Fc_

Frank Cafiero A R T

D I R E C T O R

C A F I E R O F J C 2 0 @ G M A I L . C O M

THE 75 Years of Evolution

BY BILL WAYTOWICH

over the years has incorporated many different types of body armor—most importantly night-vision for the nocturnal, sometimes moody and eccentric Batman. All versions had the famous utility belt—others had gas filters and other technologically advanced gadgets to combat crime.

BAT PHOBIA THEN TRAGEDY While sitting in his study, pondering on how to be a more effective crime fighter, Bruce Wayne notices a bat fly through his window in the earliest Detective Lewis Wilson as Comics. He begins to bethe very first Batman in the lieve that criminals are a 1943 Batman cowardly and superstifilm serials. tious bunch, thus he adopts the persona of a bat, which would help to conceal his identity plus strike fear into the criminal mind.

In the movie Batman Begins (2005), Bruce Wayne as a child falls into a well and is afraid of the countless number of bats residing there—this well eventually becomes the famous Batcave! This pivotal movie is also best known for giving some of the most detailed information about the Batsuit.

In this movie the suit was derived from Lucius Fox’s Research and Development program, within Wayne Enterprises’ Applied Sciences Division. It is described by Fox as a “Nomex survival suit” originally intended for advanced military use, with a price tag of $300 grand, but was considered to be too expensive for the United States military.

THE CAPE As many artists have taken over the responsibility of sketching the costume, the details of the Batsuit have changed considerably throughout the decades. The original incarnation of the cape was a wing-like structure that may have been inspired by drawings done by Leonardo da Vinci.

This eventually evolved into a lengthier cape design. Some artists have depicted the cape with protrusions on the shoulders, representing the thumb region of a bat’s wing, but this is not always shown. In most cases the cape corresponds with the current writer’s desire—sometimes bullet and fireproof. In the movie Batman Forever (1995), the cape possessed a Kevlar weave to slow the impact of bullets. Sometimes the cape would contain special razor

The 1960's TV series Batman, starring Adam West and Burt Ward.

The Batsuit has gone through many evolutionary changes since appearing for the first time in DC Comics in 1939. Originally, the costume contained almost no protective qualities. The Batsuit has been repeatedly updated through the years in order to reflect the most recent advances in technology. Batman was created and drawn by Bob Kane, in a story called “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate,” written by Bill Finger, thus inventing the rudimentary stages for the enduring saga of a long-suffering billionaire-turned-demonic-crime-fighter. Interestingly enough, Kane’s original sketch of Batman was totally different and was first named “Birdman.” Finger thought that the character looked a little too much like Superman, so he suggested changes that would transform him into a more bat-like character. Finger also suggested to Kane that he draw a cape instead of feathers, and scallop the edges, so it would flow out behind Batman to look more like bat wings. A pair of gloves was then added, purple colored from the start but later changed to blue and eventually black.

Many different artists have drawn the Batsuit many different ways over its 75-year history. It is mostly shown as a matching blue or black scalloped cape, bat-like mask, gloves with fin-like protuberances, boots, a yellow utility belt, and a gray body suit with a black bat logo on the chest.

Batman mostly wears this costume to conceal his identity as prominent billionaire, Bruce Wayne, plus also to frighten the bad guys. The Batsuit

sharp blades, which were used to slice through corrupt officials, and then, suddenly changing back to a regular fabric with no special characteristics.

In Batman Begins, the cape was also used as a sort of wing suit. When an electric current was applied to the cape, the memory fibers transformed into a rigid form resembling a bat’s wing, enabling Batman to easily glide over Gotham City. In some other instances Batman’s cape can also be used as a parachute.

THE BOOTS Batman has been known to hide a few items from his arsenal in his leather boots, such as a blowgun with fastacting anesthetic darts. He also has retractable knives on the soles of his boots.

The design of Batman’s Batman confronts the Joker in the 1989 movie Batman. boots is pretty much modeled on tactical boots, but these boots are a more lightweight rubber and are extremely flexible and, of course, steel-toed for powerful kicking ability. The soles of the boots are purposely textured for different surfaces as well. In Batman Begins, an ultrasonic signaling device capable of calling thousands of bats to cloak his body is cleverly hidden in the heel of his boots.

THE COWL The cowl is basically the helmet part that conceals Batman’s features and adds greatly to his intimidating appearance. The cowl has had many helpful features for Batman through the years. It is sculpted from an impact-resistant, graphite-composite exterior. There is also bulletproof Kevlar plating that shields vulnerable sections of Batman’s skull and protects it from smallarms fire and concussion. Another feature includes electric shock or stun gas in order to prevent unauthorized removal. Some criminals have the ability to see through solid objects so a Bat helmet was also developed with a lead lining to protect Bruce Wayne’s identity. It also features a built-in radio antenna, which allows Batman to monitor police and emergency-services radio frequencies so that he can always be the first on the scene.

The cowl has also contained shifting lenses that identify the suspect, as well as medical records, which would identify possible weaknesses in the villain. The cowl’s special lenses include infrared thermo vision, night vision, ultraviolet vision and digital camera for evidence collecting as well.

The impressive headpiece also has sonarvision. In The Dark Knight (2008), signals emitted by multiple mobile phones are converted into images in a similar way that bats use echolocation sounds. Batman can see these images when a special viewing lense folds down from the cowl to cover his eyes.

For the very first time on film, the white-eyed appearance depicted within the comic books and various animated films/TV series is addressed. It also has a built-in voice-altering device to change Bruce Wayne’s voice!

While the cowl in previous Batman movies has been attached to the shoulder and neck, the Batsuit’s cowl is now a separate component inspired by the design of motorcycle helmets, allowing swivel and neck mobility without moving the rest of his upper torso.

THE BODYSUIT The bulk of the Batsuit is a snug bodysuit or a muscular exoskeleton as of late. In the early years, Batman basically had on a pair of tights and a leotard ensemble similar to circus performers of the day. This seems silly and campy by today’s standards, but that was state of the art at the time.

28 COSPLAY CULTURE

2014—Helped create the first nationally published magazine featuring the pop culture phenomenon of cosplay.

BATMAN V. SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

Christian Bale as Batman in the 2005 movie Batman Begins.

Christian Bale as Batman in the 2012 movie The Dark Knight Rises.

Batman has donned many different body armor designs through the years. The Batsuit was changed significantly in The Dark Knight film due to Bruce Wayne’s growing frustration over his lack of mobility. The bodysuit is then made from hardened Kevlar plates on titaniumdipped, tri-weave fibers that are broken into multiple pieces of armor over a more flexible bodysuit. This improved suit provided greater mobility plus is also bulletproof around the torso and back. But as a trade-off, the flexible armor leaves Batman more vulnerable to injury from bullets or knives in favor of increased flexibility and lighter weight.

THE GAUNTLETS Batman is usually wearing dark-colored leather gloves or gauntlets. The first gloves in the early Batman saga were purple in color, plain with no scallops and reached only to the wrist region. In the second Batman adventure, he was depicted with no gloves at all. The gloves eventually became longer, and in the year 1940, the famous fins were added, which greatly enhanced the gauntlets’ look. The scallops not only looked cool, but also did have a functional purpose as to defend against various bladed weapons. The fins were retractable and can be fired outward as a projectile for defense. This variation of the “Batarang” is similar to the ninja-throwing star, which eventually turned out to be very effective on The Joker.

Batman’s gauntlets also feature electrical shockers in the fingertips when an electric current is passed through it from the microcircuits in the palms of his gloves, which is used to control the shape of his cape as well. The gauntlets also contain lead in the knuckle region to really pack a punch.

