Arizona Tattoo And Body Piercing
News And Articles...

Yuma, Arizona
01/02/10

Tony Ochoa has opened Alliance Tattoo Lounge at 2589 E. 24th St., Suite 2. The shop provides original art pieces, permanent makeup and piercings. For more information, call 304-2022 or visit alliancetattoolounge.com.

Ochoa began his professional career as a freelance graphic designer in 1984 and since has provided custom artwork for numerous businesses. He got into the tattoo business in 2002 while stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and worked for Skin Pen Tattoo and Taggurr’s Tattoo until venturing out on his own.

Joining him in the business is Meme Gutierrez, who became a certified tattooist in 2002 while working for Blue Moon Dermagraphics Salon in Savannah, Ga., and has since won awards for her work. In 2008, she became certified as an advanced intradermal cosmetic technician. She had been working at Taggurr’s Tattoos since 2004.

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Courtesy of: yumasun.com

Collaborative tattoos tell stories of love, loss, passage.

From photographs to sketches, local artists say more people are bringing their original ideas to studios to be made into permanent works of body art.

Tom Nickels, an artist and owner of two Chroma Tattoo and Body Piercing studios in the Valley, said clients are looking for a tattoo that reflects their inner selves.

Marko Au, 37, co-owner of Phoenix Tattoo Co. in Tempe, agrees. "There are definitely a lot more custom pieces now than even just five to eight years ago." He said a tattoo may represent something religious, cultural or social, but is specific to each individual.

"It took three years of planning for my sleeve," said Jesse Ziomek, 29, of Maricopa. "One, I wanted to make sure it was really what I wanted due to the commitment involved with such a big piece. Second was timing, and third, it had to be the right artist."

Michelle Gautama, 26, her plan was a small dragon for her shoulder. Her parents are Chinese, and the dragon represents strength and longevity to her. She had some ideas, but Nickels' sketch changed her mind about a tiny, traditional tattoo. "I didn't want to get a full back originally," she said. "I wanted a small dragon on my back because this is my first tattoo. But Tom drew this amazing dragon, and I just had to get it on the largest canvas of my body. Go big or go home, right?"

The one thing they have in common is that their tattoo has significance. "It marks a period of your life," Nickels, 30, said. "It's a reminder of who you were at that moment in time. It's a constant and permanent reminder."

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Courtesy of: azcentral.com

Bullhead City, Arizona
06/17/07

Tattoos as varied as the customers.

Larry Topping, co-owner of The Shop tattoo and piercing parlor said tattoo requests at The Shop are as varied as the individual customers.

Some people will get a tattoo to commemorate a special trip, mark a milestone in their lives or make a statement.

Some people like to add texture to the skin, “making it appear wet or cold or hot, making it appear metal or stone or water,” he said. A biomechanical tattoo will give the skin a metallic tone while an organic tattoo will simulate the porous texture of living tissue.

A self-taught artist who has been tattooing for seven years, Topping said he hadn't considered the profession until a friend suggested it after seeing one of his drawings.

He started out doing tattoos for his friends and did a lot of work for free before he began to charge. Nowadays, his portfolio shows examples of everything from realistic portraits to abstract art.

And Topping said he's still learning, networking with other artists and discussing new ideas and influences. “I think that once a tattoo artist thinks he's done learning, that just means he's not gonna get any better.”

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Courtesy of: mohavedailynews.com

Linkin Park singer celebrationg tattoo shop anniversary.

Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington has announced the 12th anniversary concert for his Club Tattoo shops, scheduled for June 23rd at the Clubhouse in Tempe, Arizona. Sevendust, Buckcherry, Operator, hed p.e. and other artists are all slated to perform, along with Bennington himself and his "fun" side band, Bucket Of Weenies. Over the years, Bennington has said that the tattoo business has provided a welcome distraction from music: "I love tattoos, I love the whole vibe about it, I love the people and the atmosphere. It's just a really great way for me to do something else that's not just music. It's fun. I love hooking up all the boys on the tours with tattoos, and I just think it's a beautiful art form, and it's another way for me to kind of diversify myself."

Bennington is a partner in Club Tattoo with the shop's co-owners, Sean and Thora Dowdell.

Club Tattoo has three locations in the Phoenix area, two in Tempe and one in Mesa, with a Las Vegas shop opening in the summer of 2008. The brand will also launch a shoe line through Etnies in June and a clothing line in August.

