Professional Documents
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Inked Culture
I N KED G I RLS
O F SU M M ER
THE
sex
ISSUE
FEATU RI N G
MACHINE
GUN KELLY
PLU S +
BO N N I E ROTTEN
J OAN NA AN G EL
CAM I LI
E X C L U S I V E A RT BY - N I K K O H U RTA D O - D A N S M I T H - B J B E T T S - C A R L O S TO R R E S
SE PTE MBE R 18 TH -20 TH
CU R ATED BY
M U RR AN BILLI
PAINTING INSTRUCTORS
[1] Micheal Hussar
[2] David Kassan [3] Shawn Barber
TATTOOING INSTRUCTORS
Nikko Hurtado | Mike Demasi
Randy Englehard | London Reese
Boris | Kamil | BJ Betts
Bob Tyrrell | Andy Engle
and many more of the worlds’ elite
1 2 3
30 BONNIE ROTTEN
40 BARBIES
52 MGK
70 CAMI LI
76 SWEDISH KILLER
Cover One: Bonnie Rotton; photo: Christian Saint; stylist: Savannah Wyatt; hair: Kate Alley; make up: Jenai Chin; nails: Casandra Lamar.
Cover Two: Machine Gun Kelly; photo: Brian Ziff; stylist: Mia Colona + Ryan Ulsh.
AFFLICTIONCLOTHING.COM | INKEDSHOP.COM
EMBRACE THE LIFESTYLE.
contributing writers
jonah bayer, matt bertz, anja cadlek, nick fierro, gil macias, robert mccormick, tyler trykowski,
jessica wilde, yallzee
contributing photographers
angrymoon, robert alvarado, dwayne michael campbell, daniel hanson, sophy holland, danil kolodin,
igor koshelev, michael kraus, ashley letourneau, mark mann, bradley meinz, sebring revolution, christian saint,
brian ziff
interns
erika curcio, lily wang
INKWEL kept them to ourselves which made us feel weird—or worse—shameful. These feelings could have been sexual or
societial or religious or even the odd preference for orange Starburst. That’s how we can all empathize with Caitlyn
Jenner’s turmoil before her coming out party. Regardless of your view on other people’s sexuality (I’m not talking
binoculars) you have to admit that we are all better off when we are free to express ourselves. This issue is a cel-
ebration of free thought and sex. You’ll hear from those in sexual industries like AVN Female Performer of the Year,
Bonnie Rotten, who is one of us, one of us. She says, “I am from a very conservative community in Ohio so when I
had piercings and tattoos everybody looked at me like I was a freak of nature.” But Bonnie, look at you now.
Among the other weirdos in the issue are Machine Gun Kelly, the Wild Boy wunderkind who was profiled by Tyler
Trykowski (8) and shot during an inked girls penthouse party by Brian Ziff (6). This felt like the right issue to debut
former Inked cover girl Jessica Wilde’s (5) advice column Wilde About Sex. Another expert in his respective field,
the illustrious illustrated man Yallzee (7) interviewed tattooer Steve Butcher.
Arguably the best tattoo artist on the planet, Nikko Hurtado (3) gathered his peers, among them Dan Smith and
Carlos Torres, to give Barbie accessories more fitting with our lifestyle in this installment of HandMade. Another in-
novator, Steven Sebring (2), captured Celebrity Big Brother’s Cami Li in 4-D. No cardboard glasses needed, check
out the feature and go to inkedmag.com/revolution to see poetry in motion. She is the first ever tattooed model to
be shot in this 360-degree treatment called Sebring Revolution and we couldn’t be more stoked about the future
of photography that it has wrought. An issue of Inked wouldn’t be complete without a gritty, sexy shoot and that
comes from photographer AngryMoon (1) who spent a sweaty evening in a hotel with Instagram siren Swedish Killer.
And, of course, we have the Burning Angels. We tapped the queen of alternative sexiness Joanna Angel (4) to be
the creative director of the super hot Porn Stars At Play. In the corresponding interview Joanna told Nick Fierro: “I
remember when I was 10 years-old. That’s when I learned what MTV was. I watched hair metal music videos like it
was nobody’s business. I was looking at the girls and I would kind of masturbate. I wasn’t really finishing, but I was
definitely doing something.... A couple of years later when those Aerosmith music videos came out, I didn’t even like
Aerosmith at all, but when Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler were making out and being bad girls in every video, I was
infatuated. It’s just an aesthetic that I’ve always been attracted to. I see a Victoria’s Secret Model and it doesn’t do
anything for me, I don’t think that’s interesting. But show me a picture of Joan Jett, or Ruby Rose, any woman with
an edge, and it’s sexy. Men are the same way. It’s no secret, guys with tattoos are really hot.”
