A recent news report out of Copenhagen, Denmark tells of a new ban on tattoos in the work place for guards working for the Danish Prison and Probation Service.  The ban, effective as of now specifies that Danish prison guards are not permitted to have visible “biker gang type” tattoos.  What exactly “biker gang type” tattoos are is not clarified by the Danish Prison and Probation Service, leading to the deduction that “biker gang type” tattoos is just an archaic way of saying no tattoos allowed.

The new uniform regulations issued by the DPPS state that ‘the existence of visible tattoos could be found to damage the reputation that prison guards should have both outwardly and inwardly’.

The guidelines continue by stating that the ‘existence of large, visible “biker gang type” tattoos on the hands, arms, neck and head are in this way not desirable’

This is all very disappointing of course and not just because this new ban wallows in outdated stereotypes, either.  I’ve always thought of the majority of Europe as a continent that is constantly pushing the envelope in terms of sociological advancements and tolerance.  To be honest, Denmark was the last place that I expected to see this kind of old-school attitude toward tattoos surface.  Still, people like Kim Østerbye, who is the chairman of the prison worker’s union, is speaking up about and questioning the ridiculousness of this new ban:

‘What is a biker gang tattoo? What is an immigrant gang tattoo?’ he said. ‘Tattoos in Denmark are completely normal. Maybe 10-15 years ago, they would have been more about signalling your membership of the gang environment, but that’s absolutely not the case today.’

How true, how true.

The last time that I wrote about children being tattooed by their elders, I had hoped it would be the last.  I should have known better because now not only is there more recent news about a child being tattooed, but it’s the youngest child that I have ever heard of being tattooed.  This one is truly disgusting, folks and I wouldn’t keep reporting on these sorts of incidents, if only they would go away.  But they won’t.

20-year-old Louisville, Ohio resident Lee M. Deitrick currently stands accused of tattooing the letter “A” on the buttocks of a 1-year-old child.  The child was visiting Deitrick’s family home this past November when Deitrick apparently decided to apply the tattoo.  Police are uncertain as to what the “A” tattoo represents.  At present time, Deitrick is facing a child endangering charge, which is a felony.

LOUISVILLE, Ohio – A 20-year-old man who police say put a tattoo on the rear end of a 1-year-old girl is facing a felony child endangering charge.

Lee. M. Deitrick is accused of applying the tattoo in early November while the child was visiting his home.

The tattoo, which is the letter “A,” could not be removed, according to a complaint police filed with Canton Municipal Court.

The child was brought to the home by a female relative, according to Police Chief Andrew Turowski. Deitrick is not the girl’s father, the chief said.

It was not clear why the child was given a tattoo or what the “A” signifies.

“It is hard to fathom why someone would try to do that,” Turowski said. “It was at his residence. The female relative was the only one with the child, so I guess it is safe to say she was baby-sitting. I would not call her a suspect at this time.”

A woman identifying herself as Deitrick’s grandmother, with whom he lives, recalls the infant’s 16-year-old aunt being the one who was with the girl when the tattoo was applied.

“We have nothing to suggest the mother gave permission to do it (apply the tattoo),” Turowski said.

Very sick stuff, indeed.  I could never understand what would possess anyone to apply a homemade tattoo to a child, especially a toddler.  It just doesn’t make sense.  Then again, a lot of things don’t make sense in this world.  All I can really say about this is that Deitrick will surely receive an adequate punishment and that hopefully in the future, the child’s mother will be more careful about who she leaves her baby with.

It’s really awful given the current popularity of tattoos and given that this is after all, 2010, that tattoo shops are still regularly closed down due to improper hygiene.  There really is no excuse for having anything less than an absolutely perfect hygiene record.  It’s little more than pure carelessness and laziness if any tattoo artist isn’t keeping up with health standards.  Aside from being dangerous, irresponsible, stupid, lazy and just plain idiotic, a tattoo artist that doesn’t follow health regulations, is most certainly not the person you want tattooing your body.

