InkSpired Magazine Issue No. 43 by InkSpired Magazine

VANY VICIOUS TOKYO JOE’S: CALIFORNIA ROLLS, TATTOOS & PIERCINGS

THE BEAT GOES ON: FRANK ZUMMO SKELETON OLYMPIAN JOHN FARROW

Interview: Vany Vicious 6 California Rolls, Tattoos & Piercings: Tokyo Joe's

InkSpired Travels: India 22 The Beat Goes On: Frank Zummo

Defeat is not an Option: Olympian, John Farrow

Diamond Dez 44 Tattoo Artist: Ben Parker 52

Editor-in-Chief - Candies Deezy Liu Creative Director - Sean Hartgrove Art Director - David Rossa Piercing Editor - Sean Dowdell European Editor - Ákos Bánfalvi Website Manager - Cameron Cowan Staff Photographers - Radek Photography & Billy Ward Video Services - James Coulter of Moo Dog Productions, LTD.

InkSpired Travels: India Story & Photography: Lauren Lindsey Music: The Beat Goes On: Frank Zummo Story: Candies Deezy Liu Photography: Danielle Spires InkSpired Story: Tokyo Joe’s Story: Candies Deezy Liu Photography: Sean Hartgrove Positive Spin: Skeleton Olympian John Farrow Story: Kate Monahan Photography: Sean Hartgrove Tattooed Model: Diamond Dez Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi Photography: D.L. Hootman & Dan Pineda Interview: Vany Vicious Photography: Daze Tattoo Artist: Ben Parker Story: Candies Deezy Liu Photography: Sean Hartgrove Who’s on the cover: Model: Vany Vicious Photography: Daze

Advertising info: info@InkSpiredMagazine.com

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Inspiration is what makes the world go ‘round. It’s what drives us forward and keeps us going, as a community, society, and race. It’s human nature to be inspired, and it’s one of the greatest feelings in the world. It creates growth, promotes freedom of expression, and propels us into a realm of possibilities we never thought possible. InkSpired is a documentation of that, and the integral role tattoo culture plays in the people behind the inspiration. As we evolve, so does tattoo culture and lifestyle. In this issue, we feature Tokyo Joe’s as our InkSpired Story, a “fast casual” favorite with locations in Colorado, Texas, and Arizona who revolutionized the employment of individuals with tattoos and piercings. Their open door policy has led to an admirable culture of good food and colorful ink. Our travel section highlights a hilariously stark and telling tale of one girl’s journey to India. Lauren jumps head first into an unfamiliar culture and comes out the other side with extraordinary stories of her experiences.

In music, the beat goes on with Krewella and Sum 41 drummer, Frank Zummo. In his years of drumming with numerous bands and legendary musicians, Zummo is quickly becoming an icon in his own right. Being a multi-faceted drummer isn’t the only thing that has skyrocketed him in the world of drums, his passion and commitment is unwavering. Vany Vicious graces our cover, as well as the Interview section this month with photography by Daze. With more than three million social media fans and followers, Vany has made a tremendous name for herself in the world of tattoo modeling. As summer appears, so do the tattoos. In these pages, there are more tributes to tattoo art, culture, and lifestyle than I have mentioned above. See for yourself this month’s documentation of the evolution of tattoo culture and lifestyle. Signed, Candies Deezy Liu, Editor-in-Chief

In an exclusive interview, Skeleton olympian, John Farrow tells us about the trials and tribulations he has overcome to achieve his dreams as an award winning athlete. In the face of debilitating tragedy, John triumphed through hard work, dedication, and perseverance. His inspiring story is a great example of the extraordinary results of mind over matter.

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InkSpot - What “InkSpires” You? “To me, the word, ‘InkSpired’ represents the beauty that is often a result of enduring a painful experience. We almost always comes out the other side, better and stronger.” - Mike Willis “For me, tattoos represent a time of my life past that I want to document. It’s more of a personal thing than anything else.” - Craig Carlson “My tattoos are my “re-birthmarks”! I embrace them, they make me feel pretty.” - Kathy Yeary “People always ask, “what do your tattoos mean?” like it needs meaning! I say it meant I had time and money for more ink, you give the artist an idea, and if you trust them, give them a little freedom, the result is usually inspired! And to the people that stare, stare all you want, and if you don’t like them, don’t look at them. It’s just art and I’m the canvas!” - Keith Herold “My tattoos help me bring the first impression to another level. If you see me, you would be oblivious at the fact that I have tattoos. But these tattoos represent the past and the future. The past being dead but memorable and the future looking beautiful in the right set of mind.” - Miguel Angel Perez

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VANY VICIOUS Photography: Daze

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InkSpired Magazine: How and when did your modeling career begin? Vany Vicious: I began modeling as soon as I turned 18. It happened very randomly though. I never considered myself a model or really thought I could have a successful career doing this. My roommate at the time and I got really bored one night and kind of decided to play dress up and take photos. I ended up putting the pics up online on social networks and things like that and when I saw I was getting a good response from everyone, i continued shooting with more professional photographers and it pretty much took off that way. InkSpired Magazine: Do you have any advice for aspiring models? Vany Vicious: The best advice I could give at this point is to not give up, and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take what people say too much to the heart. Stay strong, focused, and fuck the haters. Stand behind your work.

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InkSpired Magazine: What else do you do? Vany Vicious: I do a lot, even though it all ties into modeling and the Vany Vicious brand. Aside from photo shoots, I also have a YouTube channel, as well as a fitness page dedicated to my fitness journey and trying to help others achieve their goals. I have a website with a merchandise store where I run everything on my own, from shipping to marketing, to printing, et cetera. I have a small clothing line. I do social media marketing. And Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a mother of a 1 year old french bulldog. InkSpired Magazine: What inspired you to start getting tattooed? Vany Vicious: My father did. I saw him get his first one when I was young . I knew I wanted one (or many). He took me to get my first as well.

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InkSpired Magazine: Tell us about your favorite tattoo. Vany Vicious: My favorite tattoo, as far as meaning, is the portrait of my little brother on my ribs. My bro is my best friend. But aesthetically, my favorite pieces are my neck and hand pieces by Vic Vivid. InkSpired Magazine: Who are your tattoo artists? Vany Vicious: I was a professional body piercer for 10 years so I got tattooed pretty much by everyone I ever worked withâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a lot of friends, beginning with Vic Vivid, Henry Leoncio, Cuco, Joie Smith, Daze, Brandon Twitch, et cetera.

