News

Busy day at Oslo Suscon, on the second day (saturday) 36 suspensions with a total of 124 hooks were performed. Also Allen Falkner held a class about Rigging and in the evening there was a great show from Lucky Hell. At that point I want to hand (this blog) over to:

Emrys Yetz:
Yesterday was the second day of the Wings of Desire Suscon, I can barely put into words how impressive it is to come here and see the way this event runs. Not only are their protocols and procedures almost flawless all the different teams from throughout the world work so well together without hint of ego. BME sponsored my trip here as the guest speaker so my level of gratitude to them is immense as this has been such an experience. Yesterday I was able to suspend a set of Norwegian brothers, one was a Wings of Desire regular the other being his first time. First was a crucifix that brought his wife to tears of joy, next was a knee suspension for his first time. Both were complete Vikings in stature showing no signs of pain or discomfort, though very humble and appreciative. Everyone keeps thanking me for the roles I’m playing but I am thanking them for affording me this opportunity.

Oslo SusCon 2010 Saturday - click picture to see WoD gallery

Some more closeups of this Suspension (2pt. Chest by Christiano) you will find on Hook Life

Saturday night was “show night” at the end of Oslo SusCon’s “public hours” (where they let the general public in to see ppl suspending) and we all saw a GREAT show by Lucky Hell (an australian who now lives in Helsinki, Finland with her husband Jussi - Snakeoil Sideshow) … see for yourself:

Lucky Hell at Oslo SusCon 2010

As many of you might know this weekend the 9th yearly SusCon is held in Oslo by Wings of Desire. People from all over the world are here to suspend and have a good time. I don’t want to consume too much space here with my bad english so here is just a little rundown - after the Welcome Speech by Håvve Fjell, a Crew Meeting and a presentation by Emrys Yetz at 7pm the first suspension started. A total of 9 suspensions using 52 hooks have been made.

Oslo SusCon 2010 - Friday - by Wings of Desire

If you want to see more pictures you may want to visit the WingsOfDesire.org Gallery

Well, if you don’t, then why don’t you hop on a plane and head over to Japan for Osaka’s first tattoo convention!

Benny from Chopstick Tattoo in Osaka sent this in, and because he’s such a great guy we’re sharing the news with you.

We at Chopstick Tattoo are proud to be working with the Bakuto Art Festival planning committee to produce Osaka’s first tattoo convention
and are now taking applications for participation! Much time and effort has gone into producing a convention that is not merely a
tattoo event – but an entire art festival – spanning several buildings in one of Osaka’s large industrial shipyards, Black Chamber.

We have opened the application process to tattooers of any country wishing to participate in the event and look forward to the international appeal each unique individual can bring to the Japanese tattooing community. A wide and diverse range of artists from inside Japan, spanning multiple disciplines and genres will also be in
attendance.

Participating in the Bakuto 2010 convention will be a chance for artists to promote their work here in Japan, forge bonds and network with local tattoo shops.

TICKETS
Early Sale 1 Day ￥3000 / 2 Days ￥5000
Pre-Sale 1 Day ￥4000 / 2 Days ￥7000
Event Day (1 Day) ￥5000

You can get more information by visiting the show’s website:  http://bakuto-osaka.com/tattoo/ which includes links for artist applications.

Not too long ago, I was introduced to Gene Priest (above, right), a brilliant musician and tattoo-collector out of Knoxville, TN.  He was playing drums for a handful of bands at the time, but I was truly blown away once... Brian Grosz http://www.needlesandsins.com/brian.html

After making such a sad post this morning, I felt obliged to offer up a much happier one this afternoon.

BME has been a meeting place for like minded individuals for a long time. Countless couples and families got their start as strangers behind a keyboard with a common love of body modification. In fact there is even a whole gallery dedicated to couples who have met through BME.

Today I found the wedding pics in the couples gallery from one such couple, Timothy and Elki.

Actually, the title of this post should be: The Human Avatar = Dumbassness.The opportunity to be a video game character is cool. I get it. I too have dreamed of being a cross between Lara Croft and Princess Peach... Marisa Kakoulas DiMattia http://www.needlesandsins.com/marisa.html

Modblog news is back after a short summer hiatus.  This week’s news is jam packed with stories, so expect it to be a bit bigger than a normal news week.