THE UTILITY BELT Perhaps Batman’s most important invention is his utility belt. His uncanny ability to carry the appropriate gadgets for the job is legendary. The belt’s compartments are locked and can never be compromised by his adversaries. The utility belt has many defense mechanisms such as electric shock, smoke Batman interrogates the Joker in the bombs, locks, marker 2008 movie paint, or stun gas in order The Dark Knight. to prevent tampering, but for some reason, it doesn’t prevent the belt from being removed. Eventually the utility belt was permanently attached to the futuristic suit to alleviate this problem. The array of devices Batman carries on the belt have become more technologically advanced over time. The utility belt has also carried gas grenades, explosives, lock-picks, a signaling device for the Batmobile, a forensic kit, a first aid kit, a small toolkit and a homing device.

Ben Affleck will be the latest version of Batman wearing the newest Batsuit in Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, which is the intended sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel. Michael Wilkinson designed the costumes for Batman in this film. It is rumored to be silver/white plating attached to a black under-cloth, and that the black undercloth would be seen at the joints. It is influenced by the Batsuit seen in the animated series, The Dark Knight Returns (2012).

A second Batsuit was unveiled at San Diego Comic Con 2014, and unlike the first, which is made of cloth, this one was armored with eyes that light-up white. I’m sure Batman will definitely have some kryptonite handy in his trusty utility belt for this venture! Batman v.

Superman: Dawn of Justice is slated for a March 2016 release.

Batman’s success relies on the fact that he is only a mere mortal, a person just like you and I, a human being who seeks justice for the common people of Gotham City, while sporting an awesome costume. These facts make fans identify with him even more than if he had superpowers. Batman will always be our silent guardian, a watchful protector, our Dark Knight!

Ben Affleck as Batman in the upcoming 2016 movie Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

'Batman' is a registered trademark of DC Comics. Images courtesy of DC Comics • Batman Movie Images Courtesy of Warner Home Video.

ARTICLE BY J. RENTILLY Johnny Depp has spent enough time on the outside of it all to know when he’s been let in.

In a storied career that has made the 51-year-old actor one of the world’s biggest box office stars – Depp’s films grossing nearly $8-billion at the global box office – he excels at portraying iconic loners, gypsies and rebels, misfits and autodidacts, beautiful dreamer s and mad scientists. And, he does so very often in wardrobe that reveals secrets, scars, and suffering that words never could—vibrant, kaleidos copic sartorial choices that offer profound , fragmented views of a tumultuous, yet optimist ic inner life. As the Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa once wrote, “Masquerades disclose the reality of souls. As long as no one sees who we are, we can tell the most intimate details of our life.” So it is for Depp, the 21st century’s man of a thousand faces.

Edward Scissorhands, courtesy Herb

Ritts/20th Century Fox

Rango, courtesy Dreamworks

14 COSPLAY CULTURE

clashes with the colors and polyester textures of 1960s suburbia, donning a glamrock cum S&M, black leather bodysuit and ghostly white makeup. It’s a perfect visual representation of Scissorhands’ misfit status, the costume conceived by Atwood and Depp together, the pieces of wardrobe scavenged from textile shops of New York.

For 1999’s Sleepy Hollow, another film with Atwood and Burton, Depp’s Ichabod Crane, in search of the fabled, murderous headless horseman, is “like a frightened little girl,” the actor told Entertainment Weekly. “He’s maybe a little too in touch with his feminine side.” The wardrobe, oft replicated at comic cons, is stellar, conflicted and sumptuous.

18 COSPLAY CULTURE

In 2005’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Depp’s androgynous, loopy Willy Wonka is based, he revealed on “The Ellen Show,” on former President George Bush – but, Depp said, “incredibly stoned.”

Pirates of the Caribbean hero Captain Jack Sparrow, a role that has earned Depp a reported $300-million over four films, was an inspired merger of past and present, which shot fear through the hearts of Disney film executives during production of the first film. The boozy, staggering pirate, his wardrobe a collage of found items and stolen goods, was based on an unlikely source. “I was reading about the 18th century pirates and thought they were kind of like rock stars,” Depp told Los Angeles

Times. “So, when I thought, ‘Who is the greatest rock ‘n’ roll star of all time?’ It was simple: Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones!”

Depp’s Mad Hatter in 2010’s Alice in Wonderland was a fever dream of Peter Maxx-ish colors, shapes and styles— replete with kilts, silk scarves, and a beaver felt top hat. According to costume designer Atwood, it was the actor’s idea for the Mad Hatter’s skin to change color with his moods.

In 2012’s Dark Shadows, based on the 1970s cult television soap opera about vampires, Depp’s passion for unusual outfits reached new levels, his portrayal of centuries-old bloodsucker Barnabas Collins

Nightmare Before Christmas, courtesy Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Pirates of the Caribbean, courtesy Disney

Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas, courtesy Universal

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, courtesy Sony Pictures Classics

Sweeney Todd, courtesy Dreamworks

a true outlier. Atwood recently told MTV News, “[Johnny] plays a vampire who wouldn’t normally go out in the daytime, but we wanted him to be able to have outings, so I did two or three different hat shapes and we tried them once he got his hair and makeup on.” The Oscar-winning costume designer also found sunglasses more than a hundred years old, and worked primarily in shades of green to help Depp bring the undead character to life.

In the blockbuster debacle that was 2013’s The Lone Ranger, Depp went way out on a limb as the titular hero’s loyal sidekick, Tonto, drawing wardrobe inspiration from fine artist Kirby Sattler. “The stripes down the face and across the eyes,

it seemed to me like you could almost see the separate sections of the individual,” Depp told Entertainment Weekly. “There’s this very wise quarter [of Tonto’s face], a very tortured and hurt section, an angry and rageful section, and a very understanding and unique side. I saw these parts, almost like dissecting a brain, these slivers of the individual. That makeup inspired me.”

If there’s anything predictable about Depp’s work as an artist, it’s that he’s entirely unpredictable. It’s impossible to know which direction he’ll go next, what madcap pastiches of Charlie Chaplin and Salvador Dali he might employ in his wardrobe selections, which ways he’ll

fuel, inspire, and motivate cosplayers of the world. “Life’s too short to play it safe,” Depp says.

One reason he remains so fearless in his pursuit of vivid characters and costumes is because he knows the demons are always circling our camp, that the curtain often drops before we’re ready for the show to end, and so our reach must be wide and unique. “It’s inevitable, that day when you have to meet your demon and acknowledge that he’s there and say, ‘F*ck you’, essentially,” Depp says.

“We’re all gonna die. And when we do meet our demon, you have to crawl in his a**, come out his mouth, and dance on his tongue. That’s it.”

COSPLAY CULTURE 19

Commander Shepard shot and edited by Dhareza Cosplayza

COSPLAY CULTURE: What was your first cosplay experience?

Dhareza Cosplayza: I went as Commander Shepard to New York Comic Con 2012.

Constructed by my fiancée, Becka Noel, over one week, it was my first time cosplaying. As a photographer, it was jarring at first to be on the other side of the camera, but it quickly became fun, and I was officially bitten by the cosplay bug.

Article by Ashley Wilson

osplayers come from a variety of different backgrounds, ages and locations before they end up on a convention floor near you. One of the greatest things about cosplay is that you can create a variety of costumes of your favorite characters that will set you apart from the crowd and show off just how creative you can really be in an open world of imagination. For example, at some conventions, you might find characters from your favorite shows, video games or comic books crossed with just about any genre you can imagine—such as Mariachi Deadpools, Steam Punk Harley Quinns or Warrior Ponies.

New York-based photographer and cosplayer Dhareza Maramis, better known as Dhareza Cosplayza, was put on our radar after being a contestant at New York Comic Con’s Eastern Cosplay Championship. He was dressed in a heavily armored Batman Thrasher suit, designed after the artwork of DC’s Greg Capullo.

