A few weeks back, I wrote about the current issue surrounding the facial tattoo that artist S. Victor Whitmill gave Mike Tyson.  When Warner Bros. Entertainment was set to release the sequel to the 2009 comedy The Hangover, Whitmill stepped forward to file a copyright claim against the film and Warner Bros for the replica facial tattoo that the film reproduces on the face of actor Ed Helms.  For some time, it looked as though Whitmill’s lawsuit was going to delay the Hangover Part II‘s release date of May 26.

Well, Warner Bros suits breathed a collective sigh of relief this week as Chief Judge Catherine D. Perry denied the injunction that would keep the film from screening in theatres on time.  Warner Bros. responded to the decision thusly:

”We are very gratified by the Court’s decision which will allow the highly anticipated film, The Hangover Part II, to be released on schedule this week around the world,” the studio said in a statement. “Plaintiff’s failed attempt to enjoin the film in order to try and extract a massive settlement payment from Warner Bros. was highly inappropriate and unwarranted.” The case, however, will continue.

Not too sure that the case was inappropriate.  I can’t see exactly what is inappropriate about an artist wanting to prevent other parties from profiting off his work.  It seems to me to be a pretty clear case of copyright violation.  I’m sure if a studio like Universal went and produced a film that had elements of a film previously produced by Warner Bros that Warner Bros most certainly would be filing a lawsuit of their own.  Which is why I’m glad to see that this case isn’t quite over yet.  According to Whitmill’s attorney Pete Salsich III:

‘The case was not dismissed, it is not over. In fact, while we were disappointed in the court’s immediate ruling on the injunction, overall we are very pleased with today’s result. The court found that Mr. Whitmill successfully proved what are ultimately the most important factors — (1) a “strong likelihood of success on the merits” of our copyright infringement claim, and (2) that Mr. Whitmill has suffered irreparable harm from the loss of control over his artwork. In so doing, she stated on the record that “Most of the defendant’s arguments against this are just silly. Of course tattoos can be copyrighted.”

All Warner Bros. did was survive our preliminary injunction motion. It will be able to open its movie this weekend so that the thousands of innocent movie theater operators will not be harmed. However, the judge ruled that we would be able to pursue a permanent injunction based on our copyright infringement claims, which we intend to do as soon as possible.’

Keep weedin’ ’em out.  That’s pretty much all that needs to be said after a Hillsville, Virginia teen was arrested following reports that he was running an unlicensed tattoo studio from his apartment.  After police turned up and did a search, the reports turned out to be true – William Austin Rodriguez was in fact running an illegal tattoo studio where he performed tattoos on young girls below the age of 18.

‘Officers executed a search warrant at his home and seized tattoo equipment, police said.

He’s been charged with two counts of tattooing persons less than 18 years of age without parental consent, two counts of felony child endangerment, two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and one count of operating a tattoo parlor without a permit.’

I can’t really say much more about this sort of thing other than what I’ve said before.  But, I can definitely relay my unwavering support to taking these scratchers down wherever they may be lurking.  They’re killing tattoo.  Rodriguez is currently chillin’ in the New River Valley Jail where he’ll most likely be until his trial, given that his bail is set at $2,500.

One last thing: to all the wannabe tattooists out there who think illegally tattooing underage clients is the way to become a legitimate tattooist – it isn’t.  Get off your ass, work hard and be dedicated to your goal.  Scratching is nothing more than pure laziness and sooner or later you’ll get caught and when that happens, you’ll be lounging in a prison somewhere.  If you truly love tattoo, then play by the rules.  It won’t happen over night, but it will happen.  You just have to work for it.

There are many factors for judging the merit of a tattooist.  These sorts of determining factors can sometimes differ from person to person, though there are a few staples that either make or break an artist.  Unsurprisingly, the actual ability to tattoo and to create work that speaks for itself is tops, but an arguably equal important specific is the actual commitment to tattooing – the way an artist devotes his or herself to their art form, as well as the respect they have for their art form is vital to their growth and general appeal as a professional tattooist.

In that case, New York City based tattoo artist Troy Denning is certainly staking out his own individual path as a first rate artist.  In his online bio, Denning states:

‘“…it is rewarding to know that I have done – hopefully – to the best of my ability something that will forever be with someone and mean something to them. It is with each day that I not only learn to love my profession a bit more, but I increasingly develop a greater appreciation for the craft. I want to give this and relay this to my client.”’