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InkSpired Magazine: What role do tattoos play in your life? Vany Vicious: A huge one. Tattoos are a part of me. I don’t see them as “decor” on my body. I see them as a part of me, almost as if I was born with them . A few of them have meaning, but a few don’t. And that’s OK, because they still mark a time in my life. When I look at any tattoo that I have, I remember exactly where I was, who I was with, and what I was going through at that point in my life. My skin has become almost like my own little journal. InkSpired Magazine: What inspires you? Vany Vicious: People ask me this all the time, and I usually feel like I’m supposed to say a person, or a group of people but that’s not the case. I inspire myself. Knowing what I’ve been through in life and what I’ve seen, I inspire myself because I know where I want to be and what I have to do to not go back to those times—ot to deal with the things I’ve dealt with, or my family has dealt with. I know where I want to be and I know I AM THE ONE that’s going to get me there.

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InkSpired Magazine: Do you have any people that you are inspired by? Vany Vicious: My family. I want to be able to take care of them to the best of my abilities. So they inspire me everyday even if they may not agree with all my choices. InkSpired Magazine: What is something that many people don’t know about you? Vany Vicious: I’m actually a nice and caring person, even though my chronic bitch face doesn’t allow people to see it.

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TOKYO JOE'S Words: Candies Deezy Liu / Photography: Sean Hartgrove Since its inception, Tokyo Joe’s, known for its casual approach to healthy, affordable Japanese food has had an open door policy for employing the tattooed and pierced. When the first Joe’s location opened in March of 1996, tattoos and piercings, though on the rise, were not as popular and prevalent as they are now. Employing people with visible tattoos and piercings was certainly not common practice for restaurants. With 35 locations, eight more opening, and pushing a thousand employees by the end of this year, their intention when it came to employment was to represent the population more so than making a statement. That meant employing qualified people, regardless of their appearance or body modifications. At the forefront of “fast casual,” Joe’s revolutionized more than just that type of dining; they pioneered the concept of tattoo acceptance in the workplace. “We taught people about California Rolls, tattoos, and piercings,” Joe’s founder, Larry Leith says. One of their first slogans on their marketing collateral was: “the few, the proud, the pierced.” It was a bold move. Many embraced it, others were offended. For some, it was a complete and utter shock that a public restaurant would employ tattooed and pierced people to serve food. But that was part of Tokyo Joe’s appeal from the get go. They had an edge that no else had at the time, whether it was their unique approach to dining, or the people serving the food. “Early on, when we were hiring people, I’m such an open-minded person, it didn’t even occur to me that anybody would judge somebody by how they looked for a job. I was just thrilled people wanted to work for us. Since the beginning, we knew we were open-minded employers.” Larry recalls. “At that point, I didn’t have a single tattoo or piercing,” he continues. Upon hire, employees would ask if they needed to cover up their tattoos or remove their piercings. “Why would you do that?” Larry asked back.

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Emails flooded in, threatening to never eat at Tokyo Joe’s again because an employee had a nose ring or demanding to know how they could possibly explain to their children about “these tattooed people.” Larry’s endearing and respectful responses to negative emails actually helped a lot of people open their minds to modified people. “It’s been great for us, as well as the customers. To some degree, we felt like we were even widening people’s horizons, especially in the beginning. At that time, and even now, if someone was helped by an employee that was heavily tattooed or pierced, and received great customer service and the food was great, suddenly they leave with a different paradigm in their head of the world at large,” Larry explains. Though they weren’t doing this for strictly altruistic reasons, it was a great side effect of what they stood for. Employee morale at Tokyo Joe’s is above and beyond, simply due to the fact that they are encouraged to be themselves. Their loyalty remains steadfast, with several employees even sporting Tokyo Joe’s tattoos. Many of those who were the company’s first employees are now Joe’s upper echelon of directors and managers. Eddie Campbell, a regional manager of Tokyo Joe’s has been a part of the team since the early days. “To this day, Tokyo Joe’s has had a massive amount of loyalty, not just from the employees, but from the customers as well,” Larry says.

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Larry’s background as a pro-athlete and skier has greatly influenced the nutritional integrity of Tokyo Joe’s. Small things, such as real crab meat in their California Rolls and sauces made in-house have made a large impact on the quality of their food. The food speaks for itself, as well as the loyalty of their customers. Being an equal appearance employer isn’t the only way the pioneers of Japanese “fast casual” dining is making an impact. Philanthropic in nature, Tokyo Joe’s donates to charities, schools, events, and sponsors athletes and bike races. “There are a lot of things we do that we believe in culturally as a reflection of we we and our customers are,” Larry explains. Joe’s also supports the John Lynch Foundation by donating over 5,000 meals annually to teachers in Denver. They also give $100 gift cards to high achieving student athletes. Stay updated with Tokyo Joe’s at: www.TokyoJoes.com www.Facebook.com/TokyoJoes Twitter & Instagram: @TokyoJoes

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INDIA Words & Photography: Lauren Lindsey When many people think of India and Nepal, they envision the Western concept of the third world: dirty, poverty and disease ridden, where terrorist attacks and natural disasters happen daily and the only thing you can eat is curry flavored. While part of this can be true, like with anything in life, if you deem something bad and unsavory upfront and focus only on that, then that is all you will see and likely all you will experience. My ex-boyfriend told me that if you go with an open heart, then India will take care of you. But considering he is a narcissistic self-righteous tool who admitted he was possibly possessed by an incubus, and whose few good qualities included one of his body parts, I scoffed at his trite bit of advice. But he was right. I approached India with an open and educated heart and mind, and sure enough, it took care of me. I had been attracted to India since I was a child, and they say that when one has a strong attraction to a place they have never been, it is because he or she lived there in another life. The fact that the concept of reincarnation has its roots in India is too eerily coincidental for me not to believe in it just a little, as well as a higher power and the invisible, guiding force of the Universe. To describe my experience there as “lifechanging” is a vast understatement. When I made up my mind to go, I was an unsuccessful actor who was halfway homeless in Los Angeles, crashing on random couches and even at a friend’s dojo on occasion. My sister would not let me stay with her. I had about $1,500 to my name and didn’t want to spend it on another month’s rent. I decided just to say, “fuck it” and leave the country. When I clicked the “purchase” button on cheapflights.com for a roundtrip ticket from San Francisco to New Delhi, I didn’t have a visa, passport, or any of the required immunizations. I only had a vague idea of where I would go and what I would do once I got there. Many people discouraged me from going, especially since I was by myself. They told me it was too dangerous, and reminded me of my numerous past failures when I had done things on my own. I too considered cancelling the trip when I came across a news story of an American tourist who