Dhareza is, in a lot of ways, similar to the alter ego of Bruce Wayne. By daytime, Dhareza is a creative director at a New York ad agency and, by night, a cosplayer with a few tricks up his sleeve. Recently, Dhareza showed off his newest design, Friendship is Magical: My Little Pony’s own Shining Armor with Warrior Armor.

Cosplay Culture caught up with the charming Dhareza to chat about his love of cosplay, photography and Batman.

How long have you been cosplaying?

Twenty-twelve was my first official year of cosplaying. What started off as one simple costume has turned into an armory that has taken over every nook and cranny of my apartment.

And, I wouldn’t have it any other way.

When were you first inspired to cosplay and what does it mean to you?

I had gone to comic conventions for years with friends. One year, I invited my fiancée to come along because one of her favorite actors was making an appearance. While I went to cons for the panels, Becka was smitten by all the cosplayers walking around. It didn’t take long for her to convince me to

86 COSPLAY CULTURE

COSPLAY CULTURE 87

By Emmanuel Urena Here’s a look at what makes our world just a bit more fun! This stuff made it to our desks, now it can make its way onto yours. Here’s what made the cut this issue. Hey, if you have any products that you’d like to see featured in Geeks & Gadgets, send it to: Cosplay Culture, 210 Route 4 East, Suite 211, Paramus, NJ 07652 Attn: Geeks & Gadgets

Superman Statue

Iron Man Alarm Clock

Inspired By The Artwork of John Romita, Jr.

3, 2, 1… BLAST OFF!

Based on the artwork of famed artist John Romita, Jr., and sculpted by one of the industry’s top digital and traditional sculptors, Paul Harding, this statue of the Man of Steel would make an essential part of any collector’s display case.

Artist John Romita, Jr., brings his unique and impressive art style with this addition to the line of statues inspired by the Last Son of Krypton. Measuring at approximately 7.125 inches, the sculpture features Kal-El in his New 52 costume, with one foot elevated on a platform featuring the iconic symbol of the House of El, as he stares intensely to his side with his cape positioned as if it were blowing in the wind.

There will only be 5,200 of these babies available for sale, so make sure you pick up your statue of the Man of Steel as soon as they’re released to the public in July 2015. $79.95

Tony Stark didn’t become a “genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist” by sleeping in every morning, and neither will you. Wake up in true Iron Man form with this badass Iron Man alarm clock.

Featuring a sleek “hotrod red” color and an image of Iron Man’s helmet on the front, this cool clock comes with a dual alarm for separate wake-up times, and plays a gentle buzzer alarm at a selected time. It also has a dock for your iPod with its universal 30-pin dock charger, and a line-in jack to plug in a CD or MP3 player. The dynamic speaker on this thing has a full range of sound and a lighted LCD screen to show both the real time and the alarm time.

Best of all, it features a programmable snooze control, to allow you to keep on dreaming of the day when you will finally become as awesome as Iron Man. Available on Amazon.com. $34.99

1980s Arcade Wristwatch

Star Wars Snowtrooper Statues Star Wars Snowtroope The Empire Strikes back with this set of ArtFX+ Snowtrooper statues from the cult classic film series, Star Wars. Made by Kotobukiya, the collectible set comes with pieces so that you can build your own army of Imperial Guards specially trained for harsh, cold environments. Also included are a few additional swappable parts to adjust the poses of the troopers, which stand at about seven-inches-tall.

You’ll be able to get your hands on these Snowtroopers in October by visiting kotous.com. List Price: $84.9

DC Comics Tarot Cards

Comic Book Fever

See Something Super In Your Future

A Celebration of Comics

DC Entertainment recently announced that they will release a deck of tarot cards featuring their most notable comic book characters, amazingly drawn and designed

by Eisner-nominated artist Sara Richard.

Featuring fan favorites like Harley Quinn, Wonder Woman, Supergirl, The Penguin and many others, DC’s Tarot Cards collection blends their iconic figures with 18thcentury mysticism.

Comic Book Fever (TwoMorrows Publishing) relives that timeless era of 1976 to 1986, when comics offered all kinds of different genres to any kid with a pocketful of coins, at establishments from 7-Elevens to your local drug store. Inside this fullcolor, 240-page hardcover are new articles, interviews and images about the people, places, characters, titles, moments, and good times that inspired and thrilled us all.

Written and edited by George Khoury, with cover art and introduction by Alex Ross, Comic Book Fever features icons and stars of the Bronze Age like Neal Adams, John Romita, George Pérez, Marv Wolfman, Alan Moore, Denny O’Neil, Jim Starlin, José Luis García-López, The Hernandez Brothers, The Buscema Brothers, Stan Lee, Jack Davis, Jack Kirby, Kevin Eastman, Chris Claremont, Gerry Conway, Frank Miller and many others. They discuss some of our favorite titles, such as The Uncanny X-Men, The New Teen Titans, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Love and Rockets, Crisis On Infinite Earths, Archie Comics, Star Wars, and a lot of the other titles that shaped the comic book industry.

On sale October 21, 2015, via twomorrows.com. $39.95

When making the announcement about their tarot cards’ release, DC also offered up a fun quiz on their website to help you find out which card represents you best (dccomics.com/blog/2015/05/01/whatdc-comics-justice-league-tarot-card-areyou). Similar to many of the other online quizzes you’ve probably seen before, this quiz figures out your designated card by asking a series of multiple choice questions, which eventually guide you to a specific answer.

The DC Comics Tarot Cards will be available in November 2015 via shopdcentertainment.com. $29.95

Retro Wear For the old school video gamer in you, we present this 1980s Arcade Wristwatch.

This ain’t your daddy’s old Casio watch, though—with a mini-arcade cabinet affixed to the watch’s black leather band—this timepiece pays homage to the classic arcade games of the 1980s, and also takes geek apparel up many levels.

Oh, but there’s a catch to the 1980s Arcade Wristwatch: you can’t actually play video games on it. We know, we know. We thought the same thing at first, but despite the fact that you can’t really play games, the watch does have its cool features. The dial comes complete with a joystick and a button that, when pressed, will play a “PEW!” sound simulating that of a fully functioning energy weapon, while also lighting up all the hour markers. It also uses elements from the classic “Asteroids” game on the watch face, showing a large asteroid for the hour hand, a small asteroid for the minutes, and the player ship spinning around the dial to count the seconds. Miyota movement provides “stellar” timekeeping.

The 1980s Arcade Wristwatch is available now at hammacher.com. $49.95

DC Bombshells Harley Quinn Mug Start Your Day Off With A Bang!

Add two teaspoons of crazy to your morning caffeine fix with this awesome mug featuring fan favorite Harley Quinn in the popular DC Bombshells style. The red and black colored, textured mug has a picture of the “Cupid of Crime” on both sides, with her name and diamond logo also on the sides, so there’s always something cool to look at.

The DC Bombshells Harley Quinn Mug is on sale now at forbiddenplanet.com. $19.35

COSPLAY CULTURE 9

STEVE BROWN

YoY o & ink o

Over the past 50 years, yo-yoing has transcended from a pastime into a culture. Enthusiasts of the former children’s toy have the option of acquiring yo-yos of various brands and designs, as well as attending tournaments that display their abilities to perform tricks with a yo-yo.

Steve Brown is a National Yo-Yo Master and the creator of 5A, a freehand style of yo-yo play.

In 5A, a counterweight (a small object such as a casino die) is tied to the end of the yo-yo string, rather than the player’s finger. Brown started out as a juggler and yo-yo demonstrator for a kite store. He developed 5A while working for Duncan Toys Company, and showcased his invention in Duncan’s How to Be a Player, Vol. 1, in 2000.

