Last week, John McCain’s daughter, Meghan, made a promise in New Hampshire that if her dad wins the state and becomes President, she will get a tattoo of the state’s motto “Live Free or Die.”

Ms. McCain already has a star tattoo on her foot and is the author of a children’s book called My Dad, John McCain.

[via]

A science enthusiast and tattoo artist-in-training got Stephen Hawking’s face tattooed on his leg along with a quote from the Monty Python movie “Life of Brian”: “He’s not the messiah. He’s a very naughty boy.” Now there’s a combination of ideologies.

“I read A Brief History of Time, but to be honest I didn’t understand a word, but I respect the man and that’s why I got his face tattooed on my leg,” says Jack Newton, of the UK. He goes on to call Hawking “an amazing example of how illness does not necessarily stop a man from doing great things. Newton has taken home a couple of tattoo trophies for his salute to Hawking.

[via]

Body Art Expo is going on this weekend at the L.A. Convention Center.

They call it a “gigantic skin show off party” and promise “side shows.” The Los Angeles Times cites 30,000 are expected to attend, which is roughly the population of Lewiston, Idaho.

[via]

The New York Times ran an article in their Thursday Fashion & Style section about neck and hand tattoos becoming more mainstream and therefore more acceptable, specifically in the workforce. The article cited such overtly inked tax-paying citizens such as a director of a social service agency, a pediatric physical therapist and fashion model Freja Beha (pictured above).

“Necks and hands, said Joshua Lord, an owner of East Side Ink on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, were the last taboo. Now it is common for customers to seek them, he said. ‘Before it was people in industries that are forgiving,’ he said, meaning principally music or art. ‘But recently I’ve done them for doctors and funeral directors and teachers, and a lot of hairdressers,’ who use hand tattoos as conversation starters, he said.”

An editor of a tattoo journal went as far as to say that this growing trend of newbies going straight to the neck and hand tattoos was causing resentment from the tattoo community. I don’t know about all that but this same editor also observes that while artists used to shy away from doing these areas, they’re now embracing the “always visible” tattoos.

[via]

STDtest.org of San Fran is trying out a new way to encourage getting tested for STDs: one-stop shopping. In cahoots with the local Department of Public Health, they’ve set up what they call a community satellite lab inside the Gotham Tattoo Parlor, where after pre-paying and filling out their paperwork online, patrons can get a throat swab test and be on their merry way.

While you might infer that they’re trying to imply something about the lifestyle choices of the pierced and the inked, it is certainly a welcome alternative to walking into your local Planned Parenthood, having to pick up a phone just to speak to the receptionist hiding behind probably bulletproof glass and then sitting in a waiting room for hours.

For more info on STDtest.org’s new program click here.

[via]

A Northern California soccer coach promised his team of girls under 12 that if they won the tournament, he’d get a tattoo immortalizing their team, the Ultimate Unicorns.

“They needed incentive,” Rutenschroer said. Sure enough, the girls were victorious and looked on as their coach got a pair of mythical, one-horned creatures inked on his arm. Thus proving, it’s not all about winning, but about what someone is willing to do for you if you win.

[via]

Never mind the screaming fans, the bright lights and the pressures of September, tattoos are the real distraction on the baseball field. In a round of MLB head games, the Marlins made Phillies pitcher, Brett Myers, put on long sleeves to cover the modest tattoo on his wrist.

See also Justin Miller.

Hmm, can’t say I’m not distracted. Miller, interestingly enough, currently pitches for the Marlins.

[via]

Earlier this month, a breast cancer activist in the British town of Seaport raised £10,000 (that’s over $18,000 American) having artists tattoo one-inch pink ribbons on over 100 people.

Certainly more shocking and long-lasting than a pink ribbon cookie or a “save the ta-tas” bumper sticker, the organizer is hoping to inspire similar charity events.

For more cancer related tattoos and photos, check out MySpace’s “Cancer Related Tattoos” group.

Also check out this tattoo artist of Santa Barbara, CA and her work on breast cancer survivors. Love the permanent floral bra!

[via]

CLICK TO SUBSCRIBE TO TATTOO MAGAZINE

TATTOO MAGAZINE ISSUE 231
FEATURES

• Cultural Exchange: Amsterdam Convention
• Five Finger Death Punch
• Jessica Grover: High Spirited Ink
• Sin City Skin Art
• Sideshow Artworks
• Tony Wolfe
• Colleen Hopkins
• Matt Mauzro
• Lauren Powers
• Ian Bryant
• Nicole Conigliaro

Read the rest of this entry »

This is the Tom Green Show, not the Green Tom Show