Artist!
Jimmy Dalessio
Scott James
Tyce Johnson
Teri Pagratis
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
Santelmo (Saint) Vazquez
Cover- @lenascissorhands
Photographer- michellexstar
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, And Mike Geyer
6. Stefanie Fright
15. Jimmy Dalessio/ Cincinnatigarrison
32. Scott James
48. Lena Scissorhands
58.Tyce Johnson
68.Teri Pagratis
So let’s begin with tell us a little about yourself where are you from and what was it like growing up?
My name’s Scott James, and I’m the Business Manager and lead body piercer at Lucky Bird Tattoo in Annapolis, MD. I’m 41, happily married, and a proud dad to three adorable girls. Originally from Pennsylvania, I grew up in Maryland and spent nearly a decade living in Boston before moving back home in 2011. I was raised in southern Calvert County, Maryland, where I spent most of my time skateboarding and playing music. Funny enough, Parry—the owner of Lucky Bird Tattoo—and I started our first punk band together back in 1998. He played guitar, I was on drums, and a couple of our buddies rounded out the lineup. We’ve been close ever since, playing in different bands over the years. Every now and then, we still get together for a jam session after work. Maybe one day, when we both have a little extra free time, we’ll take it more seriously and try to play a few gigs in downtown Annapolis. In 2003, I moved to Boston to pursue a career in music. It was an incredible ride, filled with unforgettable memories, but eventually I decided to step away from that path and come back to Maryland to start a new chapter in my life
Can you originally remember what got you into piercings and body modification?
When I moved back from Boston, I didn’t really have a plan. I just knew I wasn’t happy up there and needed a fresh start. My dad ran his own home improvement business, so I worked with him for a bit, but I quickly realized that wasn’t the path I wanted to take long-term. Around that time, Parry had just opened Lucky Bird Tattoo, and he brought me on as his personal assistant while I figured out my next move. Eventually, I shifted into managing the front desk, and after a while, Parry suggested that I learn to pierce— partly so I could earn more and stay on at the shop. So yeah—getting into body modification wasn’t some lifelong dream of mine. It started as a financial decision, plain and simple. But once I was in, I committed fully. I’ve never been someone who does things halfway. My dad always taught me that if you’re going to do something, you do it right—or not at all. That mindset stuck with me, and even though piercing wasn’t my original plan, I gave it 110%. And over time, it became something I genuinely love and take pride in.
How long have you been piercing for and how has the journey been for you?
I’ve been piercing since 2012, but I didn’t really start to consider myself a professional piercer until around 2017. Those first few years definitely came with their fair share of trial and error. I was originally trained by a tattooer, so I got the basics
down—but over time, I started to realize there was way more to it than I thought. I had a lot to learn. Thankfully, Parry had connections with people across the tattoo industry, and we’d regularly have guest artists come through the shop. Some of them had ties to members of the APP (Association of Professional Piercers), and that’s when things really started to shift for me. I attended my first APP Conference in the spring of 2018, and from there, I started leveling up—both in my skill set and in what we were offering at the shop. One of the biggest changes we made was stepping up our jewelry game.
Offering higher quality jewelry was a huge move for us. As we raised our standards, our clients’ expectations grew too—and we wanted to meet that head-on. That said, getting into the jewelry side of the business hasn’t been easy. There are so many incredible companies out there, and just keeping the basics stocked can be overwhelming. Honestly, one of the worst things you can do as a piercer is not have the jewelry you need to do the job right. On top of that, balancing a budget is tough. High-end jewelry means higher costs for clients, and you can’t afford to have pieces just sitting in your case for months—it’s got to be a smart investment. Even now, I’m still fine-tuning how we run things, constantly learning, and pushing myself and our team to do our best every day. Looking back, I never planned on becoming a body piercer—but I’m so glad it worked out the way it did. I’m proud of the work I’ve done over the last 12 years, and it means everything that people trust me with their piercings and body modifications. Getting to work alongside friends, doing something I genuinely love, is such a gift.