To start this extra-large edition we’ve got a story about a Modblog regular, IAM: Jessestar.  As many Modblog readers will know, Jesse is no stranger to having his name appear here.  This week, unfortunately, the news is not mod related at all.  First, take a look at the story that was printed in the local paper the day the story broke.

A Tulsa man has bonded out of jail after he was arrested early Wednesday morning on a complaint of assault with a dangerous weapon.

Reading the article you’ll find just the facts of the case.  There is no mention, other than the picture, that would indicate Jesse is modified in any way shape or form.  This is what we like to call “good journalism”.  To those of you who have heard the news already, you probably saw the article on The Smoking Gun, or possibly one of the tabloid articles.

Police arrested oddball Jesse Thornhill who has a pair of HORNS implanted in his forehead.  The 28-year-old looks like a demon with his tattooed eyebrows and lengthened ear lobes.  He also has a line of silver studs running down the middle of the skull.  According to the arrest sheet which was later posted online, Thornhill, a heavy metal fan, had “horns, neck tattoos, implant ear rings on head”.

With the exception of Jesse’s hometown, every other news article online is focusing entirely on his modification.  To them it would seem that someone as heavily modified as Jesse, would naturally be a criminal.  The media circus around the case is further reinforcing the very false stereotype that modified individuals are the riffraff of society, and should be locked up.  I do want to add that I have no comment on Jesse’s case as it really has nothing to do with him being modified, and I hope the comments section will keep this in mind when discussing this story.  As for the media focusing on his modifications as “evil”, those are the people who you should be upset with.  (A quick thanks to all the people who submitted this story over the past couple of days, it’s submissions like yours that help make the Modblog news exist).

Now then, put your feet up, grab a cold drink and settle in.  This week’s news is just getting started.

In keeping with the theme of “the regular media is clueless when it comes to modifications”, we have a story from CBS news about a wide variety of modifications.

“For some it represents beauty, spiritual exploration - a modern primitive rite of passage. Others view it as disfigurement plain and simple, and some doctors suspect that it’s a possible symptom of a mental disorder.”

You read that right.  If you go out and get modded, then you may have a mental disorder.  While the initial story seems to side with the modified community, when you get into the gallery, the comments quickly shift to opinions chastising those who suspend, get scarred, branded, pierced, etc.  Stories like these lead to actions by local governments to put controls on the industry (beyond safe practice rules).  For example, in Chatham NJ, tattoo studios are now subject to the same laws as strip clubs.  Instead of focusing on if the shops are clean, they’re more concerned with where the studios are located and the hours they’re open.

“Adult entertainment as well as tattoo and body piercing businesses are also subject to several specific conditions that they must satisfy. Among these conditions is the age limit. These establishments may cater only to persons 18 years of age and up, can operate only between the hours of 9 am to 9:30 pm and are not allowed to serve alcoholic beverages.”

Thankfully not all news outlets are as biased.  In Phoenix, AZ a number of tattoo studios have opened up over the past few years and while there is the normal concerns by citizens about zoning regulations, the paper is more concerned with making people aware that the studios want legislation ensuring safe practices.  Over in Pittsburgh, the Post-Gazette dedicated a story entirely to people sharing their experiences about their tattoos.  Who knows, maybe by next summer more people will come to realize that we’re all modded for our own reasons, not because we all have a mental disorder.

Now, seeing as how we’ve been talking a bit about permanent mods, I thought it would be a good idea to see what’s happening in the world on non-permanent mods.  With the popularity of tattoos increasing people are wanting to get tattooed earlier and earlier in life.  So what’s a parent to do?  Why not get your kids a henna tattoo?  Well it turns out, that they may not be as temporary as one would think.

“Legislation that would prevent the sale of temporary “henna” tattoos that contain a chemical found to cause scarring and other disfiguring skin injuries was released Thursday by an Assembly committee.  Many black or blue henna tattoos contain phelylendiamine (PPD), a chemical that can cause severe dermatitis, eye irritation and tearing, asthma, gastritis, renal failure, vertigo, tremors, convulsions and comas in humans, according to  Assemblyman Paul Moriarty — one of the bill’s sponsors.”