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real India. And boy, does he. Stepping out of the airport into the New Delhi night is something I’ll never forget, because it is then I officially realize—I am in India, by myself, getting into a car with strangers. I find the empty stun gun that I declared at customs in my checked bag, take out the batteries from my carry-on purse, and put them back into the stun gun just in case Gurjant and his cousin turn out to be total psychopaths about to take advantage of a way too trusting Westerner. If my mother knew any of this, she would have a heart attack. But Gurjant is just like he seemed he was online—cordial, warm, and welcoming. And when I arrive at Gurjant’s house, it looks just like the pictures he sent me. Yep, he’s legit. I begin to surmise that maybe something seems too good to be true because I am an American not used to the hospitable ways of another culture. Gurjant and his family turn out to be some of the kindest, most intelligent and wonderful people I will ever meet in my life.

got gang raped in Dharamsala, a city I wanted to visit. That fact that this woman had traveled from California to India for the first time by herself was enough to scare me into forgetting it. But before I did, I made a small post about the incident and how it worried me in one of the Facebook travel groups I had joined. I got a response shortly after from an Indian man in New Delhi, let’s call him Gurjant. Gurjant tells me not to be afraid, that I can stay with him and his family when I come. He tells me they will be very happy to have me, that in his culture girls are goddesses. I don’t know him nor do I know as much as I think about Indian culture, so I didn’t trust him. But he gives me his address which I use as my Indian destination, a requirement for the Visa. I didn’t give him a definitive answer, but I didn’t make any hotel reservations either. It was a miracle I made it to the airport, considering the bus broke down and I had to get an Uber cab with several other passengers. Then, while on the flight to Shanghai (my first international one in 15 years), the video and music systems broke down leaving us with only the roller coaster turbulence as entertainment for about 9 hours. But, I got there. In Shanghai, I meet Atul, an Indian national also flying to New Delhi. He is an engineer in San Francisco and is visiting his family. We start a good conversation and manage to switch seats with other passengers to sit together on the plane. As it takes off, I look around, and for the first time in my life, I am the only white woman in a sea of turbans. Now I am the foreigner, I think. If anyone were to be profiled for being suspicious, it would be me! When I mention to Atul I haven’t exchanged any money yet, he hands me a 50 dollar bill, telling me that he wants me to have a good first impression of India. He also invites me to his brother’s wedding. I read that in Indian culture it is improper to refuse something if offered, so I take it. It’s the start of what is to be a series of incidences that are a testament to the Indian people.

It’s hard to sleep the next couple of days as I have arrived in the middle of Diwali, also known as the Hindu festival of lights, which celebrates the homecoming Prince Rama after he defeats the demon king Ravana and rescues princess Sita. Firecrackers and guns are going off throughout the night. Coming during Diwali was pure accident on my part, but yet another strange coincidence, as Gurjant’s family considers it to be a sign of great fortune from the Gods. They later tell me through Gurjant that they were certain of this because I had an auspicious forehead and good feet. Gurjant’s mother taps me on the head when I first come in and then when I leave, which I am told means blessings to you. In America, I am a broke actress, in India, a sign from the Gods. Over the next few days, I am treated as one of the family. I am fed and clothed and given traditional Indian jewelry to wear. I make marigold garlands, go to local temples and visit Gurjant’s cousin’s family, who own a palace and Cauliflower farm. I ride with Gurjant on the back of his motorcycle all over New Delhi, where there seem to be no roads, stop signs, or street lights. Gurjant tells me that driving in India is based on mutual understanding. If you want an experience like no other, where you think you are going to die every few seconds but feel more alive than ever, I recommend riding on the back of a motorcycle in India. It was exhilarating waving and smiling to thousands of dumbstruck people who had never seen a white woman on a motorcycle in India. His family takes me to the Taj Mahal, about three hours outside New Delhi, and whose appeal to Indians is apparently like that of Statue of

When we arrive, it is 4 AM in New Delhi. Gurjant calls me. He is at the airport. Damn. I realize that I still didn’t make any hotel reservations. I am in a foreign country and I have nowhere officially to go except with a stranger I haven’t met before. Am I stupid or am I stupid? I ask Atul if he will go with me to meet Gurjant and tell me what he thinks. I don’t even think how awkward this will be. Atul gives me his phone number to keep just in case. I manage to go through immigration without any hassle and meet Gurjant. Before Atul leaves, he says something to Gurjant in Hindi. Later, Gurjant tells me Atul told him to show me the

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out at a leper colony. Mind-blown aren’t the words to describe it. Later that night, Gurjant and I go to the colony and give bread to some very sweet and grateful people. No, I didn’t get leprosy. However, a few days later, after I go to travel on my own without Gurjant, I get bitten by a horse in the town of Amritsar and this starts a rather crazy string of events. Amritsar is in the north of India and is known for having the most holy of Sikh temples—the Golden Temple. It is dazzling— even more than the Taj in my opinion—and there is a holy, peaceful presence there that even staunch atheists can’t deny. And while Sikhs are some of the kindest people you will ever meet, they will laugh at you when you attempt to pet a horse and it bites the crap out of your hip. I had to go to a doctor and get rabies shots stuck into the same hip, on an exam table in the back of a doctor’s office that looks like a gas station bathroom. But the doctor costs 120 rupees, about 2 American dollars. Later, my throat starts to feel like it is closing up. I worry it could be a reaction, but I go on as normal. I eat a huge meal of delicious fried fish, and then attempt to haggle over a gorgeous Sari I see in one of the shops. In India, haggling, or lowering the original price of something, is almost expected but it has to be done strategically.

Liberty for Native New Yorkers: locals don’t really give a damn about these attractions, they’re just part of the everyday landscape and it’s annoying that stupid tourists who dress funny and won’t stop taking pictures flock to them in droves. In person, the Taj Mahal is smaller but no less majestic. One day, while riding with Gurjant, I spot a leper colony. Gurjant tells me he and his family often give bread to the people there. I am fascinated so I ask if we can visit later. Interestingly enough, before this happens, Gurjant tells me about a famous gurin in his village who once accurately predicted a murder. Gurus and psychics along with yoga ashrams are world renown in India, but many chock them up to new age hooey without ever having experienced them firsthand. When Gurjant takes me to see him, we get lost and have to ask directions from a guy sitting on a stool on a street corner doing a henna tattoo on a young girl (I definitely recommend getting hennaed in India—they’re a great way to see how a certain design would look on your skin, and while temporary, some of the henna I stained my nails and still hasn’t washed out. I like to think of it as India’s mark on me). When we finally find the guru, he sits in a small room in a tiny, simple apartment and is chatting with a large family. This dude is popular. When it is my turn, he offers us candy, and Gurjant translates what he says to me in English amidst the backdrop of Diwali explosions. All I give him is my birthdate and birth city. What follows is an arrestingly accurate account of my childhood, family, personality traits, and what will likely happen in the future. I am in tears. He tells me there will be trouble leaving India. He is correct. He also tells me that I will never find true love, that I am what the Indians refer to as Manglik, or born under a bad astrological combination that doesn’t guarantee a happy married life. When I ask how I can fix this, he tells me I should go help 24

