ELECTRIC ROBOT TATTOO

Local Tattoo Legend "Famous Gabe" Unveils Latest Studio Venture

by Nicole Willis

If you’ve lived in Pensacola within the past twenty years, you’ve more than likely heard of Hula Moon or the nickname “Famous Gabe.” Hula Moon was once one of the most popular tattoo studios in the city. Established in 2000 by local tattoo artist Gabe Smith, known to friends and locals as “Famous Gabe,” Hula Moon served the Pensacola community until 2020.

Despite having to close Pensacola’s iconic Hula Moon, he’s far from completing his tattooing journey. After several years in the making, Smith recently opened another tattoo studio with a whole new look and feel called Electric Robot Tattoo.

Large, colorful murals designed and painted by Smith himself wrap the exterior of the remodeled building at 2505 W. Cervantes St., making it nearly impossible to miss. Serving as a fresh start for Smith, Electric Robot symbolizes an amalgamation of all of his influences, paying tribute to those who’ve supported and helped him along the way.

From a young age, Smith was fascinated with the tattoos that he saw on important people throughout his life. “I had always loved tattoos since I was a little kid. My grandfather, who fought on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day had old sailor tats on his forearms. As a kid, I would just sit and stare at them like ‘Whoa. What is this mystical stuff on this man’s skin?’” Smith said. “I got my first tattoo when I was 12 years old, unbeknownst to my mother. This might be the first time she’ll ever hear this!”

Despite his early fascination with the art form, it took Smith quite some time before he even considered pursuing a career as an artist. At the time, having a career in art was not viewed as an option.

“In the 80s, if you weren’t going to go to school for engineering, then you were going to end up in the unemployment line,” Smith said.

His first exposure to an art career was his grandmother’s neighbor who was a professional sign painter. Smith watched and learned from him, and eventually began painting on his own, quickly realizing the demand for painters.

“I’ve always drawn and painted stuff. When I was in high school, it was an excuse to get out of class. I painted my high school’s center court on the basketball court with the logo and the name of the school. Other schools would want to borrow me, so they would come pick me up and take me out of class,” Smith explained.

Smith’s talent for art and appreciation for tattoos inevitably combined, as he began tattooing at a young age. “Since I could draw, my friends were like ‘Look, we can mow yards and get money. You can buy one of those tattoo kits out of the back of the motorcycle magazine. You can learn on me,’” Smith said.

His professional tattooing journey began in the early 90s, and early on in his career, he met a handful of other tattooers who he studied. He attributes his success in tattooing to two particular tattoo artists who have played a large role in helping him launch his career.

“I got my foot in the door at a shop in Meridian, Mississippi, with a guy named Spacey. His real name is Billy Lyons, and he’s still tattooing today. He helped me get started,” Smith explained. “I then met Jim Pearlman, he owns Full Hearts out in Fort Walton. He’s a really amazing guy and a great tattooer. I think he saw I had potential, so he helped me along the way, and that I’m forever thankful for because I don’t know if I would have made it tattooing with the limited availability of mediocre supplies.”

The tattoo industry has drastically changed over the past thirty years. As tattoos have become more popular and widely accepted, the industry practices and accessibility to proper tattooing equipment has improved. Smith describes the tattoo industry of the 90s as “The Wild West.”

“You’d have to go to JOANN Fabric and buy needles, snip the heads off and silver solder them to needle bars that you made out of welding rods. Now, you can just go online and order whatever you want,” Smith said.

Prior to opening Hula Moon, Smith spent much of his time tattooing in Brownsville at Excalibur, which is now closed. Smith described this shop as a “launch board” for Hula Moon, as he figured out the look and concept for his new shop.

In 2000, Smith finally opened Hula Moon and ran it until he quite literally couldn’t anymore. The shop became a staple for tattoo-obsessed Pensacolians. This twenty-year journey sadly came to an end in 2020 due to unforeseen property ownership issues preventing him from purchasing the building.

