InkSpired Magazine Issue No. 54 by InkSpired Magazine

A RITE OF PASSAGE: ARIES RHYSING

INKSPIRED STORY: RYAN “COACH” HARRIS

INTERVIEW ASHI MONSTER

PIERCING WITH LUIS GARCIA

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The American Dream: Jose Carlos del Campo 6 Interview: Ashi Monster 16 InkSpired Story: Ryan "Coach" Harris

The Art of Stanley Bullard

A Rite of Passage 36 Barbara Revolver 42 Tattoo Artist: ร dรกm Molnรกr 54 Kool Kats Tatts & Old-School Chats

Piercing: Luis Garcia 70 InkSpiredMagazine.com

Editor-in-Chief - Candies Deezy Liu Creative Director - Sean Hartgrove Art Director - David Rossa Features Writer: Simone Jane Piercing Editor - Sean Dowdell European Editor - Ákos Bánfalvi Positive Spin Editor - Kate Monahan Staff Photographers - Radek Photography & Billy Ward

The American Dream: Jose Carlos del Campo Words: Simone Jane

Your Insurance Company Is Playing Dirty Words: Scott O’Sullivan

Interview: Ashi Monster Photos: Kamila Burzymowska

Piercing: Luis Garcia Interview: Sean Dowdell

InkSpired Story: Ryan “Coach” Harris Words: Candies Deezy Liu Photos: Sean Hartgrove & Gabriel Christus

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The Art of Stanley Bullard Photos: Dan Russo

Who’s on the cover: Model: Ashi Monster Photo: Kamila Burzymowska

Positive Spin: Rite of Passage - Aries Rhysing & All Sacred Tattoo Foundation Words: Simone Jane Photos: Kyria Abrahams Tattooed Model: Barbara Revolver Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi Photos: Nick King Tattoo Artist: Ádám Molnár Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi

Advertising info: info@InkSpiredMagazine.com

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InkSpired Magazine’s June 2017 summer edition brings a new set of inspiration, stories, and interviews that epitomize the evolution of tattoo culture and lifestyle. As this industry, art form, and community progresses, so does the influence of this culture. It’s often the people and stories that have the greatest impact on the influence of tattooing on a global level. In the Positive Spin section of our 54th issue, we feature Aries Rhysing and All Sacred Tattoo Foundation—a collective of artists dedicated to community betterment. For Aries, tattooing is a rite of passage and representative of his philosophy on the artform. Aries is a world-renown artist specializing in sacred geometry and dotwork. His story and background have led him to his path and dedication of fundraising and helping the community. Just as importantly, he has inspired countless artists to do the same.

I have known Ryan Harris for about 5 years now. It was always my intention to do a feature on Ryan, but for some reason, the timing was never right. He was busy in the NFL, and our schedules just never seemed to work out. I’m excited to say that this month, it happened. And I’m glad it happened when it did. I’m a believer that timing is everything and that everything happens for a reason. When I learned about his initiative to send Syrian refugees to college, I insisted that we finally do the interview. As a result, I had one of the most inspiring interviews with a story I am so proud to finally publish. With another month dedicated to the exploration of the evolution of tattoo culture and lifestyle ahead, I ask you, “what ‘InkSpires’ you?”

Signed, Candies Deezy Liu, Editor-in-Chief

This month’s issue features two tattoo artists, each with his own style and story. Ádám Molnár is a Hungarian artist who started out specializing in realistic black and grey. As he perfected his style, he began adopting color and new techniques into his work. Club Tattoo artist, Jose Carlos del Campo represents the American Dream, immigrating to the U.S. from Cuba in 2004. Trying to break into the tattoo industry, living on new soil, and immersing himself in a completely new language was not enough to stop Jose from pursuing his dreams.

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InkSpot - What “InkSpires” You? InkSpot - What Does Being “InkSpired” Mean To You? “I’ve lived with undiagnosed Lyme disease since I was 5 years old until I was diagnosed at 35. In that time, I had several surgeries from my kidneys to knee and ankle reconstruction. I had a hysterectomy at 30, and gallbladder removal. During my (so far) 2 and a half years of treatment of Lyme, I’ve also lost a hundred pounds. I decided as soon as I was 18, that for every scar, every unwanted reminder of my struggle, that I would have a beautiful piece of art put on my body to celebrate the victories and fighting the good fight.” - Jennifer Shaduda “It means being inspired by art to have it permanently on you. Whether it’s a story of your life or just the things you love created into an image or some script, anything is possible.” - Sebastian Inkredible Reynoso “Being my own canvas for the biography of my life. It is something that grows with me, like myself. You could say it is a ceiling of my history, my future, my life. - Sascha Dawood “Being ‘InkSpired’ represents inspiration that occurs in many forms.” - Samantha Ramirez “To be ‘InkSpired’ is to acknowledge that life, as well as art, has many forms from which come many beautiful stories of trials and triumph. Ink is for us...tattoos express this.” - Pitand Pocetattoo

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Words: Simone Jane

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JOSE CARLOS DEL CAMPO GOT HIS FIRST TATTOO IN THE CUBAN ARMY. InkSpiredMagazine.com

Jose Carlos del Campo got his first tattoo in the Cuban Army. One of the soldiers had a homemade tattoo stick, we all know the kind, a pen that you dip into ink and dot by dot, a design is made. This was Jose’s introduction to the world of tattoos and as crude as it was, he was addicted. “I had been drawing my whole life,” Jose says. “It was inevitable for me to start school as an art teacher when I left the army.” It was during this time that one of his friends lent Jose a homemade tattoo machine, a pen with a Walkman motor in it with welded needles. Jose took advantage of it and practiced on several of his friends for the few weeks he had the machine to try and hone his new craft.

