Insertion Fees and Appointment Bookings

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Ask Angel 

Elayne Angel 

 

Dear Ms. Angel, 

 

Sorry, but I need to rant: So many people have been getting messed up piercings and coming in to have me fix them (change the jewelry, give aftercare info, etc.), and then they don’t even tip me! It seems half of them stop in here first, go get hacked for dirt cheap somewhere else, and then come back for me to fix it. Aaagh! They’re taking up A LOT of my time and energy. I have always done free insertions and jewelry changes, and I don’t want seem greedy, but I’m starting to feel over it. If you think people should pay, I would welcome suggestions on how much to charge.  

 

Also, we have been doing only walk-ins but I want to start accepting appointments too. However, I don’t really know how to go about it. Your guidance would be much appreciated.  

 

Thank you, 

Dear M. 

Your frustration is understandable! I think it is wise to request some input and a fresh perspective, though what works for one business won’t necessarily be the best approach for another. Remember that it is okay to experiment with a new policy or procedure in order to determine the best solutions for your situation. If, after a solid trial, you find that something isn’t working well, then you can switch back to the old method, or attempt another new one.  

 

Fees 

I did some investigating about current industry practices regarding jewelry swaps, reinsertions, stretches, and so on. It turns out that many studios do not provide such assistance gratis. It appears quite common to assess a “tray set up,” “materials fee,” or “service charge” between five and twenty dollars, depending on geographic location (and prevailing piercing rates), how much time the client requires, and so on.  

 

Performing these services takes resources like gloves and other disposable supplies, and often requires the use of tools like tapers or hemos that need to be reprocessed (or discarded, if you have a disposable studio). Passing some of the costs along to your clientele is not at all greedy or out of line. And, as we all know, dealing with jewelry changes can end up taking even longer than a piercing. 

As a courtesy, I think it is reasonable to replace the jewelry in a healed piercing at the time of a new purchase without additional cost—especially a same-gauge item. When the new ornament is thicker, the piercing is troubled, the channel is empty, or there are other complicating factors, a charge would be fair. Similarly, if you’re asked to remove jewelry—especially if it wasn’t purchased in your studio, requiring a payment is just.  

Having a flexible fee structure with an established minimum is sensible, since so many different situations are possible, and the amount of time, technical expertise, and equipment required will vary considerably. You can always choose to give a discount if the piercing was done in-house, the individual is a regular, or they are purchasing high-end jewelry. Also, for piercings done at the studio, I believe it is best not to charge extra for initial jewelry downsizes that must be done for safety, as is common with oral piercings. 

For piercees who are more independent, I sold insertion tapers and would happily share information so that they could swap out their own jewelry in healed piercings. I always insisted clients come in for any changes that became necessary during healing, however.  

Some studios also charge a consult fee ($10 seems most common) to evaluate a troubled piercing that was done elsewhere. This is certainly warranted in cases of people requesting advice after getting cartilage, nostril, or other piercings with a gun, or other inferior work—especially if they’d come in and inquired about piercing before getting hacked. See my article in issue #209, “Dealing with Difficult Clientsi,” (October 2019) for more support. 

You have no reason to feel guilty or apologetic charging for the professional services you render! For example, you wouldn’t expect a hair salon to trim your bangs for free, even you got your hair cut there some weeks prior. And your mechanic wouldn’t be expected to do a complimentary oil change just because you stopped by while in the neighborhood. Those professionals feel perfectly justified in collecting money for their services—and so they should, as should you. When piercers devalue ourselves, we train our clients to devalue us as well. Charge what you are worth! 

 

Appointments 

Accepting bookings in advance allows you to reward those who’ve planned ahead by serving them first, and it helps you to prepare for your day by anticipating at least some of your workload. I don’t think there’s any downside to it (when handled well), especially if you also take walk ins, which should be feasible unless your shop is super high volume. In my studio, we usually had two piercers on duty, which allowed for assisting someone in each category at the same time, but this is not required for success with pre-booked appointments.  

 

Be totally honest with your walk-in patrons about how long they can expect to wait, or they’re likely to end up extremely disgruntled. Always offer to schedule a future appointment, so they can avoid hanging around for you to finish with your bookings, if that is their preference.  

 

I have several colleagues who informed me that their monthly figures went way up when they began to offer online scheduling. There are many appointment-booking apps and services you can use to automate the task. Make sure to select one that allows you to record manual entries, too.  

