A SMALL SURVEY FOR US

Hey Guys, it's ol' Daddy Rose, and I'm just interested... after talking to so many folks in the family, I just realized I don't know who all the artists are, and which folks are actually collectors like myself. This information is used for not a damned thing, except for my own personal interest when I'm talking to you guys, but If you'd care to weigh in, it would be nice to know who's who in La Familia... I'll Start: 1. Daddy Rose. Graphic Designer and Artist of over 15 Years... Collector: Not a Tattoo artist.

2. Krystof- Professional shmuck and I do tattoos on the side.

TAz...tattoo artist...hated world wide!

Only in some circles. I love ya. (smootch on bald head) now why aren't you answering my emails, and where's my fuckin' fish? (lol)

Hotspark:Millwright,Boiler-pressure vessel and power piping certified welder,Tinker,Tattoo Machine builder and collector

TCE: Apparent guinea pigman..............alternating; collector, car builder, photographer, drummer, roadie, cyclist, weight lifter, trucker, honest to a fault asshole.

rasclarke - advertising executive, astrologer, broadcaster, card-reader, substance-abuse therapist, novelist, motorcycle enthusiast, actor/director, sports journalist, hypnotist, playwright, ordained minister, ex-husband, ex-convict, ex-tattoo-doer (as opposed to "artist"), ex-boozehound, and canvas for my more talented friends. in the Caribbean, we have to multi-task!

Father, jeweller, artist, entrepreneur, real estate renovate/flipper, computer nerd, Collector and patient tattoo artist wannabe.

theval: Collector, art student, military chick, Kung Fu Carebear

student, phlebotomist, tattoo lover, shit-talker, coffee addict, post-rocker, emo-basher, secular humanist, internet junkie. okay I think I went a little too far but that was fun.

hey Rasclarke...do we have a pic of ya man? On the tattoonow family site I mean?...I f not we need one!!! We enjoy your wit and sense of humor!!! And welcome to our family!!!...TAz Al My e-mail has been doing funny shit lately...sorry I will go through it and answer....and I am working on yer damn fishy wishy!!!

teacher, learner, parent educator, teacher trainer, friend of tattoo artists near and far, friend to other people too, tattoo shop owner, tattooed mama, big sister to many, traveller, one-time rodeo girl, long time city chick, know-it-all, partner and wife of the bird geek gabey mr. tattooNOW, on-call translator (for aforementioned geek)

Deirdre/ahlyn Student- Double Major in Creative Writing and English Literature, member Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honors Society (I'm awfully proud of that), Dean's List....yadda yadda yadda Intern and Helper Monkey- Tattoonow.com Collector- I have a set of rib panels I'm working on that are actually my first tattoo. The left side is done for now, the great Tree of the Valar, Telperion the White. My right side will end up being the other Tree, Laurelin the Golden. Yay Tolkien! Artist- I guess....I'm awfully wish washy on the subject. I draw a great deal, I do alot of computer aided design work...Photoshop, Illustrator, Fireworks...stuff like that. Now all I'm missing is an Objective statement and I'll have a nice little resume. Oh, I'm also from New Jersey and hate...and yet love... and then hate some more...the Midwest. So I offer you the off-cited New Jersey credo as my objective statement. "I'm from New Jersey. I curse a lot. I never had school on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. I sure as hell dont pump my own gas. I know what real pizza tastes like, and I know that a bagel is more than a roll with a hole in the middle. All good nights usually end at a diner, preferably with fries. It's a sub, not a hoagie or worse, a hero, and I wash it down with soda, not pop. Two words: mother fucker. And I don't go to the beach-I go down the shore. I judge people by what exit they are off the parkway. I know 65 mph really means 80. When someone cuts me off, they get the horn and the finger.. and they expect it. I'm from New Jersey, and I fucking love this place."

Dana- art therapist, I love and know a little about many art forms but not really good at a single one, soon to be collector!

You forgot "won't post her picture" (lol)

Gabe. Own TattooNOW and Off the Map Tattoo. Collector: Not a Tattoo artist.