“IT WAS INEVITABLE FOR ME TO START SCHOOL AS AN ART TEACHER WHEN I LEFT THE ARMY.” 8

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This sparked his passion even further. At the same time, another one of his friends was trying to unload some tattoo equipment which was a significant step up from the machine that Jose had practiced on. Jose wanted to purchase it but at $150 American dollars, it was way out of his range. Jose and his father went to look at it and much to his surprise it was acquired with his Dad’s hard earned savings. During Jose’s tenure in school, his first year in an internship and the next two years teaching 7th-grade visual arts, he practiced on his friends and neighbors and slowly paid his father back. Jose is the classic immigrant success story. He, his brother, and his parents came to the United States after winning a visa lottery from Havana, Cuba in 2004. Life was difficult at first. Jose tried to break into the tattoo industry, looking for work in different shops but as he describes it, “they were all greedy, charging huge fees for apprenticeships and not giving any information on how to become a licensed artist.” The English language was also a barrier for Jose. “Back in those days, I was studying English but I wasn’t skilled enough to have a fluent conversation,” Jose recalls. He took various jobs in the casinos as he continued to struggle to obtain full-time work in the field he loved.

JOSE IS THE CLASSIC IMMIGRANT SUCCESS STORY. InkSpiredMagazine.com

Diversity Tattoos was his first break in full-time work, where he tattooed for a year. From there he moved on to Skin Design where Jose met and worked with Pako Barragan and Victor Fernandez aka Vicvivid. Jose credits Pako for teaching him the art of black and grey and Victor for instructing him on the skill of color. He also gives both the acknowledgment for steering him into the job at Club Tattoo and with whom he still remains friends. Portraits are Jose’s specialty. “I like to pay attention to the little details, especially the features,” Jose says. “It is important to take your time.” Looking at his work, you can see the effort he takes to capture the essence and the energy of the person he is tattooing. He really cares about making sure the client is happy with the end result. “I ask them what their vision is. If they want to express something, because sometimes a tattoo doesn’t seem to have any meaning and I want it to have significance for them,” he explains. His second piece at Club Tattoo was a portrait of a client’s daughter who originally was only going to get flowers to represent her. When the end result was seen the client was incredibly happy. That shows you the power of Jose’s work.

PORTRAITS ARE JOSE’S SPECIALTY. 10

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Jose likes to gain inspiration from other artists, museums, and galleries and takes trips to other countries and cultures to break a creative block. He finds that it gets his artistic juices flowing again. When asked which tattoos he is most proud of, Jose laughs, “there are so many!” He continues, “if I have to narrow it down, I would say the ones that are my own design. Don’t get me wrong, I love doing portraits and seeing my clients happy, but I don’t want people to think all I can do is copy a design.” Jose has come a long way from the homemade tattoo machine he started out with. Now he favors the Cheyenne Hawk Pen and the Spectra Edge X. He vacillates between the two. Jose is happy in the U.S.; he is married with a small daughter and has a huge extended family both in America and in Cuba. He keeps meeting new cousins, one just the other day. Jose loves his Club Tattoo family, and judging from his talent, he is there to stay. Jose claims, “ego is not a good thing ever because there is always somebody better than you. Always stay humble and you will continue to learn.”

JOSE LIKES TO GAIN INSPIRATION FROM OTHER ARTISTS, MUSEUMS, AND GALLERIES AND TAKES TRIPS TO OTHER COUNTRIES AND CULTURES TO BREAK A CREATIVE BLOCK. InkSpiredMagazine.com

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INTERVIEW ASHI MONSTER

Photography: Kamila Burzymowska

"Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M A TATTOO ARTIST ON A DAILY BASIS AND I RUN MY OWN TATTOO PARLOR."

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How and when did your modeling career begin? I think it was around 7-8 years ago when I started getting interested in photography and I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have many models to pose for me and started to experiment with self-portraits. Someone saw those photos online and I started getting offers to pose for photo shoots. Do you have any advice for aspiring models? The one main thing is not to take every photo shoot offer from so called photographers because you can end up doing something you never wanted to do in the first place. Many photographers push models to pose nude but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s perfectly fine to say no. Be true to yourself and try to find your style.

"BESIDES THAT MY PASSION IS DRAWING, DIGITAL PAINTING, AND PHOTOGRAPHY."

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"I BASICALLY STARTED GETTING TATTOOED AFTER I ALREADY BEGAN TO PRACTICE TATTOOING, SO THAT’S ONE SIDE OF IT."

