Archive for October, 2009
Sailor Jerry was one of the greats of old school tattoos when they weren’t referred to as old school but just tattoos. Almost everyone with eyes has seen his work somewhere or something inspired by his work. He created some of the most notable tattoos designs to come out of the old school.
Born in 1911 as Norman Collins, it is said he got the nickname Jerry from a donkey named Jerry that his father owned. The sailor part I can only imagine came from his time in the navy.
The navy was where he saw the world. Especially Southeast Asia, where he was influenced heavily for his own artwork. He opened his first shop in Honolulu’s Chinatown. A haven for drunk military men, and one of the only places at that time to get a tattoo.
Most of his tattoo designs where navy inspired. The famous large ship with the words Homeward Bound is one of his most famous designs. He was also notorious for
drawing beautiful women with perfect breasts. Many in military outfits or naked. One tattoo features a brunette appearing naked in a martini glass.
When he died in 1973, Sailor Jerry left specific instructions with his wife that the shop and his artwork where to be offered to his three protégés, Don Ed Hardy, Mike Malone, or Zeke Owen. If neither of them wanted it, the shop and artwork where to be burned to the ground.
Mike Malone decided to take over the business. In the 1980’s when tattoos became more popular Malone teamed up with Hardy to release books of Sailor Jerry Flash to sell to tattoo shops. (Flash- tattoo designs, usually hung on the walls of tattoo shops for customers to see and choose from or get an idea from). Sailor Jerry designs where soon hung on walls of tattoo shops everywhere.
In the 1990’s came the Sailor Jerry Limited brand of tattoo inspired clothing and accessories. The brand has even teamed up with Converse shoes to make sailor jerry chuck taylor’s.
Sailor Jerry brand rum soon came as well. The spiced rum came from a recipe that is said originate from a recipe found among Sailor Jerry’s personal belongings and to be a seafaring style of rum.
There are lots of ways to alter ones state of thinking. The most common way would be to take drugs and get high. But, next time you’re looking for a new high, maybe even one that will last longer than a few hours, look beyond the local drug dealers. Try instead something more along the lines of a body modification, or to be more specific skull modification.
Trepanation, the oldest surgery on the block, is when a hole is made in one’s skull and is said to give them a feeling of a permanent state of enlightenment or being permanently high. Trepanation is also said to relive stress, brain trauma, and I can only assume other mental issues if performed correctly.
When I first read about this, all I could think of was a lobotomy. But then I looked more into what a lobotomy was and 
what a trepanation was. A lobotomy is when connections in the brain are cut. Trepanation is just a hole drilled into the skull. The hole is said to allow more oxygen and blood flow to reach the brain making one feel enlightened.
One man by the name of Dr. Bart Hughes is one person to have has the procedure done, not only that he is the one who performed it on himself in 1965. He came up with the idea that it would work after discovering standing on his head could get him high. He figured to stay permanently high he would have to increase blood flow to his brain so he could get the same feeling he got while standing on his head and decided he had to relieve pressure to his head. Luckily, he was right and did not seriously damage himself. He said he felt fourteen again.
Hughes was not the first to use trepanation. It can be dated back to around 5,000 B.C. due to a trepanated skull being discovered in France dating to around 5,000 B.C. Trepanations are still said to be given in ceremoniously Africa even.
I myself have many days where frustration gets the better of me and drilling a hole in my head sounds like it would be a good way to take the edge off. While it may sound like a great idea to lead someone to enlightenment make sure further research is done and you do not do it on your own or just have a friend take a drill to your head. Like with any modification, piercing, or tattoo, GO TO A PROFESSIONAL! I will not be to blame if you hurt yourself trying to get high.
A fun less permanent idea
This article says an Israeli man died two weeks after getting his tongue pierced from a severe infection which spread to his brain. This is very rare and should not worry people that do the right thing and go to a professional for their piercing.
This is quite rare, I have never heard of an infection getting this bad. Chances are this guy did not go to a sterile place and get pierced. It also sounds like he did not use any aftercare at all.
Also, did not read the fox news rendition of this and take all your information from that. It is very short and does not even say where the man is from. As usual fox is being conservative and making it sound like anyone who gets tongue piercing could easily die soon.
I hear people ask all the time “What is the most painful place to get a tattoo?” Everyone says the on the sides of the ribs. While I have never gotten inked in my ribs but I did recently get inked on my foot. I now think the foot is one of the most painful places to get tattooed. The ribs have more of a chance to have some padding on them unlike the foot. Which is pure bone on the top, the most common foot tattoo spot.
Foot tattoos, while painful, are very fun and easy to show off, especially if you are a girl. Guys, I don’t mean to alienate you but I just don’t see many men with tattooed feet. The only man I remember seeing with one is Ryan Dunn of Jackass and Viva La Bam. Dunn got a math problem tattooed on him for a scavenger hunt in the first season of Viva La Bam.