Rocky Rakovic
Editor-In-Chief
[email protected]
1 2 3 4
5 6 7 8
12 | INKEDMAG.COM
MAI DJ MEGAN DANIELS
Shawna Brown Awesome cover and
beautiful ink work
Lonnie Trowell I just fell in love.
Fred Garnder I’d love to see her spin
Pete Strong The most impressive part
about her—no not her tattoos or boobs—is
that she plays records!
THE FAT JEW
Alana Landers Who do I emulate, in
terms of modeling? Anna Nicole Smith. We
pretty much have the exact same body....
Cut it the fuck out lol
Bethany Axe God you are my fucking
spirit animal!
Sarai Okrent When I see his tattoos, I
feel regretful on a seriously personal level.
SHOW US YOUR INKED Nothing gives us more of a kick than seeing your photos
Mica Flores I love him! Have to get a
with our magazine. From a printing plant in Minnesota, Inked is sent out to the
Money Pizza Respect tattoo!
four corners of the world so we love to see who takes us home. Got a picture
of you reading Inked at work? Send it in. Did you use some photos from Inked Rach Palmer Obviously I will probably
to decorate your tattoo shop? Put that up on Instagram and tag us. Did you use marry this guy. I want to get a matching
our pages to line your ferrets’ cage? E-mail that to me at [email protected]. porno tattoo to cement our love.
If you send me a photo of you reading on the toliet, you better be cute. The SARA X
above is the last issue’s cover girl DJ Megan Daniels who either has longer Brent You got ink on your ink in Inked!
arms than when we shot her, a selfie stick or a nice friend who captured the
beauty with her own issue.
@BIMJNYA @LEONORAGABRIELLA
WRITE US. GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? SEND ALL PRAISE, COMPLAINTS, STORY SUGGESTIONS, AND OTHER COMMENTS TO [email protected]. ALL SUBMISSIONS SHOULD INCLUDE THE WRITER’S NAME
AND ADDRESS. LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR CLARITY, LENGTH, AND CONTENT. ALSO JOIN THE PARTY AT FACEBOOK.COM/INKEDMAG AND ACROSS PLATFORMS @INKEDMAG.
14 | INKEDMAG.COM
I N K E D | MY FAVOR ITE I N K
NIKKI
NICHOLE
PHOTOS BY DANIEL HAN
SON
16 | INKEDMAG.COM
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 17
Don’t let the high heels rope-a-dope you,
model and stripper Nikki Nichole would
prefer to sport boxing shoes. In fact, Nikki,
the former pugilist’s favorite tattoo is the
Boxer’s Prayer on her left thigh. It reads:
“I ask you not for victory for somehow
that seems wrong, but only for protection
and courage to be strong, strength not to
concur but just that I fight well, and prove
myself a sportsman at the final bell. I ask
you Christ of suffering that should I suffer
pain, I’ll offer it for all my sins so that it
won’t be vain, and if perhaps he cuts me
and the bright red blood I see, I ask that I
remember the blood you shed for me.”
When she was younger, Nikki had a lot of
trouble with bullies and took up boxing as a
way to defend herself. A few rounds in the
ring and it became a huge passion of hers.
She competed regularly for a while until
she shattered her wrist and fractured her
eye socket. “The worst part is that it wasn’t
even in a fight,” she laments.
Nikki’s favorite boxer of all-time—pound-
for-pain—is Muhammed Ali, who she
believes would destroy Floyd Mayweather
if they touched gloves in their respective
primes. However Nikki truly respects
Mayweather, here is her take on his last
controversal bout: “I think that Mayweather
played it safe—like he always does. A lot
of people think he should’ve lost, but he
controlled the whole fight. He put himself
against the ropes to show that Pac couldn’t
keep him there, he had Pac chasing him
around the ring. Most people don’t realize
that’s a good thing in boxing. They all just
want to see someone get knocked out
and they don’t have knowledge about the
technical stuff.”
Oh, and her take on ring card girls: “They
probably can’t fight for the life of them. But
they are extremely sexy.”