Sure, it’s still work—there are tough days and the occasional difficult client—but overall, the job and the people are amazing. I’m incredibly grateful for our clients, our crew, our community, and especially for Parry’s support through it all.
Any big plans for the near future?
We’re always pushing ourselves to stay current and relevant in the industry. I’m constantly looking for ways to expand my knowledge so we can offer the best possibservices to our clients. Kyndall, our other piercer, and I have been working on introducing new services and techniques, and we’re planning to launch something like “Technique Days” or “Seminar Days”—where clients can receive piercings at jewelry cost or discounted rates. It’s a great way for us to keep learning and refining our skills while still providing value to our clients. We’ll be promoting these educational days on our social media, so be sure to follow us to get any updates. We’re also hoping to host more piercing events this year. We ran a few last year and they were really well-received, but the key is planning ahead and making sure everything is organized and wellstocked—which, honestly, is sometimes the hardest part.
You also help manage Lucky bird tattoo and piercing in Annapolis MD what’s that like on top of piercing?
Once I started helping Parry, I quickly realized I wanted to do more. I had a solid background in management from previous jobs, so my mindset naturally shifted toward thinking like a manager instead of just an employee. Plus, I was working for one of my best friends, and I didn’t want to let him down. Over time, I worked my way up to become both the shop’s Operations and
Business Manager—on top of being our only piercer. That combo quickly proved to be too much. I knew we needed another piercer and a better way to divide the workload. Since then, I’ve mentored two of our body piercers and transitioned into focusing more on the business management side of things, stepping back from the day-to-day operations.
It’s tough to manage operations when you’re piercing clients all day, so shifting my focus to the backend of the business made the most sense. These days, I handle our accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, website, event planning, inventory, jewelry management, and merch—alongside my piercing duties. Luckily, I’ve always had a strong attention to detail, so the combination of piercing and business management really works for me.
There have been some challenging times, especially during and after the COVID era—navigating constant uncertainty, adapting to new restrictions, and trying to keep the business running smoothly while juggling multiple roles. But through it all, we stayed focused, adjusted where we needed to, and kept pushing forward. Now, things feel more stable, and I’m proud of the progress we continue to make.
You are covered in tattoos which one would you say hurt the most and which one would you consider your favorite?
I’m not really sure which one hurt the most—they all fucking hurt, haha. But if I had to pick, the two that were surprisingly brutal were the back of my calf and my lower back. I don’t know why I expected the calf to be easier, but that one really caught me off guard. I’ve got a traditional globe and ship with a scroll back there, done by Derek Billingsly during one of his guest spots at the shop.
The lower back, though—that was next-level pain. Jeffy Scott did my entire back piece, which is a neotraditional scene of two tall ships battling with flames and roses. I’ve got a whole new respect for those ’90s tramp stamps—because that lower back pain felt like getting sliced with razor blades. Definitely not fun.
As for my favorite tattoo? Honestly, they’re all my favorite—and yeah, they all hurt. But one that stands out the most is a Sloth eating mangoes that I got for my daughter. It’s on the side of my knee/calf, done by Allison Yerkes during a guest spot around 2019, I think. It’s super fun, always gets a lot of comments, and it was for my daughter who used to be obsessed with sloth stuffies… now she couldn’t care less about them, haha. Oh well—it’s still a great tattoo and memory to have.
What do you like to do for fun outside of work? Any hobbies
Outside of work, I’m usually tied up with house projects—which I actually don’t mind. Being the son of a home improvement contractor definitely comes in handy. I still love playing drums, getting in a round of golf (though it’s been a while), playing the occasional video game, and watching movies. These days, my favorite way to unwind is relaxing on the couch with a tasty local hazy IPA and binge-watching a good TV series once the kids are asleep. I’m not sure that counts as a hobby, but it’s probably the thing I do most outside of work—haha. I wish I had more time for music, but between a fulltime job and three little ones, hobbies tend to take a back seat for now.