Well, at least we can’t die from those lick and stick tattoos.  Right?

Of course the ban on some henna products could just be the result of some paranoid tin-foil wearing hat legislator, but I doubt it.  When it comes to the real conspiracy nuts, congresswoman Sue Myrick has an interesting theory when it comes to prison tattoos.

“The congresswoman’s evidence for this intricate plot is that some prisoners in California have tattoos that say “Hezbollah,” and other tatts written in Farsi, which, of course, is the language spoken in Iran.”

Is it just me, or does that seem like a lot of work just to end up in prison.  I mean, they’re traveling to Venezuela, learning Spanish, crossing the border into the US, then getting arrested so they can get a prison tattoo in Farsi.  You’d think that they could find a tattoo shop along the way that could do the job for them.

Of course, that’s assuming the congresswoman is right.  And if she is, well that is just one really dumb plan.  Actually, this summer is shaping up for a lot of really dumb plans.  Meet Geoffrey Ewart.  This young man got into a bar brawl several months ago.  When the police came to his door he claimed to be somewhere else celebrating his 21st birthday.  When asked for proof, Ewart provided officers with some pictures of him blowing out the candles on his cake in a dated photograph.  That’s when things got interesting.

“But detectives dug into his alibi and learned the pub in question had undergone a refurbishment – after the date of the street fight in Middlesbrough.   Ewart was also pictured sporting a tattoo on his arm – again added since the brawl.”

So a word of advice to everyone.  If you commit a crime and try to fake an alibi, make sure you don’t get a tattoo after you commit the crime then claim you’ve had it longer than you really have.

Speaking of dumb ideas, here’s one that unfortunately happens a lot more often than it should.  Police in Clover, SC have shut down a home based tattoo shop for tattooing children and operating without any sterilization equipment.

Finally in today’s list of dumb ideas, a police officer has been fired from his job for a mod-related stunt at a Christmas party.  I couldn’t find any pictures of the stunt in question, otherwise I would have turned this into a “Guess What?” article.

“A policeman who was sacked for opening a bottle of beer with his penis piercing - his ‘party trick’, apparently - is appealing to get his job back because he didn’t mean to offend anyone.  At his tribunal in Sydney, he claimed his colleagues had been ‘egging him on’ to expose himself and he went to the toilet to attach the bottle opener to his member.”

On the positive side, he has been offered a job with Puppetry of the Penis if he is unable to get his job back.

A few weeks ago I featured a number of stories that highlighted people’s dedication to things they love through their mods.  This week, we’ve got three more stories of people getting tattooed for the loves of their lives.  I realize this story is a few weeks old now, but it hasn’t been featured yet, and it is definitely something that should be.  When Kim Mordue’s son passed away after taking GHB at a club, the 50 year old mother was at a loss as to what to do.  After talking with her tattoo artist husband, she decided to mix his ashes into some tattoo ink and get a number of memorial tattoos done.

“Mrs Mordue said: ‘I’ve put Lloyd back where he started - he’s in my body again.  ‘As soon as I knew it was possible I wanted to have the ashes tattoos as a tribute to Lloyd.’  The designs across Mrs Mordue’s back show a cabala tree, an angel releasing a butterfly and a poem dedicated to her son.  Mrs Mordue said: ‘I spent a long time researching the tattoos - they and Lloyd will be with me for the rest of my life.”

As significant a tattoo this is to her, something creeps me out about the way she says “he’s in my body again”.  Maybe I’ve just watched Dead Alive too many times.

Now Katie O’Keefe doesn’t have anyone’s ashes tattooed into her skin, but she does have a commitment to the city she loves, Cleveland.  In this interview Katie talks about her thoughts on Cleveland, as well as the art she has on her dedicated to the city.  Josh Fleming on the other hand doesn’t sport any tattoos dedicated to a city, but he has gotten one dedicated to his favorite music festival.

“Fleming, 22, had the image of a Craven Country Jamboree wristband — like those issued to all attendees as access passes for the festival — tattooed on his right wrist in February.  The grey-coloured tattoo doesn’t represent the wristbands from any specific year, noted Fleming, who, including this year, has attended the festival six times, ever since the format switched back to country music.”