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On the bus back to New Delhi, which have since gained bad reputations in India due to the horrific gang rape and murder of Jyoti Singh, a strange man climbs onto the bus, stares at me, then gets off. I think he is a passenger, but it turns out he is a creep who has followed me. He looks at me through the window, blowing kisses and licking his lips. While this behavior happens everywhere, it is much more unacceptable in India due to the concept of honor there. The way to solve it is by making a big scene and attracting attention. The guilty man is at risk of being seen as dishonorable and giving his country a bad name. When a man approaches me for sex on the street in Manali, India, I use this same tactic and he apologizes profusely before running away.

The next evening, Gurjant and I go for a boat ride on the Ganges. While I am still reeling from being sick, Gurjant points out the several large bonfires on the ghats, or steps leading down to the Ganges. It is then when I learn that Varanasi is holy because of the cremation ceremonies that take place here. And when I mean cremation ceremonies, I mean that dead bodies are set ablaze for all to see. Devout Hindus believe that this releases all Karma and stops the cycle of reincarnation. While fascinating and shocking, this isn’t exactly appetizing, especially when Gurjant tells me that you can often hear the organs exploding as the bodies are burned. Yeah, Varanasi is intense, to say the least. But when we perform the Ganga Aarti ritual, which consists of lighting candles, putting them in little cups with flowers, and asking for three wishes before setting them on the water to watch them float away into the night, with hundreds of others, I am utterly and profoundly mystified, grateful, and content. The next day Gurjant leaves, and I am still not feeling better. In fact, I am very dehydrated and starting to get concerned. One of the hotel workers kindly accompanies me to the local hospital to see another doctor. Outside, there is a sick cow lying on its side, with its hooves up in the air, and several monkeys are fighting on the rooftop. The hospital isn’t actually that bad, if you take away the fact people were cutting in front of each other to see the doctor, and I had to give a stool sample without toilet paper or a toilet—again. But I didn’t use a sock this time. Instead, I rummaged through my purse and found a Fresh & Easy receipt. Improvise, adapt, and overcome. This is the attitude you must have in India.

When I get back to Delhi, I meet up with Gurjant, and our plan is to go to Varansi, known as India’s oldest and most spiritual city. But I start to feel crappy. Literally and figuratively. There’s something called Delhi belly, also referred to as traveler’s diarrhea, and most, if not all tourists get it on their first trip to India due to the less hygienic standards for cooking food. I only wish someone would’ve told me that Delhi belly can strike anytime, anywhere, like when you are on an overnight train without toilet paper. Yes, that’s right folks. In India, neither toilet paper nor toilets are widely used, so if you want this luxury, you have to keep several rolls with you. Because in the middle of the night, I had what I thought was a fart—only not. It’s the Hershey squirts, and it runs down my legs and through my pants and I must climb over several sleeping Indians to get to the nearest bathroom. But there was no bathroom. There was a giant hole, which had recently been used, and I mean really used by the person before me. I have run out of my own toilet paper. And this doesn’t happen once, it happens twice. I use the only thing I could find to wipe myself with—a sock.

Over the next 24 hours, I feel better, but not 100%. Considering I am not a rational person and I had about a few days left of my trip, I decide to take another big risk and get on a midnight bus to Kathmandu, Nepal. My visa would end once I left India, but I had read that you didn t need a Visa to get back into India if you were just going to catch a flight. So I do it. I leave Varanasi and head to Nepal. I had no idea if and when I would ever return to this part of the world, and I had been in love with Nepal ever since I saw pictures of Durbar Square. But busses and I have bad luck. I end up getting terrible motion sickness and throw up my entire dinner. A drunk guy across the isle attempts to hit on me for several hours. I manage to stop vomiting, but develop a cough. Through it all, I arrive in Nepal. I meet several other Westerners at the border, which isn’t even really a border as there are no barriers. The visa process is messy, and unbeknownst to me, India has recently cut off all fuel and food supply to Nepal, so relations aren’t exactly great. I also don’t have any Nepalese rupees to pay for the visa, so I m worried I’m screwed.

When we get to Varanasi, I have to see another doctor who tells me that what I have is most certainly not a reaction from the rabies shots but bad food poisoning. He gives me about 19 pills and directions on how to take them. Despite all of this, I resolve not to let it destroy my trip. Gurjant has to leave to start training to be an officer in the military, and we only have a couple days together. We admit we are attracted to each other, but he tells me point blank that his parents, while they like me, would never accept me as his girlfriend. Sex roles and culture in India is changing, but the traditions of marrying within your caste and birth region are still widely enforced. I secretly wonder if he was just disgusted because I crapped my pants twice.

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for money and I also don’t know how much I will need for the next few days. My bank calls to tell me that the debit card actually won’t be arriving in 24 hours, rather another couple days. Then when TWO days pass, they call to tell me that they don’t have a correct address to send the card to, that they spoke with the hostel owner, who told them I actually wasn’t staying there, that I was leaving, and thus, my card won’t be sent for another week. I begin to think the hostel owner is lying and trying to take advantage of me. I high-tail it out of there and straight to the American embassy. To even get into it, even with an American passport is a surprising challenge. I finally get to speak to an American who tells me that I can use the embassy’s address to send my card to, and gives me a list of hotels that she says are in the area. So, I leave with hope. I have another debit card with a little bit of money on it, and I figure I will just withdraw some of that which will be enough to get a cab to another hotel. But right as I try to do this, a major power outage happens, and it knocks all the ATMs out of whack on the block. I have 250 Nepalese rupees, which isn’t enough to get a meal. I have no water, I’m exhausted, dirty, tired, and my period has started. I start to lose all the hope I had and more. It hits me—here I am, in a foreign country, stranded, no money, no nothing, just like I was in the United States. How can this be?

