Robby Latos Issue 8

Staff

Steve Azzara (RIP) President/Editor in Chief/MFIC

Pamela Sellers Co owner/President/Writer

Matt Sellers Writer/Creative director/Editor

Contributors

Cypress Bates Video Journalist/Writer

Mike Johnston Concert/ Event Photography

Santelmo (Saint) Vazquez

Cover Tattoo-@robbylatos

Special Thanks to...

Daniel Kearney, Santelmo (Saint) Vazquez, Mark Lawrence, Shawn Alexander, Tommy’s Supplies, New England Tattoo Expo, Sellers Ink Tattoo, Sean Hightower, Walt Anderson, Carnival of Ink, The Most famous studio, Urbans edge tattoo after care.

New England tatoo expo

Pro Team

Lydia Bruno, Pammy Sellers, Pepe Carire, And Jimmy Dalessio, Ninetoes, Nikko Gould, Josh Paul

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SAMURAI

FOAMING ORGANIC TATTOO WASH

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ELIMINATES AFTERBURN SOOTHES SKIN

5% LIDOCAINE 380MG CBD

KAMIKAZE

ARTIST NUMBING SALVE

ELIMINATES NEEDLE DRAG! SMOOTH GLIDE

ALLEVIATES PAIN FOR LONGER SESSIONS

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THE YOUR TATTOO NEEDS

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Absorbs into the Skin / Non-greasy feel

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Former Art teacher and professionally exhibited Artist, has been formulating natural skincare for the last 14 years. Her knowledge of essential oils, butters and herbs has her taking a different approach to preserving tattoo art through Urban's Edge aftercare

VEGAN FORMULA

Eliminates the Afterburn / Soothes the Skin

Jojoba Butter and Oils

Balances and Hydrates

Skin

Chynna

Where are you born and raised and give us a little insight on your upbringing?

I was born and raised in Farmington, PA. A small town with little to offer besides open fields and patches of forest to explore. I was raised by my mother, an artist her self, and my father, a musician. They have other jobs but these were and still are their passions. So my upbringing was an eclectic one, filled with crafts and various instruments, all under an atmosphere that I would sum up as a loving one.

How long have you been tattooing for and how has the journey been so far?

I’ve been tattooing full time for 3 years now, beginning after my graduation from Seton Hill University in 2020. I apprenticed while in school earning two Bachelor degrees, one in Fine Art and the other in Art History. My journey has been interesting, beginning with my now business partner Julia Oravets reaching out to me to offer to teach me to tattoo. We started in a shed, tattooing pig skin. Jump to present day and we own our own property that is currently under construction for our new public studio.

I see that you are the owner of Real ink tattoo, how long has your shop been in business and how is that going for you?

Julia and I started the official business in 2021. It’s been a tough ride for us honestly. Being so young, both only 23 at the time, and self employed artists, banks and lawyers obviously held their own opinions about us. Their skepticism made the process much more difficult and time consuming for us, but we persevered. Julia and I work well together, and our vision for the future has kept us enthusiastic in our endeavors.

You seem to be a very well rounded artist in all styles like cartoon work to realism. What is your favorite style to do mostly? Is there any style you prefer not to do?

I greatly enjoy the challenges that come with doing many different styles of tattoos. But my favorites are as you stated, animation and realism, specifically when they are done in color. Anime in particular is an interest I hold dear to me, while realism allows me to use my portrait painting skills in an alternative medium. Color tattoos challenge me and keep me very interested at the task at hand. Things that I dislike doing would be minimalism, lettering, fine line, and American traditional. Nothing against them, but I feel that I can’t really expand on my art work in these styles.

So I met and got to watch you perform live in Wv at the Locked up tattoo convention, you won a few awards there one being the best of show! Tell us about that tattoo you did and how did you feel winning such a hard category?

The tattoo that won me best of show is on my partner, Shane. He has been wanting to get this tattoo for a while and I thought this show would be the perfect time to do it. Art the Clown is one of my favorite horror characters, so I had a great time with it. The design took about 4 hours to create, using 6 different references from the two movies. I’m absolutely honored to have been chosen for best of show. It’s such a great feeling to be competing with other wonderful artists.

