By Paul Dobleman:
I’d like to thank everyone who participated and sent in an asshole story, it’s been a fun year tattooing you assholes. Cheers to everyone who reads these, hope you like next year’s project… Psychedelic Stories!
The last asshole… December’s asshole of the month is Stuart… (more…)
Chad Koeplinger: Who are some of the tattoo artists that you were interested in at that point? What were you looking at tattoo-wise? What was blowing your mind?
Valerie Vargas: At that point I don’t think I became fully aware of people that I like now until I already started my apprenticeship, because that’s when I was allowed to have a look through the books that for me at the time were way too expensive -I couldn’t afford them. And my boss had all of the Tattootimes. He never looked at them anymore but they were up on the shelf and any time it was quiet I’d have a look. I became more aware of Ed Hardy and more of the West Coast kind of guys. But even then I was still struggling to remember names, I just knew the work. I remember some backpieces that are still pretty awesome. And it was also through my friendship with Stewart in the beginning that he was really on it. He knew who everybody was, what they were doing, and he was totally stoked about everything, and he taught me a fair bit about it… (more…)
Freddy Corbin: When it comes to customers, what is it that a customer might do that bugs you the most? What things drive you the most crazy?
Nick Rodin: A customer that you know doesn’t trust you I think is the worst customer.
Good answer.
Like if they’re just second-guessing everything you do. Because then you start second-guessing yourself, and then you start making mistakes. So uncomfortable… (more…)
Shane Enholm: When is the first time you saw a tattoo?
Freddy Negrete: The first time I was really struck with the whole tattoo thing I was 12 years old. I was raised in a foster home because my parents went to prison. So I was in a foster home and it was a white foster home. I grew up in a white area of San Gabriel but I knew the Mexican community from school. I was a troublemaker white kid so they liked me… (more…)
Small Paul Stottler presents Art of the Dragon at The Hellada Gallery in Long Beach, California on June 8th through the June 10th, 2012. Art of the Dragon features art works from over 50 of the worlds leading tattoo artists inspired by a love for dragons, tattooing and the Chinese zodiac year of the dragon 2012… (more…)
By Paul Dobleman:
Once again, more ass! April’s winner is Hollywood Nelson! I chose this story because it was written so well. Congratulations! Hollywood Nelson, you’re an asshole! She chose the griffin donkey for her collection… (more…)
Story and Photos by Nate Igor Smith
As I write this I am currently on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City on my way home from shooting the Musink tattoo convention and music festival in Orange County, CA. I was out there working for Sailor Jerry and having some fun along the way. Sailor Jerry once again set up a trailer to tattoo bands, promote the brand and host some serious games of corn hole. Dan Smith was doing the tattoos all weekend and tattooed bands like New Found Glory, Bayside, Paramore, Against Me! and a bunch of others… (more…)
By Paul Dobleman:
Once again, many great stories. I chose this one because of its random simplicity and it was original compared to “I spit in my bosses face” type stories. So this asshole also wanted no photo of herself and to remain candid we will call her “Alex” Asshole of the month… (more…)
By Paul Dobleman:
There were a lot of good ones but this is the winner for January and the first asshole of the year! Due to the nature of the story this person wanted to remain candid so we’ll just call him, James. This is James’s story…
By Paul Dobleman
Send me a story via letter or e-mail of why you are the asshole of the month! If your story gets chosen, you win a free donkey tattoo from the asshole of the month flash page. This will be for 2012 only and each winners story that was chosen proving them to be the asshole of the month will be posted on Tattoo Artist Magazine’s blog, along with a picture of themself and the donkey tattoo they chose.
Lindsey Carmichael: But you are not the type of person I know to be affected in a negative way by nonsense. And most of the people who would have negative things to say about the show or whatever—it wouldn’t affect you. From what I’ve seen, in your life- only great, positive things have come of this. So, I’m just wondering, what the experience was like? It seems at times overwhelming, but mostly great…
Dan Smith: Well it’s such a funny thing, because everybody and their dog has an opinion about it. Yet, no one really knows about it. Everyone wants to know about it, and wants to talk about it, but it is what it is. How much thought and energy do you want to put into the fact that it’s a TV show? In order for tattooing to be a TV show, it has to cover some stuff that’s exaggerated, or that might not be 100 percent accurate, or whatever else. That’s just being realistic about what TV is.
LC: It’s a show.
DS: Why should that make you have an opinion about somebody that you don’t know, haven’t met and haven’t had a conversation with? You know? They film for 50 or 60 hours a week and put that into a 45-minute show…
By Paul Dobleman: 
Small Paul Stottler presents Art of the Dragon at The Hellada Gallery in Long Beach, California on June 8th through the June 10th, 2012. Art of the Dragon features art works from over 50 of the worlds leading tattoo artists inspired by a love for dragons, tattooing and the Chinese zodiac year of the dragon 2012… (more…)
Story and Photos by Nate Igor Smith
By Paul Dobleman
Thanks for your support!