In this way, Denning can’t help but grow as a tattoo artist and despite his 17 plus years of tattoo experience, he understands the need to continue to learn and is humbled by that need to learn.  No artist is perfect, regardless of the medium in which they work.  Some might foolishly believe themselves to be, but it’s simply not possible.

Denning’s work is shaped by his travels and his willingness to learn.  Based primarily in the Japanese style, Denning tattoos at the private studio run by himself and his wife, called Invisible NYC.  The work ethic behind Invisible NYC runs parallel with Denning’s own tattoo work, that is, it hosts a great respect for technical work as well as the commitment involved in being a professional tattooist.

Check out Troy Denning’s work here.

Are tattoos attractive?  Well that seems to be an issue of some contention.  Personally, I feel that the issue is more than a little bit of a double standard.  Men with tattoos are very rarely called out for it in the media or criticised for their decisions.  Women on the other hand, are all too often discriminated against for the choice of being tattooed, as though the decision to be tattooed runs contrary to some pre-prescribed vision of what is and what isn’t “ladylike”.  Even an equivalent of a term like “tramp stamp” doesn’t exist amongst tattooed men.  Why is that?

Well, I’m not really sure why women aren’t afforded the same level of tolerance toward their decision to be tattooed.  It also seems that the more attractive a woman is, the more she is criticised for being tattooed.  This problem is exactly what lead 22-year-old model Samantha Plant to start her own promotional modelling agency.  Plant was tired of working her way through various modelling competitions only to be disqualified in the finals because of her tattoos.

‘”I was knocked from competitions after winning the heats only to be told at the grand finals that I couldn’t win because of my tattoos,’’ she said.

‘’It was competitions like Jack Daniels and [Miss] Indy. Basically the judges would pull me aside at the end and say, you were great but because you’ve got tattoos you’ll miss out.

”I guess it’s just that everybody’s set in stone with the no-tattoos thing. I’ve worked for companies [modelling] and they’ve told me to put makeup on them.’’’

Plant has even gone as far as to create a beauty contest specifically for tattooed models called Inked Beauties.  The competition is based in Australia and requires its models to showcase their tattoos as well as their beauty.  The sole caveat regarding the tattoos is that each model must have at least one tattoo and it must not be a tiny one, it must be something with size and it must be noticeable.

While I applaud Plant for creating this competition and giving women with tattoos the opportunity to model without any preconceived prejudice directed toward them, I also think that it’s very unfortunate that there has to be a separation of people solely because of tattoos.  Although, perhaps having competitions such as Inked Beauties will help to showcase these women as being no different from other non-tattooed women.  Given the chance at a spotlight, perhaps tattooed women can help to destroy old, outdated notions of who and what tattooed women are.  Here’s hoping.

Strange, strange things have a way of following tattoo around.  I don’t know why exactly this is, but just when you think you’ve heard or seen something all too strange regarding tattoo, something else just pops up.  This time the strange incident took place in Yunnan province, China – and believe me, it’s the sort of strange randomness that exists in tales of crop circles or UFO sightings.

Sheng Xianhui had gone into a local hospital for gall bladder removal surgery.  Everything went okay, the operation was a success and as is the case with successful operations, the patient eventually returns home and gradually begins to get back into the routine of daily life.  Except that in this case, about a week after the operation, Xianhui was continually bothered by a pain on the upper area of his right buttock.  Thinking that it was merely a side effect of the operation that he had undergone, he ignored the pain until one day when he was getting into the shower, his wife noticed that her husband now had a tattoo on his right buttock.  Closer inspection revealed that the 15 centimetre by 8 centimetre tattoo was of a Chinese character, which roughly translates in English to “stone disease”.

Understandably confused and angry that he had apparently been tattooed while unconscious, Xianhui went to the hospital looking for answers.  At present time the hospital says that they are investigating the incident, though they suggest that perhaps Xianhui’s tattoo is the result of an allergic reaction to the sheets in his hospital bed.  Huh?  I’ve heard of a lot of different allergies and allergic reactions before, but I’ve yet to know of any allergic reaction that actually causes a tattoo to be inked into flesh.  Bizzaro.

Tattoo takes its rich history from the various tribes and cultures that practised the art form long ago and in some cases, that continue to practice the art form even today.  Unfortunately as time passes and technology rapidly makes the world a smaller place, many aspects of the cultures which helped to form the basis for modern day tattoo die out.  Their traditions disappear or in the worst case scenarios, the entire culture itself dies out.