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Courtesy of: therockradio.com

What drives people to extreme piercing and body modification?

Piercing norms in America have progressed from the ear, to the tongue, nose and naval, to the genitals, as well as any other part of the body. Tattoos have experienced a similar evolution over time: present-day tattoo aficionados often spend thousands of dollars jacketing entire limbs.

Greg Churchill is a piercing apprentice at Mastodon Professional Body Piercing in Mesa. He's far from unfamiliar, though, with the art of body modification.

Churchill has countless tattoos, more than a dozen mostly stretched piercings, a split tongue and innumerable scars from body pulls and scarification work.

"As an apprentice, I want to be able to tell people what to expect," he said. "When they ask 'Does it hurt?,' I want to be able to answer honestly, to have direct experience."

Churchill has been pierced more times than he can count since his first piercing in the fifth grade, and currently has 15 pieces of metal penetrating skin and cartilage throughout his body. He describes the piercing process as uncomfortable, rather than painful.

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Courtesy of: ecollegetimes.com

Glendale, Arizona
03/20/07

Tattoo Artist Arrested on Sex Charges.

A Glendale tattoo artist has been arrested for sexual abuse and sexual indecency against a customer. According to Tempe police, Eric McMorris, 21, of Glendale, was arrested Thursday.

An 18-year-old female had gone to a tattoo shop at 1250 E. Apache Blvd. in Tempe to get a tattoo just below her waistline. After the tattoo was completed McMorris without her permission touched her genitals and exposed his own.

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Courtesy of: firstcoastnews.com

'Scary Guy' brings a message.

The Scary Guy isn't scary after he starts talking. But he looks scary - like a buzz-cut Santa with tattoos from head to toe, studs and spikes in his face and a gold-capped metallic smile.

He's a former baby photographer, a former computer salesman, a former tattoo artist who traveled 350,000 miles last year teaching people around the world that they don't have to accept prejudice, take it to heart and dump their anger on someone else.

The No. 1 social disease is prejudice, he said, and it leads to hate, which leads to violence, which leads to death.

People can be prejudiced about anything - appearance, nationality, handicaps, weight, color, religion, age.

The Scary Guy said he gets 4,000 letters a month from kids and 6 million hits a month from 75 countries on his Web site. And he answers all of them.

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Courtesy of: zwire.com

Valley Darlins cause pudding 'debauchery’ at Tempe bar.

The 12 punk-rock ladies with pinup looks — including a tattoo artist, a couple of pharmacists, an ER tech, a computer programmer and a corrections officer — between the ages of 18 and 32, go through jiu-jitsu training with a coach once a week to prepare for matches.

JoAnn Thrax, 30, a Phoenix resident who works as a director of social services in a nursing home, says each bout consists of two ladies wrestling for two two-minute rounds in a kiddie pool filled with 210 pounds of vanilla pudding. The audience decides the winner.

Thrax, who is also a member of the Renegade Roller Girls, a Valley roller derby league, says the idea for a pudding wrestling league came about when the Renegade Roller Girls did a benefit for a friend with pudding wrestling about a year ago.

“Ever since then, we just always talked about it,” she says. “It was so much fun. The idea just grew from there.”

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Courtesy of: eastvalleytribune.com

Kin fear slaying suspect will walk.

Diane Harris lives in fear that the man suspected of killing her son two years ago will one day walk the streets of Tucson again. She and her husband, Timothy, want to change the law to ensure that mentally incompetent people accused of crimes never go free. They intend to write letters and lobby state legislators to get it done.

Earlier this month, doctors determined that Michael Lynn Steele, 37, a paranoid schizophrenic, probably won't ever be competent enough to stand trial in the killing of Diane Harris' son, Elton Prunty.

While her son was no angel and spent time in prison, Diane Harris said, he had paid his debt to society and she doesn't necessarily believe Steele that he was involved in a burglary. Regardless, she said, he didn't deserve to die. Prunty, who made his living as a tattoo artist, was a friend to many and had a good sense of humor, she said.

"He was a real person, and that's been forgotten in all of this," said his aunt, Kelly Price.

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Courtesy of: azstarnet.com

Piercer says job has its perks.

Chris Jennell is a body piercer because it’s fun and he can be himself. Oh, and he likes working with fancy jewelry. “It has its perks,” said Jennell, a member of the Association of Professional Piercers.

