Artists

Michael Phillips (A.K.A. Piercer Mike)

Shop?

Bonehead Tattoo

Location?

7944 Camp Bowie West.

Fort Worth, Tx. 76116

(817) 560-7005

Years piercing?

14 years

Preferred style?

I really try to free-hand anything I perform as much as possible. I do have a few piercings I still use clamps on, though. I also really love performing ear projects, corsets, and anything else that gives me a challenge. Anything custom! I love bending and customizing jewelry. I try to come up with things people have never seen before, and make their friends and family want one.

Biggest influences?

My mentor is probably my biggest influence. His name is Daniel Mills. He has pushed me to be the best I can since the beginning of my career. He gave me a chance after he had only been piercing a little over a year himself. He doesn’t pierce anymore; he is in the film industry, doing very well at it too, I must say. He does still follow my work and tells me how proud of me he is any chance he gets. I have him to thank for everything.

Elayne Angel has always been a huge influence as well. I have read every article of hers in “Pain Magazine” since the first time I picked up an issue. I have also read “The Piercing Bible” from front to back many times, and I cannot wait to read the new addition. Everything I have ever read that she wrote has helped me increase my knowledge of body piercing.

Cody Fuller (owner of Bonehead Tattoo) is also a huge influnce and has renewed my inspiration for this business/industry. He has pushed me since the day I started at Bonehead almost 5 years ago. His exact words in the beginning were, “I want to be the premier place for piercings,” and I have strived to give him and myself just that. He has taught me to be humble and at the time not to take shit from anyone. I think that is important in this business. He owns the oldest tattoo shop in Fort Worth, Texas. He opened Bonehead in 1993, and is still going strong. That is truly saying something.

How did you become a body piercer?

I have hung around tattoo shops since I was 14, but I got my first tattoo when I was 13. I have always been obssessed with body art, and I have always wanted to work in a shop because of this. I’ve wanted to either pierce or tattoo, but didnt know which one until I actually started hanging with the artists of that shop, and body piercing just called to me. I knew I definitely didn’t want to tattoo, because I would be so mad if someone made me redraw something over and over again. So, after hanging out at New Breed Tattoo in West Lafayette, Indiana, for a while, I finally asked Daniel over for drinks one day. He was down to teach me, but had to talk to all the guys first. About a week later, they all showed up at my house and gave me the best news that would change my life forever. I started my apprenticeship about a month or so after. A bunch of the guys had left New Breed and started Operation Ink in Downtown Lafayette, Indiana, and it was at Operation Ink that it all started for me professionally.

Likes?

Well obviously, the thing I like/love the most is body piercing. I have surrounded my life with it, and it is constantly on my brain. Even when I’m not at work, I’m promoting piercing through various social media and/or talking about it. I am also an avid music nut and horror film junkie. I just can’t get enough of it! Without music and horror, I don’t think I would be who I am today; needless to say they are both a huge part of my daily life. Black metal and the horror classics!

Dislikes?

My biggest dislikes are people who pierce or tattoo out of their house, instead of a shop, without any proper industry-standard or sanitary/cross-contamination training. I think it is the ultimate disrespect to the people the take the time to do this the right way (often years of their lives!) and make a proper profession out of i, versus ordering a shitty kit off of the internet and scarring up their friends and family, causing the professionals headaches from trying to clean up their messes and mistakes. Just don’t do it; you’re gonna have a bad time.