On Monday we showed you a sweet set of Jime Litwalk sketchbooks that we’re giving away. Looks like the lucky winner is commenter #21, Veronica! Strangely enough, yesterday was her birthday.
Looks like a little birthday luck kicked in for Ms. Veronica, and for those of you thinking we just cut the girl a break here’s a screen shot of the randomizer’s output:
There’s a lot of things you should know about Stina Sardinha–she’s a tattooer with a decade of experience, a business woman, a mother… and definitely someone we thought you should be made aware of.
Dying to hear more about Stina? Go read our interview with her on SuicideGirls.
Since Kevin decided to play 20 questions with me for the sake of TattooSnob, I figured it was only fair I do the same to him.
If any of you have a amazing tiny dog like the one pictured below (or can show Kevin how to grow a real mustache) please let me know.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a pretty normal guy. I work a regular job, and try to keep busy in my off time. Between the site, hanging out with friends, riding my bike, and playing on the internet I usually manage to stay out of trouble. I try to go on a road trip every month or two to keep my sanity. The midwest can be a bear sometimes…
Most heavily tattooed people have at least one tattoo they’re embarrassed of – what’s yours?
Thankfully I didn’t get any of the tattoo’s that I wanted when I was 18, otherwise I would have my last name across my back, a pile of kanji crap on my arm, or some toxic UV ink on my hands. Instead, I did the college thing and didn’t get tattooed until I was 23 or so. By that time I was smart enough to really think about what I was getting, and whom was going to do it. While I might have a piece or two that I would do differently – overall, I’m extremely happy with what I have.
Tell us about your best & worst tattoo sessions . Naming names is not necessary, as I’d rather we not get blacklisted just yet.
My worst tattoo sessions are nothing horrid – they’re just convention stories. Laying across uncomfortable chairs, putting my tough guy face on, and swearing I’ll never get tattooed at a convention again. In hindsight, none of them were all that bad.
My best sessions have been due to the people around. Long sessions at Ink and Dagger Tattoo are always a good time, and it’s always good to catch up with old friends at Mothers Tattoo.
Biggest pet peeve in the tattoo world?
I think it’s the random guy that approaches me and says “Ahh, nice work man,” and then awkwardly waits for me to ask him about his work. A close second is the person who asks where they should go, and they then proceed to tell you how their tattoo best is so good… if they only want to get tattooed by him, why did they waste my time asking where they should go?
Who is the last person to tattoo you, and what was it?
At the Detroit Motor City Expo this year, Myke Chambers did this “Mom” tattoo on the my calf.
You seem pretty sure you won’t be tattooing your hands and neck for professional reasons. How do you feel about that?
I’m good with it. The ability to cover everything up is really important to be – even outside of work. It’s nice to avoid those “Oh, sick tats dude!” conversations and choose when and where people see what I’m sporting.
How do you think being visibly tattooed has effected you on a professional level?
I think it puts me two steps back. People see my work, and they assume the worst. They assume I’m irresponsible, unreliable, a possible drug addict, and I won’t bring any value to the table. In the long run, it ends up working out for me because I’m none of those things, so people are impressed.
Most people at my real job don’t understand the tattoo thing, and most people that live in the tattoo world don’t fully understand the real job thing. I try my best to keep them separated.
You still have some space to cover – anyone of note you plan to be tattooed by?
I have some appointments scheduled with Craig Moore of Mothers Tattoo later this year. He’s a low key guy that doesn’t get much exposure, but he kills it.
Any last words?
I just want to thank everyone for the support and help with the site. I never thought it would become what it has in a mere few months.
In an effort to share more about ourselves, Julene and I both answered some random questions. Hopefully this will help put a face to our names, and answer your questions about who exactly Tattoo Snob is.
I’ll go ahead and post Julene first, as she’s a little easier on the eyes than I am.
Tell us a little about yourself.
My name’s Julene, I was raised in the midwest & I’ve wanted to get tattooed since I was 13. My internet addiction has been in full swing for over a decade, as a result have been spotted in more than a few places online. I’m sorta creepy (as I’m sure some people I’ve posted about on this site will tell you), I snort when I laugh, and I might be a catlady in training.
As far as you can recall, how did Tattoo Snob come about?
You’ve seen most of the tattoo blogs online. Sure, they post a ton of photos; most of those photos just so happen to also be of not-so-great tattoos. I think that quality work is not given anywhere near the level of attention & respect it deserves–especially when it’s coming from artists most tattoo enthusiasts have never heard of. Besides, I could only sit around smirking at the stuff other sites were posting for so long before leaping to action.
Describe your tattoo work.
I wouldn’t consider myself heavily tattooed, but I have more than a handful of tattoos. Some of it is better than the rest, but I’m pretty attached to most of what I’ve had done. I have a smattering of work on varying parts of my body, and I’m sure I’ll wind up covered someday.
I look back and think about tattoos I wanted to get when I was younger, and I’m thankful I never did. Do you have any of those? What are they?