18 | INKEDMAG.COM
VI TALY D ESI G N . CO M
m od el : Ele n Gr aff m ake u p : b y Tat ya na K ra vch uk p ho to : I g o r K o sh e l e v
I N K E D | VI EW
20 | INKEDMAG.COM
CALLIGRAFFITI
words Pokras Lampas
St. Petersburg, Russia
become
geometric
art
Odd characters envelope the different kinds of handwriting: tags, comments (online) say, ‘I can’t read
nude model. The long strokes look calligraffiti, tattoo fonts and some this, but this is so awesome!’ I enjoy
like those belonging to Leonardo kind of typography experiments,” that calligraphy can be art for a lot of
da Vinci had he lived further east. Lampas says. “Now I’m trying to different people.”
But it’s not the cryptic code of achieve new rules, shapes, compo- Other than nude women’s skins,
the Renaissance Man but that of sitions and alphabets.” Lampas has marked subway cars in
Russian calligraffiti writer Pokras For those who aren’t fluent in Russia, a soon-to-be revealed wall in
Lampas. Lampas, that doesn’t necessarily France and the Baltic Sea. Yep, he
Inspired by typographic visu- mean you don’t get his art. “My wrote on the ice. His dreamscape?
al masterpieces of Niels Shoe works are really difficult to read, “Maybe calligraphy on a space shut-
Meulman, Lampas started to write I’m (usually) writing quotes or song tle.” Great, now not only are we jeal-
modern gothic calligraphy letters on lyrics,” he says. “For me it is really ous that there isn’t a Lampas piece
the streets of Moscow. Then two important to show a new vision of in the United States, but now we
years ago he started writing on girls. the modern composition and callig- also miss the Space Race and space
“I was always was interested in raphy style to inspire people. Often shuttle program. —Anja Cadlek
ph oto by D ani il K ol odi n
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 21
Ol ga Ko bz ar ph ot o by I go r Ko she lev
22 | INKEDMAG.COM
Ol ga Ko bz ar ph ot o by St as L iep a
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 23
I N K E D | DR I N K
F E ATU R E D
E N T E RTA I N E R
SURE YOU’VE CHATTED WITH AN EXOTIC DANCER BUT YOU WERE A
LITTLE TIPSY AND THE MUSIC WAS LOUD. WE GAVE JORDAN SKYE MORE
THAN A DOLLAR FOR HER THOUGHTS
I S YO U R J O B R E W A R D I N G?
It’s amazing. I get to travel to new places and
I’m always meeting new people. I am grateful
that this many people want to see me naked!
W H AT G O E S T H R O U G H Y O U R H E A D W H I L E
YO U DAN C E?
It depends on the routine. I have one where I
start in a straight jacket and I’m a sex crazed
maniac so I think very dirty thoughts—it’s very
sexual. I also have a techno routine in which
one song talks about being the person’s
ecstasy and that’s a very sexual song to me,
so I think about dirty sex. During my upbeat
stuff like Michael Jackson and country I just try
to keep the crowd energy up and it keeps me
hyped up.
D O Y O U H A V E A S I G N AT U R E M O V E?
Everyone notices my big boobs so I definitely
do a signature boob move that you’ll have to
see for yourself.
H O W D O E S D A N C I N G E F F E C T YO U R
P E R S O N A L L I F E?
I keep my career very separate from my home
life. I have children and family so once I leave
work, that’s it, I click back into mommy mode.
W H AT I S O N E O F Y O U R FA V O R ITE P I E C E S ?
I have a flower my daughter drew that Jayvo
Scott made into a stencil and tattooed on
me. He also did my whole left sleeve which
is all little items that remind me of my family,
it is also really important to me. When I’m
traveling it makes me smile to explain that arm
to people.
A R E Y O U E V E R W O R R I E D A B O UT N OT B E I N G
B O O K E D S O M E W H E R E B E C A U S E O F YO U R
p ho to by D wa yn e Mi ch ael C am pbe ll
TAT TO O S ?
No, never. I’m fortunate that I am booked
because of my tattoos.
24 | INKEDMAG.COM
Treat Yo Self
While there is no sex in the champagne room or the “Howard
Stern Room” or any nook at Sapphire New York Cit y, there
should be champagne. The bubblies we think pair best with a
private dance are Perrier-Jouet Belle Rose Epoque 2004, Moet
& Chandon Imperial Champagne and
Veuve Clicquot Brut Champagne La Grande Dame 2004
P H OTO BY W I L L S T YE R
I N K E D | PROFI LE
28 | INKEDMAG.COM
NICK
HAWK
T H I S N I G H T H A W K I S N OT J U ST A G I G O L O
By Ro c k y Rak o vi c P h o t o s by S o p hy Ho l l a nd
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 29
Nick Hawk is a gigolo. “Lucky guy,” you say. Well, yes, but the dude has
put in work. No man is born a gentleman-stud; his attitude, determination
and positive outlook have molded him into the man that women pay to
date.