Speaking of conventions do you attend a lot of shows? If so what are some of your favorite locations?

Yes, each year it seems that we pick up more show dates. My favorite right now is the Resurrection Island Convention in Wheeling WV. The hosts are so kind and excited to have us all, the venue is fun and energizing with a great stage set up, many of our friends also tattoo at the show, and it holds a special place in my heart since it’s the first show we attended.

What hobbies do you have outside of work? What do you like to do for fun?

My hobbies include any kind of art medium that I can get my hands on. I’m a painter, sculptor, and ceramic artist. I also enjoy costume making, accompanied by cosplaying and attending anime and horror conventions. One of my favorite things to do outside of the house is attend concerts, and lots of them. I also forage for bones/animal remains for art pieces. On the tamer side I enjoy the little things like baking and reading.

DAn

So tell us a little bit about yourself, where were you born and raised, etc..

I was Born in a little town called Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina. My father was a missionary and when I was about one years old, my family started a mad dash around the country.I moved over 22 times before I turned 17. We moved from ghetto to ghetto while my dad started Christian missions for addicts, gang members and prostitutes.So I was raised all over the U.S.. It was a pretty wild childhoodbut I’m grateful for the broad perspective of the human condition.

At what age did you discover your passion for music?

When I was about 11 or 12 I got a sony walkman for Christmas. I remember quickly becoming addicted to buying cd’s. My first cd was Good Charlotte, ‘The Young and the Hopeless”.Music was an escape for me. I could just put my headphones on and disappear to another realm. I was really certain about much in life but as soon as I put my headphones on I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Although, I remember being pissed off that I couldn’t just magically sing good.

You are the vocalist and creator of the band mire lore, when did you start that project? And tell us how it came about.

I started Mire Lore in 2016 I believe. My main project at the time, “Enterprise Earth” was going in a collective direction that didn’t really scratch an itch for me. The creative process was dry and rushed due to time restraints label pressure and busy tour schedules. We had just released a record called “embodiment” and to be honest I hated it. It was rushed and uninspired and I wasn’t able to be as involved as I would have liked in the instrumental process. I still to this day can’t listen to that record. I really wanted something with creative freedom and somewhere I could bleed into the music, so I started Mire Lore on the side to scratch that itch. So I approached an old acquaintance I had worked with in the past and shared my ideas with him and we both ran with it. In 2016ish we released a full length record. It’s very flawed with the low out of pocket budget we had to work with but it was a step in the direction I wanted to take. The biggest difference with Mire Lore is that it isn’t supposed to be anything other than art. There’s no rush to take a record to market or pressure from anyone, no deadlines.

Do you have plans for any tours in the future with mire lore? Or any other long or short term goals for the band you’d like to tell us about?

There aren’t any plans for touring yet. I’m open to it, but right now I want all focus to be on the new material we’re working on. The new music is very ambitious and there are new members in the project now that are evolving the sound even further.Right now we’re just getting lost in the writing process and so far the demos we’ve been making sound really wild. With every new release I like to bring in new sounds and influences as well as new storylines. With every new release I think the fans willbegin to expect something completely new and fresh. Thinking too far ahead takes your eyes off of the art. It’s best to stay focused on that and then once it’s done you can let it take you where it may.

You are pretty heavily tattooed, when did you start getting into that? And what do you enjoy most about getting tattooed?

I actually started getting tattooed the same time I started Mire Lore. My first tattoo was the emblem. My favorite part about getting tattooed is the pain. It’s therapeutic to me.There’s something addicting about long sessions.

Do you have any interesting stories behind any of your tattoos?

Oh man.. I lived in a house with my old sound guy for a few months and let his roomate convince me she was great at giving stick n pokes. I told her I wanted a cross on my toe, thinking she couldn’t really fuck that one up. But yea.. She did.. I didn’t realize she was hammered until she stopped and slurred the words “allll donee” It wasn’t a cross, it strangely looked like an outline of snoopy if you squinted at it upside down. haha

You were also previously in the bands enterprise earth and infant annihilator, would you like to tell the readers a little bit about that?