Ahlyn, what's with the no pumpa your own gas? I drove through Oregon last year on the way up to Canada, and you can't pump your own gas there either....................I hate people touching my cars!!!!! Especially some grease monkey with tools and oily rags sticking out of their pockets!! Even if you could find full service here, I don't think you'd want to pay for it. Plus they give you the finger, and then a bullet, so that you'll remember the finger!! TCE

bee - sales rep, former retail whore, south jersey native but most recently an arizona resident (previously north dakota, hampton roads va, and ny). soon to be a mom. obsessed with watching artists at work -- down to the technical aspects. Collector. i'm artistic, but I know what side of the machine I belong on, and that one should never be in my hands. gotta agree with ahlyn's/diedre's nj credo but switch it up a bit: I'm from South Jersey. I curse a lot. I never had school on Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur, or any Catholic (no matter how minor) holiday. I sure as hell dont pump my own gas. I know what real pizza tastes like, I've had homemade custard, and I know that a bagel is more than a roll with a hole in the middle. All good nights usually end at a diner, preferably with fries. It's a HOAGIE, with HERR's potato chips and I wash it down with soda, not pop. They're jimmies not sprinkles. Main phrase: fuckin' a. And I don't go to the beach-I go down the shore. I've gone to AC just for kicks and come home 2-4 hours later. I judge people by what exit they are off the parkway. I know 65 mph really means 80. When someone cuts me off, they get the horn, the finger, and me tailgating their ass.. and they expect it. I'm from South Jersey, and I fucking love this place. (Oh, and one day South Jersey will succede from it's northern counterpart.)"

Oh whateve! Go! We don't want you! (and the bitter hatred between north and south continue) I'm from Byram..Sussex County :^) And as for not pumping your own gas....do you know how fucking cold it gets in the Northeast? One Nor'easter later and you'll understand the value of full service.

i'm originally from voorhees, but spent the majority of my life in glassboro/gloucester county. ha and i'm half-joking about separating. ;) gotta admit though, two totally different ways of life going on in that small state. however, i AM jealous of north Jersey's grease trucks!! mm that food is heaven, but hell on the belly. i still can't get used to pumping my own gas. nor am i used to getting the evil eye if i don't tip the guy for pumping my gas -- hey. he gets paid to do that. i'll give him a tip if he washes my windows... !

Yeah...and in reality there is no price difference between full service and self serve in New Jersey, so you might as well stay in your car. They want to make everything self-serve I heard, it makes my fucking blood boil! Yeah, North and South Jersey are completely different. South Jersey has the "accent" you know, the jersey accent we're all supposed to have, but no one does except for the Bridge and Tunnel crowd. Gloucester is not a bad county...I love Sussex and Morris though. You know what else I love? Weird NJ. That magazine was and is the cat's pajamas, even though they tried to bastardize it with Weird US. Only our proud state is so fucked up that we can have a whole magazine dedicated to how strange it is.

Wow!! I didn't know this was to be an in depth type of thing! Ok I'll give it a shot!... I'm TAz ...Tattoo artist/ shop owner, Father of 4 great brats and grandfather to Virgil ( 2 yrs old and my bestest buddy!) and almost gramps to Gracie Vey( to be joining us in september!)...Musician,College grad( fine arts and engineering drawing) TattooNOW NAZI...Expert in apprentice torture...lover of Rob Giustis HOTSPARK tattoo machines...I love explosives and halucinogens ( preferably together!)Uncle to the greatest set of twins ever born( the Rose twins Audrey and Kenyon) and Uncle to the cutest little chick ever (MIA KATT!) And Uncle to many many more to boot...I have a terminal disease...I hate spammers...I have been a bouncer nearly all my adult life and I still do bounty hunting/skip tracing...I love to visit New Jersy (cause of the hot chicks and the SUBS with SODA and all the cool diners) but I wouldn't wanna live there! ( I would be afraid D would hunt me down and gut me like a fish!) Oh Yeah!...I collect and restore rare hearses...Well there ya go!!! And D and Bee...Loved the NJ descriptions!!!!...TAz

weird nj is why i still use myspace - i joined their group thing for directions to sites etc and to share pics of places... accent? i don't know. mine is all sorts of messed up from moving around so much. for example if i'm super exhausted or furious you might here a few 'yalls' and a bit of spanish and maybe even some farsi thrown in there. the only thing i've noticed really is that 'yous guys' <-- drives me crazy. otherwise.. i always thought our accent was that we pronounce things how they're spelled (like route - some people say 'root' but many say 'rowt') and yeah. corzine wants to get rid of the full service, or charge an additional tax for the full service. redonkulous. he's also implemented 7% tax and taxing everything including meds, clothing, food, and services. he's not my favorite nj gov -- in fact, he might rate lower than C.T. Whitman -- which i thought was impossible! i can't believe how much has changed since i moved in jan.