Before the California girls started throwing money at him for his com-
panionship he was just a kid working on a farm in Wisconsin. His work
ethic made him excel in the high school sporting arena and then in col-
lege, but the humble hunk ran out of tuition funds. He joined the Air Force
and used his time served to take advantage of the GI Bill and go back to
school. He stripped to pay the bills and during his last year of schooling he
founded Explicit Strippers which has since spread to Orange County, Los
Angeles, Las Vegas, San Diego, Hawaii and Dallas. The hustler, with his
prolific dating and overall life experiences, then made the jump from Magic
Nick to male escort and has entertained countless dates and viewers of
Showtime’s Gigolos.
“When the show approached me I was breaking into acting and my man-
ager, who is an agent, told me, ‘You don’t want to do reality or adult TV,’”
Hawk says. Though Gigolos is the perfect storm of both, Hawk signed on.
“The show really allowed me to be myself—this is who I am in my life and
with clients, in any situation I don’t pretend to be someone I’m not.”
Because he wanted to accurately project himself on Showtime, before
he started filming he got inked up. “I wanted tattoos my whole life so I
started going to the tattoo shop once a week before taping,” Hawk says.
His main tattoo, located on a large percentage of my body, including his
left arm, chest, and penis, “yes, on my penis” is a Symbiote. “It’s an alien
creature from comic books that attaches to you. The creature doesn’t
always have the best intentions; it brings out your dark side and makes
you not care as much.”
He thinks that his best tattoo is the dragon which was tattooed by Ink
Master Joey Hamilton at Revolt Tattoos in Las Vegas.
As he has grown as a person so have his tattoos, including the addition
of color. “When the show started I didn’t know what direction my life was
heading which is represented by the dark, dealing with the adult industry
can take you to a dark place,” Hawk says. “Tattoos should evolve with
you and the color looks brighter so it serves as a metaphor for where I
am now.”
He plans on getting 50 percent of his body tattooed so that he is a walk-
ing yin and yang. His next pieces are mantra tattooes such as “Love thy
enemy,” “Fight” and “I come in peace.”
Speaking of coming, getting down to it, Hawk will only have sex with a
client if they have a connection. “When we were younger, if you took a
girl home and scored—you won,” he says. “Now I don’t have meaningless
sex anymore.”
His turn-ons are success, style and sexiness. “Being aroused isn’t that
big of a challenge as I am a very sexual person,” Hawk says. “Just thinking
about sex on the way to a client who I have a connection with turns me on.
I like boobs and a warm vagina.”
His money-maker is a money-maker, his line of sex toys featurea a dildo
cast from his own dick.
“It is pretty cool to think that my molded penis is in some woman right
now,” Hawk says. “I think it would be funny to do a DP with my dildo and
my own dick.”
As per his big tip with the ladies (other than stay the fuck off your phone
during a date) is: Be your confident self. While that may be easy for the
sex god who has written a book and is finishing up another while also
wrapping up a rap album to say, he’s right.
Hawk is a champion of the individual. “Myself and Gigolos have opened
up society’s view on sexual freedom, and I hope to also open people’s
views on tattoos, freedom of expression and individuality. I love how we’re
evolving, becoming a more open, independent society. We are being
more creative in our lives and tattoos are not being negatively thought of
but are being more accepted as expression.”
Separating Hawk from his working life as a male companion you might
wonder if he will ever settle down with one woman. “I am open to it,” he
says. “If I ever find that special woman she would have to be okay with
what I do.” So how long he will be in the business? “Forever, the other day
I was talking to a 92 year-old gigolo.”
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JUNE/JULY 2015 | 31
I N K E D | COVER GI R L
ST YL I N G BY B A S I A Z A M O R S K A AT K AT E R YA N I N C H A I R & M A K E U P BY L I N D S E Y W I L L I A M S AT K ATE R YA N I N C
F E AT U R I N G B O N N I E R O T T E N
photos by Christian Saint
st ylist Savannah Wyatt,
hair Kate Alley; make up: Jenai Chin;
nails: Casandra Lamar
32 | INKEDMAG.COM
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 33
LISA BLUE SNAKESKIN BIKINI
34 | INKEDMAG.COM
“When can I take my shirt off?” says the adorable brunette
with radiant eyes and an even brighter smile. We and the cute
girl are in an elevator 10 floors above the streets of Manhattan
where it is legal to be topless in public.
