in this article I want to give you an impression about how a tattooer is being accepted in our society.
I was recently asking a friend of mine who is a tattoo artist how his life has changed since he is in the business.

The typical tattoo artist, as we think, is heavy tattooed and and pierced. This causes of course the a lot of attention of people that are being disgusted by their appearance. But honestly who would you like to be your tattooer, somebody that is not tattooed and who does not represent the lifestyle or somebody who looks like he belongs to the scene and knows what he does because he is heavily tattooed?

Coming back to my buddy, he told me that his life did not really change. The only things that are new are the people he gets to know and that he can do day by day what he likes most, tattoing. Because he just started, the money he makes is not enough to live a comfortable life. But as more people he gets to tattoo as more tattoo fans are getting interested in his style.

The life of as an tattoo artist is not much different from the life of a baker or salesman. I mean he also provides a service to customers and charges them for it.

Be informed by getting informed

Mitchi Mitch

the cliché of the tattoo businesses being a part of the gangster world seems sometimes far-fetched but in reality it is not.
In todays article I´m going to write about the dark side of the tattoo business.

Who of you has a tatoo and has received a bill for the service. Let me guess…No one?! How is it possible that such a wide-spread business is able to get away with such a “crime” and why are they doing it?
I had the honor to get a slight impression how such a business is working.

Tattoo artist enjoy a pretty comfortable life. A tattooer can earn up to a couple hundred thousands of euros per year but to be able to charge so much you need to be very good and well-known world-wide (ex. Kat von D, Louis Malloy or Mario Barth). The normal tattooer earns between 1000 euro and 5000 thousand euros per month. For somebody that does not pay any taxes that is a really good income.
Small pieces start at 50 euros and as bigger they get as more expensive they are. After a session you pay in cash but you won´t get a bill because there is no normal book-keeping. That means every dollar that is paid disappears in the pocket of the artist. If an artist works in a shop he normally gives 50% to the store and the other half is his earning.
But as we know the tax offices are steady checking on peoples finances and if everything is deducted right. If a controller shows up in a store to check how much the client has to pay the artists quickly react and only charge a really small amount. It sometimes happens that a customer leaves the store after getting a tattoo that is worth hundreds of euros by only paying for example 50 euros because this can´t be sued by the tax offices.

But if a tattoo artist keeps only around 50% of the money what does the store do with the rest? Are they saving it for harder times or is there something else they need the money for?

The first thing the store uses the money for are rent expenses and other expenses like insurance,etc..

Another cost are gangs! Those gangs blackmail these shops to pay protection money. As bigger the store is and as more commercial it as more they have to pay to keep trouble away. It is common that tattoo shops that refuse to pay are being demolished and the artists are being threatened by their life’s.
But after a store has paid its money they can be sure that they are safe and protected by these gangs. It is somehow like a second insurance.

Typical blackmailer are: bikers or mafia.
You might think that a life as a tattoo artist is because of that quiet difficult and dangerous but there are explicit rules that need to be respected and everything works out fine.

Be informed by getting informed

Mitchi Mitch

how often are we confronted with tattoos that are not only old-fashioned but also disgusting? For me it interesting to see what kind of people have what kind of tattoo. The most interesting realisation that I have made is that similar looking people carry similar tattoos.

This time I want to know what do you think what kind of tattoos should definitely not be tattooed anymore? I gave you three examples I think what are the worst and should be banned. You can choose one of them or if you have another good idea what type of tattoo should be “forbidden” tell us by writing a comment.

Have fun…I will have mine for sure!

After searching for bad tattooes I found that one and I am speachless. That is the ugliest tattoo on earth. There is pretty much everything wrong with it.

Thanks for voting people.

Be informed by getting informed.

Mitchi Mitch

you might ask yourself why I´m writing about celebrities and their tattoos.
My answer to this questions is: celebrities are allowed to do everything without losing anything of their popularity. They can be drug addicts or alcoholics. They can be send into prison for violence or even murder. They can tattoo themself as much as they want.
Everything that might happen is that they are even more interesting for the public then before. Why is that?

Lets take some stars!

Angelina Jolie

She is dealt as one of the most pretty actors and even women in the world. Her full lips, beautiful body and… her tattoos are the trademarks. Even tough she is tattooed she has not lost one single fan. Why?

Heidi Klum

She is one of the most succesful models ever. Her walk at the Victoria Secret shows are legendary. Even though she got her right arm tattooed it did not change something in her popularity whether as model or as celebrity. Why?

David Beckham

He is seen as one of the most sexiest guys in the world. He is one of the most popular soccer players. Everybody knows his tattoo on the back. But since two years he is completely covering up his arms. And who cares? Who thinks that he is because of that less attractive? Nobody! Why?

Brandon Boyd

The lead singer of the band Incubus is an idol of endless many girls/women. His outstanding voice/music and his unique art made him become a star all over the world. That he has several tattoos did not change anything in his popularity.

Most of the tattooed people we don´t know. And because they are so many bad rumors about tattooed people we think that the most are like the stories that are told.
Over the media we get supplied with more or less detailed information about all the celebrities. Because of that we think to know them quite well. This information gives us the impression that many celebrities are nice people and nice people can be tattooed. I think that there is not much more about why they are accepted even with tattoos and why we, the regular people are not as easy.