Yea so Infant Annihilator was a project I did with some guys across the pond over facebook. They had written a bunch of instrumentals and I approached them with a Morgan Freeman Facebook page I made. I didn’t have social media back then so I made a burner Morgan Freeman Account to contact them and send them examples of my vocals. We put out a concept album called “The Palpable Leprosy Of Pollution” and shortly after they stopped paying me my cut of royalties. So I created social media accounts and did a few youtube covers to collect some fans from that success and then started Enterprise Earth so I could keep writing and start touring. About a year later I was touring a shit ton with Enterprise and doin some cool stuff. I left Enterprise Earth a year ago after 8 years of touring and 5 records. The last one being “The Chosen”. I made a lot of good memories and friends with that project but I ended up quitting the band and doing Mire Lore full time. It’s pretty wild where life can take you.

What is one of the craziest memories you have while being on tour?

haha Oh man. I have stories for days. I saw some dead guys and a bum dp but this is my favorite story.

After load in I’d usually walk around and find a beer. I can’t even remember what city I was in but I was walking to Trader Joes to grab a six pack and on my way back my gps brought me down a shortcut street that was pretty empty. In the distance I saw what looked like some bums cuddling and as I got closer they came into focus. There was a bum lady making out with a young bum and an old bum who looked like Santa gettin her from behind. hahaha but naw. My favorite story was in oklahoma. I can’t remember the name of the venue but we were on tour with Whitechapel and The Plot In You and we were playing this big barn type venue. The venue didn’t have a green room so I was just sitting in my van with the doors open in the heat sippin on a little one shotter of jim beam. I was alone and it was a few hours before doors opened. I was laying down, we had a futon mattress laid on the van floor and the seats taken out. I had a nice view of the gravel parking lot and right across the street there was an alley with a big green dumpster in the distance. As I was sitting there I noticed in the mirrage of heat drifting off the road, a person with a big pink bunny costume crawled from behind the dumpster and stood up. The person faced me and started walking across the street towards me. As the person got closer I could see it was a young girl. Probably mid 20’s or so with blonde hair. Her bunny costume (keep in mind, this is oklahoma mid summer) was dirty and gross. She walks up to me while I’m in my van and says “hey there cutie, can I come in?” and proceeds to try to crawl in the van with me. hahaha, I immediately say “naww ugh ughh!!” and plant my foot on her chest and launch her out of the van. She picks her self off the ground, this time she’s not smiling, She screams “fuck you!! and storms off across the parking lot. As she’s walking back I notice her bunny costume has a big brown shit stain on the butt. The bunny lady shit herself. Then I see her disappear behind her dumpster.. Later that night we play a killer show and I hear some commotion outside. There was a man in the parking lot swinging around a 12 inch bowie knife yelling “who was fuckin with bunny?!?!”. Apparently he had come from behind the dumpster too. hahaha

Who are some of your biggest influences in the music industry? And what music do you listen to on your own time?

For sure Chester Bennington, but honestly almost all 2000’s nu metal. I still jam all the old stuff. I honestly don’t listen to much new stuff but influence wise that whole era of music was it. but I get caught in moods and sometimes I’ll listen to gorillaz or ambient stuff or throw it back and listen to some korn. My apple library is filled with a little bit of everything. Even some country.

Paul

Tell us a little bit about yourslef, where your from, And what was it like growing up?

I was born and raised in rural Ohio, nestled between two little towns, bellville and johnsville. I was the youngest of five kids, with one brother and three sisters. I was the typical kid always bored, never anything to do. However, I made the most out of it by fishing, exploring the woods and creeks beds, and indulging in my passion for drawing. At a young age, I discovered my interest in being a tattoo artist when I stumbled upon my brothers tattoo magazines. The stunning artwork featured within those pages inspired me and fueld my desire to be a tattoo artist myself.

How long have you been tattooing for, And how has the journey been for you?