Free and low-cost systems are available, so you don’t need to make a big financial commitment to give it a whirl. Carefully set up your account to accept bookings only during your available hours!  

 

I strongly suggest using a service that integrates taking deposits to confirm the appointments, which is a fundamental part of many of the available options. You may elect to require a deposit for half of the piercing fee up front, some other percentage, or the full amount. The latter is safest to encourage maximum compliance. Once someone has pre-paid a non-refundable deposit for a piercing, they will feel strongly encouraged to show up; and, only those who are serious about coming in will be likely to follow through with the reservation process.  

 

You must have crystal clear policies posted so that online appointment booking doesn’t cause more problems than it resolves. Include your fee structure, minimum initial jewelry costs, ID requirements, and anything you need your clientele to know, including a comprehensive (and easily accessible) cancellation/refund/rescheduling policyii. Clarify how clients should contact you in the event of questions or issues, whether by email, phone, or social media. My instructions include a link to my aftercare guidelines (which I also provide verbally, of course), advice to eat a light meal one to two hours before the appointment, and the following: 

 

Your deposit will be forfeit (lost): 

  • If you fail to appear, or cancel last minute.  
  • If you are more than 8 minutes late for your half-hour appointment. Yes, 8. 
  • If you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol (zero-tolerance policy). 
  • If you do not present valid photo ID (driver’s license, passport, or military ID). 

 

I hope some of the ideas above will prove helpful to you. 

March 2020

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Classic Pain: Gentleman Jesse in 2011

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Austin L. Ray

Jesse Smith is sitting in the Old Fourth Ward’s cozy, Twin Peaks-themed watering hole, Bookhouse Pub, on an unseasonably warm mid-May evening in Atlanta. Tonight, Smith will play a solo gig next door at the Drunken Unicorn as Gentleman Jesse, opening for Ted Leo. But now, he’s discussing the myriad engagements that have him constantly in the weeds.

As the lynchpin of the Douchemaster Records roster, an imprint he’s helped label head Bryan Rackley forge, he’s become something like Atlanta’s garage/punk ambassador. Just before the interview, he was making sure the Memphis rockers of Cheap Time, who opened for Guitar Wolf at Masquerade the night previous, were taken care of at the “band house,” Smith’s home near East Atlanta. Also under the umbrella of his Douchemaster duties—which include his and Rackley’s sussing out talent from all over for regular releases—is the organization and booking of the Atlanta Mess Around, a scrappy EAV music festival that has grown much in its three years.

Following a number of bands Smith played with in his formative years—including legendary Atlanta punks the Carbonas—he released his debut single, “I Don’t Wanna Know,” as Gentleman Jesse on Douchemaster in 2006. The ridiculously catchy power-pop anthem was an Internet sensation, piling up MySpace plays and lighting up certain corners of the ’net with giddy praise. After a couple more singles, Smith followed with his 2008 debut full-length, Introducing Gentleman Jesse and His Men, also on

Douchemaster, its cover an ode to Elvis Costello’s This Year’s Model.

“I feel like the songs are better written,” Smith says. “I feel like there’s less filler, but whenever somebody says that, they’re usually wrong and it sucks.”

In the years following his first LP, Smith had his nose broken in Little Five Points—his 2010 “You’ve Got the Wrong Man” single sports a picture of his face shortly after the incident—while trying to chase down a thief who took his girlfriend’s purse. Worse yet, Smith’s friend, Atlanta rocker and scene fixture Bobby Ubangi (born Benjamin Jay Womack) passed away in 2009 after struggles with cancer. Smith went from a songwriter who doesn’t write in the first person, one lacking the requisite drama from which to craft conflict-driven songs, to suddenly experiencing what felt like near-constant drama. “There was so much bullshit, like a rain cloud hanging over the city,” he remembers.

Smith hopes Leaving Atlanta will be released on Douchemaster in the fall. Before that, there will likely be another single, this one on seminal Memphis label Goner. Meanwhile, Smith recently formed Cops with former Carbonas and current GG King frontman Greg King. While it’s a project that may not appeal to every Gentleman Jesse fan, it’s precisely what Smith needs right now. “I’ve never been this pop-focused in my entire musical career,” he explains. “I need something a little ugly. I joke that it’s a grunge band because I use a wah-wah pedal and all the chords suck and it’s really murky. I don’t expect anyone to like it.”