But once again, the Universe steps in and a handsome British tourist offers to spot me for the visa. He and I, as well as a few other European dudes band together to find a cool hostel to stay at. Kathmandu is spectacular. It is cleaner and less crowded than India, and it has a fascinating religious culture, weaving Hinduism and Buddhism together with statues and stupas. Despite the horrific damage from the earthquake, it retains its charm. I stumble upon the famous Freak Street, an international hippie epicenter known for its tattoo parlors and hair dreading salons. I decide one afternoon, upon meeting a cool Spanish woman with dreads at a coffee shop in Durbar Square, that I will go and get mine done. I feel like a million dollars with my new dreadlocks. Despite having a chest cold, I feel like nothing can stop me. The hostel where the other tourists and I are staying is nice, and the owner seems awesome, except when he starts getting really friendly with me. He offers to help me with anything and becomes touchy feely. Being that I am still a westerner fresh off the high of Indian graciousness, I assume this is how Nepalese men are. But they aren’t. Because when I lose my debit card one day that happened to have all the money I had on it, he tells me that I can stay at his hostel and pay once I get my new one. He then becomes even more friendly. My bank assures me that they will send me a new one within 24 hours, and in the meantime, I can wire myself money through Western Union. I assume this is just a little snafu and everything will turn out okay, as it has so far. But I’m wrong. Really wrong. No one at the Western Unions in Nepal speak fluent English nor do they know how to help me wire money from my bank account to myself. I don’t want to call and ask my family 26

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I wander into a bank in a daze, trying my best to explain to them my situation. Several Nepalese people see the list of hotels the embassy worker gave me, and tell me that these hotels aren’t even in the area and are also quite expensive. At that moment I don’t know what else to do except collapse onto the floor with my stuff near the ATM, waiting for it to come back on again. And that’s when it happens—the universe steps in again in the form of two young Nepalese nurses and best friends who walk into the bank I am in. They see me lying there in a heap. I think I must look like quite a sight, my hair in dreadlocks, whatever clothing I threw on, my duffle and backpack strewn about like some crazy bag lady. But that’s not how they saw me. These women, we’ll call them Ama and Kurta, pick me up off of the floor and take me to Kurta’s home, where they tell me I can shower, change, and have something to eat. They actually kind of saved my life. And it doesn’t stop there. When I arrive at Kurta’s home, I meet the rest of her family who inquire about my situation. They tell me the hostel owner’s behavior

traveled here for the first time, and are slightly lost in their lives, seeking inspiration, refuge, and renewal. India and Nepal attract people like us, and just about anyone who is seeking something. When I got back to the U.S., I was diagnosed with possible walking pneumonia. And while I felt lucky and happy to be back as I was exhausted, sick, and somewhat traumatized, deep down I missed the two countries that had taken care of me so well, even in some ways more than my own. I know I am not finished though, that someday I will go back, as I now have two homes, two surrogate families whom I can visit anytime and hopefully, one day welcome to the United States. Who knows, I may end up living there someday, if the guru was in fact correct with everything he said. While my story is unique and I am quite lucky, I am not the first, nor the last traveler to be treated with such kindness by the Indian and Nepalese people. I trusted my instinct and urge to travel to where I had never been, and opened my heart to having a profound and life altering experience. If you are yearning to have one such as mine, there is a reason for it, and my story should be more than enough encouragement for you to do it, and that you deserve the good things that will inevitably happen. I am not, nor will I ever be the same after my journey. The light in me honors the light in you. Namaste, Lauren Lindsey was suspicious and appalling, as well as that of the embassy. They tell me I should stay overnight with them, and the next day they will take me back to the embassy. When I begin sobbing on Kurta’s bed about my ridiculous situation and how completely lost and incapable I feel, Kurta, Ama, her older sister Chrita, her niece, and her mother huddle around me and embrace me. There are no words for the kindness of these people. And yet it doesn’t stop there. Over the next few days, the utter incompetency of the American embassy becomes glaringly obvious. Kurta’s family insists I stay with them to stay safe and until I get my debit card. Kurta’s brother, Kirtan, takes me back to the embassy on his motorcycle to simply inform them of my situation. There I am met with surprising hostility and from the Americans working there, who tell me they can’t help me and that I just need to go home. At one point, a worker even calls Kurta’s sister, Chrita, a strong, spritely, and intelligent woman, who yells at them when they ask if I am bothering them and if I have left yet. Over the next few days I get to know this miraculous family. They take care of a disabled older uncle who can’t walk on his own, but who is immensely sweet and whom they refer to as the heart of the family. Each of the women is mothering, strong, and beautiful. One evening, Kurta and Ama take me arm and arm through Kathmandu, showing me earthquake ruins and the hospital where they work. I experience Nepal from the inside out, the true Nepal, just like I did in India. It shocked me how complete strangers treated me better than my fellow Americans at the embassy and my own sister in the U.S.. They even told me I always have a family in Nepal. And thanks to them, everything worked out in the end. I finally got my debit card, a new visa, and managed to see the majestic Himalayas including Mt. Everest while on my flight back to New Delhi. During my last few days in India, I stay at a cool little hotel and run into two women tattoo artists one evening who offer me hashish and vodka. One of them is also from Los Angeles. Like me, they have

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FRANK ZUMMO Words: Candies Deezy Liu / Photography: Danielle Spires Joining Sum 41 in 2015 wasn’t Frank Zummo’s first rodeo, nor his last. The drummer has been a fulltime as well as session member with numerous bands, including Julien-K, Dead By Sunrise, and Mötley Crüe. Drumming is in his blood.

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In addition to Sum 41, he also performs with EDM duo, Krewella, and Street Drum Corps, an avante-garde percussion project he started with Bobby and Adam Alt in 2004. What started out as a fun experimental project turned into a wildly successful collaborative that exploded in the world of music. They have toured the world with various bands such as Linkin Park and 30 Seconds to Mars. “We built this company into kind of like a stomper Blue Man Group, how they have multiple troops and groups that tour the world,” Frank says. Celebrating their 12th anniversary, Street Drum Corps has grown into a collective of more than 30 drummers that tour all over, including the west and east coast, festivals, and even local theme parks and state fairs. The group also puts on a hell of a Halloween show—Blood Drums, that has also been a part of Rob Zombie’s Halloween event. In addition to three military tours in the last couple of years that included Djibouti in Africa, Bahrain, Guam, and Japan, Street Drum Corps also had a six month residency in Vegas at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino with various celebrity guests including Tommy Lee and Deryck Whibley from Sum 41. Zummo has also played with musicians such as the Godfather of industrial music—Gary Numan in Europe and America, Scott Weiland when he was with Stone Temple Pilots, and Dhani Harrison with whom he has done movie soundtracks and touring. For the last year 32