My turn.... Sir J-werk, (Jason) Knight of Search Engines (until I was usurped by Bee) plus many of the metaphoric dubbed titles I have given myself. I live in Missouri. We don't go the beach or down to the shore. We head down to the fishin' pond. We worsh our dungerees. North, South, East, and West or the only directions we understand. But if that doesn't work for ya, then everything is caddywompus and antygodlin to each other. I live in a town that is divided into three sections; The North End, The South End, and The Rest. Everyone thinks they are better than the Rest and the Rest think they're better than everyone else. We have festivals to celebrate this. We don't have real pizza or bagels, we have day old dounuts and Casey's Convienent Store. We are unbias... We elected a dead man for Governor. During the daylight hours I am employeed by this beloved state as a security officer at a mental hospital 5-days a week. The other 2-days I can be found at Painted Angel Tattoo and Piercing Studios apprenticing. At night you can find me in bed. I am a son and a brother. I'm a romantic and a fool. I am a self-taught everything and am far from figuring it out. I'm OCD about showers and starbursts. I am a Lord of the Ring geek but I'm the hottest geek you will every meet. I usually have a hard time speaking my mind because it is smarter than I am. I just want someone to play with....J

Doctor John;Tattoo Artist for over 40 years, Studio owner for 24 years, Viet Nam vet - U.S.M.C. Force Recon, single dad with a great 10 year old son, admirer of GOOD tattoos and generally nice guy, until you fuck with the things I respect/care about and an straight talking,opinionated old guy who likes/respects good people but has little patience with assholes or stupidity or ignorance, even less with anyone who disrespects the profession I love and respect. And proud member of the TattooNow Family.

Ahlyn, Bee, I know how cold it gets..................I grew up in Chicago............and I pumped my own gas then too.....................like I said, I don't like people fuckin' with my vehicles. I don't even take new vehicles in for service anymore, because if they fix one thing, they fuck something else up!!!! It's just a guy thing........... I passed through Jersey last year...................hmmmm..................I guess you have to live there to understand. TCE

Mortis- Man Whore/Tattoo Artist ( 25+ yrs), Currently not working due to health reasons. Avid Biker, Father of 2 wonderfull children. Hold titles in both Scotland, and England as Lord (land/estate owner), legally Ordained Minister, Knight of The Chivalric Order of Saint Daniel the Prophet, Pontifical Military Guard of the Orthodox Faith of The Santa Sophia, B.A. Fine Arts, Artist, Poet, Master Swordsman, B.M.F. and collector of junk motorcycles, did I mention Man Whore? Mortis

My God the wonderful things we are learning about tyhe mambers of our little family!!!!...A fuggin LORD no doubt! Who woulda thunk it?...Now I will forever have an image of Mortis ridin his scooter down the road in full armor wavin around a very sharp sword!!! How the hell are ya Mortis...I guess I should say Lord Mortis and use the formal name now that I know huh?,,,,but how are ya man?, we missed ya!!!

WOW! This is fuckin' great stuff! I had no idea I was gonna get all this! Look how much depth there is to you Black Sheeps!

