MEAGAN AVILA ★ FRANKIE FICARRA ★ TALISMAN BODY ART BUYER’S GUIDE FOR BODY MODIFICATION PROFESSIONALS APRIL 2020 #215 USA $10.00 Canada $10.00 Publications Mail Agreement #40069018 PAINMAGAZINE 6 onthecover APRIL #215 content Feature 14 The Old(er) School Ask Angel What does it take to be Ultimate? Blood, passion 16 and determination; It’s that simple. It’s in the Rings, Studs, & Angles DNA. It’s the relentless dedication, the drive to be the absolute. We’re not here because we wanted to create another tattoo supply shop. Company Spotlight We’re not here because we thought we could 19 do it better. We’re here because we did. Stiletto Tattoo Supply Over 3000 Products Whether you're looking for inks, machines, shop Product Spotlight supplies, permanent makeup or anything else 26 Metal Mafia related to the tattoo industry, we have you covered. 50+ Years Decades of experience and a lifetime of work. Shop of the Month None of that was in vain. It was the driving 27 Talisman Body Art force behind the recognition that our industry was evolving. The PAIN Magazine 1 Website 32 It's in the name. Everything we do and every Advertising Options brand we carry, by definition, the creme of the crop, the top of the pile, the best; ultimate. 40 PAINful Music: The cover was designed by Rob Schwager & What’s the deal with coolships? photograph by Alina Kolberg [email protected] GalleryShows & Expos ultimatetattoosupply.com 42 2nd Council Bluffs Tattoo Arts Convention 866.833.7175 See page Inside Back Cover PAINMAGAZINE 8 Artist Profile PAIN Favs PAIN FAVS 20 Brian Hubis 22 Meagan “Megz” Stevens 24 Frank Ficarra advertisers 3 Wishes Tattoo Supply 18 Body Shock 11 Business for Sale 18 CBD Tattoo Relief 13 CHAMPS Trade Show 44 Shop of the Month Desert Palms Emu Ranch Aftercare 17 27 Talisman Body Art Exposed Temptations Tattoo 15 Face and Body 3 Hell City Tattoo Fest 7 Hulk Professional Super Bond 11 Ink Defense All Natural Tattoo Care 18 Ink Mania Tattoo Expo 6 Metal Mafia IFC-1 Neilmed Piercing Aftercare 2 Shining Light Body Jewelry 5 Stiletto Piercing Supply 4, 19, Back Cover Expo’s & Shows Technical Tattoo Supply 13, 41 2nd Council Bluffs Ultimate Tattoo Supply IBC, COVER, 36 Tattoo Arts Convention PAINMAG.COM Frank Ficarra (needles) of My Pride Tattoo page 24-25 ello and welcome to the April issue, dear painters and augmenters of the flesh canvas. We hope you’re enjoying the warming of the air and the lengthening of the days as much as we are, and that you’ve already jumped through Hthe necessary hoops to keep the Taxman at bay for another year. Old Uncle Sammy needs his sugar, so make sure you fork it over. He gets awfully cranky when his levels drop. While we’re on the subject of calendar-based pleasantries, happy Easter and a joyous stoner holiday to all of you. To those of you who are giving out pot-themed flash tats for $42 on 4/20, we salute you. To those of you who hadn’t thought of that yet, you’re welcome. It’s what we’re here for. We’ve got a fantastic issue put together for you. As always, it’s chock-full of solid tips and savvy tricks, along with a healthy helping of tattoo eye candy. And as a bonus for the nerds this month, we’ve put together a short history piece highlighting some of the pioneers of tattooing. No, we’re not talking about Lyle Tuttle or Sailor Jerry. We reached back further—back to the carnival days. Take a peek, give it a read and add a wrinkle to your brain. Meanwhile, enjoy your month of April and all the festivities within. We’ll see you after the showers have brought the flowers, or what- ever it is they say. v PAINMAGAZINE 10 whoweare Publisher Ralph Garza Editor-In-Chief R Cantu Account Executive Jennifer Orellana [email protected] 505-332-3003 Managing Editor Sandy Caputo [email protected] Art Director Ethan Hunt [email protected] Contributing Writers Elayne Angel David Pogge Austin Ray Darin Burt Tanya Madden Executive Assistant Richard DePreist [email protected] 505-275-6049 9901PAIN MagazineAcoma Rd. SE Albuquerque, NM 87123 [email protected] General Inquiries: www.painmag.com Printed in Canada Publications Mail Agreement #40069018 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: 737 Moray St., Winnipeg MB, Canada, R3J 3S9 contacts 505-275-6510 Fax 505-275-6049 Editorial PAIN DIGITAL Digital Ad Sales: Jennifer Orellana [email protected] 505-332-3003 Guidelines: Resolution: 72 dpi File Format: JPG, PNG File Size: 1mb Submit artwork: [email protected] Copyright 2020 PAIN Magazine. All rights reserved. Published monthly by Pain, Inc. Subscriptions available for $39/year (U.S. funds). Send requests to address listed above. Please