Local parlor hits 20 years of tattoo culture By CHRISTINA BUTCHKO The Breeze
In a small lot nestled on the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Way and Reservoir Street lies Alley Cat Tattoo and Body Piercing Studio, one of Harrisonburg’s several tattoo shops. Nick Swartz, the owner of Alley Cat, said he spends most of his time at the shop. He uses the connected building space as his office, which is decorated in original paintings done by the shop’s resident tattoo artists and range from detailed Japanese paintings to classic tattoo art with its own creative twists. Most of the art created by Alley Cat tattoo artists was done by current employees, one piece being a drawing on a handkerchief hanging on Nick’s door that was drawn entirely with a ballpoint pen. The tiny pen strokes and intricate details were done completely freehand, without any stencils. “I want an image everywhere you look because I have to have a design for everybody,” Swartz said. “If I’ve got a blank wall, that’s wasted space.” Swartz was born in Clifton Forge, a small town in southwest Virginia. With a population of around 4,000 people, Swartz said this secluded community surrounded him for most of his life. Swartz’s upbringing was far different from the one his children have lived through. Until he was about 8 years old, his family lived off food stamps and resided in Section 8 housing, which is the federal government’s program assisting lowincome families. His grandparents helped raise Swartz and his brother when their father left the responsibility of parenting to his mother, taking the brothers under their wing and away from the violence that often followed their father. “They sort of protected us and taught us to respect ourselves and be responsible for our actions,” Swartz said. Swartz’s great uncle, Arthur Potter, was the first person to expose him to tattoo culture, along with the punk-rock era and skateboarding influence that spread tattoo culture when he was growing up. Swartz said that when he turned 18 in 1996, he got his first tattoo— a tribal piece on his upper left arm. Two months later, he got another, and now he’s almost reached his goal to have artwork decorating most of his body in what tattoo artists call a “body suit.” Swartz’s arrival in Harrisonburg was facilitated mostly by a few of his friends who worked at tattoo and piercing shops. He started his career in Roanoke, Virginia, manufacturing jewelry and doing some piercings. One of his friends working across town in Harrisonburg at Painted Lady Tattoos and Piercings and another friend working in Roanoke decided they wanted to open a shop of their own, which became Alley Cat. Swartz started managing the shop and periodically performing piercings for clients. “After three years, they weren’t around as much, so I was mostly running the day-to-day responsibilities and dealing with all the artists and the patrons and everything in between,” Swartz said. “My brother and I ended up buying the place after they split.” Swartz’s older brother turned business partner, Josh Swartz, jumped in to help, using equity from a house he’d purchased for himself as a way for them to borrow money. “We were so accustomed to not having anything that we had a 15-year loan that we paid off in three years,” Nick said. “We just didn’t pay ourselves any extra money or do anything additional, and we still take the same salary we started with 17 years ago.” see ALLEY CAT, page 18
The Breeze JMU’s award-winning newspaper since 1922
october 7, 2021 VOL. 100 NO.08 BREEZEJMU.ORG
FAMILY FIRST
JMU football’s brotherhood runs deep By SAVANNAH REGER The Breeze
Some things are bigger than football. Redshirt junior linebacker Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey ran off the practice field ahead of the Weber State game. It was Sept. 14, and he walked into his post-practice interview with a fatigued look on his face, possibly a mix of focus on the road trip ahead and exhaustion from practice. TuckerDorsey was asked about the Wildcats and what the Dukes had to do to win — his answer was all business, the look on his face never changing. That is, until he was asked about his younger brother Tyrique Tucker, a JMU football commit heading to Harrisonburg next year — then, Diamonte smiled. “We [are] grown men now,” Diamonte said. “We can actually kick it and enjoy our time together. I’m excited, [and] I know he’s excited.” He laughed as he talked about Tyrique. This is Diamonte’s brother and someone
who changed his business-like presence just slightly. Diamonte and Tyrique are just one example of JMU football’s family culture, and that ideal transfers not only from the team but to the community. Family Weekend is back at JMU this season after a spring full of chaos and unprecedented moments. The Dukes take on No. 11 Villanova in front of a sold-out Bridgeforth Stadium, and a win over the Wildcats would be a resume booster for the playoffs. The matchup isn’t the only reason why the game is sold out. Student tickets disappeared nearly immediately after they opened because parents and friends alike are headed to Harrisonburg this weekend to celebrate family. For the Dukes, family is a constant through the program and the conference. JMU currently has family ties on the team from the past, in the present and might in the future. “It’s Family Weekend, so I’m going to have a bunch of family members here,” redshirt sophomore running back Latrele Palmer said.
“Our fans are the best in the FCS, so it’s going to be very loud and physical.” JMU’s football program has family in its roots. It’s a principle of the team but the connections from the past to the present run even deeper. It’s not new for younger siblings to follow in their older siblings’ footsteps and play for the program. Redshirt junior wide receiver Devin Ravenel is an example of that — his older brother Brandon played for JMU from 2013-16 and was a captain on the 2016 national championship team. The same applies for redshirt senior tight end Clayton Cheatham and his older brother, Deane. The Cheathams are an example of past family connections — that is, players who’ve had a sibling play in the past and now have someone currently playing. Clayton said that with Deane’s new profession, he has more flexibility, so he went to see the Dukes play in New Hampshire. He’ll be in Bridgeforth for the showdown with the Wildcats. see FOOTBALL MEANS FAMILY, page 25
Check out our special edition on Family Weekend inside this issue