I am currently in my 13th year as a tattoo artist, but the journey was far from wasy. Right after high school, I attempted to find an apprenticeship, but couldnt find the right mentor to guid me. So I started a career as a Mig and Tig welder, until at the age of 34, an opportunity to pursue Tattooing presented itself. without hesitation, I left my welding career to become a tattoo artist. Not making any money during my apprenticeship resulted in me loosing my first house to foreclosure. This setback did not stop me instead, it fueld my determination to work harder. That wasnt the only hurdle I had five years into tattooing I had a heart attack at 38 and had to have two stents put in. At that time the city I worked in had no cardiac center, so that pushed me to open my own studio in the neighboring city.

You seem to be a very versatile artist but it looks like you mostly do color and New school style tattooing, would you say thats your favorite style? tell us a little bit about how you got into that style and or your favorite style.

My mentor always emphasized the importance of being a well-rounded artist as it ensures a consistent flow of work. I’ve noticed that some artist the specialize in one particular style are constantly advertising to fill open spots, which made me realize the importance of not limiting myself. While I do have my favorite styles, such as new school,color, realisim and neo trad, I strongly believe that exploring different styles enhances, my overall artistic abilities and approaches. By continuously learning and expanding my skill set. I can offer a diverse range of tattoo styles to my clients however, as I get older, my focous naturally leans towards color pieces I find them to be more enjoyable, and personally furfilling.

So your a multi award winning artist and also have a sponsorship with Saniderm, Is there any other major accomplishments you have done?

Yes! fatherhood I would say becoming a father was my biggest accomplishment. There’s no instruction manual for it you learn just as much as you teach when you raise your child my son is now 19 and is exspessing his intrerest in becoming a tattoo artist. He is now and apprentice there is no better award.

speaking of awards its obvious you travel to conventions, where are some of your favorite locations to travel to and why?

Today my favorite convention would have to be Hell City Arizona. The Arizona Baltimore resort where the convention takes place is truly stunning not only is the venue itself beautiful but the food offered is exceptional. The highlight of the convention for me is were the pool parties are held every night. These gatherings provided a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow artist and form meaningful friendships.

Do you have any big plans for the rest of the year?

I will be attending a few conventions I haven’t attended before, New Orleans and Tampa. Its exciting to explore new tattoo conventions, and experience different places.

If your could tattoo anyone in the world who would it be and why?

Timmy B, Kelly Doty. I admire their work, and would love the opportunity to learn by asking questions and gaining insights into the artistic process.

Tell us a little bit about where you are from and some of your up bringing?

I grew up in Damascus, Maryland, a small farming town in central MD. I grew up spending most of my time in the woods.

How long have you been tattooing for and how has your journey been going for you in the tattoo industry?

I’ve been in the industry for about 15 years. Obviously there have been ups and downs hard work and sacrifice. But at the end of the day I’ve been able to see a lot of the world and meet some amazing people. When I look back on my career it’s been a dream come true.

So you currently work at Damascus tattoo company in Maryland, how long have you been at that shop? And how is that going for you? Have you tried other shops first?

Damascus Tattoo Company is doing great and has just celebrated 11 years. I co-own the studio with Siabhan Downs and Jon Roberts and we have a great team that has a variety of skills from different backgrounds, styles of art, and business acumen. The collaboration of leadership has made for an organic and successful work environment.

I got my start at RAW Ink Studio in Gaithersburg, MD under Bobby Weschler. Throughout my career I have done various guest spots around the world. Knowing I am not the smartest, I keep an open mind and face every opportunity as a learning experience; this has helped me and my studio to tackle challenges and focus on continual growth.

Your style is incredible ( one of my favorites) you are definitely to many a master of dark art and the creepy, what got you into that specific style?

That’s a hard one to answer. I don’t think that style is something you choose. With a background in fine arts and realism I always knew there was something else out there. There was a time in my career I decided to explore creatively and that’s just what came out.

Is there a style in the tattoo industry you do not like?

No, but there are many styles that I don’t think work very well.

So I had the honor of meeting you in Ronnie Radkes from Falling in reverse’s changing room, not only did you do a killer tattoo on such an icon but tell us a little bit about how that went down and what was it like?