There have been a few posts here and there at Tattoo Blog regarding the closure of tattoo shops in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.  Well, it seems that there’s something in the air in the Canadian province of Alberta, because now several more tattoo shops have been closed in the city of Calgary.  As of February 10th, the six (yes, SIX) tattoo shops closed down by Alberta Health Services are: Dustin Blatz Tattooing, Grave Marking Tattoo, Ill Tattoos (ill indeed), Norm’s Tattoos, Piercer Dan and Tattoo Girl.

“The home-based parlours closed by AHS did not have proper sterilization processes in place, meaning individuals who received tattoos or piercings through these operations may have been exposed to viruses such as Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C. and HIV,” says Dr. [Judy] MacDonald.”

I suppose there are two ways of looking at all this.  One is that health authorities in Alberta are dedicated and take an all around no-nonsense approach to the health and safety of the customers who might otherwise get tattoo work done at one of these health risk tattoo studios.  The other, and albeit less flattering perspective is that for some reason, lazy and unhygienic tattoo artists are able to open and run businesses in the first place in Alberta.

Whatever the reason for it is, the fact remains that when you are getting a tattoo, you should always, always ALWAYS do your homework first.  Alberta Health Services has provided this check list, which is a great way to help you decide what kind of place you’re thinking about getting a tattoo at:

Is the tattooing/piercing area separate from all dining, washroom, kitchen, lounge or sleeping areas?

Is the facility clean and in good repair, with smooth washable equipment and surfaces?

Does the facility have suitable equipment for sterilization, including an autoclave for reusable items?

If no, does the facility only use single use disposable equipment?

Is the tattoo equipment wrapped in plastic, and is the plastic changed after every client?

Does the facility have proper containers for the safe disposal of needles?

Are all linens etc. changed after every client?

Does staff wash hands thoroughly with soap and water at a separate dedicated hand washing sink before & after each client?

Does staff wear disposable gloves that are changed between every client?

Does staff wear clean clothing?

Does staff refrain from smoking, drinking and eating in the tattooing/piercing area?

Does the facility require you to sign a consent form prior to tattooing/piercing?

Does the facility provide pre and post-care instructions?

Does the facility require your contact information for their records?

Can the facility provide you with a copy of the most recent Health Inspection Report?

Getting a bad tattoo is one thing, but having to get a bad tattoo because you lost a bet, is the worst.  I’ve never personally had to get a bad tattoo after losing a bet, but it’s hilarious how often it does happen to other people.

Jason Mac, a DJ for a New Zealand based radio station, The Rock FM, now has a brand new tattoo of one of the most beloved/hated contemporary rock (aka Cock Rock) musicians out there, and it’s on his right ass cheek.  The tattoo is of none other than Nickleback frontman Chad Kroeger.  Kroeger is singing quite heartfelt as always, into a microphone…except that the microphone isn’t a microphone.  It’s a penis.

I don’t know what sort of bet was so important that it necessitated risking getting this horrible (but funny) tattoo.  Man-o-man.  Incidentally, in case you’re wondering where the tattoo was done and you want to see it actually being done, you can mosey on over to here and here, respectively.   I must warn you however, you might become inspired to risk the stakes of future bets with your friends and end up with something similar or worse.

And that would be horrible hilarious.

I’m not a tattoo artist, but I can understand that just like with any other job, being a tattoo artist has its fair share of idiotic customers, customers who fit perfectly into comedian Larry David’s analysis that the customer is not always right and that more often than not, the customer is an asshole.

In short, take the worst customer relations nightmare that you’ve had at your place of work (if you happen to work with customers) and hopefully you still won’t even have come as close to what went down in Monterey, California last July.

Nathan Augustine, 36, of Pacific Grove, California, is to be sentenced to 7 years in prison on March 12th after pleading no contest to two charges of arson.  It all started when Augustine entered Creative Visions tattoo in Monterey and asked for a:

tattoo of a swastika and an image of Obama overlaid with crosshairs…

The artists at Creative Visions all turned Augustine down and wouldn’t tattoo him.  Augustine later returned to throw a Molotov cocktail at the Creative Visions shop.

Wow.  That’s some crazy shit.  But I do have to say, high-fives and much respect to the staff at Creative Visions for sticking their ground.  What’s more, Nathan Augustine received his second arson charge for throwing a Molotov cocktail at a local restaurant.  Apparently they wouldn’t serve crazy redneck assholes.  But that’s just what I heard.