What else do you do? I’m a tattoo artist on a daily basis and I run my own tattoo parlor. Besides that my passion is drawing, digital painting, and photography. I am also an animal lover as is my whole family so we always have a house full of pets :) What inspired you to start getting tattooed? I basically started getting tattooed after I already began to practice tattooing, so that’s one side of it. But I always really loved how a tattooed body looks, especially colorful ones. Tell us about your favorite tattoo. My favorite one is probably the one I had most problems with getting because the tattoo artist was living in Copenhagen at that time, but I was able to catch him at one of the polish tattoo conventions. The tattoo is two pretty big scripts on the back of my thighs.

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Who are your tattoo artists? It’s hard to list all of them because so far I’ve been getting every tattoo by a different tattoo artist. But for now they are all Polish artists. What role do tattoos play in your life? As ink under my skin - they’re mainly like an accessory, something that’s making me maybe a little bit more confident. But being a tattoo artist, I can say tattoos are my life, my job, and my passion.

BUT BEING A TATTOO ARTIST, I CAN SAY TATTOOS ARE MY LIFE, MY JOB, AND MY PASSION. 20

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What inspires you? I think everything can inspire a person. Sometimes I’m inspired by artworks, movies, music but also by people around me or situations in my life. Do you have any people that you are inspired by? Yes, I really admire Haris Nukem, he’s an amazing photographer and I’m in love with every piece that he does. I’m also inspired by few musicians like Watkin Tudor Jones or Marilyn Manson and some models. What is something that many people don’t know about you? I am very shy and sometimes simple social situations can be difficult for me. IG: @AshiMonster @AshiTattoo

I AM VERY SHY AND SOMETIMES SIMPLE SOCIAL SITUATIONS CAN BE DIFFICULT FOR ME InkSpiredMagazine.com

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RYAN "COACH" HARRIS Photography: Sean Hartgrove & Gabriel Christus Words: Candies Deezy Liu Ryan Harris has always been someone that I look up to. Literally, since he’s 6’5”, nearly a foot and a half taller than me. Don’t let his towering stature fool you. Ryan exudes a kindness that is genuine, a wiseness that provokes thought, and a gentleness that is contagious. We endearingly refer to him as “Coach” because to his family, us fellow compadres, and community, he is the epitome of leadership, inspiration, humility, hard work, endurance, success, and mentorship.

RYAN EXUDES A KINDNESS THAT IS GENUINE, A WISENESS THAT PROVOKES THOUGHT, AND A GENTLENESS THAT IS CONTAGIOUS.

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On the field, Ryan had his own coach. He possessed all those qualities as an offensive lineman in the NFL. “For the longest time, I wanted to be President. I had some ideas I thought could change the world. Then it became evident that I could play football and it was what I wanted to do ever since. It was the first time it was OK to be big,” Harris recalls. We watched and followed Ryan on his journey in the NFL. No matter what team he was drafted to, we were rooting for him. It was more than watching our friend play in a sport we loved. He embodied a camaraderie that made a difference in each of our lives. Watching him win the Super Bowl 50 Championship with the Denver Broncos, our home team was a true testament of how hard work and perseverance pays off. It was a success story that hit close to home. Changing the world has always been on Ryan’s agenda, whether he was on or off the field. He has made a tremendous impact on his fellow teammates as they often referred to him as the voice of reason inside the locker room and on the field. Harris used his voice in other ways as an NFL athlete that garnered major media attention as a minority racially and religiously not only in this country but in his sport. As a devout Muslim in the NFL, Ryan actively spoke out in hopes of educating and spreading awareness. As people reacted positively, negatively, neutrally, it was apparent that he was making an impact. The Notre Dame alum converted to Islam when he was 14. “I had been searching. I was part of the Unitarian Universalist Church that made us 14-year-olds make a faith statement. I didn’t know what my faith was and I was eager to find it. Whether it’s religion, exercise, or even tattoos, people look for something to guide them, something to connect to.” When the Islam portion of a world religion video he watched in his 8th grade Social Studies class resonated deeply with him, Harris began his new religious and spiritual journey. As an advocate for change, making an impact has been the backbone in everything Ryan has done and aspires for. He is no stranger to adversity and challenges of his own, whether it was lessons learned from business, or enduring numerous injuries during his NFL career. After reading about the dire straits in a Kenyan desert in the book, City of Thorns: Nine Lives in the World’s Largest Refugee Camp by Ben Rawlence, Harris knew where his next advocacy for change would take place. “From our faith, we are taught to take care of everyone,” Harris explains. Photo: Sean Hartgrove

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Though Harris is active in Denver’s local community, he has actively inspired change around the world. For his latest initiative, Education for Elevation, more than $31,800 was raised to send six refugee youth to college. In his research, Harris discovered that education continues to be the best vehicle to lasting change. Providing this education serves to be inspiration for more change and success.

