss in not plugging this great series that, in its first season, highlighted the work of such amazing artists like Freddy Corbin, Mike Rubendall (of Kings Avenue Tattoo), Troy Denning and Grime.

Season Two is upon us, and they will be featuring Valerie Vargas, from the UK, Mutsuo from Japan, and New York City's Thom DeVita. Each artist's spotlight is broken into three parts and, if season one is any indication, highlights their talents and skills in a great documentary style.

For a sneak peak at the upcoming season, here's a taste:

What's nice about this series, among other things, is that they are devoid of faux-reality drama. It's just about tattooing, and by very talented folks, to boot.

We here at Tattoosday will do our best to keep readers updated as to when new episodes appear online.

Enjoy!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.