I had blast with Ronnie and Willard. Ronnie and his entire staff and band were extremely generous, super friendly, and a lot of fun to hang out with. A literal Rock Star made me feel like a Rock Star.

What hobbies do you have outside of work? What do you enjoy doing for fun?

Dirt Bikes, gardening, and building sh*t.

Do you have any other big plans for the rest of the year?

No. It’s regularly scheduled programming; kickin ass and taking names.

PROUDLY SPONSORED BY:

so its been awhile since you have done a photoshoot, how did it feel to get back to it?

It has been awhile, about a year. And I forget how much I enjoy working on bringing concepts together with photographers. This shoot has a special story behind it. It was about 3 years I took a chance to overcome my fear of cameras in attempts to win money for business and photographer John L. Keck was the first pro photog to shoot me… I had no idea what I was doing, and no idea that those photos would open the door to so much in the years to come. So when I heard he was starting a new venture we jumped at the chance to work together again. You guys can find him at IG @johnlkeck !

cosmetics, merchandise, and tattoo aftercare and products, how do you handle all of those jobs? and did you want to tell our readers a little bit about some of your products?

I stay busy, and have become well versed in juggling and problem solving that’s for sure. With being multifaceted, and a one woman show, I love to create and consider life an Art. If I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t still be pushing. With my years in formulating and herbalism I aimed to bring products to the table that perform while being appropriate for all skin types even the most sensitive, and with the feedback I get, I did just that.

I utilize my businesses to build community as well. Call me old school but I believe in appreciating loyal clients, customer service being a priority, and integrity in business practices.

just for fun those boots are incredible, but did they hurt to wear them/ walk in them? Great shoot!

Ahhhhh…. The boots. I won’t lie, I was nervous but they were the inspo to my vision so I was determined. Me and my assistant Katelyn did some prep work the week before and figured out how to tape my feet, and I’m 1000% sure I wouldn’t have made it through the shoot without her help. One of the things that make me giggle is when people assume modeling is as easy as looking pretty. No sir, it can take weeks to months to create concepts, gain location, and acquire wardrobe. Then hours of makeup and shooting, and as we say… if you don’t hurt for days after you didn’t do it right. Ha. But I love it, I love the creativity and challenge.

Do you have any big plans coming up?

I’m still learning so much, I’ve had my head down for a bit while doing so. But this coming year I aim to get out and attend Tattoo Conventions with my products, and dive deep into collaborating with other small businesses while bringing awareness to the topic of the importance in supporting your local brands.As someone that has spent years observing the shift in commerce, I feel it would benefit us all to see our communities financially thriving.

Ryan

Tell us a little bit about yourself, where were you born and raised? Ect..

My name is Ryan kratzer I tattoo out of sunbury pa and am the owner of Central Pa Tattoo co. !

At what age did you discover your passion for art?

The age that I discovered I loved art was right around maybe 9 years old I always loved to draw or color or paint or do anything I could to make a piece of art !

What got you into tattooing? And tell us a little bit about your apprenticeship

what got me into tattooing was the fact you could take your art and put it into skin ! That to me blew my mind when I first seen them and understood how they were done ! I am also a deft taught tattoo artist ! I never had the chance for an appropriate apprenticeship. So I do things the only way I knew how and that’s by teaching myself everything I could and practice practice practice.

You own a shop in PA now, tell us about that, how long have you been in business? And how’s it going for you so far?

I’ve only been in business for about two months ! Having my own shop was always a dream but not even so much a shop but a private studio where it’s me and my client and a laugh and a bond being made !

Do you have a favorite style to tattoo? And if so why is it your favorite?

My favorite style of tattoo is black and gray but I also have a love for watercolor ! I would love to dabble in some neotraditional also that’s another favorite!

Do you travel to conventions for work? And if so, what do you enjoy about them the most?

I have done the battlefield tattoo expo 2 years in a row the first year I went to that convention I placed 2nd place in medium / large scale black and gray! And I also did cherry hill new jersey convention and while there I won 3 place in large scale black and gray for the day !