Oh god, I have some doozies. When I was like 13-14 I was really into the rave scene (shut up, guys) and I was totally sure I should get PLUR as a tramp stamp. The only other tattoo I distinctly remember wanting at a young age I did wind up getting–characters from the comic book “Lenore” by Roman Dirge.
I have tattoos that I wish I hadn’t gotten, too. Like what appears to be a parrot hanging out with a bunch of pot leaves on my left arm. It was supposed to be a phoenix with Japanese maple leaves, but they’re green instead of red. Add in the negative space flames I have going on and it has new-skool stoner written all over it.
As the official Tattoo Snob grammar nazi, can you verify tattooing is indeed a real world?
First of all Kevin, I resent you comparing me to a Nazi. I prefer the term “slightly anal-retentive.” While I’m no Webster, I think it’s fair to say the word is just another verb – the act of giving a tattoo. So, yes.
I’ve been told someone has a tattoo of you… is this true? Can you elaborate on the story?
Once upon a time I tattooed a girls rack on my leg because seriously, they were too amazing to be real. (They are real, by the way. One lucky tattooist got a lot of “reference material” prior to doing the piece, he’ll side with me about their epicness, I think.) Anyway, she decided if I was going to tattoo her boobs on me that she should tattoo… me, on her. Topless, blue-skinned and dressed as a pirate no less.
I don’t think she’s finished the tattoo yet, but I’m curious to see it once it’s finished.
Biggest pet peeve in the tattoo world?
I have a handful. Among other tattooed people: playing the “I’m harder than you because I have my _____ tattooed” game or having someone ask about my work & hand me their artist’s card. Rude!
Among non-tattooed people: the need to touch, grab, or otherwise prod my tattoos. I’ve covered this in a blog post here on TattooSnob already, which you should read if you’re tired of your tattoos being touched uninvited.
Who is the last person to tattoo you, and what was it?
The last person to tattoo me was Brad Stevens–he did a sweet aviator lady on my leg.
You’ve been talking about getting your neck tattooed forever, why haven’t you taken the plunge?
To be honest, I don’t think I’m at a point in my adult life when I’m sure it won’t bite me in the ass professionally later on down the line. While I do have a specific idea (and artist) in mind, I figure unless I get hit by a bus my neck will still be there in five or six years. I don’t think throat/neck tattoos are something that should be taken lightly by the majority of people that consider getting them.
I know you have a tattoo wish list. What artists are on there?
The list is pretty long but off the top of my head I’d love to be tattooed by Russ Abbott, Jim Sylvia, Adam Barton, Seth Wood, and Ian Dana.
Last week we announced our Win a trip to Hell contest, where for $10 you can win a trip to Phoenix to attend Hell City August 27th – 29th.
As crazy as that is, we’re not done… at Hell City in Columbus, we’re going to hold a Twitter contest. All of the official details are here, but basically:
We’re not announcing the prizes quite yet, but we promise they’ll be worth your time.
Our newest interview on Suicide Girls is live, and features David Bruehl.
I’m excited to (finally) have this interview go live. Julene has been working on it for a few weeks, and I was dying to read it. I don’t think it could have turned out any better, as it really shows what an outstanding person and artist David truly is. The tattoo community is lucky to have him, and we need more like him.
Oh, and in case you didn’t know – you don’t have to be a member of Suicide Girls to read any of the interviews we have posted over there.
Damn, word travels fast! On Tuesday evening, Hell City tweeted about a contest we’re going to be holding where you can win a trip to the Hell City in Phoenix, AZ.
Next thing we know, we’re getting a ton of questions about where people can find more information and what they need to do. We’re working on the last of the details and once we have that finalized – you’ll be the first to know.
Until then, here’s what I can tell you:
The rest of the nitty gritty details will be posted soon! Stay tuned for more info!
I know you guys were stoked to see last week’s interview from us on SuicideGirls — so it’s only fair we let you know that they’ve now posted another goodie from us. This time we spoke with Brendan Rowe.
You can read this second installment of TattooSnob interviews brought to you by SuicideGirls at your earliest convenience… but trust me, sooner is always better than later.
From here on out, Tattoo Snob will have weekly featured articles on Suicide Girls. Yes, you read that correctly and yes, we’re really excited about it.
Look forward to only the best interviews with a variety of tattoo artist that are pushing the art to new heights, and redefining what it takes for create tattoos that make you say “WOW.”
First up is none other than Myke Chambers, the dream boy from The Austin Tattoo Company.
Is there a topic you would like to see us cover? An artist that we should feature? Drop us an e-mail or a comment below to let us know what you would like to see on the site.
Just wanted to take a quick minute to say thank you for the support. We’ve received an overwhelmingly positive response from everyone we’ve spoken with about this site.
We aren’t quite ready to unveil all of what we have in store for 2010, but I can promise we’re going to keep moving forward. We’ll be at more conventions, bringing you information on even more outstanding shops and tattooists, and showing you even more tattoos that make you audibly go “WOW.”
We can’t be everywhere at once – please continue to send us your feedback, show off your tattoo work, and tell us anything & everything going on in your tattoo world. If you have any questions about submissions – check out this FAQ.