Photography by Eric Mull • Article by Mike Bednarsky 40

Rebel Ink

pound a bunch of Snickers bars to get my blood sugar back up so I could finish. It was crazy.” He initially was awarded a patch of that logo when he earned the title of National Yo-Yo Master on behalf of the U.S. National Yo-Yo Museum located in Chico, California.

His choice to be involved with several aspects of the yo-yo culture, rather than simply fulfill his duties as a competitor, reveals an open-mindedness he encourages all

Brown has over 25 tattoos, and many of them symbolize his yo-yo achievements. He first became a rock-star in the yo-yo world because of his ink and his personality. “I was loud and obnoxious. I was a much more appealing demonstrator to the new generation of kids than the guys in their 50s and 60s, who were still kicking around from the old days of Duncan. My tattoos definitely helped.

Modern yo-yoing was coming into its own and I was working to shape and promote it. I definitely stumbled into all of this at pretty much exactly the right time.”

He has maintained influence for over 15 years by way of competing in/judging tournaments and designing yo-yos, but his legacy was cemented when he came up with a new way to play. “It started by accident, as many good things do!” says Brown of the 5A style.

“I was trying to do Slippery Eel tricks, where you take the slipknot off your finger and sling the yo-yo around your body, releasing and catching the string as it goes by. I was awful at it, and the string kept slipping through my fingers. It being the ‘90s, I had a long wallet chain. I had two drilled-out casino dice strung to the chain. After

shooting my yo-yo across the house a few dozen times, I realized I needed some kind of stopper on the end to keep the string from sliding through. I took one of the dice off my chain and tied it to the end of the string.”

His favorite tattoo commemorates this discovery. “My 5A star in the ditch of my left arm represents one of my biggest accomplishments in yo-yoing: creating an entirely new style of yo-yo play that is now one of the five recognized divisions at every yo-yo contest in the world!” Brown comments.

He also has a tattoo of the National Yo-Yo Master crest on the back of his head. “I got the tattoo from Dean at Melrose Tattoo in Los Angeles. It was probably the worst few hours of my life. About halfway through, I had to

yo-yo players to wield. “Find creative influences that aren’t other yo-yo players. It’ll help you build your style a lot quicker. Look for tricks everywhere, practice often, and remember that as great as it is, yo-yoing isn’t everything. The world is a huge and amazing place; check out as much of it as you can.”

Steve Brown website: about.me/mrstevebrown YouTube: www.youtube.com/user/unklesteve Twitter: twitter.com/unklesteve Instagram: instagram.com/unklesteve Rebel Ink

2009—Integral in the creation of Rebel Ink. The first extreme ink lifestyle magazine. Designed to emphasize the attitude, grit, and excitement of the over the top personalities featued in each issue.

43

KITTY

ing a nd thea J Sud d 20 12 13 Waas n s As a irl, to col in L tion.

I st I re he be c a e, b I 2008 Io Kat as vam en

Slat ’ hav d An that yo to be h, CA, rning a dustry t sure ttoo p shooti gside

.

hild, whic wa of workin n toured wi

se i J ca i

? ion designer and I di . s in fashion design and il s downtown Los Angel h s expecting. I knew I w o ashion. Acting for me s rte on scout for a movie st n and asked if I wanted to y a e Jones. I had such a bla t t I

POSITIVE r l r t

r ker

i

.

,

ays,

ap

,

r

n s e

“

l

’

r

t

.

iv g

l

reest i

f , .

u

outside Long Beach, CA, and Eric Poland, owner of the first legalized tattoo shop in the state of Oklahoma.

Aree yoou thhe typpe too givee yoour taatttooos a lot of thhought,, or doo you leeavee thhat up too thhe artiists?

Tattoos, to me, are the most flattering form of art because you can never give them away. I like to take an idea to an artist and let them put their artistic spin on it, since I pick my artists based on their individual styles.

Whhat doo yoou havee in stooree wiithh ur careeer thhat we should look ou ?

Right now, I am filming a new TV pilot.

I’m booked with shoots ‘til the end of 14, and will be traveling the country nd parts of Canada so there will be a t me floating around out the for the res

,I i t

the ob a tha

, g n

e ”

I t

’

fil

at i ra

u

ti

h re

a

tto stss our a o c c ss ular o ra , ,

f t Jad ,

,

Photography by Toby Caughron Article by Ben Westhoff

THE OUTSIDERS

N

icknamed the “Master of Disaster,” Duane Peters is a bona fide skateboard legend and reknown punk rock vocalist. Having helped merge punk and skating in the ‘70s, he was the first to perform many tricks, including a 360-degree loop in the air, which he did after shattering his collarbone. Having broken nearly everything in his body, the Orange County, California icon has also fought a heroin addiction and suffered through the death of his 20year-old son, who was killed in a car accident in 2007. He talked to Rebel Ink about his career, bottoming out and the tattoos covering most of his body.

REBEL INK:

32 Rebel Ink

Rebel Ink

Rebel Ink

33

19

My goal is to make everything on my body all one tattoo before I’m dead.

get implants because I smoke, and I’m not going to quit. If you smoke, the implants usually don’t take, so I’m not even going to try.

What was it about punk that appealed to you?

The Ramones came in, and I was hooked. It was all really new. All the bands were different. I bought a ton of records just from looking at the covers. I bought Never Mind The Bollocks, Here’s The Sex Pistols from the cover. I bought The Clash’s first record from the cover.

I didn’t listen in school; my school was in those records. Back then, we got beat up every day because of our individualism. We had green food coloring in our hair. We would bleach it, grease it, wear thrift store clothes, anything to be different. The gays

for Pixeleye Photography by Dirk Behlau

Interactive

Article by Gerard Haze

Since 2003—and every year therea fter—the Schwarze in Bottrop, Germa Heide Airport ny, is the scene for one of the biggest Kulture shows in Kustom Europe. Car clubs and lone wolfs from Europe came out all over to show off their hot rods, custom motorbikes on June cars, and cool 8th and 9th, 2012.

The Bottrop Kusto m Kulture gathers a whoppin’ 250 pre-19 rods and custom 65 hot cars and 100 badas s bikes every year. rides aren’t just broug But these sick ht out for a stand still exhibit—they’re to the test with a also put one-eighth-mile race down the airstrip.

The Bottrop show is not only world famous for the hot cars, and bikes that rods, custom are on display; it’s also known for the large group 28 Rebel Ink

REBEL INK: What was the absolute worst skateboarding accident you’ve ever suffered?

Duane Peters: There is no worst. I’ve broken 85 percent of my bones. I just recovered from a broken pelvis and dislocated hips. It’s endless. I’ve fallen off of four-story buildings with my skateboard.

Do you think your injuries led to your drug addiction?

Absolutely, it started in 1978 when I fell down a flight of stairs. They had me on Demerol. Some people can take pain pills and not get a big rush out of it, but [not me]. That’s maybe why I skate, because I need the rush. When you can’t do that and you’re sitting around, you get that rush through drugs.

Your front teeth were replaced, right?

I’ve only got six original teeth left in my head. I’ve designed [fake] teeth–teeth that are silver, that are all jagged. It really freaks the people out at the dentist’s office. I can’t

Rebel Ink

of attendees, which include well over 30 Kustom Kulture artists. Artists who were in attendance at this year’s show included Makato, Mr. G, Boo and Jetwrench from Japan, Blaster from Italy, Krazy Tiki Art from Germany, and Jeremy Pedersen from the U.S., just to name a few.

As is customary, along with the hot rods came the cool ink. The Kustom Kulture crowd came draped in old school, traditional style tats, and some even came with

20 Rebel Ink

were pretty much the only ones who accepted us.

Your latest album, Checkmate, is an ode to your deceased son, correct?