Be informed by getting informed

Mitchi Mitch

finally I got the interview done. It is much shorter than I had planned to make it but I want that as many people as possible answer these questions. As longer the interview is as more people won´t take their time. The interview is designed to get the most common questions answered. I hope you like it.

1. What is your attitude towards tattoos?
a) I like this art
b) I don´t care
c) I don´t like them

2. Do you have any prejudices towards tattooed people?
a) Yes
b) No
–> If a), why?

3.  Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo?
a) Yes
b) No

4. Are you tattooed?
a) Yes
b) No
–> If a), what?

5. What kind of tattoos do you like?

6. What kind of tattoos do you dislike?

7. Do you think that people with a certain job shouldn´t have tattoos?
a) I don´t care
b) Yes, I think it´s inappropriate for …
–> If b), why?

So what do you think of it? Is it going to answer some of your questions? If you got some more ideas that could be included just write a comment and we will fond an answer.

Be informed by getting informed

Mitchi Mitch

in this weeks article I am writing about famous former leaders who had tattoos everybody knew about.

Czar Nicholas II the russian leader had a star tattooed in an unknown location.

King Alexandar of Yugoslavia had a large eagle tattooed across his chest.

King Frederick IX of Denmark was known to proudly display numerous tattoos.

King George V allowed a japanese tattoo artist to tattoo a red dragon onto his arm.

Winston Churchill the former prime minister of the U.K. and Nobel Prize winner had an anchor design tattooed on his right arm.

Franklin D. Roosevelt the former U.S. President proudly wore a tattoo of his family’s crest across his chest.

For me this is a proof of that tattoos do not say anything about your abilities. People like Churchill or Roosevelt did not get the postion of a leader for free. They worked hard and convinced with their knowledge. Even it was public that they carried tattoos it did not change anything in their authority. The old-fashioned way of thinking about a tattoo as something bad and something you can not achieve any great success with should be disproved.

Be informed by getting informed

Mitchi Mitch

I actually never wanted to publish that I got a tattoo because of the rumors that paossible employers could be influenced negative of this information.
What ever this week some people that are working as engineer and controlers have seen my tattoo and guess what…they liked it. They didn´t say anything negative. I asked them what they like and dislike. The only thing they said against my tattoo was that they never would have done it and that they wouldn´t recommend it to anybody else. But they like my designe and the quality. The point that I had a story behind it and that it was something I have thought about for a very long time impressed them.

It is not just my personal opinion.
First, to make tattoos for people interesting that are not into this kind of lifestyle think about your motive really carefully. There should be a story behind it so that others can imagine where your fascination is coming from.

Second, look for artists that are able to do a good job. The quality of your tattoo will decide if YOU like your tattoo for ever and ever and if others that are not excited about tattoos will like it or not. Sure everybody who wants to get tattooed or even is tattooed says that this is just for himself. But be honest if the people next to you does not like what´s under your skin because of the motive and the quality you won´t feel as comfortableas you would if they liked it.

Because tattoos are for you whole life think about it carefully. Is the story behind it so moving that you still like it many years later. Did the tattoo artist designe something that is not a fad and did he do a good jobs before you (check is booklet). Consider these facts and I´m sure it will make you happy for a long time.

Be informed by getting informed

Mitchi Mitch

isnt´t it that the privat TV channels only broadcast shows that interest a wide span of people?

So if that is true what is the story behind tattoo series?

How much is behind the distaste for tattoos in our society?

Lets be honest. Since a couple years more and more tattoo shows are being released. Miami Ink., LA Ink., Hart & Huntington, London Ink., Berlin Ink., etc., etc. For me personal that is a very obvious sign that the interest for tattoos and its society  is increasing. And seriously if you start watching these shows you get an impression of the fascination about tattoos. You might even want to get inked after seeing how beautiful the tattoo turned to be and how excited the owner of it is.

Everybody knows that television is just adapting to the interest of their viewers. And if the channels with the highest ratings broadcast these shows that must be because many viewers or other many people of our society are interested in.

Be informed by getting informed.

Mitchi Mitch

it is time for some action.
I was talking to friends of mine and kept asking: “what would make the interview interesting and valuable for you?” The ideas I got are great and I´m sure that they will lead to a useful result.

The concept isn´t very complex. In the first part there will be just a few questions, something around 5 I think. With these questions the reader is supposed to get a slight impression of who the person is that was interviewed and if this kind of person is comparable to the one he/she wants to get information of.  In the second part there will be questions about the personal way of thinking relating to tattoos. And in the last part I want to get some information of the person what kind experience he/she made with tattoos in their business and how they would react if a tattooed person would apply for a job comparable to their own job.

The reader should get an impression of how potential employer would react about tattoos. I try to make as many interviews as possible so that you have a variety of different people.

But this will not be all. I want to know what your way of thinking is. That is the reason why I decided to make to different but similar interviews.
I´m going to make oral interviews and multiple-choice interviews.

I will take the multiple choice to my university and try to get answers of my fellow students. I will ask people on the street to take their time to answer me these questions. And of course I will post the interview so everybody here on the web can answer the questions if he/she wants too and write me comments about their thoughts or write me e-mails about it.

I hope to get everything done until next week so that we finally get some information of the people who make our life harder =).

Again, I would be glad to get some offers of you what questions you like to get answered. The interview isn´t supposed to answer only my questions. So please write what you always wanted to know of them!

Thanks for reading =)

Be informed by getting informed

Mitchi Mitch