CHANGING THE WORLD HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON RYAN’S AGENDA, WHETHER HE WAS ON OR OFF THE FIELD. 26

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Photo: Sean Hartgrove

Ryan recently announced his retirement from the NFL. He is now the co-host of an afternoon sports radio talk show with Nate Kreckman on Altitude AM 950. “I had a show 5 years ago when I was with the Broncos initially. I love it because it’s a platform to help educate the fans about the sports they love from the insider’s perspective,” Harris says. “We really humanize the athletes through my experiences,” he continues. From 3-6 PM, they talk sports and how life relates to sports.

AS AN ADVOCATE FOR CHANGE, MAKING AN IMPACT HAS BEEN THE BACKBONE IN EVERYTHING RYAN HAS DONE AND ASPIRES FOR.

Photo: Sean Hartgrove

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Photography: Dan Russo

"I BEGAN PAINTING IN HIGH SCHOOL MOSTLY INFLUENCED AT THAT TIME BY THE WORK OF ROBERT WILLIAMS."

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MY BIGGEST INFLUENCE IS JEREMY MANN. I LOVE HOW HE IS ABLE TO CREATE SUCH A REALISTIC LOOK IN HIS PAINTINGS WITH SUCH AN IMPRESSIONISTIC APPROACH. 30

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How and when did your passion for art and painting begin? I began drawing very young, around the age of 2 years. I began painting in high school mostly influenced at that time by the work of Robert Williams. He is a surrealist painter and, I believe, current owner of Juxtapoz Magazine. Tell us about your artistic journey at the University of Central Oklahoma. I studied there for a little over 3 years. My major was going to be in fine art. I dropped out after I became interested in rock climbing. One month into my schooling at the University of Central Oklahoma I was offered a full art scholarship by the dean. Who are your biggest influences? My biggest influence is Jeremy Mann. I love how he is able to create such a realistic look in his paintings with such an impressionistic

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Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;M VERY SERIOUS ABOUT MY ART. I PAINT ALMOST EVERY DAY. TATTOOING AND PAINTING ARE BOTH PASSIONS OF MINE. I LOVE BOTH MEDIUMS AND AM ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT ONE FROM THE OTHER.

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approach. Other influences are Jacob Dhein, Shawn Barber, Ryan Moon and Jennifer Gennari. I pull influence from them for the same reason I like Jeremy Mann. I admire impressionistic painters and strive for realism with a loose style in my own work. Why did you take a hiatus from painting? I basically stopped painting for several years pursuing my new found passion for rock climbing. What inspired you to begin painting again after your hiatus? After climbing for over 18 years, I found tattooing and began working at Junkyard Ink in Louisville. I began painting again about 2 years into being a professional tattooer. I’ve been painting almost every day for about 4 years now. Describe your personal relationship with painting and art. I’m very serious about my art. I paint almost every day. Tattooing and painting are both passions of mine. I love both mediums and am especially interested in learning about one from the other. There are a lot of similarities between the two mediums. You can definitely learn about tattooing from painting if you pay attention to the subtleties and details. What are your favorite mediums to paint with and why? I paint exclusively in oil. I love the rich colors, the classic look and feel of the end product, and the fluidity and slower drying times of the paints. How do you hope to see your art progress in the future? I just want to keep growing, learning, and improving. Perfecting my style is a focus of mine too. I’d love to see my work in galleries soon too. I’m also interested in some new projects and collaborations with other types of artists. Anything else you’d like to add? I found that the more I paint the more I improve as a tattooer and vice versa. I try to have focus, an idea of what I want my work to look like with every piece I do. I try to carry a “painterly” style into my tattooing. IG: @StanleyDraytonBullard

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Words: Simone Jane Photography: Kyria Abrahams

ARIES GREW UP IN A DYSFUNCTIONAL HOME. HE SPEAKS OF NOT WANTING TO BE AN EXAMPLE OF HOW GROWING UP IN A FAMILY WITH LITTLE MEANS YET A LOT OF DIVERSITY ISNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T NECESSARILY A PRESCRIPTION FOR DISASTER.

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TO THIS SELF-TAUGHT ARTIST, A TATTOO IS A RITE OF PASSAGE AND AN EMOTIONAL CONNECTION WITH PEOPLE THAT IS REVERED. All Sacred Tattoo Foundation is the perfect moniker for the community fundraising collective created and founded by Aries Rhysing. It perfectly describes his philosophy on the art of tattooing. “I love being a part of a story that unfolds for each of my clients in such a beautiful and different way with the artwork they put on their bodies,” Aries describes. To this self-taught artist, a tattoo is a rite of passage and an emotional connection with people that is revered. Success can give you a huge ego or it can make you humble and want to give back. This was the beginning of All Sacred. “It was by force of circumstance because of my limitations in volunteering that led me to find my strengths in what I could really offer the community,” Aries explains, “I was trying to offer an hour here, a couple of hours there, and it just wasn’t working.” Eventually, in order to optimize his schedule, Aries realized that his ability to affect change was really

minimized by his lack of time and resources. Thus his idea for a once a month event came to fruition. Narrowing down three organizations was not as difficult as it would seem. They are all familiar to Aries’ heart, with issues that were close to home. “They were the underdogs and the three that I felt needed our resources,” Aries explains. “I spent several months looking and volunteering at various places, and the three that I selected I felt were doing the best work with the least amount of resources so I wanted to give them help.” Aries grew up in a dysfunctional home. He speaks of not wanting to be an example of how growing up in a family with little means yet a lot of diversity isn’t necessarily a prescription for disaster. He was raised in a family where everyone was addicted to drugs and there was little economic stability,