Yeah, he was killed on the way to a camp where he was going to teach skating. After it happened I put a gun in my mouth and took enough drugs to kill 50 elephants. Losing a child is horrendous. Everyone says you’ve got two other boys to live for, but all I can think about is the one that got away. I’ve never been so depressed and confused in my life, but I got sober again. I know he wouldn’t want me to die like that. I’ve still got a lot to offer. I still skate great. I need the endorphins of skateboarding. I feel like I’m on heroin when I’m done.

What are some of your favorite pieces?

I have three pieces, all odes to my son, which are my favorites. Also, I have a dog and a chick on my left arm, and I can move my arm to make it look like the dog is banging the chick. That’s my funny party trick. I got it in 1989, when I was in a bad state. The guys at Newport Tattoo in Newport Beach, California, they would just put stuff on me. I didn’t care what.

I just liked the pain. They put, “Kill me I need the rest,” on my back.

Who does your tattoo work now?

Everybody. I’ve got a whole body full, and have been all over the world many times, so I get them everywhere.

John Cormack at Hb Tattoo in Huntington Beach, California is my main one.

You’ve got “Rock” and “Roll” on your knuckles, and also “Stay” and “Away.”

Yeah, and you can flip them up and make them say “Roll Away” and “Stay Rock,” and things like that. My goal is to make everything on my body all one tattoo before I’m dead. I never liked my plain skin. I wanted to be colored.

Myspace.com/duanepetersgunfight

Rebel Ink

23

29

Ink TV

GANG REALLTTED

Star Rey Gallegos Taalks

Photos credits: FOX • Article by Emmanuel Ureña

E

, FOX premiered an action-packed drama focusing on the lives of street hat encompasses their lifestyle. “Gang Related” is centered on Ryan Lopez— odriguez—who, after the death of his father, was taken in and raised by ed by Cliff Curtis), head of notorious street gang Los Angelicos. The plot twist ally grows up to become a Los Angeles PD Detective; he joins the departrce Unit to make the whole story even spicier. hoped to make the characters as believable as possible, from their form of e and straight down to their tattoos. Lopez’ adoptive brother, named Carlos allegos, is also known as the lieutenant of Los Angelicos and wears tattoos gion and allegiance to the gangster life and his ‘hood Gallegos came into ect with tattoos he already had years before landing the role. Some of the

other tattoos seen on Gallegos on the show are applied by a team of highly trained makeup artists to bring the character to life.

For his real first tattoo, Gallegos mentioned that he got the inspiration from his grandfather’s yard.

“His house in Wilmington, CA, was not an ideal place for a garden of flowers and chilies, even a banana tree and a lemon tree. When he passed, I got a small piece with roses broken up by thorns from each end and, in the center, is the Cross of Cavalry. It represents my grandfather’s life and his

I’ve been shot at running with the wrong crew,” he explained. “Each of the kings in a deck [of cards] represents a king in history. The [king of] hearts is King Charlemagne. Above that tattoo is a spade. The spade represents King David of the Bible. The whole piece represents that, although I have done incredibly dumb th ngs that have put my own life in jeopardy, I trust the God of David to rule over my mayhem and help me find my way out.

And, yes, I am

lucky to be alive.”

Ga legos also pointed out a tattoo that he got done back in the day that really adds to his character on the show. He has the words, “Poetic” and “Wisdom,” tattooed on his arms, done in jailhouse style, with a homemade tattoo machine made out of guitar strings that ran through a ballpoint pen with a battery fixed to the end and black ink. Tw wo-and-a-half hours of blood, sweat and tequila.

Aside from Gallegos’ own personal tattoo co lection, the producers felt that he needed a few other tattoos to capture the essence of Carlos Acosta, so they acquired the help of Dee

no to add the finishing touches on Gallegos, as well as

i ms S , ong others.

“On [Gallegos] we did a t neck we did the ‘LA,’” she hich, we’re told by Galleg ery raw look to them in or researched before starting gang tattoos on the Interne

journey from Honduras to LA,” he shared.

Other tattoos that Gallegos wore pre-“Gang Related” include symbols of his family and some that tell stories of the journeys he’s gone through in life, which is something that he likened to the character he plays on the TV show.

“All of my tattoos, primarily I got them at a time where I was either getting out of, or in the middle of, a really sh*tty time in my life. I made a decision long ago that, if it wasn’t personal, or it didn’t have anything to do with my life, family and friends, I Rebel Ink

Lea Vendetta

just wouldn’t get it [tattooed],” he said.

On his right forearm, he has the Archangel Michael, and on the backside of that, the Mother Mary. Those pieces, Gallegos says, represent his parents. The Archangel Michael represents his father because he has always protected his family, and his mother, who has always watched their backs and prayed for the Gallegos family.

Gallegos also wears the King of Hearts on his left forearm as a reminder of all of the wild moments he’s encountered growing up and how he is blessed to still be alive.

“When I was in my early 20s, I got caught up in situations where I should just have not made it out of. When I was young, I put my life on the line way too many times.

I’ve had guns i n my face.

67

A

Art and Ink Decadent

H

H

H

Article by Laure Siegel • Photography by P-mod Translation by Sharlyn Gals and Charline Caddet

Occupy Gezi

Danny Garcia

The symbols: Penguin: The animal has become the symbol of the state’s censorship, to the greatest pleasure of caricaturists and the Penguen, an Onion-like newspaper that played an important role in the confrontation?

Gas mask: Within a few days after the protests began, everybody had their own gas masks, bought in army surplus stores, on the Internet, or off the street. Gas masks allowed people to stay in the streets even when they were completely smoked out.

Tree: Everything started from there. In the past decade, Istanbul’s green space has disappeared as fast as snow melts in the sun and large shadowy spaces have become hard to find. Sometimes, the top of the tree is extended with a fist or a V, for the sign of victory. Before the 1950s and the beginning of Istanbul’s speedy urbanization, Gezi Park was the second biggest park in the world, after Central Park, NYC. Today, Gezi Park is only 5% of its original size.

Slogans: OccupyGezi—DirenGezi (in Turkish) is the sign of rallying on social networks to protest. It is related to the “Occupy” movement that condemns injustice by occupying different squares and parks all around the world. Some people got the dates they started getting involved with the movement tattooed on them.

Blood type: Bloc 1 was a group of tents located at the edge of the park that was devoted to first aid, where volunteering doctors advised the protesters to write their blood type on their arms with sharpies, so that they could be taken care of more efficiently and rapidly in case they were found unconscious.

Garsi: It is the name of Besitkas’s hooligan club that is associated with Galatasaray, one of the main soccer teams of the city. In tribute to the team, Garsi’s logo has become a symbol of Istanbul’s counter culture.

28 SKIN&INK

2008–Assigned to Skin&Ink. Under my Art Direction the magazine was completely redesigned to give it a more modern fresh look.

The first stop of our trip is at Gate Tattoo, located on a little street at the end of the avenue Istiqal, Istanbul’s main artery. A young man comes out of the shop, a cigarette in his mouth, and a tree trunk freshly inked on his leg. The young man is named Kerem, and he is 17. His whole family is part of the Republican Peoples Party. “The protest born in Gezi represents hope to me,” he says.

At the beginning of June, Gate Tattoo opened its door for free revolution tattoos. Boris has been working there for four years, with his friends Hakan and Aliçan. “The protest inspired us to do realistic patterns. Those are the most important tattoos to me, the most meaningful ones.”

The pony-tailed shop owner, glasses hanging around his neck, started tattooing in Marmaris, a seaside resort in the south of Turkey, across the island of Rhodes.

He has been in Istanbul for seven years. “We realize that the new generation’s center of interest is not sex and alcohol. They don’t want to live under pressure, like in Egypt or Saudi Arabia. They want to fight for their future.”