Guess I can probably do a little better... here... I'm a 41 year old award-winning Art Director and Graphic Designer. I am the head of Visual Communications for the Denver campuses of a National University. I'm a very active and outgoing person. I'm a third degree black belt in Kung Fu San Soo, a Southern Chinese martial art style, and an avid mountain biker. I'm lucky enought to ride a black Yeti 575. I am the proud daddy of my Twin 6-year old girls. Those little girls are my whole life, and I am a very, very lucky daddy. Oh yeah, I play bagpipes too. Really freaking well. I've got some Scottish blood, so I honor that aspect of my roots.I play guitar too, but honestly, not nearly as well as bagpipes. I'm also very open minded, and about as far as judgemental as you can get. Except for blatant stupidity. I have a hard time with that. Oh, and bad grammar. That really bugs me to. I'm really into spirituality. I love art, music, guitars, nature and good people. I respect honesty, kindness, courtesy and compassion. I'm not down with people who use their religious beliefs as an excuse to persecute other people, and I'm not down with people who use their religeous beliefs to get a "cleansing" on Sunday mornings after being an a-hole Monday through Saturday. I have friends that range from Harley Bikers to Hippies.

Still fighting the good fight man, I think its going to get better for me, but its going to be a while yet, just trying to take things slowly for a while i guess. And, Hell ya, I'd love to be able to ride around with a sword in hand.....but they warned me about those laws last time.....heh I was amazed at everyones postings on this, we are definately a motley crew of above average intelect people, and it looks as if we are all pretty much over achievers as well. and wow are we a diverse bunch. You all know that we were all somehow drawn together........most likely 'cause none of us are fit for deacent and moral human contact............LOL Mortis

tattoo artist(8yrs.)jacksonville,fl. husband/father better at tattooing than being a husband or a father but hell i try..at least once a week in between beers anyway...

tattoo artist(8yrs.)jacksonville,fl. husband/father better at tattooing than being a husband or a father but hell i try..at least once a week in between beers anyway...

full time art whore..........

Fat Daddy and Karma...how about pics? Make it official!!!...TAz

taz ill send you some stuff shortly...

taz ill send you some stuff shortly...

Al- Clearly, you are not lazy. If you were lazy like myself, and indeed, all of my friends, kicking back in the car and having someone do work is mighty fine. It's not a guy thing...it's a lazy thing. One day the laziness will overtake you as well...like a warm gooey avalanche of takin' it easy. Soon you'll find yourself saying things like "Hey, where's the fire, lets slow it down a little", then, and only then, will you truly have arrived . And yes, still no picture. Taz- I don't hunt, the boys and men come to me. Plus I'm lazy, see above. Bee- Uh, fucking New Jersey rocks. I know you didn't really say anything that demanded a response, but you can't ever go wrong with that. You know what else I fucking rocks about New Jersey? Smoking, indoors. Although, it is pretty funny to pass a bar in the City during the winter. Oh so many smokers doing the "Searing cold yet I survive on nicotine" dance. What can I say, I'm a sadist.

Er, That first part of my post goes to TCE too. Actually, it goes to everyone....let the gooey warm avalanche overtake you.

Also, I say Root-80....none of that "rowt" crap.

Fat Daddy is a Buddha Basher!!! Fat Daddy is a Buddha Basher!!!!

you haven't been to NJ lately!! (although it does, and always will rock) I visited there in May -- they had JUST passed that law where smoking in public was banned. No smoking in bars, restaurants, diners, public parks, beaches, anywhere. The only places that it's NOT banned at are the AC casinos (go figure!) They were also considering a bill to prohibit distractions while driving, making it a secondary offense (like seatbelts) -- focusing on smoking and eating while cruising the highways. (cell phone already passed a long time ago). Ha. and certain counties (gloucester being one of them) you are not allowed to drink outside anymore -- i think they did this mainly to go after the college kids -- even in your own backyard. But, that's hard to enforce unless your neighbors want to play spy and report you. craziness

damn im catching hell today..sorry about being a buddha basher is wasn't intentional..but if you think it was...fuck it, it was...besides who worships the little fat guy anyway...lol..

taz, i sent you some pics...

Blargh, I was supposed to go back home last week but my mom had another "episode". Urgh, it makes me so angry I can only convey my hatred in onomatapias. They passed that cell phone thing I think my freshman year in highschool (Good ol' Lenape Valley Regional, the nicest lil' torture chamber in jersey) but you know, they keep passing this stuff but I've never really seen anyone pulled over for it. There's too many people going 90-100 mph for them to care about cell phones that much...I think it's more of a secondary thing when they get you. God those fucking troopers...although I have to say I've gotten out of every ticket except for one in NJ, mostly because of my boobs I would have to say. They're pretty useless fat sacks until you get pulled over by a trooper. I like going home, because I can get linguini carbonara and stromboli, and not spaghetti noodles with ketchup like they serve out here (yet another lesson garnered from Goodfellas). God, what I would do for some stromboli right now...delicious hot mozzarella packed.... I have to stop now, because I'm getting extremely hungry and angry at the same time.