While you wouldn’t be faulted for assuming music is Smith’s

sole love these days, that’s simply not the case. For one thing, he’s getting married in October. But aside from rock ’n’ roll and the lady he’s pledging his life to, Smith is deep into Atlanta’s food scene. As a server at The Brick Store Pub and JCT Kitchen, he’s accumulated skills that he’ll soon put to use at the restaurant he’s been planning for five years with Rackley and two other food-service veterans.

If all of this sounds like a lot for a 31-year-old to handle, that’s because it is. But Smith likes it that way. From helping run a record label to working in fine dining, playing in multiple bands to helping out still other bands, it’s all a part of the grind for Gentleman Jesse, even if serving up catchy songs takes a back seat to serving up hot dogs and craft brews. “I don’t know,” Smith says. “At this point, it’s like, who cares? I’m gonna keep making records and I’m gonna keep doing shows. [Running a restaurant] is a lot easier way to make some money. I’m gettin’ old!

It’s More Than Bitches That Get Stitches

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The Rise of Embroidery Tattoos

On March 28th, 2019, tattoo artist, Rogelio Vasquez of Cowboy’s Tattoo in McKinney, Texas posted his day’s work on his Instagram account. There was nothing odd or out of the ordinary about this. It was his nightly ritual; make a client happy by day, post on the ‘Gram by night. It’s more or less what you do if you’re a tattoo artist in the digital era. The ‘out of the ordinary’ aspect of the story began when he awoke the next morning.

“It was crazy,” he recalls. “Hundreds of people were tagging me on Facebook and Instagram. Websites were embedding my post. There were some Mexican celebrities that were sharing it. Just on one page alone, my picture got 50,000 likes.”

The whole thing took him completely by surprise. “For me, it was just another tattoo,” he laughs. “If I had known that this was going to happen, I would have added a watermark or my Instagram account on the picture.”

Nonetheless, the comments and messages poured in, “from all over the world.” He was flooded with appointment requests, most of them not even asking about price or location. “They just kept saying they’d never seen anything like it,” he says.

The piece in discussion was created for a client who had requested an Otomi design. For reference, The Otomi are an indigenous people group inhabiting the Altiplano region of Mexico, who most historians believe were the country’s first inhabitants. Outside the region, they are primarily known for their tenangos—handmade textiles, beautifully embroidered with elaborate designs inspired by nearby cliff paintings, likely created by their ancestors. It is said that a traditional tenango can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few years to complete. Naturally, since he was asked for an Otomi design, Rogelio drew the tattoo to mimic the embroidery pattern of an Otomi textile. In doing this, he unwittingly tapped into a tattoo style that was quickly becoming the latest trend to emerge on social media.

This publication is a trade magazine for the tattoo industry, so if you’re reading this, the concept of embroidery tattoos likely isn’t news to you. But for the sake of the uninitiated who might pick up a copy of this in the foyer of their local parlor, we should elaborate on the concept.

The style is what the name implies: tattoos that are rendered to mimic a work of art created with needle and thread. Sometimes, it’s portrayed as a patch, and sometimes the stitching appears to thread straight into the skin, as is the case with Rogelio’s piece. Several artists have carved impressive niches for themselves with the style and have created some stunning work in the process. Bau Oliver, Russell Van Schaick and Ksu Arrow, are just a few that come to mind. Look them up; they deserve the attention.

What’s particularly striking about the embroidery tattoos, at least from an artist’s point of view, is levels of detail required. You’re not only creating an image; you’re drawing the individual composite threads that make up the image, which requires an entirely new level of shading and texture. According to Rogelio, though, there’s no magic trick. It’s just a matter of wrestling the devil out of the details.

“For me,” he says, “it was like any other tattoo. I started with all solid colors. Then, for the 3D embroidery look, I just did super tiny black lines on the bottom and white lines on the top. That’s the secret.”

We’d be remiss if we didn’t take a moment to mention cross-stitch tattoos as well, as they are often lumped in with the embroideries. It stands to reason; both styles are imitations of textiles and threadwork. However, as far as technique goes, the cross-stitch tattoos are an entirely different animal, made up of a series of tiny “x’s” that come together to form a sort of mosaic image, not unlike a dot matrix printer.