In the fancy neighborhood of Caddebostan, Levent Candas sips his tea with his friend and partner, who could be his son, comfortably sitting in the front window of Elephant Tattoo. The flag of Mustapha Kemal Atatürk, founder of a democratic and secular Turkey, is hanging behind the window. The tattoo of an elephant wearing a gas mask is forever engraved on Levent’s right hand. Both tattooists closed the shop for a whole week to go demonstrate, just out of curiosity.

“At first, we were afraid. We didn’t have any militancy experience, and I don’t follow social networks, so I didn’t know what was really going on. But, we went together and got gassed together.”

On the other side of the Bosporus, in the Kadikoÿ neighborhood, Bunny King is also angry. With his lab Tyler, always by his side, King made rabbits and red and black graphic designs his

t the end of May, 2014, Turkey had witnessed, in all of its major cities, the greatest demonstrations in the country’s modern history. The ignition point? A planned destruction of Gezi Park—a historic gathering place near Taksim Square in Istanbul—in order to build yet another mall. For a few days, a peaceful world of its own emerged with debates, readings, and artistic performances, until the violence erupted one night and police evacuated the park with the use of batons, tear gas, and water cannons.

The ecological battle turned into a fight against police governmental and morehisparticularly violence, trademark.

All of his friends havepolicy, been wearing new designs for 26 SKIN&INK

a few weeks now. His friend Serdar wears the V of victory, and his friend Eda has a cat wearing a gas mask.

Shirtless and hairy chested, King has a rabbit mask and baseball bat on his shoulder. While King is always ready for fun, his determination is flawless. “We are apolitical,” he explains. “We fight in favor of justice and against fascism and police violence.”

Danny Garcia confirms this commitment. Danny, the historical character of the tattoo world, welcomes us with his whole crew, surrounded by about ten cats dozing on red and gold couches. “I tattooed about a hundred people within two weeks. It came to me

against Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, aptly named “Chemical Tayyip” who is the controversial leader of the AKP, the Islamist-friendly, right-winged party. His first reaction on live TV was to call the protesters drunk anarchists and “çapulçu”—thugs. The speech gave birth to one of the most popular slogans of the movement, “We all are çapulçu!” The government absurdities and insults did not stop here. A presidential spokesman even tried to convince the public there had been a conspiracy to kill the Prime Minister by using telekinetic powers. In response to this public display of textbook bad faith, angry Turkish people chose to react by using creative movies, t-shirts, graffiti, video clips—and tattoos.

Let’s take a tour and visit the “OccupyGezi”, artists andtothe the astattoo something I had do.tattoos...

We all went to the demonstrations, and SKIN&INK 27

we would never have hoped so many people would gather at the same place with the same idea. It was all very positive.

Danny Garcia trained in Germany and is yearning for more experience in foreign countries, but he is not very optimistic about the future. “Ever since Erdogan has been at the head of the country, people’s way of thinking is going downhill. If he gets reelected in 2015, I believe it will be the end of the existence of tattoo shops in Turkey. He started with the prohibition of alcohol, raised taxes on cigarettes, canceled concerts, and soon it will be our turn. If I were given a plane ticket to Europe, or anywhere, I would go open a

Gate

shop somewhere else in a heartbeat.” For now, everybody in Istanbul is rushing to Garcia’s door to get a piece from the master.

However, in a country were a tattoo is also a political act, nothing can be taken for granted.

Tattooing in Istanbul: A Struggle to Exist

Levent

Salih Tunca is a young tattooist, has hair combed back with gomina, and wears neat looking clothes. He gives us a tour of Dragon Tattoo, a spacious and ultra-modern studio that spreads around a marble staircase. In Turkey, tattoo artists are sanctioned by a state enterprise and they themselves resell to beginners who tattoo in their kitchen. “There is no apprenticeship here. Everybody begins on banana peels, their own skin, or on their friends. When a guy comes in and wants me to teach him, I tell him to go buy a tattoo machine, train by himself first, and then come back.”

SKIN&INK 29

Dövme Kulübü (Tattoo Club) is a new TV show devoted to the tattoo world.

Its existence is living proof that even though it remains quite a low key universe, tattoos have a growing importance in Turkish society. From Fahrettin Demir, the pope of realistic portraits, to Bunny King, the master of provocative graphism, all the big names of Istanbul have already had their fifteen minutes of fame on TV. Quoting Bob Tylon, Dan Yokolov, Dimitri Samovine, and Alex Depas as references, Baris’s boss agrees, “The tattoo culture is growing despite the influence of tradition and religion. I’m going to send young artists to conventions a few times a year so that they can learn from foreign countries. I’m too old for this! We also have had more

and more requests for larger pieces recently.”

Levent Candas, who was on the Eurovision television show in the 1990s, is the son of a famous opera singer, and tells a funny anecdote. “I’ve seen a few youngsters who think we live like in a remote village. They want big pieces but cannot afford them so they come with silver jewelry and crossbows to exchange—like in the old days.”

Even if the demand has been growing in the past five years, Baris, who quit his studies in international trade to start tattooing, has lost his faith. “It’s hard to work in Turkey. People don’t know the tattoo culture and they do not have an opinion on the topic. They just use it as a means money. It is not a recent tradition here. It used to be one for the Ottomans and Eastern Anatolians who imported tattooing to the western part of Turkey.

Turkish people love getting signatures of people they love on their wrists and knees— parents, grandparents, and best friends. High on the podium is the signature of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the secular and democratic Republic. Apart from this historical particularity, the demanded style remains classic. “We don’t have a lot of requests for dot work or graphic work. Those are only for a specific type of customers. Most of the requests are for traditional and new school,” Baris continues.

Tattoos: Sin of Flesh “Ten years ago, people would ask me, astonished, if I were a Christian. To them, it was the only plausible explanation for my large, visible pieces,” Farhettin Demir tells us, showing bright dynamite stick tattooed on his neck.

The young artist works in the Kadiköy neighborhood (“village of the judge”) at Golden Arrow. “It’s been five years since tattooing has become more and more popular, thanks to stars on TV

Bunnyking

tzel Armund Die

2 circa 196

By Mary D’Alois

io

of his verbal accounts the stories—the artist who Some people knew the Norwegian he died in whereabouts of time born in 1891, and run-ins and the of a boat a long way gap the the by mund Dietzel was in t filled continen e a go and class that he got stuck on this ago and who mad 1974. The craft even as the then dates will live on of it through the between those two a as e trad r unpopula old blue tatSt., circa 1940 a leg948 Plankinton tattoo artist. He’s and toos he made fade in tattooing but lend reco real the lines of was nothing about him the lection blur into stone really written in omortality of a tatto e or accurately. Som aukee er’s canvas. Milw the ; parts were foggy r Jon otattooer and write l good-time mem joyfu to out set Reiter has they ries are great and rate illuminate an accu ce, captured his essen the preservation of begin but they were truest account of the ning to fade with rican Dietzel, the Ame . Even passing of time These folk hero artist. painted fully care the The Old Blue Arms: of the works and flash of Life and Work fellow, was well respected and all-around Amund Dietzel master tattooer, been destroyed he have 2) is ct to and impa 1 ved the mes belie le, (Volu here and mostly unavailab nd Dietzel’s time the account of Amu world. stay here in this had during his

A

32 SKIN&INK it through the lean times. He quit tattooing in Milwaukee when the city enacted a ban against tthe art form.

His vague but looming legend spoke to tattoo artist and writer Jon Reiter of Solid State Tattoo in Milwaukee. as an up-and-coming artist in Milwaukee, he was deeply interested in Dietzel’s life and work, but the information about Dietzel was scarce. Reiter dedicated himself and many countless hours and months to finding out the truth. He enlisted the help of friends, and he kept his ear to the street for any clue that could get him to the next question.