Okay Fat Daddy, I have meditated on this problem for a while... Your ancestors say the only way for you to make amends is to get yourself to a chinese restaraunt, Sit in the front greeting area with a bowl of Andes chocolates in your lap, and let customers rub your belly for luck for 4 hours with only one potty break.

Bermuda born custom artist & Tattooist ...Thats about it... i'm boring like that

as long as shes fine she can rub whatever she wants..

Mike: tattoo shop owner / tattoo artist / married (second time) / proud father of three / ex-military (army engineer-demolition ordinance) half Canadian, part irish & scotish. Born in LA, raised (if you call it that) in Upstate NY (Ithaca), then to Florida, now in Wisconsin. Degrees in Computer Information Systems, Criminal Justice (now no one will talk to me..lol). Quit school at 16, 17 joined the military, did 8 yrs. Just found my true calling.....I am that annoying dude Taz talked about.....lol

D. Yes, some day laziness will overtake me, when I'm dead!! And I'll finally lose some weight too, and sleep while doing it................So, it's a win win situation all around. Tim

Meh, I move around too much in every day life, some of it voluntary, most of it not. When I have free time, I like to lay around and read and have things brought to me. Like gas.

Ooooooo, I never like gas brought to me................or from me. Now, YOU lying around sounds cool. Me lying around, never cool. My metabolism quit at 40.................. TCE

And Lord Mortis, Of course we're all over achievers................we have tattoos to pay for!!! TCE

tattoonow lurker, occasional contributer. raised mennonite, now a full fledged heathen. butcher of the english language, dog trainer, tattoo enthusist and collector, musician, bicycle nerd, obnoxious lover, student of the world I will soon to move to NC to work for a nonprofit group and live off a spipend from the government. stipend= enough money for food and toilet paper I am very intolerant of intolerant people.

ink-junkie tattoo artist / body piercer father, nitro RC car freak i love those things. mini truck owner. prostitute killer, i mean UMMMM never mind that.

Lady killer, that's what you meant.............right!?! Wink ;^@

prostitutes aren'r really ladies. it's just a hobby of mine nothing to worry about

I'm Jeremy. Unemployed punk teenager :). Starting school this fall, will be majoring in Graphics Design. I'm an aspiring artist from Oregon, hoping to one day be a tattoo artist. I live in San Diego now, and spend my days drawing, listening to music, looking for a job, and getting ready to start school. In the meantime I'm working on saving my money so I can afford all the art Im hoping to have done on me. Lets see...yup, that's about it. Squeezing myself into the forum!

Sceatcher, Scratcher, Scratcher

Bad John, baaaaaaaaaaaad John....go lay down now.

Valarie ~ collector; wife; dog mom; animal rights advocate; medical billing genius; photographer; TV junkie; musicain wannabe; daughter; sister; aunt; volunteer; horse freak; graduate school slave; friend; organizer; general all around weirdo

Ducky --> Soon to be collector, and round about annoyance :D

Callie-collector, love to watch the whole process, interior designer, MLT student, wife, vegetarian, mom to-3 dogs, cat, chinchilla, tortoise, 2 aquariums.

Great stuff guys!! Makes ya all seem real!!

Amber - waitress, philosophy/art student, painter, collecter, and snake collector..