The Tempe 25-year-old, known as Chris X, has worked for HTC Body Piercing at its Tempe and Phoenix locations for two years.

He has pierced everything you can imagine, from nipples and belly buttons to genital areas, but the piercing spots his customers ask for the most are the ears, lips and nostrils.

The newest popular piercing is surface piercing. People are getting the sides of their face, the napes of their necks and their chests pierced, Jennell said.

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Courtesy of: eastvalleytribune.com

Scottsdale-based clinic franchises sell at $75,000.

In 2001, Carl Mudd, 46, started Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinics. His company has sold franchises to 50 clients so far — all either directly owned by physicians or with certified physicians who deal with customers or patients. They include seven in the Valley, each located in office complexes in Scottsdale, Chandler, Tempe, Mesa, Gilbert and Ahwatukee.

Four more clinics are planned to open soon in Phoenix, Surprise, Litchfield Park and Queen Creek. Franchises have also been sold to skin care clinics in 15 other states and future plans include franchises internationally.

Since his company opened, his clients have performed more than 30,000 procedures, including lasers used to reduce sun spots, wrinkles, hair and vein removal, acne scar reduction and tattoo removal, Mudd said.

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Courtesy of: eastvalleytribune.com

Tucson, Arizona
07/15/06

Tattooed Tucson.

Now, 1 in 4 Americans sports a tattoo or two, a recent study from the American Academy of Dermatology shows. And the numbers of tattooed Americans are growing with each generation.

Dennis Dwyer, who owns Ancient Art Tattoo, 2108 S. Alvernon Way, said he knows firsthand that the stigma of a tattoo is a thing of the past.

The explosion in tattoos has also resulted in a boom in shops. "I was the only guy in town," said Dwyer, who set up his shop in 1980. "Now there's about 40 shops. The market is oversaturated."

Tattoo artist John Campbell disagreed, saying there are plenty of people who want tattoos to go around.

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Courtesy of: tucsoncitizen.com

Current And Pending Arizona Laws...

Number of tattoo-parlor permits rises.

More shops have received special permits to open in Phoenix in the past two years than in the previous three years combined.

Phoenix governs tattoo shops through its special-permit process. No state laws exist to cover tattoo artists or shops.

Tattoo shops require a special permit because, according to the city's zoning code, it is one of the uses that "are necessary (but) do not usually conform with traditional use groupings." The process is intended "to allow the location of certain uses while maintaining adequate protection to the surrounding area."

Brandon Judd, who owns Stay True Tattoo in northeast Phoenix and works under the name Brando, says he is not concerned about legitimate competition. But he says the zoning restrictions are not enough to guarantee safety and cleanliness, and to keep non-permitted tattoo businesses under control.

There is plenty of business. Brando says about 30 tattoos a week are done at his shop, near Arizona 51 and Greenway Road. At least four other shops are within a couple of miles.

All told, Phoenix has 32 shops listed in the Yellow Pages. At least 50 others do business in other Valley cities.

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Courtesy of: azcentral.com

Body art boom calls for state regulation.

Starting in 2010, any body art establishment, which includes tattoo and piercing parlors, would have to be licensed by the local health department and would be subject to certain regulations, just like restaurants or public bathrooms, according to SB 1321.

A whole new set of fees and training would also have to be provided to the department for the staff to know what proper procedures are in a tattoo or piercing shop, said Patti Woodcock, a spokeswoman for the Pima County Health Department.

With body art's increasing popularity, Dick Goldman, owner of Blue Dragon Tattoo in Glendale, lobbied Rep. Meg Burton Cahill, D-Tempe, to introduce legislation.

Jay Cavna, owner of Sanctity Tattoo, 970 E. University Blvd., said when he and his wife, Kim, relocated to Arizona from New York, they were surprised by the lack of regulations on tattoo parlors.

Isaiah Camacho, owner of Staring Without Caring, 1024 E. Sixth St., said state regulation might wean off tattoo shops that are open just for profit, and be beneficial to the more legitimate and high-quality shops around town.

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Courtesy of: media.wildcat.arizona.edu

Local business owner seeks health inspection regulation.

A valley tattoo artist is taking legal matters into her own hands. She was floored, when she found out the tattoo parlor she just opened, does not require a health inspection.