It’s been a while since I have done a post about my adventures in tattoo advertising. I have been through quite a bit since my last post. My family and I were evicted from where we were living. I have also had a few new tattoo advertisements done as well. Since my last post I have had 4 new tattoo ads done. I now have SheMaleYum.com on the side of my head, CrackWhoreConfessions.com on the other side of my head, that reads ” I saw your mom on CrackWhoreConfessions.com”. I have a new tattoo ad on my Forehead that is for DrFreak.com, and a tattoo ad on my chin for HotMovies.com.

Things are going pretty good as far as finding websites to advertise on me. I am starting to get more exposure as well. I did 2 photo shoots recently for  magazines that are going to do features on me. One of the magazine’s that did a feature on me is Bizzare magazine. The issue that features me in it will be out at the end of the month. I am hoping to get even more epxosure. It would be cool to get on CNN, Today Show, or some other program like that. If you would like to see more of my tattoo advertisement photos you can go to my tattoo advertising photo page at this link http://www.checkoutmyink.com/profile/billythebillboard. I will start posting more about my adventures in tattoo advertising now that my family and I have a place to live now.

When I think about how long that I have been doing the tattoo artist profiles for, it’s embarrassing to admit that I have not yet profiled Robert Hernandez.  Considering that Hernandez is widely considered to be one of the greatest tattoo artists in the world, I’ve been slacking by not giving this guy the big time respect that he deserves.

Looking at the work of Robert Hernandez is especially rewarding if you happen to be a fan of tattoo portraiture and horror movies.  I don’t want to make it sound as though Hernandez is solely a horror film tattoo artist, but there certainly is a grotesque and dark feel to much of his tattoo work.  It’s a true mark of exceptional talent when an artist can make disgusting images and characters from horror films or music – a sweat soaked Marilyn Manson, for example – look beautiful.

“Throughout the years I have tried to develop my own unique style. My style tends to be a little on the dark side, sinister even. My main focus has always been realism. I like to play with different tones and textures. I also enjoy distorting portraits or any other type of image. I try to create things that look as alive as possible no matter how far fetched the subject may appear. I believe that anything you can draw or paint you can tattoo.”  – Robert Hernandez

Well, Hernandez has certainly succeeded in creating things that look alive.  His portraits practically leap off the skin.  It’s kind of distracting when you need to write about someone’s tattoos but you haven’t written anything because you can’t stop looking at the artist’s portfolio!

Robert Hernandez has his own tattoo studio set up in Madrid, Spain.  He’s of Polish-Spanish descent, gaining much artistic influence during his childhood from his grandfather, who was a caricaturist.  This interest in art lead to art lessons as well as the study of art and eventually (and thankfully) tattoo.

Quite arguably one of the greatest tattoo artists ever.  Enough said.

Better late than never.  That’s what tattoo artist Bob Tyrrell has to say about his late start in the world of tattoo, and I have to agree with him.  Bob grew up wanting to be an artist, but as he reached his teens he discovered the guitar and heavy metal and for many years afterward, music was his true passion.  Bob played in various heavy metal bands and worked in a factory for fifteen years before getting his first tattoo at age 29.  This initial tattoo regenerated Tyrrell’s interest in being an artist.  He began taking art lessons and drawing once again.  His rediscovered interest in art soon led to the world of tattoo and an apprenticeship at Eternal Tattoos in Detroit, Michigan.  It wasn’t until the age of 34 that Bob began tattooing professionally at Eternal Tattoos.  These days he’s still in Detroit but now Bob can be found at his own tattoo studio, Night Gallery.

I once read an interview with tattoo artist Mario Desa, where he said that he’ll do any style of tattoo except for portrait work.  Desa maintained that if someone wants a portrait tattoo, they should go to a specialist.  This is excellent advice.  It takes a great skill and flourish to really capture the essence of a person’s face in a tattoo.  When someone has it, their work speaks for itself.

Well, Bob Tyrrell most certainly does have it. Nice one, Bob.  Take a leisurely look through Bob Tyrrell’s online gallery if you’re interested in some phenomenally good portrait work.  You know what?  Even if you’re not interested in any sort of tattoo portrait work, you need to see his stuff.  Because I think that if you see his stuff, you’ll start being interested in tattoo portrait work.