divorce, multiple relationships, violence, and neglect. Although in the beginning Aries shunned anyone who did drugs, he ended up experimenting, and as he puts it, “strangely enough, to relate to my mother. It ended up being a living nightmare. I knew in the long run it was not the way to live. I never gave up and I never gave in.” The allied organizations that were chosen by Aries to champion the mission are: Art from Ashes—empowering struggling youth by delivering creative programs which allow them to express themselves through poetry, spoken word, drama, and creative play in a non-judgmental space. Phoenix Multisport encourages a physically active community for individuals that choose to live a sober life and those that are recovering from a substance abuse disorder. These activities range from hiking, climbing, yoga, and strength training to road/mountain biking, and other activities, anything they need to

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“COMMUNITY” IS THE WORD THAT CONNECTS THE ARTISTS OF ALL SACRED TATTOO FOUNDATION TOGETHER. maintain the emotional force to stay sober. The Little Old Dog Sanctuary rescues small senior and/or special needs dogs from shelters to live on a four-acre Utopia with turkeys, goats, and a large pig to be spoiled for the rest of their days. “Community” is the word that connects the artists of All Sacred Tattoo Foundation together. Word got around about what Aries was doing, especially artists in similar situations that wanted to help but did not have a platform to do so, and it organically grew. “We now have an organization of 20 artists, though not every artist works an event. Between 6-15 artists work an event, a collective of a dozen volunteers, merchandisers, photographers, a web developer, administrators, and a shop manager,” explains Aries. “There is a space here on campus in Denver that allows us a 90% discount that is beautiful. The 38

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organizations get involved while people are getting tattooed. They hear the youth poets share their stories, or Phoenix MultiSports talk about how they got another person off the streets and found a new sober way to live,” he continues, “and you are hearing The Little Old Dog Sanctuary discuss their new rescue. It allows people to attach that story to their tattoo or even their experience to the event. It is really profound and adds a whole other level to what we do.” When Aries started, he was happy to hit the $1500 mark. Now, if an event is extremely successful and hits over the $10,000 mark, collectively the organization decides what other relevant cause at the time of the event could use the money. In the recent past, those causes have been Standing Rock and a homeless drive this past bitter cold February. They broke $15, 000 at an event last fall, ten times what Aries was able to do on his own, a number he says he absolutely could never do if he

was driven by ego or trying to control the process. With all of the success that Aries has had, he is still driven to do more for the community. He believes community is the key, that word. The more we can form these strong bonds and work together to solve some of the problems that we have created in our society or that is happening in our world, the sooner we will get the solutions. Aries avowed, “I never experienced that growing up. To be part of a group of loving people that are driven to take their time and energy is such a special thing. I never knew it was possible. I want to take this as far as we can possibly can.” For more information and to stay updated with All Sacred Tattoo Foundation, visit: www.AllSacredFoundation.org www.Facebook.com/AllSacredFoundation IG: @AllSacredFoundation

WITH ALL OF THE SUCCESS THAT ARIES HAS HAD, HE IS STILL DRIVEN TO DO MORE FOR THE COMMUNITY. HE BELIEVES COMMUNITY IS THE KEY, THAT WORD.

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Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi Photography: Nick King

“MY FATHER WAS COVERED BY A LOT OF TATTOOS SO I THINK HE WAS MY FIRST INFLUENCE…”

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Where are you from and what was it like growing up there? How has it influenced you? I’m from Montreal City and yes, this city is very artsy and one of a kind. There was a big punk influence in my teenage years so I think I grew up with at least one foot in the alt community. What do you do for a living? I was doing social work before but now I’m working at a bar so I can put myself back through school to do something I like more. Tell us about your interests and your favorite bands. I’m a huge Beatles fan so that’s why I have Revolver in my name. It’s still my favorite album. I like hard rock as well, but I’m more old school in my choices of what I’m listening to, like Metallica and Mötley Crüe, as well as Depeche Mode and Indochine. I like authentic music.

"I’M FROM MONTREAL CITY AND YES, THIS CITY IS VERY ARTSY AND ONE OF A KIND."

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Have you always wanted to model? What made you say yes? I have always wanted to be a singer and I think modeling is close to that. I have loved the camera since I was young. How was your first shoot? Were you nervous? It was ok but the photos were too basic. I was just trying to have fun. What goes through your head when you are in front of the camera? Try to keep my pose and concentrate. Nothing more.

"I HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO BE A SINGER AND I THINK MODELING IS CLOSE TO THAT. I HAVE LOVED THE CAMERA SINCE I WAS YOUNG."

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Were you a fan of body art before modeling? Yes, kind of. Then I met my boyfriend, Nick who took most of my photos and did many of my tattoos. I think thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where it really all began. What is it about tattoos that appeal to you? My father was covered by a lot of tattoos so I think he was my first influence. Please talk us through some of your tattoos and the reasons behind them. My Russian doll is a tribute to the ladies of my family. My heart butt is for my love of modeling. The gypsy represents me and the tiger is for my animal part.