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and a half, Frank has been with Sum 41 and Krewella, rotating between each band’s on and off cycles. “Our schedules have aligned so perfectly that I’ve been jumping from one to the other. I’ve literally played a show with Sum 41 in America, went right to the airport to fly to Europe, and walked on stage with Krewella,” Frank describes. “They’re both two different beasts [Sum 41 and Krewella]. Playing with Krewella at these EDM festivals is insane, with all the crazy production, the beat doesn’t stop. And being

an official member of Sum 41 has been great. The shows and their fans have been amazing,” he continues. Growing up in New York City made a profound impact on Frank, making him the drummer he is today. His influences weren’t all just rock ‘n’ roll. Dance music played an integral role in the making of his percussion finesse. Frank was born to be a musician. His parents were both musicians—his mother a singer and his father a drummer. “When I was three years old, I walked away from the dinner table and suddenly, my parents heard a beat

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playing from the bedroom in the apartment where my dad had a drum set. They walked in and I was sitting behind it playing a drum beat. Since then, I’ve been hooked,” he remembers. Fast forward to five years old, when his dad took him to his first concert: Ozzy Osbourne and Mötley Crüe. “When I saw Tommy Lee come out and play, I decided that this is what I’m going to do for the rest of my life. When I played with Mötley Crüe, my dad was in the audience,” Frank continues. It was a surreal moment as he watched his son play in the band that changed his life. For updates, follow Frank at: IG: Frank Zummo Twitter: @FZummo

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Photo: courtesy of Sum 41

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OLYMPIAN, JOHN FARROW Words: Kate Monahan / Photography: Sean Hartgrove John Farrow is an Olympic athlete whose story is no simple or ordinary one. He didn’t get to the Olympics by pure luck or without complication. His career as an Olympian was jeopardized in 2011 when a major sports injury while practicing caught him off guard. His career and dreams could have ended right then and there, but it did not. John’s story is one of triumph over tragedy, and below, is an exclusive interview into that story. Kate Monahan: What sport is it that you train and compete in? John Farrow: Skeleton - a single athlete sport that takes place on the bobsled track where we sprint at the start and lay chest down, head first to race the course hitting max speeds of 150km/h and 6 Gs of pressure. Kate Monahan: How long have you been training? John Farrow: 8 years Kate Monahan: What got you into it? John Farrow: Summer of 2008 I was in Whistler, racing mountain bikes with my team and I shattered a shoulder blade. With nothing to do I would walk around the village killing time, the village was all hyped about the 2010 Vancouver Olympics they were hosting and being summer 2008, the Beijing Summer Games were on TV and the energy was huge, everyone had Olympic fever. I had always liked the sport skeleton but coming from Australia, we don’t see too many winter sports. Walking around the Whistler village with my injury, I met recruiters from Canada looking to get people into the sports of skeleton and bobsled. I questioned them extensively about how to get into the sport of skeleton, and with my current injury and a few previous injuries, I decided to stop racing downhill mountain bikes and start an Olympic dream. 3 months later, I was in Calgary at a skeleton school surrounded by snow for the first time. I went from 6 years of endless summer into being a winter sport athlete and here I am, 8 years later.

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Kate Monahan: In 2011, things were going well, and then you had an accident? Can you describe that? John Farrow: I had qualified for the Vancouver Olympics and just 7 days before our event, 2 athletes were removed from the start list, the competition was dropped from 30 to 28. I was one of those athletes. I was shattered from just missing out on an Olympic Games, however I turned that energy back into my training and decided to go even harder for the next Olympics. 2010 - 2011 was a great year and 2011 - 2012 season I came out firing and feeling amazing, my sliding was on point, my speeds were high, and my times were in the top 10 of the world. The crossover skills from downhill biking had carried over perfectly into skeleton and I was loving it. Two days before my 2011 season opener WC Race, I was training in Lake Placid, NY—not on an ice track, but a normal running track—running while training, I slipped and dislocated my left knee. It was bent inwards and I was going in and out of shock. The pain was ridiculous, I had no real clue what had happened but it felt like my leg was snapped off at the knee. Within the moments while waiting for the ambulance, I gave up. I couldn’t believe I was injured again. I decided I wanted to go home and get a damn normal job and stop chasing my dreams as it wasn’t worth it, the pain, the hard work, the uncertainty; I had enough. Once we got the scans back of the knee it showed I had a ruptured ACL, LCL, PCL, my hamstring was snapped from the bone, some more smaller muscles ruptured, my tibia fractured, and my leg nerves

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damaged, leaving my leg paralyzed from the knee down. Kate Monahan: You had literally hit a wall before, and had injuries at high speeds; what was it like to have an injury from a simple slip? John Farrow: Confusing, depressing, unfair. I didn’t handle it too well to begin with. I questioned the world, I questioned life, I had done everything right, I had given my best efforts and this is how I was rewarded? Losing feeling in a leg, being stuck in a bed for 3 months, not being able to walk properly, falling over just trying to get out of bed. It angered me and I was pissed at the world. Had I done it doing risky stuff like on the track at 80 mph, then fine, that’s the risk we take; but just from a slip?! My physios even asked me if I was doping or on steroids because they couldn’t see how this injury can happen normally. Being clean, that pissed me off even more. Kate Monahan: How did you manage the news of the possibility of not racing again? John Farrow: While lying in hospital beds not being able to walk or move, you have a lot of time to think. My first hospital stay was 10 days. 10 days looking at a ceiling, thinking. In that time, I thought a lot about what I will do now, what normal job will I get, what will I fill my days with. Day after day, nothing felt right, no ideas satisfied me, the only thing I wanted to do was ride that sled again. I made a little deal that I wouldn’t let this injury or anything stop me from doing what I really want to do in life. If in my heart I wanted to get on that sled, then whatever recovery was coming my way I was going to face it. I didn’t want to give up on myself ever again and all I wanted to do was not let this injury take me down. I wanted to be better than I was before it. My world champs rank number was number 27, I decided I am going to beat that and won’t stop until I am better than before the injury and that way I know I defeated it. So, by the time I was seeing physios and doctors and in rehab,

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my mindset was already so made up, so solid that it didn’t really matter what anyone told me. That was their opinion of what was happening, and I had already made mine. Kate Monahan: Did being told that you wouldn’t compete again ever make you want to throw in the towel? John Farrow: What made me want to give up was the injuries, the fear of it maybe not happening or you might not be good enough, the constant beating down from life, the external situations that sometimes just make you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere, no matter how hard you try and the second you do, something kicks you to the floor again. It’s heavy, it pulls you down, it depresses you, and sometimes, that definitely made me want to give up. But I see it also builds character,

or just move my toes and nothing happened, something that was so natural and normal before was gone. I would sit in tears with my lifeless limb, feeling helpless, thinking I can’t do this with this condition, thinking all negative thoughts. One day, with a friend I was depressed about the situation I was in, wondering if I will ever recover to how I used to be. He said, “you don’t have to get to how you used to be, you just have to adapt.” It stuck with me because he was right, what had happened, happened, and it didn’t need to go back to the way it was. If I was to achieve my goals, I just have to adapt and change what I am used to doing to what I need to do now. Any negative thoughts were then cut out as I was focused on new ways of doing things and by just trying to get better