mail address changes, and include label from previous issue. For all other information call (505) 275-6049. For submission guidelines, log on to our website at www.painmag.com. Pain, Inc. assumes no responsibility for contents herein. Opinions expressed in articles are strictly those of the writer. PAINMAGAZINE 12 painfeature lright, kids. Take your seats and pay attention. Today, we’re going to learn a little history. Tell me, what names come to mind when you think of “old school” tattoo artists? Lyle Tuttle? Ed Hardy? Mike Malone? Sailor Jerry? Fair and respectable choices; by today’s standards, they are definitely old school. But what about the older school? Everyone we’ve mentioned worked mostly in the second half of the 20th century, but The Aanyone with a rudimentary understanding of American tattoo history knows that the traditional style really came into vogue at the end of the 19th century. Who preceded our great predecessors? Who influenced our influencers? Obviously, there were hundreds who contributed to the iconic style we now call American Traditional, but we don’t have room to cover more than a few. Thus, we’ve curated a small list of three tattoo legends we think you should know about. Enjoy, but please under- Old(er) stand that the histories we are providing here are painfully brief. Consider it a move to save paper. We love trees, etc. Oh, and one other thing. While we’re on the subject of history, you should know Sailor Jerry spent School most of his life sober—and he definitely never came up with a spiced rum recipe. That’s all. Carry on. Getting to Cap Coleman who by then had already achieved legendary As far as American artists, it really doesn’t get status. The two parted ways five years later after much more O.G. than Agustus “Cap” Coleman. the Norfolk City Council banned tattoo parlors Know Your Hailed as one of America’s best tattoo artists and Rogers moved to Jacksonville, NC, where throughout the ‘20s, ‘30s and 40s, Coleman he teamed up with Huck Spaulding to form the was known for his distinctive style, bold lines world-ren owned tattoo supply company, Roots: A Brief and impressive use of shading. Legend has it Spaulding & Rogers. He moved to Jacksonville, that he was obsessed with perfection and exhib- FL in 1963, and in 1970, began building his History Lesson ited a confidence in his own work that bordered now-famous tattoo machines out of a small tin on narcissism. Born in Ohio in 1885, Coleman shack, which he dubbed the “Iron Factory.” It is is believed to have lived more or less as a carny for this reason that tattoo machines are referred in his early years, working in a variety of to as “irons” to this very day. Rogers had a stroke sideshows and traveling festivals, wherein he in 1988, allegedly 60 years to the day that he began actively collecting tattoos. Back in those began his career. He passed away in a nursing days, the traveling shows were the primary outlets home two years later, at age 84. in which the public sought out tattoo artists. In fact, the term, “flash,” originated in the carnival Bert Grimm circuit, initially referring to the artwork that carnie Bert Grimm is an icon of America tattooing, tattooers would post up in hopes of luring festival revered as a pioneer who made countless contri- goers into their booths. Coleman acquired so butions to the trade and arguably set the standard many tattoos that he would eventually exhibit of professionality that is still followed today. Born himself as the “Human Picture Gallery” in a trav- in Greene, MO in 1900, Grimm ran away from elling carnival called the Sheesly Shows before home at the age of 15 and made his living in the opening his own tattoo parlor in Norfolk, VA carnival/sideshow circuit. It was during this time around 1920. He passed away amid mysterious that he first learned to tattoo and began to do it circumstances in 1973, when he allegedly fell professionally, but he eventually abandoned the into the Elizabeth River behind his house and carny lifestyle to seek out mentors who could help drowned, just a few days after his 89th birthday. him hone his craft. This personal pilgrimage took To this day, Coleman is remembered as one of him from the Midwest to Portland, OR and then the most important and influential tattoo artists down to Los Angeles, CA, before he returned to of the early American tradition. Missouri to open a shop of his own in St. Louis. Over his 70-year career, Grimm became a Paul Rogers legend, having developed his own niche within Paul Rogers isn’t far behind Cap Coleman on the American traditional style; a less-is-more the O.G.