Of course any rational person doesn’t want to see a tribe or culture die out or for the traditions that they practised to vanish.  The Taiwanese have long faced challenges to their own culture, with pressure from the Chinese threatening many aspects of Taiwanese life.  But as has always been the case with outside threats to cultures, it’s the indigenous peoples who typically feel the threat the strongest and ultimately suffer the most.

Along with the Taroko, the Sediq and Atayal people are indigenous groups that were once prevalent in Taiwan.  All three groups practised the art of facial tattoo as a method to mark men when they came of age.  The tattoos were done on the foreheads of the men, while women received tattoos on the forehead as well as both of their cheeks.  During the Japanese occupation of Taiwan from 1895-1945, the tattoos on the indigenous peoples were looked upon as markings of criminals – a belief that oddly enough, is still upheld today in Japan against those with tattoos.

Gradually the indigenous tribes began to disappear and with them their tradition of tattoo.  Today, only seven elders of the Taroko people retain their facial tattoos, the oldest being 102 and the youngest being 92.  After seeing the rate at which this culture was disappearing, Tian Ku-shi, a Taroko man, has gone off on a one man journey to document and publicise the history of his people and their facial tattoos.

‘Tian Kui-shi said investigating and publicizing Taiwan’s history of facial tattooing became his passion while visiting a Taroko tribe 17 years ago. “Even then I could see the number of elders with facial tattoos was dwindling and my efforts would be a race against time.”

According to Tian, only seven of these elders with facial tattoos remain in Taiwan, with the oldest 102 and the youngest 92. “With time, all will pass away, taking something precious from the world,” he said.

“Behind every elder with facial tattoos is a story of change. I treasure the lives of every one of these elders as a precious, irreplaceable thing.”’

As a result of his efforts, Tian has been commended by cultural organisations from several countries around the world, including Japan, The United States, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore.  Unfortunately the People’s Republic of China has yet to relay any sort of praise or acknowledgement of Tian’s work.  Still, that doesn’t diminish in any way the importance of the work he’s doing, nor does it lessen the quality of the work that he has done and continues to do.  I wish him all the best in his endeavours.

‘Our mission is a simple one, to give you the finest level of kustom tattooing anywhere – hands down. We don’t mess around with other types of body art like piercing or things of that nature, we are 100% tattoos 100% of the time. No stuck up attitudes or egotistical artists, just hard assed – No bullshit tattoos applied the way it was meant to be. Satisfaction Guaranteed.‘

For many, that would seem like enough convincing that the studio they are reading up on is going to be a quality one.  Up front, hard assed and professional, dedicated artists – hey, those are all things that you want in a studio.  But Fort Lauderdale, Florida’s Kreepy Tiki Tattoos goes a couple steps further and creates an environment that morphs numerous aesthetics and concepts together into one overall experience.  That experience it seems, is one that eschews the traditional idea of a tattoo studio in favour of a place where people can relax and get swept up into an original and fun vibe.

Some more cynical folks might call what’s going on at Kreepy Tiki Tattoos a gimmick, but I for one am sold.  Although I’ve never set foot in the place, if I could I definitely would…

‘Fedoras, early model electric guitars and framed photos of infamous gangsters like Bugsy Siegal decorate the walls of the shop’s backroom. Costumers await their turn to be inked while flipping through magazines from the comforts of retro-looking lounge chairs. Every other Wednesday night, master stylist Danny Garcia cuts hair. He specializes in traditional business cuts, pompadours and every type of hairdo in between.

The adjoining Monterey Club features swing dancing and a live swing band on Wednesday night and rockabilly, metal, punk, ska and hard-core bands rock the place Thursday through Sunday.

The elevated stage is adjacent to the bar and you can relax in comfy couches while .waiting your turn at the pool table.’

What’s not to like?  Sure, I could maybe see having a beef with this place if the tattooists weren’t up to snuff and the work they were producing was little more than an additional gimmick, but that’s just not the case at Kreepy Tiki.  Don’t believe me?  Check out the shop’s artists, their work speaks for itself.  I admit that I myself am a huge fan of the Tiki style.  So I guess in a way, I was biased from the moment I learned that the shop’s name had “tiki” in it.  But that’s more of an additional treat than a reason for heading to Kreepy Tiki.  From the looks of things, it’s all business where you need it to be, i.e: in the tattooists and the quality of their respective work – and laid back, good times when and where you need it to be.  A perfect balance.

I want to go there now!