Whether Rogelio’s post triggered the abrupt surge in the style’s popularity, or it just caught the tailwinds of an already emerging trend is the “chicken or the egg” question of the year. What is known, however, is that a mere three weeks after his work went viral, the digital world was suddenly overrun with articles on the topic.

“Embroidery tattoos are now a thing!” proclaimed one website after another, nearly verbatim, and Rogelio’s piece was included in every one of them, often at the top. To be fair, he deserves the accolades. It’s an incredible work of art that stands on its own merit outside of any incoming or outgoing trend. Even more impressive is while, as we’ve already mentioned, there are several artists who have made embroidery tats a specialty, he’s not one of them.

“This is the first embroidery piece that I’ve done,” he reveals. “At the moment, I don’t think I want to do more. I think this was something special for me—and my client. As a tattoo artist you always want to do something unique. But really, I’m a black and gray artist. I love doing portraits and photorealism.”

Tattoo or Not Tattoo

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People get tattoos for many different reasons and they’re more than skin deep 

 

Tattoos are your business. As a professional artist, tattoos are your not only your expression in a piece of art, they are a product through which you make a living. The more people that visit your studio  and leave with fresh ink, the better. But have you really sat back and wondered about why people do and do not get tattooed? 

The reasons, according to psychologist Luzelle Naudé, are more than skin deep. 

Naude and her colleges interviewed college students to better understand their relationship with tattoos. The results were striking. Most of the participants (78%) did not have tattoos, and most of their parents (92%) did not have tattoos. However, most of the participants’ friends (74%) had tattoos — and almost half (47%) were considering getting a tattoo or another tattoo. 

For the participants who decided not to get a tattoo, the main reasons revolved around social and cultural factors, primarily religion (11%). Other reasons for forgoing a tattoo included disapproval from family and friends and invoking negative views at work. Some participants (10%) shared concerns about the permanency of tattoos and their sense that it looks unattractive on older people.  

One of the most popular reasons people get a tattoo is to symbolize love or affection for somebody. This can be either somebody the person is in a relationship with, somebody they admire, someone they are related to, or some person they wish to pay tribute towards. 

It’s therefore no surprise that someone’s name is the design most men and women regret having as a tattoo. 31.34% of males regretted getting a person’s name inked on them. 24.33% of females was a lower percentage, but still the most common tattoo type they regret. 

Participants also referred to medical reasons or fear of needles and pain (10%). Moreover, some participants viewed tattoos as simply unappealing. One participant remarked: “I wouldn’t get one. Would you put a bumper sticker on a Ferrari?” 

The primary motivation for those who got a tattoo (25%) had to do with its personal meaning (such as to mark a significant experience or struggle). Participants reported reasons such as “to keep my mother’s memory,” “a way of honoring my first child,” and “presented what I was going through at a certain time of my life.” Some participants (12%) also felt that their tattoos were an extension or expression of who they were. Comments included, “My body is a book, my tattoos are my story.” and “Tattoos are an extension of your personality, everyone is given a blank canvas to paint on – if you wish.” 

Another study showed that people typically take between two and seven years before getting their second tattoo. If anything, people tend to consider their choices more carefully after their first because they better understand what it entails and less likely to make a rash decision — pain was quite a big barrier. So was permanence and affordability. 

Among those with positive views about those with ink, they saw tattoos as attractive and those who sport them as cool, trendy, fashionable, interesting, spontaneous, creative, artistic, free-spirited, more open/accepting, liberal, adventurous, brave, strong, courageous, and unafraid of commitment and pain. As one participant put things, “People with tattoos are the realest people you ever will meet.” 

The Tao of Wayne

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True North Tattoo is a Sterile Environment—But Also, it Isn’t.

“I don’t know man,” he concedes with a shrug. “I’ll say this . . . the Tragically Hip are no Melvins.”

Were we having this conversation in Wayne Murrill’s home state of Missouri, his words here likely wouldn’t have been given a second thought. But we’re in Kingston, Ontario—and that changes everything.

The Tragically Hip may have been little more than a footnote in the U.S., but in Canada, they’re only slightly less popular than Tim Horton’s Coffee. He may as well have yelled “Roll tide,” at an LSU home game. But our American expat friend is perhaps saved by the fact that we’re inside True North Tattoo, the critically acclaimed Kingston ink destination he’s owned and operated now for a full decade. Think of it as his personal embassy. He’s not in the clear entirely, though. He may have started solo ten years ago, but he has five employees now, three of whom are on the clock as we speak.