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it builds mindset, it gives you strength and those qualities stay with you. So, when someone tells you that you will not compete again, you know you have the strength to choose what you want. If you want to try to compete or you want to quit, you decide, not them. Anything I am told now is merely an opinion, I will listen and respect it but it’s up to you to choose who you want to be. Kate Monahan: What was the biggest motivating factor in your recovery? John Farrow: Knowing I could be better day by day. Making the deal to be better than I was before the injury; I coined a phrase “are you better?” Dependent on one’s mindset, this phrase can mean a lot of different things. It was originally meant to be a motivator to be better than the 27 ranking that I was. I

day by day rather than achieving everything at once. Negative thoughts and doubt came a lot less. When they did come up, I would just focus back on the daily goals. Kate Monahan: What was it like proving the odds wrong and making it to the 2014 Olympic games? John Farrow: By the time I got selected to compete in the Olympics, my mindset was so far away from proving things it was all about achieving things. I didn’t even think I had proven the odds wrong, I was proud of my achievements, proud of having the courage to stick with it, proud of facing all my fears, and coming out the other side. Being selected to the Olympic Games for me didn’t really hit me with any emotions. I

wrote it on my wall next to my bed and every morning I would wake up and see “are you better?” Slowly, as my rehab increased, I started to see “are you better?” as – was I better than the day before? If I had walked up four steps yesterday, I would do five today. If I had walked 100 meters yesterday, I would walk 101 meters today and this carried all the way through my recovery. If I was lifting 100kg in the gym yesterday, I would wake up and do 101kg today. “Are you better?” was definitely my biggest motivating factor. Kate Monahan: How did you deal with negative thoughts and doubt in your recovery? John Farrow: Day by day. I would have some days I would look down at my paralyzed leg and look at my foot while trying to move it up

was selected to represent my country and I took it seriously that I still had a huge job to do. I had to lay down my best performance for my country, as well as myself. This was the feeling of being selected to an Olympic team, a feeling of challenge, of a job to do. After my final run, I had placed 17th. The highest Australian result ever by 5 places in male skeleton. I sat in the change rooms just soaking up the spectacle of the Olympic Games. I had taken on one of the biggest challenges I had ever pursued and I had achieved a result I was amazingly proud of in front of the world. A euphoric feeling swept over me, it’s something I cannot even explain with words but I sat there in that feeling and it’s one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced.

Kate Monahan: Are you still training now? John Farrow: The season finished in Park City, Utah in March, where in my last race I got gold in the America’s Cup. I am back home in Australia now, starting off season training. Kate Monahan: And are you planning to compete again for Australia in the 2018 Olympic Games? John Farrow: Definitely Kate Monahan: What is your goal for the 2018 games? John Farrow: After Sochi, feeling started returning in my foot. Three years paralyzed and it starts to get pins and needles, and starts to wake up! My plan was to be better than 27 with this disability and that was it. Now that my function is returning to my foot, I feel I can give better. Like magic, my recovery is happening and now I know I can give better as I choose to take on another Olympic cycle. “Are you better?” is still motivating me and I feel I can still achieve my best, with a little magic, let’s hope for the golden best. Kate Monahan: What do you feel the most important message for our readers is in regards to your recovery and overcoming potential defeat and negative odds in any situation? John Farrow: The day before my injury, my coach was pointing out a crow he used to always see at the racetrack. He said when he sees that crow, he always goes fast, it was his lucky crow. The day I injured my leg, I was all smashed up on the floor of the track and I remember the crow flying around me at the track. It stuck with me and after the games, I got the crow with a sun tattooed on my chest to symbolise the journey I had just taken. The important message for me was that each situation in our life will take us a certain way. Bad things can lead to great endings. We don’t know until we walk that path. The crow reminds me to walk it with a positive mindset, no matter the situation I am in. Follow the crow. To stay update on John’s Olympic journey, follow him at: www.Facebook.com/JohnFarrow27 Instagram: @JohnFarrow27 Twitter: @JohnFarrowAUS

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Interview: Ákos Bánfalvi Photography: D.L. Hootman Photography (www.dlhootman.com) Dan Pineda (sparemediagroup.com)

“FASHION AND I ARE TWO OF A KIND; I AM FASHION, IT’S INSIDE OF ME SO I EXPRESS IT OUTWARDLY…” - DIAMOND DEZ Diamond Dez is a Sacramento, California based musician with a huge regional buzz. She is very active in promoting herself, her music, and her endeavors as she writes and records new music and plays live shows. Diamond started singing and performing at age 4, when she began writing music through her love for poetry. Diamond grew up on stage, singing in church and in school talent shows. She was never a shy performer. As a preteen, Diamond joined a break dancing team, being one of the only girls battling. In high school, she joined the step squad, where she not only performed but designed and handmade her entire team’s uniforms. Diamond Dez has always expressed herself through art and dance. At age 14, she began tattooing her body with images that told stories about her life. Diamond went after her career as a freelance alternative model by age 16, after being trained professionally under John Robert Powers. Throughout high school, she attended underground metal shows and became a well known “scene queen” for 44

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being a social butterfly, taking on the mosh pit head first, and for being a popular model on MySpace. Diamond Dez stayed close to music until she finally reached a place of making her own. Diamond Dez has been creating many looks of her own for a decade and has been affiliated and approached by very successful people who have inspired her along the way. Dave Navarro, Lil Wayne, and Steven Tyler are just a few of the celebrities that Diamond has casually caught the attention of. She has been inspired by the many successful artists she has worked with such as Lady Gaga, Chino Moreno, Kurupt, Bonnie McKee, Olly Murs, Riff Raff, Priceless Da Roc, Mistah F.A.B., Baby Bash, Jon Hart, Chanel West Coast, and T-Pain are a just a few artists who have personally made an impact on her career according to Diamond. Dez released her new single Top of the World last year through Sony. Diamond Dez is sponsored by The Secret Society of Ex Mermaids, a clothing and

accessory line, Rollie Fox Locks, a company of custom made dreadlocks, and she has become the face of Exclusive Boutique and is working with Fvmous Clothing Company who is duplicating sweaters of Diamond Dez’s photo shoots. Tell me about your childhood and teenage years. Did you always want to be a model? What’s funny about that is I actually thought I was a model when I was a child. (Laughs.) I just loved the camera. I guess you can say I wanted to be a model since I can remember. So how did you get into modeling? Did you always think growing up that you were more photogenic than your family and friends or were you scouted? I got into modeling professionally at age 15 through John Robert Powers, a modeling agency. I can remember being scouted out many times as a young girl while at festivals and family amusement parks and yes, I was always the eccentric one in the family photos.