Austin, as anyone who loves tattoos most likely knows, is the place to be for your pick of premium tattooists.  If you’re looking to get a tattoo and you’re willing to travel if necessary, Austin is the place to go.  I know this, you know this and Mo Malone also knows this.  Back in 2010, Malone left her 7 year tattooing stint at Iron Age Tattoo in St. Louis and moved to Austin to work with the folks at Triple Crown Tattoo.

After looking through Mo’s online portfolio, it’s easy to rest assured that she fits in just fine amongst the high profile Austin tattoo scene.  She’s got talent – that much is obvious, as well as a real knack for colour and black and grey work.  Her portrait work alone is worth much praise.  Mo Malone is most certainly a tattoo artist to keep an eye on.  If I had to slightly nitpick however, it’s that Mo really needs to ditch her MySpace page and get set up with a personal site worthy of the tremendous work that she has to showcase to the world.

Go Mo!

Just a couple of days ago I wrote about how tattoos can reveal things about us that others may not know.  And while I still certainly stand by that belief, today I can also note that sometimes that concept of letting a tattoo do the talking for us goes a bit too far…

51-year-old Robert Norton Kennedy of Little River, South Carolina has become something of a web sensation after his mug shot was released online.  Kennedy was arrested this past Saturday after his loud music attracted the ire of a neighbour.  When the neighbour confronted Kennedy about the noise, Kennedy proceeded to spit in the man’s face.  Unfortunately for Kennedy a police officer was on the scene to witness the incident.  Kennedy was promptly arrested for assault and battery and taken to the J. Reuben Long Detention Center.

It was here that Kennedy had his mug shot taken, revealing to everyone and anyone with internet access the tattoo on his forehead.  The tattoo reads: ” WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE GOD LOVES YOU Please forgive me if I say or do anything stupid, Thank You!”

Now, aside from the irony of this tattoo given the situation that Kennedy found himself in, it also serves as a pretty decent get out of jail free card, so to speak (not literally, of course), which is – I’m guessing – why Kennedy had it done in the first place.  It sort of seems like he’s ready to do whatever he wants and that in the end he can get smiles and laughs because of this ridiculous tattoo.  Not a bad idea I guess, if acting like a total ass is something of a regular occurrence in your daily life.  I’m thinking that maybe people who are notorious for their bad public behaviour should also have something similar done.  People like Mel Gibson, Sarah Palin, Charlie Sheen or Andy Dick could have their lives simplified if only they followed Robert Norton Kennedy’s example.

Maybe it should even be mandatory…

Ah, soccer fans – is there a more dedicated/crazy group of sports fans out there than them?  I honestly don’t think so.  Time and time again we’ve seen one hardcore soccer fan or another get himself tattooed with something to do with their favourite team and in some cases, we’ve even seen crazy fans get team related tattoos that attempt to predict the end results of championship games that haven’t even occurred yet.

For some odd reason these tattoo maniac/fans often seem to be supporters of the Manchester City Football Club.  A decent amount of time has passed since the last time we saw a fan (incorrectly) attempt to predict the future with a tattoo, so naturally the time has come for a Manchester fan to once again go all out and get a tattoo that celebrates an as of yet unachieved championship. This time however, the tattoo in question isn’t just a small shoulder piece or something average in size.  This time, the tattoo is an entire back piece, proclaiming Manchester City to be the 2011 FA Cup Champions.

29-year-old Craig Reed claims that he was “on such a high” after Manchester City beat Manchester United in the semi-finals to advance to the FA Cup finals in London this weekend, that the idea of Manchester City winning the finals seemed like “a foregone conclusion”.  So why not get a full back tattoo, right?

‘This is Craig’s 28th tattoo – 20 of which are Manchester City related.

‘I’m a bit scared now, course I am. I’ve had stick off my mates, blues and reds, and now I’m thinking “S*** what happens if we win?” But you live by the sword and you die by the sword, so I’m happy to take it on the chin.

‘If we lose I’ll be jumping under the blanket for a bit. My friend says I’m daft. Even if we lose I’ll keep it. I won’t tattoo over it. I’m proud to be a blue definitely, I’m absolutely 110 per cent proud to be a city fan.

‘I think other City fans will understand and it won’t matter. I’m a bit daft because my mates have all said what if we lose, what if this, but I’m not bothered. I’ve had it done and I can’t change the fact that I’ve had it done.’

Let’s hope for Craig’s sake that he got it right.  As always in cases like these, I’m not quite sure why he didn’t just wait until after the game had been played to get a tattoo, but hey, some people just like to take massive unnecessary risks.