“You’re playing with fire, Wayne!” a voice breaks in from across the parlor. Everyone laughs. On the whole, our conversation is of the “A, B” variety, but with a client in Wayne’s chair and only pony walls subdividing the space, we frequently drift into an alphabet soup scenario. The hum of one lone coil serves as the base.

Fortunately, Wayne is using a rotary today, which means that tomorrow when I go back and listen to the interview recording, I’ll actually be able to make out what he’s saying. That’s a relief, since he has no shortage of thoughts on any subject we broach. One day, someone should publish a coffee table book of ‘Wayne-isms,’ and place them in the foyers of tattoo parlors like Gideon Bibles. I think we’d all benefit.

“I like to try and keep the tattoo shop feel,” he says when I point out the atmosphere he’s created. “I don’t want to run a salon. I really don’t. If you’re easily offended,” he exaggerates a shrug, “I mean—you’re in a tattoo shop. We’re nice people, but we’re not going to sterilize the environment.”

He frowns thoughtfully. “Well, we will sterilize it, but . . . you get my point.”

Back to his choice of machines, though. Admittedly, seeing him with a rotary is more than a little surprising. After all, we’re talking about a 26-year veteran of the trade whose first several tattoos were punk band logos and anarchy symbols of the scratch and poke variety. There are just certain expectations of such an individual. He’s not oblivious to this.

“I was nervous about you taking photographs today,” he tells me with a wry half-smile. “I didn’t want evidence of me not using a coil getting out and ruining my reputation.”


There’s a refreshing self-awareness about him, as illustrated by the above comment. That punk ethos of his youth is still there, but now, with more salt than pepper in his hair, it manifests as a sort of DIY wisdom. Neither a curmudgeon, nor flotsam governed by the current, he crafts his opinions through the careful analysis of his observations, which are shaded ever so slightly by a playful contrarianism. And though he is undoubtedly opinionated, those opinions are flexible and not without a measure of humility.

“In my mind, I’m kind of a newcomer to tattooing,” he says. “There was a big influx of new tattooers in the early nineties and I feel like an interloper in that regard. Back then, it was a very small community. Now, it’s a completely different animal. I don’t even recognize it.” A touch of regret tinges his words, but he’s quick to acknowledge the positive developments.

“There’s a fresh batch of talent coming in,” he offers. “Just by the sheer volume, you’re going to get innovation. You’re going to get people pushing the envelope . . . people developing new directions.” There are drawbacks, though.

“The real negatives I see have more to do with the homogenization of tattooing. Thanks to platforms like Instagram and Google . . . more and more tattooers’ work is starting to look like other tattooers’ work.”

“For instance,” he says, pointing to his client’s arm. “What I’m doing here, a koi; if you have ten people all looking at the same koi image, they’re all going to have similar results. But if one of those ten is looking at photographs of koi fish, he’s bound to bring a more personal flair to the drawing because he’s interpreting the actual thing as opposed to interpreting an interpretation of the thing. When I started, we actually went to the library to find references for tattoo drawings.”

“Also, when I started,” he adds, “people came in knowing what they wanted. Or they’d pick something off the wall, which is another thing that’s going away. It’s unfortunate.”

Unfortunate? I didn’t see that one coming. Alright, I’ll bite. I ask him to elaborate.

“It’s just a different experience,” he explains, “a different process. It’s kind of like Google on the walls of a tattoo shop in a way, but it was drawn or painted by the guy who works there . . . by a tattooer, with the intention of it being tattooed. So they’re premade, prepackaged tattoos, ready to go. You get people who come in and they want some idea that’s difficult to grapple with . . . you work with it as best you can to realize their vision, but at the end of the day, a panther head is fucking awesome.” There’s just no way to replicate his delivery of this line in print—and that’s a shame, really, because everyone here is laughing.

“That being said,” he goes on, still chuckling, “I draw all the tattoos I do . . . And I don’t repeat anything I’ve drawn. They’re all custom. I’m just bitching.”

Our time together is winding down. As a tradition, I make it a point to close out each interview I conduct by giving my subject the floor to say whatever happens to be on their mind, whether it’s a word of advice, a thank you, or maybe the answer to a question I should have asked, but didn’t. Sometimes the result is just a bunch of stutters and stumbles. Sometimes it’s a work of brilliance. This time, it’s . . . well . . . Wayne.