Callie, I noticed that you were an interior designer..(I'm in school for that at the moment) so I have a question for you. Do you feel like your tattoos will ever get in the way of a job? I think what I mean, is that do you feel that you need to cover them when working around clients, or do your clients for the most part just accept and/or ignore them? I just ask because even though it's an artistic career field, it's also one of those office type of career fields. I know that a lot of office work environments don't really like tattoos everywhere. I really hope that all made sense. :o) theval

theval, Most of my tattoos are covered with normal clothing. I do have one on my foot/ankle that shows when I wear dress shoes and a skirt or pants that move up win I sit down. I also have one on my shoulder that shows through white shirts. I don't try to hide these unless I know I am meeting with a client that may be older or more conservative. After the first meeting I will judge weather or not I need to continue to hide it. I did notice while in school that there were a lot of other students who also had tattoos. I think a lot of designers have them, but the hide them for the most part. Most people just smile when they see mine though. After they see me drive up in my VW New Beetle they understand I am "different", fun, and artsy. Callie

Ladies, I can tell you from working in the design field for so long, especially subcontracting to Interior designers (I was the National Art Director for this really big homebuilder you've all heard of before I decided to give something back and teach) that nobody really worries about visible tattoos that much, but out of courtesy, if your ink isn't really really fantastic, you might wear clothes that cover up just for business meetings. Not that we shouldn't all be proud of our art, but business meetings are just that... business. Not really a place to show off our art. Not a big deal. HOWEVER, right or wrong, and we could argue that all day, facial piercings do not seem to be the dress code for the bus. world. Little teeny nose diamond seems to have become acceptable to a certain extent, but if you've got any tounges, eyebrows, lips, I'd get rid of those if you expect to be sucessful in a business where you have face to face contact with the type of clients you have described. Good luck!

Meredith. finishing a theology degree with a minor in youth work.. live in Toronto, 21, married... both me and him tattooed, mostly with self-designed work. Right now.... sitting at the desk in my summer admin. assistant job... I could NEVER do this full time. I'm seriously looking at what else I'm going to do in addition to youth pastoring, because we're usually paid worse than mcdonald's employees... I think tattoing might be it, but I want to make really sure.

Fawlty36, collector of fine art on my body. Oxygen Technician. Music lover. Family man. Looking to the future of tattooing.. peace

Come on some of you newbies need to say who you are!

I think I already did this.. but.. Amber - Waitress at Steak N' Shake (yea, I get to wear a bow-tie at work), psychology/art student, tattoo collector, painter, and snake/owl/bat enthusiast..

I was a former snake enthusiast,,,,,,,,,,,,,and raptors too,,,,,,,,,,,,,but they cost more to feed than a dog or cat!! A love bite from a pet rattlesnake and a home visit from the Feds put an end to all my fun. TCE

I've got a 3 1/2 foot long ball python named Ignacious. I also at one point had 5 corn snakes living with me, but they've all moved out to the homes they're supposed to be in. I'm celebrating my new found space in my bedroom with a new desk..

Tattoo artist / machine collector / machine builder / firearm collector / skateboarder / painter / train bomber ;) / boa collector / mechanic / guitarist / blah blah blah.... (insert clever comment here) 7

Ya know what they say..............once you go venomous, you can't go lack.

xDarkesthourx .. xMiserySignalsx .. tattoo apprentice .. worlds greatest lover

Sum Bitch! I've been usurped to the world's second greatest lover!

I've been lurking for quite awhile now so I figured this would be a good opportunity to introduce myself. I'm a Sales Manager for a Bread Company. Father of 3 grown men and Grandfather of a beautiful 2 yr old girl. I love football, muscle cars and collecting tattoos. I have a 69 Firebird that is my toy. I have work done from 3 different artists and cant wait to get more.

Well then let me be the first to welcome you out from the shadows! Feel free to to contribute whenever you like, Dan!! No need to be a stranger!

o and my name is landon i'm a lil overwieght and im 24. i use to come on alot then never did.. now i do again, i came on posting about tattoo schools. now i have an apprenticeship. which im glad i listend to everyones reply on here and said to seek one out. but other then being the worlds greatest lover i like to take pictures, listen to all of music, anything from the postal service, death cab for cutie to i killed the prom queen.. theres probly some more things aswell. but thats all im typin for now

o and my name is landon i'm a lil overwieght and im 24. i use to come on alot then never did.. now i do again, i came on posting about tattoo schools. now i have an apprenticeship. which im glad i listend to everyones reply on here and said to seek one out. but other then being the worlds greatest lover i like to take pictures, listen to all of music, anything from the postal service, death cab for cutie to i killed the prom queen.. theres probly some more things aswell. but thats all im typin for now

Welcome Landon...TAz