Reiter plugged away through the misinformation, folk lore, and all the little bits of information that get forgotten and he checked it against living accounts, ancient newspaper columns, ship records, obituaries, and business records until he got a complete and accurate picture of Dietzel.

Reiter is like a tracker, hunting down and patiently waiting for information about a man who lived a lifetime ago. The end result is condensed lovingly into two self-published volumes through Solid State Publishing– These Old Blue Arms: The Life and work of Amund Dietzel, Volumes 1 & 2.

These Old Blue Arms is a non-fiction collection about shipwrecks and heartaches and victory and perseverance. It’s the true account of a pioneer of the tattooing craft, a master artist living simply and solidly through some of the most pivotal moments in American history. It is filled to the brim with the flash and artistry of a brilliant tattooer who will not disappear into the forgotten realms of history, but will remain an inspiration to many others who come after him. Jon Reiter has a knack for pulling together the facts and capturing the emotional landscape of

and/or mostly forgotten about. He lived and died in a time before Facebook status updates, shared photos, and check ins. He lived before a quick Internet search could track his paychecks and vital records and before anyone was really interested.

Dietzel was an immigrant and a sailor, and he learned to tattoo while he was working on a boat. He came to Milwaukee during his travels and had stayed briefly in Connecticut and the Midwest. And as a small business owner in Milwaukee, he made his way through the Depression and two World Wars. He made beautiful permanent marks in the lives of countless service men at the Great Lakes Naval Station and he tattooed with some of the coolest cats in the Midwest. He traveled with circuses and carnivals and suffered heartbreaks and diasspointment. His tattoos survive on old service men, but the most they say about him is, “I wanted a tattoo, I picked one out, and I got tattooed by Dietzel.” He persevered when many others pulled up stakes and painted signs just as well as they tattooed in order to make

Dietzel’s time without adding wishy-washy romantic notions. Reiter has uncovered Amund Dietzel.

How did you become acquainted with Amund Dietzel’s work and art?

Being a Milwaukee native, and having relative pride in it, Dietzel’s name had always stood out.

When was the first time you saw a Dietzel tattoo (flash or original art)? What struck you about it?

I suppose I started noticing his tattoos before I had ever seen any of his artwork. And really, from that very moment I became interested in tattooing. Nine times out of ten, if you see a fellow here with a weathered, old tattoo, Dietzel did it. I’ve seen more than I can count, and I get excited every time I see one.

I don’t know that there was

1916

much of an opinion. There were a few folks around who had met him, and only good things were ever said about him.

But Milwaukee had banned tattooing in 1967, and didn’t lift the ban until 1998, so its history was abruptly halted.

Back when I started tattooing, I had spent some time going through old newspapers at the library here, and I pulled up a few articles on Dietzel, most-

1916

34 SKIN&INK

10,000–3,000 B.C.

Article by Bill Waytowich

Although only clay statues found in Japan remain to depict these tattoos, the history of the Japanese tattoo dates back as far as 10,000 B.C. This time period was known as the Joman or Paleolithic Era. Representations of tattoos at this time were for both spiritual and decorative purposes. Later, these markings would be more of a demarcation of social status or religious influence.

Some scholars have suggested that the distinctive cord-marked patterns observed on the faces and bodies of the early clay figures represented tattoos but some archaeologists believe the marks were meant to be decorative designs rather than tattoos. The method used to achieve a cord-marked pattern onto clay was to wrap a thin rope or cord around a small flat bone or wood paddle, which was pressed into the soft clay to achieve a design. There are many similarities in other

SKIN&INK 35

cultures with this same cord design.

300 A.D. The first actual written record of a Japanese tattoo is found in the History of Chinese Dynasties.

According to this text, Japanese men would tattoo their faces and decorate their bodies with designs which eventually became a normal practice in their society. Japanese tattooing is also mentioned in other Chinese texts but usually in a negative way.

The Chinese thought of tattooing as a sign of outcasts and barbarism and only used it for purposes of punishment.

A shift began to occur in the Kofun period of Japanese history. Between 300 and 600 A.D., tattoos took on a more negative connotation. The word “kofun” is Japanese for the type of burial mounds dating from this era.

During this time period, Japanese tattoos were placed on criminals as punishment, just as the Chinese did but in a man-

tattooing fell into decline. For the next several centuries, tattoos evolved into a way to brand criminals and degenerates.

The rudimentary stages of elaborate systems of design to mark the offender had begun.

Tattooed individuals were ostracized by society and considered outcasts.

720 A.D.

J

apanese tattoos date back earlier than 3000 B.C., and evidence of tattoo design has been found in many ancient clay figures. When Japanese tattooing first began, there was not a concept of just a single tattoo. The style in those days was to have a tattooed body suit—tattoos that covered all regions of the body. The Japanese term used to describe this style of tattoo is Irezumi. “Irezumi” means the insertion of ink under the skin to leave a permanent, decorative mark, or tattoo.

Here is an abbreviated 12,000 year journey through the fascinating, but tumultuous, history of Japanese tattooing.

36 SKIN&INK

ly in reference to the tattoo ban in 1967, and an earlier ban attempt in 1959, but sources were pretty limited then, so I hadn’t given it much thought for about ten years or so.

I was always curious as to why Dietzel was considered one of the greats. He was put on a pedestal with a handful of other tattooers, and I wanted to know more, and why.

Just before diving back into the research, I had very randomly, through a couple of friends, obtained some Dietzel flash. We had no idea that they were his. And then shortly after that, I had purchased a few full sheets of his flash at auction in Michigan, but I still had no idea who had done them. (The price was simply right.).

Eventually, some of the tell-tale signs appeared, and a photograph of the interior of his shop told it all. I was sitting on

The first record of Japanese tattooing as a punishment was mentioned in a history text where the emperor made the decision to sentence an accused anarchist, who had plotted to overthrow the state, to be tattooed rather than sentenced to death. According to the text, the emperor refused to sentence the criminal to the death penalty as a measure of leniency.

Edo Period ner similar to the Roman tradition of marking slaves with descriptive phrases that indicated the crime they had committed.

600 A.D. By the early seventh century, Japanese rulers had adopted much of the Chinese culture and attitudes of the Chinese, and as a result, decorative SKIN&INK 37

Between 1600 and 1868 A.D., the role of tattoos in Japanese society began to change. Tattooed marks were still used as punishment, but minor fads for decorative tattoos began to appear, paving the way for the decorative Japanese tattoo which, in time, developed into the advanced art form that is known today.

By the seventeenth century there was a more advanced and generally accepted codification of tattoo marks used to 38 SKIN&INK

identify criminals and outcasts in Japan.

Criminals were marked with a variety of symbols that designated the type of crime as well as the place where the crime was committed. Outcasts were sometimes tattooed on the arms. A cross might be tattooed on the inner forearm, or a straight line might be tattooed on the outside of the forearm or on the upper arm. In one region of Japan, the pictograph of a dog was tattooed on the criminal’s forehead.

Other marks included bars, double lines, and circles, and they were tattooed on the face and arms. Tattooing was reserved for those who committed only serious crimes, and individuals bearing tattoo marks were ostracized by their families and denied all participation in community life. For the Japanese, tattooing was a very severe and terrible form of punishment.

During this period the art of woodblock printing developed. When the popular Chinese novel Suikoden, a Robin Hoodtype tale of rebel courage and manly bravery was released, it included illustrations with lavish woodblock prints that showed men in heroic scenes, their bodies decorated with dragons and other mythical beasts, flowers, ferocious tigers, and religious images. Because of the novel’s success, people throughout the country demanded the same type of tattoos found on

the pages of the book. The artists of the day were not content just doing their work in wood or on paper.

They eventually started doing their work on human skin, creating the art form of “Irezumi” or tattooing.