Excellent stuff.  There’s not much more that I can say about it.  As I said before, when someone has it, their work speaks for itself.

Me personally, I would never get a corporate logo or name tattooed on any part of my body.  Even if there was a very good cash incentive or prize for doing so.  However, that’s just my opinion.  Some people have no problem with tattooing corporate logos on their body in return for a nice bit of compensation.  In fact anyone who has spent a little time reading The Tattoo Blog would undoubtedly be familiar with Billy the Billboard.  Billy has put numerous tattoos on his body as a form of advertising for various companies.  At one point he even auctioned off space on his body for advertisers so that he could get himself a new van.

Well, we haven’t seen much of Billy lately, but I sure hope he’s still out there keeping up his billboard tradition.  Today when I came across this article, I immediately thought of him.

Grant Burton, 30, from Melbourne, Australia is going to be able give his parents the vacation that they’ve always wanted but never had, by having the logo for the Dutch based rail provider Eurail tattooed across his back.  Burton came up with the idea after being unemployed during his parents 40th wedding anniversary.  His mother, 60 and his father 78, raised six kids and although neither one of them was ever a fan of tattoos, Grant decided that it was now or never to try and find a way to get them away on their dream vacation in Europe.  Because of the sentimental nature of the trip and Grant’s dedication to his cause, the people at Eurail have not only covered the expense of a Eurail tour of Europe for Grant’s mother and father, but also for Grant himself.

‘”We receive sponsor requests every day, but never have we seen such a fun and quite extreme example of fan dedication,” spokesperson Chantal Sukel said.

“We strongly feel that it is very altruistic of Grant to make this gesture to his parents … [so we] decided to throw in an extra pass for Grant himself.”

They will each receive a ticket to tour Europe, while spending money incentives are also being offered for the number of fans that join Mr Burton’s Facebook page.’

So…hey, regardless of what anyone might think about getting a corporate tattoo, you’ve got to admit that Grant Burton getting an 11cmx15cm tattoo of the Eurail logo on his back just so his parents can go on a vacation is a pretty selfless and generous thing to do.

It doesn’t seem to matter what the art form is, whenever people look too deeply into it they are so often completely off the mark with their assumptions. It’s a regular occurrence when assumptions about everything from a person’s character to their social status are made about people simply because they have tattoos.

But that’s nothing new, is it?

The thing is, it’s bad enough when people stereotype or pigeonhole you because of your tattoos, but now there’s an actual reference manual for this sort of stupidity.  I’m not kidding.  Author Judi James has written a new book called The You Code, which among other things, offers explanations as to what type of person someone is based on their tattoos.

Behold some of the wisdom found within:

Small and Traditional [Tattoos]
Judi says: “This is not a daring guy as such but a guy who likes to think he’s daring now and again. So though he’s likely to surprise you with moments of drama in the bedroom, mostly it’s a case of what you see is what you get. A dependable type.”

Mystical Tattoos
Judi James: “Two things stand out about this sort of guy: firstly he craves attention, but secondly that he considers himself deep but misunderstood. Far from being mere shapes, the puzzling symbols suggest he wants to be taken seriously and seem mysterious and clever.”

Animal Tattoos
Judi says: “This is the guy saying: ”I may not look like much but I’m actually strong and powerful”. Probably wants to be an animal in the bedroom and this may well be the case.”

If you happen to be hungry for more of this particular brand of wisdom, you can find more here.

Oh, man.  Hey, I don’t want to be too judgmental – despite the fact that Ms James’ book seems to be exclusively steeped in ridiculous, judgmental notions – but without actually reading The You Code, I have to say that from what I have read, the book is garbage.  People don’t need a book that helps them decipher what kind of a person someone is, based on their outer appearance. The sooner we get rid of the notion that tattoos and the people who have them can easily be pigeonholed, the better.  There are a billion and one reasons why a person would choose a particular tattoo and for anyone to even pretend to know the reasons behind another person’s tattoos is just pure ignorance.  Plain and simple.