I wonder if anyone has a Woodstock ‘94 bracelet tattooed on themselves.

While we’re on the subject of commitment, it seems that video game developer Electronic Arts has convinced someone to commit themselves to changing their entire exterior in honor of the launch of a new game.

On Monday 5th July, www.thehumanavatar.com will go live as will community voting on the first stage of the activity: the identity of the Human Avatar. Throughout the weeks to follow, members of the public will be responsible for shaping the subject’s appearance, starting with the hairstyle and subsequently where they are pierced, where they are tattooed and finally what clothes they wear. No faking. The Human Avatar will be a real person undergoing a very real transformation.

The tattoo session video has just been posted, so the only voting left is for his clothing style.  I’m just glad the voters so far have enough sense not to make the poor guy dress like a juggalo.

With the human avatar project underway, it’s interesting to think that our civilization has come to a point where video game avatars are considered bad-ass if they have some form of modification.  While ours is a digital age, the idea of the warriors of a culture being tattooed/pierced is hardly a new concept.  Yes I realize it’s a flimsy analogy, but in western civilization the average person will never be engaged in some form of warfare, nor will they need to hunt for their food with only simple weapons.  Video games now provide people an outlet to do things they never would be able to do, and part of that is changing their appearance.  Of course elsewhere in the world, tattooing and piercing are still required rites of passage for many tribes around the world.  The process is slowly starting to fade away though, as this article from China shows, the native tribes of Taiwan have all but lost their tattooed rituals.

“The Atayal tribe, who used to hunt and farm in the mountains of central and east Taiwan, had a custom of facial tattoos as rites of passage, identification, female beauty and pride for hundreds of years. Mostly the tattoos were on the forehead and cheeks. But, in the eyes of Taiwan’s dominant Han ethnic people, tattoos have long been symbols of barbarity.  ‘Atayal facial tattoos are not only designs, but a set of rituals and etiquettes. Today, our tribal structure has collapsed and facial tattoos have lost their original meanings and functions. I would not like to see the tattoos become superficial decorations.’”

Did someone say superficial?  I guess that means it’s time to wrap things up with the celebrity round-up.  Supposedly some reality TV show guy with a lot of kids got a tattoo with his girlfriend’s name spelled wrong, but because I was afraid of seeing a picture of his ex-wife I couldn’t be bothered to actually go to the links.  The ones I did go to sure didn’t disappoint.  Shockingly Angeline Jolie got another tattoo and somehow the world needed to come to a screeching halt to find out what it meant.  Lebron James seemed to make people angry with a tattoo recently.  Somehow people in the city that he moved away from for more money are upset that he has a tattoo that says “Loyalty“, and want it changed.

The final Harry Potter films have finished shooting and are coming to theaters in a few months.  If you remember, the actors from the Lord of the Rings trilogy all went out and got a commemorative tattoo for the time they spent together filming the Fellowship of the Rings.  I guess the sentiment rubbed off on one of the Harry Potter actors.

Tom Felton has revealed he tried to get the Harry Potter cast to have the boy wizard’s lightning bolt tattooed on their bottoms.  The 22-year-old - who plays Harry’s arch-enemy Draco Malfoy - has filmed the last scenes of the final movie, Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, and wanted his fellow actors to have a lasting memento of their time on set.

And finally, in my favorite kind of story, you can now thank celebrities for giving everyone the idea to get Latin passages tattooed on their skin.  Heck, it’s not only tattoos either.  Kids with names that have Latin roots, and kids taking Latin in schools can all thank David Beckham and Angelina Jolie for starting this trend.

Well, that’s it for this week.  Unless I disappear into the wilderness again the news should be back to it’s regular weekly schedule.  I hope everyone is having a great summer!

Today, I read the sad news that IAM member rebekahsXrevenge succumbed to her long time battle with cancer. I did not know her personally, but she meant a lot to several people  on here and she was a valued member of this community. From what I have read, she seemed like an amazing, strong and inspiring person that any of us would have been lucky to know.

She left behind her husband wmassXedge, as well as countless friends and family, please keep them all in your thoughts.

If anyone who knew her personally cares to share anything, please feel free to do so.