Mesa tattoo shop owner, Jeannie Renninger, says her clients’ safety is her top priority and believes it should be to the state of Arizona as well. That's why she was shocked to learn the state does not regulate tattoo parlors.

Several other sources were contacted including the state, the county, the city of Mesa and the cosmetology board. They all confirmed that there is no law requiring a health inspection.

So she is taking matters into her own hands by designing a bill that would make health inspections a requirement for all tattoo facilities in the state of Arizona.

This bill would also require all tattoo artists to be educated in the dangers of cross contamination and blood born pathogens. Renninger also wants to see hand washing facilities and disinfectants at every station.

Renninger has already contacted numerous people in state offices, what she really needs now is someone from the legislature to sponsor her bill.

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Courtesy of: azfamily.com

Kingman, Arizona
09/13/07

Changes to C-1 designation voted down unanimously by the commission.

The Planning & Zoning Commission voted down a change to the city's zoning ordinance. Development Services Director Gary Jeppson's proposal to increase from 17 to 45 the number of commercial uses allowed in neighborhoods had met an army of opposition.

Jeppson's proposal would have added 28 uses to areas zoned C-1: neighborhood convenience. Additions proposed included veterinary clinics for small animals, group homes and shelters, Laundromats, non-drive-through restaurants, lodges, civic clubs and fraternal organization facilities, food stores, pharmacies and hardware stores.

Commissioner Sandi Minkler noted the problem with C-1 and C-2: community commercial, the same trouble Jeppson noted in his discussion with the commission. Basically, C-1 has been described as too limiting, and developers often ask to upgrade their properties to C-2: Community commercial, because it has nearly 120 uses compared to the 17 in C-1. But C-2 allows tattoo parlors, tobacco shops, liquor stores and other businesses that most neighbors wouldn't want near their homes.

RAID (Residents Against Irresponsible Development) member Bill Delmar said there needs to be more review and asked that if the commission is going to consider changing the zoning ordinance, that it not change just one portion. "If you're going to change C-1, you've got to change C-2 and C-3; they're all intertwined," he said.

The commission will send its unanimous denial to City Council, which will consider the proposal Oct. 1.

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Courtesy of: kingmandailyminer.com

Inkers Press County to Regulate Tattoo Industry.

Hoping to be akin to California, Nevada, Utah and more than 15 other states across the nation, Mink Ink Tattoo owners Michele and Steve Perry are working to get local tattoo parlors regulated by the health department.

When Michele moved to Kingman from New York to open her business, she sought out the health department to inspect her shop _ even offering to pay any costs associated with it. But the health department declined, saying it was not in their jurisdiction and staff wasn't trained to do so.

The state statute requires a person to use a sterilized needle or other substance that will leave color under the skin only once. The person cannot administer anesthesia unless they are licensed.

There are exceptions to the statute, however. It "does not apply to the ear piercing of a person who has written or verbal permission from a parent or legal guardian or to procedures that are prescribed by a health care provider who is licensed."

Inspired to take action for the safety of their customers and their industry, the Mink Ink Tattoo owners plan on meeting with Kingman Mayor Les Byram in August following the move of their business to a new location. Steve said they wanted to start on a smaller scale and hopefully work their way up to regulations across the state.

Rachel Patterson, environmental health manager with the Mohave County Department of Public Health, added they hope in the near future to begin working on something for the county. She said members of her department have met with officials from Coconino County, the only county in the state to regulate tattoo and piercing businesses, to gain some insight on their regulations.

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Courtesy of: ktar.com

A 24-year-old tattoo shop owner pleaded with board members to grant a council use permit so he can open a shop that he’s already spent his life savings to create. In the end, Kelly Garnett came one step closer to finally being able to open his shop’s doors.

Garnett has been unable to open his tattoo shop because of a local ordinance that requires tattoo shops to be at least 1,200 feet away from another tattoo shop or a school. Even though his tattoo parlor, Damage Ink, is nearly a quarter-mile drive away, the city does not measure by driving distance. Instead, it is measured by “as the crow flies,” leaving Damage Ink 200 feet short of the requirement, city staff said.

City staff recommended at Thursday night’s meeting that the board deny Garnett’s request, but board members were not so quick to agree. The board hemmed and hawed throughout the hearing, making as many as four motions before they were finally able to agree.

After failing to garner enough support to deny the permit, the board wound up approving it — with numerous strings attached.

