TATTOO. CULTURE. LIFE.

ISSUE TWELVE | APRIL 2012

PAUL BooTHinterview

THe wALking deAdvideo Game

US $9.99

Contents

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FeATUres34 | grATiFicATion & AddicTion

TaTToo Tips for The TaTToo Loverin the tattoo world there is a common phrase, “tattoos

are addictive”. once received the freshly inked are said to start envisaging other potential designs, placements

and projects. Perhaps this propensity could be simplified into economic terms and, considering the

highly detrimental lasting effects of bad tattoos, rightly be classified as an addiction.

40 | interview with Paul Boothink hangs out with the prince of darkness

at his studio, Last rites, in new York

48 | inside Look The WaLking DeaD viDeo game

ink sits down with the guys at telltale Games to get the low down on the new walking dead

game. also learn how to win a chance to be in the game as a zombie.

14 | Ladies with inkinterviews and spreads with some ladies with ink. Get an intimate look into each of

their lives and their ink. Stories behind the tatttoos and their favorites.

64 | Philly Tattoo convention Line-up of artists, great ink, and

awesome people who showed up tothe 2012 tattoo convention in the city

of brotherly love.

68 | Tom whalenA showcase of the illustrator’s work

iSSUe tweLve | aPriL 2012

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dePArTmenTs10 | music reviews

11 | new gadgets

50 | Video gamesPreviews and reviews

52 | Fan inktattoo submissions by our readers of their favorite ink

70 | spring Fashion for those with ink

68

“It is now perfectly common to see those of clear Caucasian descent with full traditional Japanese sleeves”

– 35 –

in the tattoo world there is a common phrase, “tattoos are addictive”. once received the freshly inked are said to start envisaging other potential designs, placements and projects. Perhaps this propensity could be simplified into economic terms and, considering the highly detrimental lasting effects of bad tattoos, rightly be classified as an addiction.

outside of genuine cultural practices popularized tattooing trends can broadly be considered as a post-modern, flattening of heritage. it is now perfectly common to see those of clear Caucasian descent with full traditional Japanese sleeves. non-Buddhists covered in thai temple writing they couldn’t read or translate if their life depended on it and Polynesian armbands on Americans that haven’t left the country. the intent is not to restrict or judge their choice simply to state that the markings themselves have now frequently been reclassified as stylistic preferences.there is no way to objectively classify taste. as history is often overlooked or mashed together, skill in application and design is everything. ‘Authenticity’ now rests with the tattooist. Irrespective of the subject matter there are two differentiating principles: talent and

uniqueness. in the same way that Picasso would not have painted a great Jackson Pollack – talent arises from the selection of and dedication to a specific set of techniques. This does not imply that the content need remain uniform. every artist has a particular skill set best suited to their own formula of creativity. talent connotes a representative skill set whereas uniqueness means the artist does not rely on works already completed. without their skill set work is reduced to duplication. in tattooing, technique is an additional consideration. Using skin as their canvas an artist might be gifted at recreating classic paintings or portraits. the uniqueness here is not derived from the designs per-se but from the artists’ ‘proprietary’ application technique.

a good tattoo in and of itself remains artistically valuable

– 36 –iSSUe tweLve | aPriL 2012

The classifiers of talent and uniqueness set a reasonable benchmark of quality. the difference between good and bad body art being potentially harmful duplication without proprietary or noteworthy technique. a bad tattoo is then a culturally void, inferior replication. on top of which tattoos, except for painful and costly removal, are permanent. a bad tattoo might not only be artistically substandard but could damage the skin and remain an indelible public scar (damage here referring both to the possible physical and aesthetic detriment). Changing personal or cultural significance of these markings are, by their locked temporal nature, unforeseeable. the full extent of the harm able to be caused by a bad tattoo is then too primarily realizable well after the procedure.

when judging bad tattoos quantity becomes a contributory concern. a single bad tattoo might stand out as such when viewed in isolation. whereas a person that has dedicated significant portions of skin to bad tattoos may transform these pieces into a ‘collection’. The dedication itself lending authenticity or credibility to the substandard work which is then able to be viewed as a whole. in a ‘strength in numbers’ kind of mentality, a bad tattoo collection might often be held as an a-posteriori, justifiable choice.

in pre-internet years ignorance to the various levels of quality possible in body art might have been a plausible rationale for the selection of substandard work. this coupled with much higher barriers to entry for international travel and the likely geographical proximity of average studios meant options may have appeared to be limited. today the average cost of tattooing classifies it as more of a luxury pursuit. if one could afford a large tattoo from a typical studio one would also

most likely have sufficient means to acquire adequate disposable income for others. meaning the average tattoo-seeker would be able to

research multiple

studios as well as travel further away from home for the appointment.

in an open economy the fact that artists who produce exceptional work and artists who produce substandard work still exist affirms two points. Firstly, there is wide

spread recognition of the differentiation between the two. Secondly, there remains

a demand for both. Here we can explore the choosing of good or bad tattoos in economic terms. The most influential

psychological factors of selection being immediate gratification and addiction.

Actions can be simplified into perceived costs and rewards. Costs actions are

those that require resources for completion. To file your taxes, pay your bills, go

to school or finish the housework could all be considered costs. actions with anticipated benefits are rewards.

Usually rewards make you feel good or add value. the question of

gratification, immediate or delayed, then comes down to the perceived costs and rewards of an action within a timeline.

A person can be said to be ‘sophisticated’ or ‘naïve’ when it comes to understanding the perceived costs and rewards of their choices. The more in line one’s own

understanding of the actual costs or rewards of a given situation is with their choices the higher the level of sophistication. A naïve is someone unable to properly reason or consider the effects of their actions. Immediate gratification has negative connotations because costs are avoided and only perceived instant rewards sought, potentially leading to greater albeit delayed costs. a sophisticate could be distinguished by their capacity for delayed gratification.

Self awareness should not be overly celebrated just quite yet though. it has been concluded in numerous studies that recognition of a problem with self control

“A bad tattoo might not only be artistically substandard but could damage the skin and

remain an indelible public scar”

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—Continued on page 60