“My best friend owned the building we were in. We had it all lined up and we were going to buy the building. But unfortunately, before we got the paperwork signed, he passed away, and the rest is history,” Smith explained. “It was really tough. After 20 years there, I thought I was going to die in that building. I thought one day the guys would come in and there I would be, slumped over my chair. It was heartbreaking.”

While saddened by the shop’s closure, Smith is optimistic about having the opportunity to start fresh. Smith, a shop like Electric Robot was years in the making, and one that he was not sure he’d ever get to see come to fruition.

“I always wanted to have a shop that felt like it was all me, and that’s what I’ve created. The building itself is a piece of art. We’re going to paint the entire outside and inside of the building. We’ve been working on this project for over 18 months, it’s a dream. I didn’t think I was actually going to be able to facilitate the idea before my death, but now it’s here and it’s happening. It’s pretty awesome,” Smith said.

When deciding on a name for the new shop, Smith wanted to pay tribute to one of his favorite local hangouts—the Elbow Room. Sharing the same initials as the iconic Pensacola dive bar, Electric Robot also serves as a tribute to Smith’s deep-rooted love for the Elbow Room and the bar’s original founder.

“I don’t know if I would have opened my own shop had it not been for Jim Flynn of the Elbow Room back in the 90s. I would go down there to have a beer and complain about working for a man who did not care about tattooing. And Jim was like, ‘Well, what’s stopping you from doing it yourself?’ He was right, so I did my own thing,” Smith explained.

Smith said that the shop’s name and branding concept had been sitting on the back burner for more than ten years, as he came up with the idea for the name when he was preparing to open a second tattoo shop shop that never came to fruition..

“In 2006, we were going to open up a shop up north, and I didn’t want to go with a hula-themed name, so I created a name that shared initials with the Elbow Room. I came up with Electric Robot, which literally makes no sense, but I love it, and I feel like it’s me,” he explained.

Joining Smith in the shop is friend and fellow tattoo artist Travis Leggett, who is also a long-time client of Smith’s that started getting tattooed at Hula Moon back when he was just 18 years old. Leggett has now been tattooing for more than seven years, learning many of his skills from Smith along the way. Smith and Leggett plan to bring in more artists to the shop in the near future.

When it came to finding the perfect location for the new shop, Smith says the decision was a no-brainer. He had already had his eye on the old, run-down building on Cervantes Street years before the new shop was even conceived.

“After the closure of Hula Moon, I remembered there was this building down the street from Excalibur in Brownsville that used to be an old dentist’s office. Anybody who was in Pensacola before the 90s will remember the old shotgun building with the teeth on the side of it. He had these big dentures painted on the side of the building. It was pretty ridiculous, but I loved the building. It was meant to be a tattoo shop,” Smith said.

After years of eyeing the location, Smith was able to eventually purchase the building and began the long and daunting task of completely gutting and renovating the space to match his vision for the new studio. Smith and his team have decorated almost every inch of the shop with coveted memorabilia and personal mementos. Original artwork and flash sheets cover the walls from head to toe.

“I like being surrounded by artwork of those who not only inspire me, but are also my friends,” Smith explained. “It’s cool to look up and see Greg Christian, Chad Koeplinger or Don Ed Hardy on the wall. It makes you feel like you’re getting this big art hug. I never get tired of coming to the shop and looking at the walls."

Combining not only his passion for art, but also his love for the art of tattooing, Electric Robot Tattoo marks the start of a new era for Smith and his team. The shop embodies a bold new vision for tattoo artistry in Pensacola, giving both artists and clients a place to connect through the art they create together.

Electric Robot Tattoo officially opened its doors at 2505 W. Cervantes St. in late July. The shop is open Wednesday through Saturday from 2 to 8 pm, and accepts both appointments and walk-ins (based on availability).

To book an appointment or check out some of Leggett and Smith’s work, visit @electricrobottattoo on Instagram.