"MY FATHER WAS COVERED BY A LOT OF TATTOOS SO I THINK HE WAS MY FIRST INFLUENCE."

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What’s your most significant tattoo and why? My Russian doll because it means a lot for my family and I’m also a mother of two. What part of your body would you never get a tattoo? My butt. Do you have a favorite tattoo artist? Nick King because he is my best, and Kimanh who does pretty looking pin up. I love her fresh old school style. Do you consider tattooing as a serious art form? Sure, it’s like a second good looking skin. Do you have a favorite quote? Get rich or die trying, haha. www.missrevolver.bigcartel.com Instagram.com: @MissRevolver

"GET RICH OR DIE TRYING, HAHA."

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ÁDÁM MOLNÁR Story: Ákos Bánfalvi Ádám Molnár is a talented Hungarian tattoo artist who has been interested in realistic art his entire life. His realistic tattoo work began with black and grey and eventually started incorporating color into his tattooing as he became more experienced. Ádám likes to tattoo in different styles and his newest interest resides in new school and cartoonish styles.

“I WOULD CALL MY STYLE OVERTONED REALISM…”

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IF I DIDNâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MAKE TATTOOS, THE WORLD OF CONSOLES WOULD TAKE ME AWAY TO THE DARK PITS OF HELL.

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The job of a tattoo artist is very unique. Can you tell us why you chose tattooing as a form of art expression? Because I like the technique itself, and the freedom the trade gives. What was the most inspiring (thing or person) for you in the very beginning? Since I used to paint airbrush paintings, the biggest influence I got was by the realistic artists. As the time passed by, the painters were replaced by tattoo artists, especially the ones from my country. Are there any famous artists that have influenced you down the path of your career? Yes, James, Péter Udvari (UPE), Otte Tímár, and Joshua Carlton. There are many tattoo styles now. What is your specialty? It’s hard to identify, but I would call it overtoned realism. I often use pictures for my tattoos, but I always add some changes, because I don’t want to copy. I used to do black and grey tattoos in the beginning, but when I started doing color tattoos and improved, I received more and more requests for color tattoos. You create custom work in a well-known studio called Renegade Tattoo Classic in the heart of Hungary’s capital, Budapest. Do you have full creative freedom? No, mostly I get portrait requests, and it doesn’t give me freedom to work with, but luckily nowadays it has changed a bit, and I have more possibility to create something where I can put a little bit of me. Can you tell us about a memorable moment you had while doing someone’s tattoo? Sure, I had a client who touched himself while I was tattooing him…

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What would your “dream piece” be to work on if someone came to you and completely let you choose the design? Something giant. Comic themed thing would be badass. (Smiles.) What is your favorite or most exciting aspect about your job? I like that I have the opportunity to travel, I don’t have financial problems, and have enough time to do anything else besides tattooing. It seems to me a lot of younger tattoo artists have college degrees in the fine arts. The things they can do on skin are outstanding. Do you think it is necessary for a tattooer to have a background in fine arts or any formal training? In my opinion, most of the young tattoo artists don’t have the sight that is needed for tattooing, so yes, it would be important. Having skill for drawing doesn’t mean for sure that the person could be able to tattoo because it is a totally different technique and needs an absolutely different sight. Which tattoo style is the most popular in Hungary right now? Mostly realistic, but blackwork and dotwork are really popular as well. What would your job be if you weren’t a tattoo artist? If I didn’t make tattoos, the world of consoles would take me away to the dark pits of hell. www.Facebook.com/Molnar.Adam.376 www.RenegadeTattoo.hu

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Typically, liability coverage only pays for damages you cause to another person or car. But, because she was the passenger in the car and someone else caused her injuries, the liability policy on her car could be used for her own injuries. Think of it this way: The insurance is on the car, not on the person. The car crashed and caused her injuries, so we could access the liability coverage on the car. Of course, we had to go back and forth with her insurance company to get the $100,000 from her own liability insurance, but we got it. But we didn’t stop there…

YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY IS PLAYING DIRTY By Scott O’Sullivan, The O’Sullivan Law Firm I’m seeing a disturbing trend. Actually, this shady insurance practice has been going on for a long time but I used to only see it with the… shall we say… less respectable insurance companies. Now, I’m seeing it across the industry. Namely, insurance companies are knowingly hiding money from their own clients. Let me share a recent story to help illustrate this frustrating reality… A husband and wife were riding their motorcycle on a busy Colorado road. The wife was riding behind her husband. Out of nowhere, a car coming the opposite direction made a left-hand turn in front of them. They slammed into the car going full speed. Tragically, the husband died and the wife, Brenda, sustained catastrophic injuries. Of course, the auto driver was uninsured. So, we started digging into Brenda’s coverage. Initially, her insurance company told her that she would be getting only $100,000 from her motorcycle’s policy. Thank goodness Brenda came to us because we discovered that she was owed a lot more. Brenda called her insurance company and asked for all of the paperwork on all of the policies she owned. The insurance company told her that they could not release the paperwork due to the claim against the motorcycle policy.