Right now, I have a young lady from Massachusetts with me trying out for a piercing apprenticeship. She said she really liked the “Guess What?” features I do on modblog. I explained to her that I certainly wasn’t the one to come up with the idea, but I do like doing them as well. Since she has done such a delightful job of cleaning up the shop and other miscellaneous task while she was here, I am dedicating this post to her.

For the answer you seek, keep on keeping on.

Genitals, it’s almost ALWAYS genitals. Modblog readers know that by now. These particular genitals acquired their odd appearance by a play session with some string. This could be some sort of bondage play or even temporary chastity play, I am not entirely sure because the picture had no info attached.

My Buddy, Jason Brott aka Penguin Boy is celebrating his birthday today.  In case you are new here, I featured his first suspension on modblog and shortly thereafter that green dude from Lizard Skynard interviewed him here.

There are so few “born freaks” in modern sideshow, we should remember to show  much respect to those who take what other’s would consider a disability and turn it into performance. So be sure and wish ‘ol Jason a happy birthday!

And speaking of criminal tattoos...A collection of 60 tattooed skins (preserved in formaldehyde) taken largely from dead prisoners is the subject of a "photo story" by Katarzyna Mirczak called Preserving the Criminal Code.According to Mirczak, the Department of Forensic... Marisa Kakoulas DiMattia http://www.needlesandsins.com/marisa.html

Check the top right of this site and you'll see our new advertiser: MIR Russian Criminal Tattoo Designs apparel. The clothing line was created by two designers from Russia--now living in Brooklyn--who are inspired by the tattoos from the 40s... Marisa Kakoulas DiMattia http://www.needlesandsins.com/marisa.html

Tami sent me these pictures of a nice scarification piece done by JesseV at Thrive Studios in Cambridge.

I immediately noticed the scars behind her new scarification piece, and assumed you guys would too. Rather than let myself or the commenters make assumptions, I went on and asked her about them.

They are clearly self harm scars, self injury was something that I struggled with for the better part of the last 10 years. It has now been a year since I have hurt myself, and since I first learned about scarification (about 5 years ago) I had decided that someday I want something done to cover up the scars. Not that the scars were embarrasing, but it was just uncomfortable to me to have perfect strangers asking about them, and when I would reply that was just the way my skin was people seemed to be offended.

I have always liked the look of scars and decided that I wanted one that actually looked nice and wanted to show to people. It seemed to make more sense to me to cover up or disguise the existing scars with another scar instead of a tattoo.

To me, this is a perfect example of what body modification can be, an opportunity to reclaim one’s body. This piece turned  something negative into something positive and beautiful and that, to me, is a big part  of why I love body mods so much.

Fore a few more shots, keep on keeping on.

Hi my name is Bear, I have been a part of the Modification Business for quite sometime. I am here today to ask for help. I am a Dialysis patient recieving Social Security benefits. The Social Security Dept, decided to audit my situation, in other words they wanted to know if I was really on dialysis. They have stopped all benefit payments until they can verify that I am on dialysis. They have stated that this could take six months to a year since they are short handed and backed up. I am asking for help and would be humbled by anything anyone can give. If I have offended anyone I am very sorry. The easiest way to help is thru my pay pal account. Thank you so very much.
Bear
Please send anything you can spare to bearbigears@gmail.com on PayPal.

The following is a repost for Marea Vedge:

In an effort to raise funds to help Bear, Pineapple and Marea Vedge are coordinating a raffle. I am asking donations from jewelry companies and anyone else interested in donating their goods. I would gift certificates for tangible items or the items themsleves. Piercing gift certificates are awesome but not great if you live in another state (or country!). If a studio wished to donate something, they could donate items from their stock. If you are an artist and would like to donate your work - rad! All donations are greatly appreciated. Please contact me: marea.vedge@gmail.com for donations and questions. All donations would be needed by August 15th. A website or page will be set up with photos and lists of all raffle prizes. Tickets for the donation can be purchased through Bear’s Paypal link. Each ticket is only $2 (so buy a bunch!). So far we have jewelry donations from: Aesthetics, Equipped for Eternity, Esoteric, and Relic. A tentative raffle drawing date is Saturday, September 4th. Please purchase tickets - you can directly improve the life of one of our peers. Please donate - to sweeten the pot! And please pass the word on! Thank you!