These events had groundbreaking consequences.

Those who were once woodblock artists now became Irezumi tattoo artists. They converted many of their wood blocking tools to tools of tattooing, using chisels, gouges and Nara ink on human flesh. Some Japanese people still practice this form of tattooing today, believing that these tattoos have a deeper and longer lasting color than modern day tattoos.

Some historians argue that it was the lower classes that donned and flaunted such tattoos.

Others claim that rich merchants, who not allowed by law to flaunt their wealth in public, wore expensive Irezumi under their clothes. Geisha girls and courtesans of the day, as well, procured these elaborate tattoos, thus adding to their beauty.

By the end of the seventeenth century, penal tattooing had been largely replaced by other forms of punishment. One of the reasons that decorative tattooing became popular was that criminals could disguise their penal system tattoos with larger decorative tattoos. This time period is also when SKIN&INK 39

or those who doubt if a whirlwind romance lasts, Bobby and Heather Moss are proof that it can.

Bobby, 35, and Heather, 25—both born and raised in Arizona—met at a bar in 2008 and their journey as a couple began from there. They moved in together after 24 hours, had a baby the following year (a planned one, they point out), then got married a year later in March 2010.

“Before Bobby, I was just having fun and going to bars,” says Heather. “Then I met him. He swept me off my feet and turned my world upside-down.”

The connection was mutual. “Before Heather, I was trying to live the single life,” Bobby says. “Then I met her, and she made it really hard to live that life. I didn’t want to be with anybody else.”

Four years later, they’re still together—trying to balance a family life, tattoo business, and modeling career.

Growing up in an environment where tattooing was part of daily life, Bobby learned art through osmosis. “I’ve been drawing all my life,” says Bobby, whose mother, Antoinette Morgan, owns a few tattoo shops in the Phoenix area, including Alley Kat Tattoo, where she tattoos. It was from one of his mother’s (former) employees, Aaron Kroll, where Bobby learned tattooing. “He’s a really good artist and it caught my interest,” Bobby adds.

Bobby apprenticed at his mom’s shop for a year and a half before going on his own. In 2002, he opened Stainz Ink, which remained in operation for five years, before he reincarnated the business in January 2007 as Timeless Art Tattoo.

“We wanted to do a whole different thing,” says Bobby.

“Stainz Ink was a flash, walk-

Esther Hanuka, for opening the door for her that got her jobs in the modeling industry.

“My whole modeling career was an accident, but I’m glad it happened. This is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing at this point of my life,” says Heather, who’s only been modeling for a year and half and has since appeared in several tattoo magazines and tattoo books, where all of her tattoos displayed are done by Bobby, she notes proudly.

Supportive of Heather’s career, Bobby doesn’t mind all the attention she gets. “I love it. I think it’s great,” he says. “Before she started modeling, I never saw that side of the industry and didn’t know that there’s this whole angle to it. It’s helping both of our careers out, definitely.”

Together they run Timeless Art Tattoo, which houses six artists: four tattooists including Bobby—who also pierces and performs scarification, plus two inhouse piercers, including Heather when she’s not at photo shoots.

Located in

By Joann Natalia Aquino

46 SKIN&INK

Raising Arizona

Bobby & Heather Moss

F

Glendale, Arizona—part of the greater Phoenix area—Timeless Art Tattoo has earned its place in the industry by doing what it does best: providing good tattoos. “We’re an all-custom shop—everything we do is hand drawn. We don’t do flash and we don’t repeat tattoos,” says Heather. “Our artwork and our artists continue to evolve with the industry as the industry grows bigger.”

Heather adds, “We also sponsor some of the biggest conventions in Phoenix, Arizona, such as the Timeless Ink Tour and Body Art Expo. And as a shop, we participate in various tattoo conventions around the country from California to New York City.” Through that, they’ve gained a healthy clientbase who will fly to Glendale just to get a tattoo—and as an incentive, the shop takes care of their out-of-town guests’ lodging expenses. “If they spend the money to fly to us and get tattooed by us, we take care of their hotel room,” she explains.

“We pride ourselves for great customer service and great tattoo work,” Heather says. “We want to keep getting better and keep going.”

in shop and we wanted to offer an all-custom tattoo work at the new shop.” So they moved one block down the street, brought on a completely different team of artists, and built Timeless Art Tattoo from the ground up.

Heather entered the picture shortly after the shop was established, and with Bobby came an exciting new world that opened up for her. “When Bobby first started taking me to the shop and tattoo conventions, I had no idea what I stepped into. It was all very new to me,” she explains. “I wanted to be involved in the industry because I didn’t want to be just ‘Bobby’s wife,’ but I’m not an artistic person and learning how to tattoo was completely out for me, so he taught me how to pierce.” Then out of nowhere, Heather’s modeling career took off.

“One day, a friend of mine said, ‘I really want a girl sitting on my truck for a photo,’” Heather recalls. “And I said, ‘I can do that.’ It completely snowballed from there.” She started getting a large following on Facebook, and one photo shoot led to another. But Heather credits the generosity of another model, 48 SKIN&INK

SKIN&INK 49

The Second Annual

Article By Miles Andersen Photography by Jaymi Britten and Melissa Kumano One of the greatest additions to the American convention schedule in 2012 was the launch of Hawaii’s first-ever tattoo expo. The talk of the convention circuit was talk of major tattoo work in the long-standing Hawaiian tradition, the many other disciplines being inked all day, and folks heading to the outdoors to sip drinks and dip their toes in the Pacific Ocean each evening. So, when the second annual PI & AF was set to go down at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall last August, ink fanatics were tripping over one another to book flights to our 50th state.

Act Two met and exceeded all expectations—from both returning attendees and those who were making their first trip to the Hawaiian show. To have so many artists (more

than 100) tattooing together under one roof in this part of the country was virtually unheard of until the PI & AF kicked off in 2012. The latest Pacific Ink show brought with it an artist line-up that would rival any convention on the planet. The 2013 tattooers’ roll call featured such names as Oliver Peck, Big Gus, Gil Montie, Lyle Tuttle, Roman, and Megan Massacre.

Along with the Hawaiian ink tradition being well represented, artists from the Philippines, Samoa, Europe, Japan, and the U.S. mainland were laying down ink masterpieces in the giant exhibition hall.

Anyone who has ever visited Hawaii knows that the native residents are very proud and protective of their culture SKIN&INK 53

52 SKIN&INK

PAC I F I C IN K & ART F E ST I VA L

and that venues promote traditional music and dance exhibitions, luaus, and other performances that are enjoyed daily by locals and tourists. This flavor was also alive and well at the Ink & Art Festival. The bill of musical guests included the traditional Hawaiian sounds, and those who enjoy Hula were not left disappointed. Stepping a bit outside the box was a really cool troupe of dancers performing a Chinese dragon routine.

One of the bigger non-ink attractions each year has been the thrills, spills and excitement that surrounds the BMX and skateboard ramp. The ramp was back this time as bikes and boards worked magic on the ramp throughout the 54 SKIN&INK

PROPOSED MAGAZINES

Promo piece for proposed TV show.

WORKING CLASS

HEROES ✮ FORGED 2015 ✮

WORKING CLASS HEROES WORKING CL ASS WORKING CL ASS HERO HEROES FORGED 2015

✮

F HER ES ✮ FORGED 2015 ✮

WORKING CLASS HEROES FORGED 2015

Branding Campaign for Tee Shirt Line!

FREE SULLEN LANYARD!

PLUS FREE SHIPPING! WITH SULLEN PURCHASE OVER $50.00!

Logo for Land Conservation Group Trade Magazine Ad for Perretta Graphics

Web banners and sliders

perretta G R A P HI C S

Web banners and sliders

C O R P O R AT I O N