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A blatant lie! Finally, we took the insurance company to court and discovered that every single one of Brenda’s vehicles had their own UIM policy, meaning we could access a lot more for her medical bills. In the end, we got $900,000 for Brenda. A far cry from the $100,000 that her own insurance company said she was owed. Here’s another story... We have a client who was a passenger in her own car. A friend of hers was driving. Unfortunately, this friend drove off the road and slammed into a tree. He totaled her car and our client, Kim, sustained significant leg injuries. Even worse: the friend had no insurance. Kim hired us to make sure she was getting everything she could to help with her rising medical bills, and thank goodness she did. Our first battle was to make her own insurance company pay the limits of the liability coverage she had on her car.

We discovered that Kim was still living with her mom, so we could also use her mom’s insurance. How? Because she lived in her mom’s home, she was covered by her mom’s auto insurance policy, as well. So, we wanted to know what insurance her mom had and if we could use it to help Kim. It should have been as easy as us calling the insurance company and saying, “Please send us Kim’s mom’s insurance policy paperwork so that we can figure out if there’s coverage that can help Kim.” But of course, it wasn’t that easy. The insurance company sent us only partial paperwork, stalled, gave us the run-around until they finally admitted there was coverage for Kim. When we finally got the paperwork, we discovered that her mom had UIM insurance that we could use for Kim’s care! Ultimately, we were able to get a total of $250,000 for Kim, much better than the original $100,000 she thought she could get. And remember: this was their own insurance that they’d been paying for just in case

something bad happened. When that bad thing happened, their insurance companies did everything they could to avoid paying! Lessons to Take Away from These Stories First, make sure you have separate Underinsured Motorist (UIM) policies for each of your vehicles. If you just buy one UIM policy for all of your vehicles, you will have less coverage. You need separate UIM policies for each vehicle so that you can stack them on top of each other in case of a catastrophic accident. Second, hire an attorney to help you. If Kim and Brenda hadn’t hired us, they would have walked away with $100,000 each instead of the $250,000 and $900,000 they finally got. If you’ve been in a car or motorcycle accident that wasn’t your fault, don’t ever take your insurance company’s word on what you’re owed. You need an attorney’s help to dig deeper into your policies and to ask all the right questions. Contact me at 303-388-5304 for more information. www.OSullivan-Law-Firm.com www.Facebook.com/OSullivanLawFirm

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LUIS GARCIA Interview: Sean Dowdell City/State: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Sean Dowdell: Can you give us a little background as to how you came to be interested in piercing? Luis Garcia: I loved looking at National geographic and loved the look of stretched ears. I pierced my own nipple when I was 10 years old with a safety pin. It got ripped out when I went to the first Lollapalooza Tour. Sean Dowdell: What actually brought you into piercing? Luis Garcia: In 1992 (ish) I was hanging out at a smoothie/ head shop in Miami, and guys were talking about bringing in piercing and I told them that I could pierce (I knew I really couldn’t but I knew a little about it). I had read many articles in PFIQ. I was piercing tragi and having the clients come back after a week and change jewelry out with silver! I did figure out how to at least stabilize the tissue prior to piercing it. At least it was trying to develop techniques. I would watch another piercer work in a nightclub and learned a few techniques and applied them to when I was piercing. I just practiced as much as I could by piercing my friends for free. I was 16 years old. Sean Dowdell: How were you finding decent jewelry? Luis Garcia: Silver Anchor was the company I was buying from. They were one of the only companies that I could get consistent jewelry from and it was convenient to go and actually pick it up in Miami. I moved to DC to go to college. Perforations was the only place in DC that did piercings and when I moved up there I went and applied to be a piercer. They turned me down but hired me as a counter staff for about 4-6 months before I got an official apprenticeship. This was in 1995.

I started watching piercings right away and learning more about the jewelry. In about 3 months I was doing most piercings without supervision and in 8 months I was unsupervised and managing the studio. I worked there until 1997 and I left to join another studio that was expanding and I was not making the money that I felt I should have been due to how much work I was putting in at the studio. The new studio offered me more money and was more open to my desire to grow. That was called Industrial Body Piercing. I worked there for a little over a year. The final straw was the autoclave seal had broken and the owner wanted me to continue piercing and sterilize the tools in bleach. I certainly wasn’t going to do that so I walked out. I had applied at Infinite and they just didn’t have space. My boyfriend at the time supported us both and gave me some leeway on finding a position but within a week I had received a call from Infinite offering me an interview so I went and did a live interview and pierced a client for the owner. Impressed, he brought me on full time. This was October 1998. I was at Infinite until 2002. For whatever reason, I was unhappy and I was not giving the customer service that I knew I should be giving and we parted ways at that point. This experience was a great moment for me to understand that I needed to change. My ego was a bit out of control and I needed to self-reflect and make an internal change. I needed the wake-up call. The shop I ended up going to No Ka Oi is literally only four stores away on the same block as Infinite. I was only out of work for about 3 months and it was a little scary. March 2002 was the grand opening and I have been there ever since.