Who are some of your biggest influences in the tattoo industry?

One of my biggest influences is nikko hurtado his use of colors and also his black shades is a technique I’d love to learn or to even just have his knowledge!

If you could tattoo anyone in the world of your choice, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

Robin Williams rip ! Always loved him as a person and an actor would be an overall fun filled appt !

What are some hobbies that you enjoy doing outside of work?

My hobbies consist of fishing and cooking !

ALCOHOL FREE

THE YOUR TATTOO NEEDS

SAMURAI

FOAMING ORGANIC TATTOO WASH

MINIMIZES INFLAMMATION AND SWELLING

DECREASES REDNESS (BETTER PHOTO!)

ELIMINATES AFTERBURN SOOTHES SKIN

5% LIDOCAINE 380MG CBD

KAMIKAZE

ARTIST NUMBING SALVE

ELIMINATES NEEDLE DRAG! SMOOTH GLIDE

ALLEVIATES PAIN FOR LONGER SESSIONS

DOES NOT CLOG ARTIST’S NEEDLE

PRO TEAM ARTIST: GINGER HARRIS OWNER PRIMITIVE ADDICTION • FLASH BY ERIC BURGER

LEX Loveless

Locked up Tattoo Convention Dark Carnival + With

Artist Spotlight!

@christianbuckingham

Joven

Goes to the Carnival of Ink

So tell us a little about yourself where are you from what was it like growing up?

I was born in Culiacan Mexico. I moved to Guadalajara Mexico when I was 11 years old. I come from a big family I’m one of nine brothers and sisters. I started working at the age of 11 years old to help build a home for my family. I came to the United States in 1999 to meet my older brother who is not planning on staying here only to visit. I met my wife while I was visiting here and now married 23 years five kids and four grandkids later. I love living in the United States there are so many more opportunities.

At what age do you remember first getting into art?

I really didn’t get into art until my 30s I did do a few drawings as a kid on my bedroom walls but never had much time for art because of working. In my 30s my wife bought me a cheap machine for Christmas and that is when I really started drawing and making time for art. I am self-taught but there have been a few artists friends Jay Borg and Kendall Borg they were my first inspiration into tattooing.

How long have you been tattooing for and how has the journey been going for you?

I started my apprenticeship in 2013 but I did not start tattooing full time till about 6 years ago. I was a union roofer for 21 years art became my passion so I walked away from Roofing and started my own tattoo shop in 2015.

You pretty much tattoo all styles what would you say your favorite tattoo style is and why?

My favorite style to tattoo is realistic animals and color tattoos they challenge me and help me to get better with each tattoo. I like doing black and gray but enjoy color more.

Do you travel to a lot of conventions? If so tell us some of your favorite locations.

I just got into the convention lifestyle and I really like it going to the conventions has helped me learn more from other artists and keeps me humble there are some amazing artist at the conventions. I have been to Springfield Missouri convention and lake of the Ozark invitational only. It was such an honor to be at the invitational only alongside some of the best artists out there. Looking forward to going to many more conventions.

What is one of your most memorable moments in the tattoo industry?

Some of my most memorable moments in tattooing is when I opened a shop I was so nervous I didn’t sleep for over a week . Now I have bought my own building God has blessed me so much. My most memorable moments are the times people sit in my chair and open up about their lives and when they are getting to a tattoo for a loved one we share tears and smiles and become friends inside and outside of the shop. I now have the honor of being the best man at a client’s wedding in a few months. I love the friendships tattooing has opened for me.

What are some hobbies you have outside of work?

My hobbies besides drawing and painting outside of the shop I like taking long rides on my motorcycle. I love being at the lake taking my pontoon out swimming and tubing and taking the jet ski out if I could live on the lake I would.

I like going to church on Sundays and having family dinners on Sundays and time with the family .

To our beloved friend Steve Azzara your legacy and hard work will be rememberd and continued through your magazine and memories. We all think about you everday until we meet again ol friend.

Steve Azzara Owner/ Founder / Mfic