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And what do you think influences your style? My roots and my love for music influences my style. All the places I’ve been, the things I’ve done, and my life experiences have all influenced my fashion for sure. Fashion and I are two of a kind; I am fashion, it’s inside of me so I express it outwardly. Are there any female models that inspire you? My friend Brittanya Razavi inspires me as an alternative model because she is successful with responsibilities to a family of her own, with three sons, a husband, her modeling career, and a clothing line that she shares with her husband. She does all of that while still looking her very best and she is gorgeous. Having worked with a number of photographers so far, do you have any favorites you’d love to work with again? My favorite photographer to work with right now is “my personal photographer,” David Hootman of DLHootman Photography. I love shooting with him; we have a lot of fun. I’d also like to shoot with my photographer friend, Keith Selle again. He’s really talented. Talk me through an average day in the life of you. An average day in the life of Diamond Dez depends on what day of the week it is. I could be waking up for a cup of coffee and a business call, cleaning my house, and getting myself and my daughter Rhyle ready for a morning walk, or going downtown to the local thrift store and shopping for lost treasures. I’m always shopping so that is definitely an everyday occurrence. I could be getting a song ready to record for a trip to the studio, writing a treatment, preparing for a music video shoot, or doing a photo shoot. Anything is possible, really. I am blessed with a comfortable life and a home full of decor in which I love vibing out in, creating all sorts of new art. I’m constantly working on bettering myself as a person, mother, and artist. I stay busy and I go on adventures that are close and far from home on a daily basis.

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What inspires the tattoos you choose to get? My life experiences inspire all of the artwork that is tattooed on my body. Can you give us a rundown of your excellent tattoo collection? Well, we can start with my forehead, written “Jesus” in script, to the side of my face, in front of my ear reads “sweet nothings,” then to my throat, I have a piece with a cross being held up by angel wings with a key in the center and roses on each side. My chest piece holds the lock that is located on a pink cheetah print coffin being held up by bat wings, lower is a small patched up heart at the center of my breasts, up to my shoulders, covered with roses and diamonds, along with a few pieces going down my right arm, to my hand of an owl face, to my other hand that has a poppy flower on it. My knuckles are tattooed, my upper stomach reads, “warrior,” to my left side, a portrait of a small anime girl holding a human heart in her hands, to my lower stomach, down to my right thigh and knee, is a portrait of my daughter and I as mermaids and a butterfly on my knee. I also have other tattoos in between all of those. Do you think other female models are getting tattoos to further their career? I hope not. That is a good question; I never realized it could be possible. I think it would be pathetic for a female model to use this lifestyle to become someone she is not just to become a person who receives a lot of attention. People should be themselves. Do you think tattoos will continue to get more fashionable over the next few years? I’m sure tattoos are here to stay. I remember when I got my first one, they were still considered “weird” and weren’t completely socially accepted. Do you think people treat you differently for being heavily tattooed? Yes, people have definitely treated me all kinds of ways for being heavily tattooed. It’s a daily thing, a lifestyle. I have witnessed both negative and positive behavior from onlookers. Is there anything you do to stay in shape/look after yourself being a model or is it just good genes? I think I may just have good genes, I need to work out. (Laughs.) What do you think about women’s fashion right now? I think that women’s fashion is very important, especially in this industry because you are what you wear. What are your favorite brands/designers at the moment? My favorite brands right now are Chanel and Jeffrey Campbell. Five things you can’t live without? I can’t live without my platform shoes, my lipstick, my fake nails, sushi, and music. What are some of your other loves and hobbies? Singing, dancing, cooking, and crafting are a few of my favorite hobbies. What is something most people don’t know about you? Some people do not know about my love and passion for God. www.IAmDiamondDez.com www.Facebook.com/DiamondDez Instagram & Twitter: @iamdiamonddez www.youtube.com/user/1diamonddez

Karma Owner Peter Hsing

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BEN PARKER Words: Candies Deezy Liu / Photography: Sean Hartgrove Tattooing out of one of Colorado’s most well known custom tattoo studios, Mantra Tattoo, Ben Parker began taking the craft seriously around 20 years ago. Though he had a rough start getting into the industry, much like many other tattoo artists during that time, his passion, drive, and talent shaped him into the tattooist he is today. In 1999, around the time he knew he wanted to take tattooing more seriously, Ben began an apprenticeship with Kris Montoya, who would tattoo him in trade for flash art. After a couple of years, Ben continued to refine his skills on his own. As his tattooing progressively improved, he found himself expanding his work into a multitude of various styles. “I prefer to do Japanese and American Traditional tattoos, but earlier on in my career, I tackled anything and everything to learn the fundamentals,” he recalls. Ben has also tattooed at Denver’s beloved Thick as Thieves and in 2010, he joined Mantra Tattoo. Ben remembers a time when he almost quit tattooing. It was a really weird and tough time in his life, and budgeting seemed out of the question as he was still building his career as a tattooist. But a fateful call from a fellow tattooer landed him at Mantra, a place he calls a big happy family and home. “We just like to do tattoos, and have fun doing it,” he describes. He attributes some of his greatest influences to Bill Canales, Chris Treviño, and Eric Hogan, to name a few. “It’s funny because a lot of the people I’m influenced by are dudes from Texas,” Ben says. It was an area that was getting a lot of exposure during that time. “The internet was still fresh,” he remembers, and getting tattoo references wasn’t nearly as accessible and easy as it is today. This was a dynamic that uniquely shaped tattooers in that era of tattooing. Follow Ben Parker for updates and more tattoos at: IG: @BParker_Mantra www.MantraTattoo.us

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Are you InkSpired? Submit your tattoos and stories to: Submissions@ InkSpiredMagazine.com. Want to be InkSpired? All Submissions must be e-mailed to submissions@ InkSpiredMagazine.com. If your file size is too large to e-mail, please send us a message stating as such and we will provide you with an alternative solution. Please, DO NOT send us links to online storage or websites to view your files. Also, any photos posted in our various social media sites, while appreciated and possibly shared by us on those sites, will NOT enter you into consideration for publication. Minimum of three (3) HIRESOLUTION images need to be submitted. Low-res images will automatically be discounted from consideration. Photo credit, including Photographer, Model, Hair Stylist, and Makeup Artist, needs to be included with EACH IMAGE. You also need

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