“EVEN AFTER WORKING A FULL DAY SHIFT I AM STILL THINKING ABOUT PIERCING AND NEW WAYS TO DO THINGS. WHEN I TALK ABOUT PIERCING, IN MY EYES IT’S STILL MY LIFESTYLE AND I LOVE TALKING ABOUT IT AT ANY MOMENT WITH ANYONE.” 70

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"I STARTED WATCHING PIERCINGS RIGHT AWAY AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE JEWELRY."

Sean Dowdell: I know you teach at not only APP but I also see you teaching around the country and in Europe. Luis Garcia: I love teaching and I started teaching I believe in 2004 at conference. I taught in Mexico at the beginning of the APP conference down there. Around 2007-2008, I was invited to BMX to teach and it really evolved from that point. I started my own seminar in 2014 in Texas and it went great. I got awesome feedback and it led me into doing them more frequently and I want to keep doing it. Sean Dowdell: How do you feel about piercers’ intellectual property, especially in design? Luis Garcia: I do think that there are some companies that should give something to the piercers that are sharing their ideas. Some type of recognition or a finder’s fee as long as the design or idea was innovative or brought a new way of using the item. Even after working a full day shift I am still thinking about piercing and new ways to do things. When I talk about piercing, in my eyes it’s still my lifestyle and I love talking about it at any moment with anyone. 72

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"THIS EXPERIENCE WAS A GREAT MOMENT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND THAT I NEEDED TO CHANGE. "

I think you have to have a passion for this if you are going to do it! I still learn new stuff every day from all sorts of people. You have to constantly learn. I also think it is important to remain respectful to the other piercers in your town and the other shops. I concentrate on the good customer service experience. Sean Dowdell: Do you use tools at all, sometimes, or never? If so, on what or why? Luis Garcia: I use plenty of tools. I freehand most things, so I don’t use many clamps, but I love hemostats, receiving tubes, pin tapers, and threaded tapers. I feel that if a tool is going to make both my job easier, and my client’s experience smoother, why not use them?

I find that a lot of piercers equate tool free with being a good piercer, which is not the case in my opinion at all. There are some amazing piercers that work tool free, but I’ve seen a lot of piercers fumble a lot because of their obsession with being tool free to get cool kid points. Sean Dowdell: What is something positive that comes from our industry? Luis Garcia: I think piercers have the power to make people feel better about themselves and their body. I love it when a client looks in the mirror and squeals that they love their piercing. Sean Dowdell: What is something that you don’t like about our industry? Luis Garcia: The amount of piercers that

don’t care. They use garbage quality jewelry, terrible techniques, and are just stagnant. It gives those of us trying to do our best a bad name. Sean Dowdell: What would you like to see change in our industry and why? Luis Garcia: I’d like to see our industry come together more for good reasons, like bettering the whole industry. People complain about this and that but won’t step up to put forth the effort to change what they are complaining about. I’d also like to see more shop owners care about their employees. Do things like offer health insurance, retirement plans, et cetera. In turn, I’d like to see more employees take more responsibility. Way too many times I’ve

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"NO, I DON’T REGRET ANYTHING. I’M CERTAINLY NOT PROUD OF EVERYTHING THAT I’VE DONE BUT I LOOK AT THOSE AS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE." dealt with people that think working at our shop is a party, and that they can do whatever they want. I guess I’d like to see aspects of our industry “grow up.” Yeah, I’m an old man, haha! Sean Dowdell: Do you like to read? Luis Garcia: I love to read, science fiction and things that are more fantasy driven. Sean Dowdell: Who was most influential to you in the early years and why? Luis Garcia: Jim Ward, Michaela Grey, Raelyn Gallina were for sure the most influential of the older heads. Through PFIQ, I learned a lot about them. I really liked their approach to piercing. John Cobb because he was doing ridiculous shit that was so outrageous, I was blown away. Once I got hired at Infinite, Jim Weber really taught me a lot and was a big influence. Pat Tidwell really taught me a lot of free hand techniques. More people could learn from his outlook and the way he carries themselves. Nate Jenke is another guy that I think is a great piercer in the modern era. Sean Dowdell: What type of things did you innovate? Luis Garcia: Side threaded seam rings that Anatometal currently carries. Surface piercing techniques. I really did a lot of research and studied my techniques and developed wound shaping. 74

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"I GARDEN AND GROW VEGETABLES AND HERBS. IT’S VERY CALMING FOR ME. IT’S A NICE THING TO DO ON MY DAYS OFF."

Sean Dowdell: What are your current interests and hobbies? Luis Garcia: I garden and grow vegetables and herbs. It’s very calming for me. It’s a nice thing to do on my days off. I have a pond that I like to mess with. I read. I play video games. I love to shoot things in video games. I only drink socially and hang out with my husband at home. I have been with him for 17 years, domestic partnership, civil union, and then finally marriage for about 8 years. I don’t go out and party anymore. Sean Dowdell: Do you have any regrets or things you would do differently? Luis Garcia: No, I don’t regret anything. I’m certainly not proud of everything that I’ve done but I look at those as a learning experience. IG: @LuisGPiercing

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