As a tattoo artist of less then 10 years, I can't claim to have seen it all in this business. Call it an industry and watch the hackles raise on many of the people who also tattoo for a living be it old schoolers or newbies. What I have witnessed was the birth of Miami Ink, and there was speculation as to how this would affect us tattooers. Some people automatically hated it, some embraced it as it brought tattooing into peoples homes and living rooms and made tattoos more mainstream thus creating a flow of cash the had slowed since the 80's. Riding on Miami Inks coat tails more and more TV shows sprung up, Hart and Huntington, LA Ink, etc. Now we have tattoo TV programs that are more like game shows like Survivor. And how has this affected us? Sure more and more people walk through the doors seemingly more educated throwing around words like photo realistic! But for every new client we see we are also seeing more and more work done by the home tattooist. Yes, the scratchers numbers are increasing. No, this isn't going to turn into a rant about scratchers. If you still want to go to some illegal tattooist in a basement or dirty bedroom and pay $20-$60 for some fucked up piece of shit that you'll come in looking to get "cleaned up" and then looked shocked when I quote you 5 times what you paid for it, that's your choice. I'm here bitching today because I've learned that now these dip shits can purchase their equipment from large corporate stores like Sears and Dick Blick!
Tattoo artist round the globe rose up when they found out about TLC's Tattoo School TV show. Angry that a cable channel would put out crap that doesn't show what some of us work and strive for each and every day. Tattoo artists trained properly with a real apprenticeship, full of blood, sweat, and tears. It's bad enough that most tattoo equipment dealers don't care if you work for a real studio or not. But, since the ones who do sell to just anyone, they sell sub quality equipment I haven't really cared too much. I've focused trying to educate the masses on why they shouldn't go to these hackers. But now with SEARS and DICK BLICK selling equipment I think we need to take some sort of stand.
I see things going down one of two ways, we (tattoo artists) can call for some sort of regulations that forbid anyone from selling tattoo equipment to anyone not working in a shop. Not that each state handles things the same when it comes to the qualifications of someone who works in a studio. And its not that I would like to see our already corrupt government stick it's nose into our business. Or, we could go back to the old school ways of doing things, breaking peoples hands so they can't tattoo. I'm not opposed to the old school simple way of thinking. I kinda like keeping things simple and I don't think I need the government to tell me whats right or wrong. So what say you? Are you gonna join a Facebook group to boycott these chains and their sales of tattoo equipment thinking you are doing something like stopping Joseph Kony by re-posting someones status or "liking" it. Let's do something about this. I'm open to ideas....
Well, well, well, I will have to recant somewhat, it seems Blick has decided not to sell tattoo supplies after all...The Traditional Way.