In continuing to highlighting tattoo art featured in my upcoming book, I figured I'll give ya some biomech goodness courtesy of Dan Hazelton.I've been a fan of Dan's work for a while--not just his tattooing but also his airbrush art... Marisa Kakoulas DiMattia http://www.needlesandsins.com/marisa.html

Tattoo Hollywood & Known Gallery are proud to present new works by BOB ROBERTS and BERT KRAK | LADIES WELCOME and the release of Bob Roberts’s first book ever titled “In A World of Compromise…I Don’t”

About the book release:
Tattoo Hollywood Opening Party & Book Release: Thursday, August 19th, 2010 | 8-11pm
We will be selling 100 signed copies at $300.00 plus tax
Pre-order at: info@knowngallery.com

When:
Opening reception: Saturday, July 31st, 2010 | 8-11pm
Tattoo Hollywood Opening Party & Book Release: Thursday, August 19th, 2010 | 8-11pm
Show runs: July 31st - August 19th, 2010

Where:
Known Gallery
441 North Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036

About the artists:

Bob Roberts
The man, the myth, the legend: Bob Roberts. Few people have had the impact on tattooing that Bob Roberts has. His sheer artistic genius is sublime, and his biography reads the same way. For over thirty years he has been part of the vanguard of talented tattoo artists who, unbeknownst to them at the time, have pushed tattooing from a craft to an art form.

The list of artists Bob has worked alongside reads like a star-studded who’s who of the tattoo artist hall of fame, of which Bob would no doubt be a member if such a thing existed. He apprenticed with Colonel Todd and Bob Shaw at the infamous Pike and then worked alongside Cliff Raven, Greg Irons, Paul Rogers, Jack Rudy and Don Ed Hardy. His own shop, Spotlight Tattoo, continues to house a roster of talented artists bent on following in Bob’s footsteps.

Bob’s creative genius is not limited to tattooing and painting, he is also an accomplished musician. His musical career reads much the same as his tattoo resume. Bob has played with Ruben and the Jets, Hot Tuna, The Offs, New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, to name a few. His life has been “rock and roll” as well; Frisco, New York, LA, Europe, Japan, Bob has done the world tour. He’s also ridden across most of the United States on a Harley, and he’s “ridden it like he stole it.” That is how Bob lives his life, and his artwork reflects it.

But the thing that stands out the most to me about Bob is his persona. Ungovernable, fiercely independent, Bob does not compromise…. He does it HIS way. And thankfully for us, Bob Roberts has forever changed tattooing for the better.

-Takahiro “Taki” Kitamura
State of Grace
June 2010

Bert Krak

Loyal husband, father of four, expert tattooer, fine artist , business man, genius. Was born July 12th,1977 in Hollywood, FL. Met his wife in 95. Had his first son in 96. Started tattooing and painting around the year 2000. Currently owns and operates Top Shelf Tattooing in Queens, NY and Smith Street Tattoo Parlour in Brooklyn, NY. Specializes in electric walk up style laser proof tattooing that look like they were drawn and applied by a man.

-

Attention; LOGMAN94

The inside of your philtrum, should NOT look like this.

Thanks, your friends at BMEzine.com

In all honesty, I imagine that LOGMAN94, was submitting this picture to show how bad it looked. However, since it didn’t mention anything about the piercing being problematic in the description and I couldn’t find him on IAM, I figure I best put this warning up………just in case.

It was way past midnight and we had all thoroughly over-served by the bar-staff at the pre-party for the Traditional Tattoo and World Culture Festival.  At this point in our European trip, Marisa and I had gone from tiny airline... Brian Grosz http://www.needlesandsins.com/brian.html

Back in the 80’s when American kids played war, the Russians were always the bad guys. I suppose it was the Cold War era and America didn’t have any actual conflicts going on so we  villainized the Russian’s to have some pretend foes to blast our toy guns off at. Well, I am feeling a bit bad for that now seeing as how many of the modblog worthy submissions sent into BME are coming from Russia these days.

For example, this “Ballerine Suspension” sent to us from Arsenly Anderson, who said “Smertoslava was like a ballerine when being hooked up “.