“To all those people out there who are thinking about tattooing for a living, I actually have not had sex once since I started tattooing, I make three hundred dollars a week, all my friends hate me, and my penis fell off.”

DC Tattoo Expo

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With all the talk about what goes on in D.C., a person could be cynical about the people who live and work there — at least where politicians and government fat cats are concerned. Tattoo artists on the other hand, represent all that is good, creative and inspiring to come out of our nation’s capital. And of the past 10 years, the DC Tattoo Expo has been bringing them all together.

“It’s a really unique culture. DC itself is such a melting pot of people from every culture you can imagine tit’s a lot easier to get a tattoo subculture going,” says Anna Carswell, communication director for the annual event.

The DC Tattoo Expo is put on by Exposed  Temptations  Tattoo  and  Baller,  Inc. Greg Piper (founder of the event and owner of Exposed Temptations Tattoo in Manassas, VA) is very much of the old school vibe. He was mentored by Jack Rudy and Brian Everett, and so for him, the expo is an opportunity to blend the cultures that include the legends of tattooing, new school artists, tattoo celebrities and the growing number of tattoo enthusiasts.

“Being our tenth year, we wanted to do something big as a Thank You to everyone who has made it a successful show,” Carswell says. “One thing that was pretty special, is that we brought out Chris Nuñez (tattooer and owner of Handcrafted Tattoo and Art Gallery, and contestant and judge from Miami Ink and Ink Master) to hang out and judge the tattoo contests. He had people lined up to meet him and it was a really amazing experience for everyone.”


More than 400 artists, representing some 200 studios, filled the show floor at the Crystal Gateway Marriott for the three-day event, January 10-12th. Attendance was off the charts at more than 10,000.

“One thing that was a little different this year was the most highest number of international artists ever. We had artists from Spain, Italy, Germany, England, and China,” Carswell says. “It adds a wow factor for people because these artists have such unique styles and it’s a one-in-a-lifetime chance to be tattooed by them.”

Fans were kept entertained by burlesque performer Cervena Fox, the world famous Captain & Maybelle “Vagabond Side Show” and a Miss DC Pin Up Contest. But the real action was in the booths where artist were turning out living inkworks. Carmelo Gomez, from Lucky Gypsy Tattoo, Midlothian, VA, won Tattoo of the Day and Best of Show, and Ink Master Laura Marie, from Atomic Roc Tattoo, Rochester NY, earned two consecutive Best of Day awards.

Speaking of Ink Masters, as a special event, Marie joined Dani Ryan, Frank Ready, Jason Vaughn, Josh Payne, and Creepy Jason in a Rematch with the Masters Tattoo Competition. Each contestant was given the starting design of an eagle and a knife, and allowed to finish the tattoo in their own style. The skin belonged to local veterans and the winning artist — Frank Ready, earned a prize for himself and a donation to his favorite charity.

DC Tattoo Expo

January 10-12, 2020

Arlington, Virginia

www.dctattooexpo.com

Welcome Month – March 2020

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Greetings and welcome to March of the year, 2020. The blessed warmth of spring is returning and the Equinox is upon us. Hail, Ishtar. Everyone satisfied with the seasonal pleasantries? Good. Let’s move on.

There’s something on our minds that we’d like to address. It began with this month’s feature, wherein we discussed embroidery tattoos, a relatively new style that saw a huge spike in popularity just under a year ago. For the article itself, we spoke to Rogelio Vasquez of McKinney, Texas, an artist typically specializing in photorealism who became an overnight viral celebrity after posting an embroidery piece he had created upon a client’s request on Instagram. As we did our research, however, we noticed that practically every article published on the topic appeared on the web within the same four-week stretch (basically, April 2019). Naturally, the question of relevance arose. Are embroidery tattoos a legitimate new style, or are they yet another passing fad?

But this question begs a bigger one, and it’s the one that’s been on our minds. What place do momentary trends have in a trade synonymous with permanence? Shouldn’t we, as an industry, find some way to divorce ourselves from the fleeting whims of Insta-culture? The question being posed isn’t whether new concepts like embroidery, watercolor, red and blue 3D shades, soundwaves, or whatever should be dismissed or embraced, but rather, whether the concept of a “fad” should be applied to tattoos in the first place. Just something to consider. Talk amongst yourselves.

As always, we hope you enjoy the issue as much as we enjoyed creating it for you. See you in April!