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Courtesy of: eastvalleytribune.com

Mesa could draw line on new tattoo parlor.

The reason needles aren’t humming and ink isn’t flowing at Damage Ink is because of an ordinance that requires the tattoo parlor to be at least 1,200 feet from another tattoo shop or a school — a requirement Garnett thought he satisfied when he started spending the first of his roughly $40,000 investment to turn a vacant strip center suite into a tattoo shop.

But the city ordinance doesn’t count the distance in driving miles, but instead “as the crow flies.” That leaves Garnett’s shop only about 1,000 feet — through an established neighborhood — to the back fence of the high school. And despite signing a five-year lease, the majority of the City Council faces the proposition of making an exception to the rule or prohibiting Damage Ink from opening.

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Courtesy of: eastvalleytribune.com

Tattoo And Body Piercing Conventions...

Hell City Tattoo Festival / Hell City 10 "Let It Burn"

When:
August 27, 28, 29, 2010

Where:
Biltmore Resort & Spa
2400 East Missouri Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Tel: +1-602-955-6600
Fax: +1-602-381-7600

Tattoo convention, vendors, contests.

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Courtesy of: hellcitytattoofest.com

Mesa, Arizona

10th Annual AZ Tattoo Expo

When:
April 30, 31, May 1, 2, 2010

Where:
Mesa Convention Center
201 N. Center St.
Mesa, Arizona 85201
480-644-2178

Contact Information:
aztattooexpo@gmail.com

Mesa Convention Center Arizona's 10th Annual tattoo convention with over 18,000 people in attendance in 2009, this year's event is expected to reach 20,000. On-site tattooing and body piercing by hundreds of the world's best tattoo artists and body piercers. Tattoo & piercing contests all weekend. 1-3 place. with a grand prize of $500.00 Music, food and spirits, tattoo removal, temporary tattoos, live side shows, industry seminars, tattoo related merchandise for sale. Many celebrities expected to be in attendance again as well. A lifestyle event for everyone to enjoy. Children 15 & under free with paid adult admission of $20 per day or $45 for weekend pass.

Arizona Tattoo Expo Website


Courtesy of: SAGE OCONNELL...thank you again for the email.

Hell City Tattoo Festival / Hell City 8 - "Tattoo Vacation"

When:
September 4, 5, 6, 2009

Where:
Biltmore Resort & Spa
2400 East Missouri Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85016
Tel: +1-602-955-6600
Fax: +1-602-381-7600

Tattoo convention, vendors, contests.

Click for more information

Courtesy of: hellcitytattoofest.com

9th Annual AZ Tattoo Expo

When:
May 1, 2, 3, 2009

Where:
Mesa Convention Center
201 N. Center St.
Mesa, Arizona 85201
480-644-2178

Contact Information:
sage@urbanarttattoo.com

Arizona's 9th Annual tattoo convention with over 18,000 people in attendance in 2008, this year's event is expected to reach 20,000. On-site tattooing and body piercing by hundreds of the world's best tattoo artists and body piercers. Tattoo & piercing contests all weekend. 1-3 place. with a grand prize of $500.00 Music, food and spirits, tattoo removal, temporary tattoos, live side shows, industry seminars, tattoo related merchandise for sale. Many celebrities expected to be in attendance again as well. A lifestyle event for everyone to enjoy. Children 15 & under free with paid adult admission of $20 per day or $45 for weekend pass.

Arizona Tattoo Expo Website

Courtesy of: SAGE OCONNELL...thank you for the email!

Tattoo Expo draws thousands to E.V. over weekend.

Shamrocks and Irish shirts weren’t the only green that people sported on St. Patrick’s Day. Green was the ink of choice Saturday for many people who turned out for the Arizona Tattoo Expo at Mesa Centennial Hall.

The event, hosted by Club Tattoo and Urban Art Tattoo, features tattoo and body artists from throughout the world.

The convention also includes 150 artists from the United States and other countries, including Canada and Spain.

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Courtesy of: eastvalleytribune.com

The sixth annual Arizona Tattoo Expo will feature more than 150 of the biggest names in the body art and piercing industry when it rolls into Mesa this weekend.

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Courtesy of: eastvalleytribune.com

Tattoo Artist And Body Piercing Employment Opportunities...

Tattoo Artist and Piercer.

Busy EV shop seeking tattoo artist/piercer 5yrs exp.

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Courtesy of: careerbuilder.com