Joker Tattoo Blog

ATLANTA -- It pays to have the right friends. Just ask Phil Hughes. For his 23rd birthday on Wednesday, the Yankees pitcher wanted to get his fourth tattoo. Teammate Nick Swisher knew where to call. Swisher has a tattoo artist friend from North Carolina, who he had flown into town for the Braves series. Hughes had the tattoo -- on the inner part of his upper let arm -- done in his room in the team hotel. Hughes told me it only took an hour. Not a bad deal. source: 1

* Kat Von D is as famous as some of her clients thanks to starring in TLC shows about tattoo culture, a book about her work, and a Sephora makeup line. She's also rare in an industry dominated by men. Eve, Metallica's Kirk Hammett, Jenna Jameson, and a bunch of the Jackass guys have all been to her Hollywood shop, High Voltage Tattoo.

* If Fox wants her people to get in touch with Scott Campbell of Saved Tattoo, they'd better be heavy hitters: There's a five-year wait list to get the kind of tasteful work fashion stars like Helena Christensen, Vera Wang, and Marc Jacobs got from him.

* Really want to establish your A-list standing? Get on down to Sunset Strip Tattoo and see Paul Tinman. Satisfied customers include Angelina Jolie, Drew Barrymore, Ben Affleck, and Nicolas Cage, and that's just to name a few. source: 1

A few suggestions to get the tattoo design your looking for at a great price.


1.)    Choosing Flash vs. Going Custom
Many tattoo shops offer an excellent selection of "Tattoo Flash".  These are pre-drawn tattoo designs that you can choose from.  This saves the tattoo artist a great deal of time thus saving you some cash.  There are also some great online resources that offer thousands of tattoo designs.  Check out www.FreshTattooDesigns.com

2.)    Go with Black Ink vs. Multiple Colors
Often tattoo artists charge more for color work.  If you choose a design that utilizes only black (or even a minimal amount of color), you're bound to save a few bucks.  There are plenty of creative ways to utilize black and graywash inks to create amazing tattoo designs.

3.)    Starting Small vs. A Large Tattoo Design
If your looking for a large design, you better be prepared to pay up!  A large tattoo takes much more of the tattoo artist's time, including drawing, layout, prep and actual time tattooing.  Not to mention tattoo supplies, including ink, needles, etc.  Smaller tattoos are easier to place, take less time to draw, and utilize less supplies.  Going smaller vs. choosing a full sleeve or back-piece will definitely save you some cash.

4.)    Become a Friend of The Tattoo Artist
If you're not in a hurry, you might want to get to know your tattoo artist of choice on a friendly level.  You might be surprised just how friendly some of these great artists really are.  We've found our fair share of egotistical artists out there and we recommend moving on to the next artist if you find this to be the case.  You definitely want to feel comfortable with your tattoo artist and being friendly (as in most of life's situations) should work in your favor.

5.)    Hook Up Your Artist
This is often overlooked but we've found this almost always works.  After all, everyone likes to be "hooked up".  It doesn't have to be anything super extraordinary either.  Do you have a connection that could benefit the artist?  Concert tickets, a free beer at the pub you work at, a coupon for a discount on tattoo supplies that the artist uses on a daily basis?  Again, this reverts back to being friendly with your tattoo artist and doing what you can to help them out with what they are interested in.  Another "hook up" suggestion is to tip your artist.  The artist will remember your courteous gesture and probably give you a bit of a break on your next design.

In conclusion, we must emphasize... you get what you pay for!  This is so true in the world of tattoos.  If you want a great end result, you need to find a qualified tattoo artist to perform the work.  These people are talented and need to be paid for their talents.  Don't go into your local shop trying to cut down the pricing right off the bat.  This will get you removed from most shops in a hurry.  Respect the artists, their environment, and what they have to offer you.  Follow the suggestions above and most of the time, you'll save a few bucks on your next tattoo.

It was merely a case of buyer's remorse. Last week, Belgian teen Kimberly Vlaminck told reporters she fell asleep while getting a tattoo and woke up to find 56 stars inked on the left side of her face when she had asked for 3. "It is terrible for me. I cannot go out on to the street. I look like a freak," Vlaminck said at the time.

It turns out she was awake the whole time, had asked for all 56 of the stars, and was "fully aware" of what tattoo artist Rouslan Toumaniantz was doing, the Daily Mail reports. The lie began when she came home with her newly decorated face and her father was very upset. "I asked for 56 stars and initially adored them. But when my father saw them, he was furious," Vlaminck told a Dutch TV crew. "So I said I fell asleep and that the tattooist had made a mistake." Toumaniantz has always maintained that he had understood Vlaminck correctly and she had asked for all 56 stars.

But when the story was initially reported Toumaniantz said he would help pay for the tattoo removal because his customer was unsatisfied. He has now withdrawn that offer.