Foot tattoos are like any other tattoo accept they can take a little extra time to heal. For aftercare I did exactly what I did with my other tattoos. Basically, just follow what your artist says unless you already have an aftercare method of choice. I will soon be posting an aftercare page.
I did use A&D ointment for the first time rather than using ink fix like with my first two tattoos. I think it was slightly irritating to my skin but it still worked even though I did switch to ink fix after I got it back from my friend. Really, it is just a matter of preference.
When going in for a foot tattoo, remember to wear shoes that will not cover the area of the tattoo. Like ballet flats or sandals. And while it’s healing keep the tattoo uncovered. At least for a week or while the major peeling is happening.
Also, like with any tattoo remember to eat shortly before you get it done. They say you will not bleed as much and have less pain. When I got mine done it was still painful and I ate right before I got it done.
With most tattoos the pain eventually subsides a little. The foot is not like most tattoos. It is also not a big place so smaller tattoos are usually what you will get there. This means less time for the tattoo and less pain. Also, make sure to just relax and hold still. My foot kept moving up and down.
Afterwards, there will be swelling up to a few days. The best thing to do is relax and keep your foot up.
There are many rituals in extreme body modification. The ritual of Lip Sewing is where a person has their lips stitched shut for a period of time.
First thoughts one might have include, “what,” “That’s crazy,” “why, that looks painful, how do they eat.” To answer the question of eating, it is done as a ritual not a permanent modification or piercing. It is classified sometimes as a “play piercing” which means not an everyday use piercing.
One use for having one’s lips sewn shut is for meditation purposes. With your lips sewn shut you lose the ability to talk, allowing you to focus on relaxation. It could also be 
done for aesthetic or plain old entertainment reasons.
Usually sutures are used in the procedure which is done loosely to allow air to pass through. Swelling is typical, but permanent scarring is rare with the quick healing holes.
On January 19th, 2002 nearly 60 detainees in an Australian immigrant camp sewed their lips shut in protest of the slow processing of their visas.
When most people think of body piercing they think of a two balls sticking out of someone’s skin, or maybe just one if it is a micro dermal. They do not expect to see the bar of the jewelry sticking out looking like a staple.
Simply put, Flesh Stapling as it is called is pretty much just a long pierce of jewelry made like a staple put into one s skin, but not with a stapler. The staples are flat and put into the skin using a scalpel and skin raiser.
As dangerous as this may look, it is much more likely to heal then pocketing.
Pocketing is when the bar of the jewelry is exposed instead of the ends of jewelry which are under the skin in “pockets”. It has been called the anti piercing by some.
It looks like a staple of some sort and has not been said to heal well. It is also very likely to reject. It has the success rate to normal surface piercings, which is insanely low.
The jewelry is a custom curved bar with smooth ends instead of balls on the end. It is very important that the bar is made correctly for where it is going or else it will not fit.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5EVvhckRcYI&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01&border=1]
The weekend is over, everyone is settling back into the week, just like any other Monday right, well unless you where one of the lucky people in attendance at the Boston Tattoo Convention at the Boston Center for the Arts this weekend. Chances are you have a new tattoo to show off and care for today, or some other cool thing from the convention. If not well then it is probably just another Monday for you. L.
Chances are whoever went may have a new tattoo to show off and care for today. Or some other cool thing from the convention, such as new body jewelry or something from Sailor Jewelry.
I got a new tattoo while there. I’ll admit it was very different getting one at a convention versus going to a shop. Whether you go to an artist with a design in mind or artwork on paper, or just went and just came up with something on the spot it was quite different.
At the convention, at least from what I saw, having an appointment was not as important as it is when going to a shop, especially on the last day. Also, prices seemed to be less about how many hours it took, but more what the tattoo itself was. On the last day some artists had reduced prices.
Anyone was able to easily walk around find an artist they liked and get a design drawn up on the spot, get a price, and get the tattoo right then and there. I am sure if someone did have to wait it was probably not to long. Just until another tattoo was done. But tattoos are bad to rush so waiting is understandable.
I got mine by Ms. Mikki who came all the way from Oregon to be there. While looking at her portfolio she also showed be more examples of her work online because she was smart enough to bring a laptop. She did not draw out a design beforehand, she just freehanded it on my skin.
outline
I got a basic sunflower on my foot with a small amount of blue shading around it. I will say foot tattoos do hurt; it was more painful than my calf or shoulder due to all the bones and lack of muscle and fat covering them. (I will post on foot tattoos once it is done healing). It was also weird having people all around, unlike a a shop where it is normally just you
finished foot tattoo
and he artist maybe a few other people.
There were non tattoo related things as well around the convention. Their where many body jewelry vendors, such as Tummy toys. There were also clothing vendors. Of course Sailor Jerry was their. Also, there were a few booths selling supplies for tattoo artists.
Also, there was a Daredevil show and Burlesque show, but I was not lucky enough to se either of these due to only being there for the last afternoon and getting a tattoo for most of time their.
Ms. Mikki can be found on her Myspace page here. She also has a website here
