Author: The Tattoo Journalist

Big Frank’s Interview, a Podcast Featuring Only Audio

Since my first meeting with tattoo legend Big Frank in Roseville, California, every moment of this interview has been gratifying. His contributions are duly recognized, and although his profile in tattoo publications is less extensive than that in the music industry, he remains an underappreciated icon similar to a hidden treasure. Younger generations of tattooists […]

An Essential Interview with Tattoo Legend Big Frank

Frank William Harrison was born in 1959 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Known as Big Frank in the tattoo community, this nickname was derived from the fact that there were numerous Franks in the industry, and he stood the tallest at 6.3 feet. Big Frank has legendary status, with over three decades of experience in tattooing […]

A Conversation with Eddy Reyes Sr, a Tattoo Icon in Chicano Culture

Although South California (especially Los Angeles) was already known for black-and-gray prison-style tattooing, in North California, Eddy Reyes Sr popularized Chicano art by mixing aspects of Mexican culture, religion, and history with the street vibe of the West Coast of the United States. His meticulously crafted body art, made with fine-line needles, displays a delicate […]

An Interview with Woohwa about her Remarkable Fine-Line Tattoos

Korean culture has significantly contributed to the world through cinema, music, and cuisine. Likely an element of the “Korean Wave,” which debuted in popular culture in the late 1990s, this “Wave” has now entered its third generation. Their diligence, abundance of talent, and consistency have earned them a stellar reputation. The same characteristics are exhibited […]

Dareum’s Tattoos Feature Oil Pastel Depiction

1994 marked the birth of Da Hye Lee (aka Dareum) in Cheongju, South Korea. Her family relocated to Seoul during childhood, and she has remained there ever since. After deciding early on that visual and fashion design was not her calling, she abandoned her undergraduate major to pursue a career as a tattoo artist. She […]

Dearly Departed Tattoos: An Interview with Mark Clifford

Mark Clifford spent most of his life in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he was born in 1975. He held various jobs and played in a band, which led him and his bandmates to get tattoos and ignited his interest in this art form. Clifford started working as a tattooer in 2001 and co-owned a tattoo shop […]

A Talk with Gyan about His Tattoos That Look Like Etchings

Gyan, a 31-year-old from Seoul, studied graphic design in college and later worked in a studio producing posters, books, and videos. He worked as a freelance illustrator before becoming a tattoo artist a few years ago. His love for drawing and imagery led him to believe he could translate well to tattooing, and he gets […]

Madame Chinchilla and Mr G: Triangle Tattoo & Museum

Tattoo enthusiasts must visit Triangle Tattoo & Museum in Fort Bragg on the Mendocino County coast of California. Madame Chinchilla and Mr G, tattoo artists, industry historians, and life partners, founded this space in 1986. Both had trained under Bert Rodriguez, a Mexican-American tattoo artist who started a Santa Rosa studio in 1978 and the Tattoos & […]

Shane Tan’s Complete Collection, From Paintings to Japanese Tattoos

Shane Tan, known for his triumph in Japanese-style tattooing, spent seven years developing his self-titled book. Tan’s passion for woodblock print masters is evident in the 448 pages of hand-drawn line drawings, paintings, and tattooing of characters ranging from Tenjiku Tokubei to Nango Rikimaru. Although woodblock imagery has a long history, it flourished as a […]