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Do you have a tattoo? Have you ever wanted one? Having our bodies adorned with "skin art" is a very personal choice, and one which should not be taken lightly. I myself have a very nice tattoo on my upper left arm which features the heads of five of nature's big cats. It's a one-of-a-kind piece, it has significant meaning to me, and I'm really quite proud of it. Generally speaking, we take our tattoos to the grave with us. Unfortunately, a poor choice of tattoo parlors could make that trip happen prematurely. Although it may not seem like it, tattooing is a considerably invasive procedure, involving fairly significant trauma to one of our body's major defense systems. Tattoo recipients in Edmonton, Canada have received a sharp wake-up call regarding the seriousness of being careful when choosing a tattoo or piercing artist. A long-standing tattoo shop there has recently been closed, due to concerns over its nonchalant health and cleanliness standards. What might be worse yet, is that in addition to discovering that the tattoo artist was allegedly operating in what could arguably be considered a life-threatening manner, regulators have discovered that the shop has retained no records of its clientele. This will make contacting all of the shop's clients about the possibility of being tested for infectious diseases difficult, if not impossible. That's just not right. At this point, Edmonton officials are making media appeals for the clients of Zipp's Tattoo and Museum shop at Whyte Avenue and 100th Street, Edmonton, Canada, to come forward for infectious disease testing. In the end, the concern may be unwarranted, but for now it's very real. Consumers who may ever consider having their bodies serve as a tattoo artist's canvas should give serious consideration to the risks and the possible negative results. Infections, allergic reactions, poor choice of placement or subject, and even social stigma are some possible negative consequences. The Mayo Clinic has furnished us with a quick yet comprehensive overview of tattoo risks and precautions. Anyone interested in the subject would do well to give it a read. Please always remember: Bad ink is no joke. source: 1

No matter what you may think of tattoos, they've always been about making a statement.

But now, some are trading in their medical bracelets for a more permanent warning.

You can say good bye to the medical tags and hello to medical tattoos.

While many people don't want their medical condition known, others are getting it tattooed.

Adriana Molinar not only is a tattoo artist, he is also a survivor of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS).

For her, having the tattoo is a daily reminder of the fight she endures everyday.

"I had been debating on whether I wanted the actual teal ribbon, or if I wanted boxing gloves or anything representing that I have to fight it on a daily basis," Molinar said.

Most of the medical tattoos that she has done have been for breast cancer and PCOS patients.

Even though she has not done any tattoos that symbolize a person being allergic to any medication, she says that she wouldn't mind doing it because she knows that it would help them in the future.

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Clap your eyes in the tattoo pictured below. Can you recall something? Well, you're right, these are binary digits! 'There are 10 kinds of people in the world, those who understand binary numbers, and those who don't.' For all guys who fail to remember, binary numeral system or base-2 number system used by all modern computers represent numeric values using two symbols, usually 0 and 1. Don't take me wrong for trying to explain you the whole of binary system. I'll stop here with a note that the geeky binary tat adorned by this nerd is simply neat! Not to forget binary encoding says 'never quit'-two simple words to live by...


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A teenage girl is suing a tattoo artist for £10,000 after she allegedly asked him for three stars on her face - but ended up with 56. Eighteen-year-old Kimberley Vlaminck paid £55 for 'the graffiti that has ruined my life' in her Belgian home town of Courtrai. She claimed the Romanian tattooist who performed the artwork misunderstood her French and English. She claims she fell asleep while he was doing his work... and awoke to 'this nightmare'. 'It is terrible for me,' said Kimberley. 'I cannot go out on to the street, I am so embarrassed. I just look horrible.' 'I think he didn't understand what I wanted. He spoke only fractured English and French. 'But I explicitly said in my native tongue, French, and also in a little bit of English when he looked confused, that I wanted three little stars only near my left eye.' Rouslan Toumaniantz, who runs the tattoo parlour called The Tattoo Box in Courtrai, denies her claim. He said she knew 'exactly what she wanted'. He added: 'She was awake and looked into the mirror several times as the procedure was taking place. 'The trouble all started when she went home and her father and boyfriend threw a fit. 'They are saying things now like I doped her or hypnotised her. What rubbish! 'She asked for 56 stars and that's what she got.' To remove the stars would require surgery costing £8,500. But even the most advanced laser techniques would, while removing the tattoos, leave deep white marks all across Kimberley's face. She has launched legal proceedings against Toumaniantz seeking damages, plus the money for the operation. He was questioned by police earlier this year but they decided it was a civil matter and that there was nothing they could do. Jules Clocher, a Belgian psychologist, said: 'The trauma this girl must be feeling is indescribable. She feels like a circus freak - and no wonder, because she looks like one.' source: 1

Tattoos and body piercings tend to generate strong opinions. Now, one local county is banning them altogether.

The Mercer County Health Department recommended the ordinance after state lawmakers passed the Tattoo and Body Piercing Act. Health officials say the state is responsible for the permits and licensing of such facilities, but individual counties will be responsible for inspecting them. Now, Mercer County won't have to worry about that duty.

We went to Aledo, the county seat, and talked to numerous people about the ban. Everyone we talked to questions the need for a ban, even those who don't approve of tattoos.

"I think it's wrong for one person, or one community, to say you can't do this or you can't do that." said Leonard Diehl.

"I'm not sure why they would put a ban on it if there isn't anything established yet," said Sam, Salmon. And Joseph Hayes says, "With the war and the economy and gas. I mean, tattoos are the last thing that should be on their minds right now."

Mercer County health officials say the ban might help prevent blood-borne pathogens like Hepatitis C, which is on the rise right now.

Anyone caught violating the ordinance can be fined anywhere from $100 to $1,000.

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In the current shaky economy, finding jobs is getting even more difficult.

For people with visible tattoos, the struggle to get hired may be a little more difficult.

That's why many American's are deciding to get their tattoos removed to help their job prospects.

It is estimated that over 45 million Americans have tattoos and around 17% of those people end up regretting it.

The process of getting a tattoo removed can become costly and could take several laser treatments.

Doctors say many people make the mistake of getting a tattoo while drunk or in an impulsive moment.

But, tattoo artists at Holy City Tattoo in Charleston say they don't allow people to make spur-of-the-moment tattoo decisions.

They believe forethought negates the need for removal and they make sure clients know what they are getting into, even turning people away if they feel the client is not ready for a tattoo.

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