“A lot of people say that I am ‘cute’ which is funny to me
because I do some of the nastiest hardcore things on camera,”
porn star Bonnie Rotten says. “When people describe me as
cute it makes me laugh.”
The girl has spiced up her body with tattooed sleeves, hand
ink and will soon be #freeingthenipple and in turn exposing the
spider web tattoos on her breasts but her voice, demeanor and
visage are pure sugar.
“No matter how hard my appearance or my scenes are, peo-
ple still look at me as the 22 year-old girl that I am, and see the
innocence about me—I love that,” Bonnie says. “I try very hard
to escape the image of being just a hardcore tattooed girl, I
want them to look at me and also see my personality.”
Either the heavy New York City air has made its way into the
elevator or tension (we’re no prudes, yet we have never walked
around our neighborhood with “Spider Tits” fully exposed) has
made the atmosphere thicken but Bonnie’s sharp wit and charm
julienne it. “I want to eat a hot dog in front of the guy at a cart
and see how he reacts,” she says. “Oh, and I want to ride the
subway. I have never been on a New York subway, I hear they
have crabs, or is it rats?”
Bonnie has been getting a rise out of people for only a few
years but has already propelled herself to the top of the adult
industry, being named AVN Female Performer of the Year 2014.
She was the first thoroughly inked woman to ever have been
given the honor.
“There were only a few girls in porn before me, like Janine
(Lindemulder) and Joanna Angel, who were heavily-tattooed
and got embraced by the porn community,” Bonnie says without
the twinge of boasting, just stating fact. “Joanna is more on the
alternative side and I have been embraced by the mainstream
side of porn. I was the first heavily-tattooed girl who they were
putting in movies with blondes who have big boobs and the
brunettes with the big butts. I was not just categorized to be a
tattooed girl who could only go into alternative porn, and that’s
really cool to me.”
Breaking through that Lucite ceiling was something she
was determined to do. “When I first started, the major com-
panies weren’t shooting tattooed girls,” Bonnie says. “So I did
the most-hardcore performances that I could take because I
wanted to be cast in movies because of my performance, not
my appearance.”
Her look was cultivated early on. When she was 13 years-old
she tattooed herself with a needle and India ink. “My grandpar-
ents saw it and said, No, you are a pretty girl, you need to get
those fixed,” Bonnie recounts. “So I got to have them sign off on
my first tattoo. I chose the zombie on my stomach from Night of
the Living Dead: The Beginning, Issue 1 comic book. And once
I was in the system and knew the guys at the tattoo shop I was
able to go back and get a bunch.”
Her body is covered in horror imagery and phrasing including
the sternum piece “Dead Girls Don’t Cry” from the psychobilly
band Nekromantix, her zombiefied version of herself and “Camp
Blud” across her knuckles in homage to Friday the 13th. Of
course, there are also those spider webs woven onto her boobs.
“I did that when I was 17,” Bonnie says. “I did regret it for a
really long time, but after the past couple of years I realized that
it has become a part of my identity. You are not going to find
those on anyone else. It is the identification of Bonnie Rotten,
they go, Oh the girl with the Spider Tits!”
The linework on the webs is good considering…. “Do you
know how you are not supposed to get tattooed in anyone’s
B o d y su i t b y J e ssi c a N i c o l e f o r Pe e p sh o w C l o t h i n g ;
house? I was never going to do that but it is the one time I
c u f f b y A l e x i s B i t t a r ; m o d e l ’s o w n sh o e s B i k e - I n d i a n Larr y
M o t o r c y c l e s: c u st o m W i l d C h i l d
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 35
B E AT S BY D R E G O L D W I R E L S S S T U D I O H E A D P H O N E S ; G A S O L I N E G L A M O U R C H A I N C U F F; K I N G B A BY R I N G
36 | INKEDMAG.COM
A M I C L U B W E A R C A G E D S A N D A L S ; G A S O L I N E G L A M O U R STU D D E D G L O V E S
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 37
38 | INKEDMAG.COM
decided to do that with so I am thankful that I got lucky.” don’t have a GED so this career helped me grow to do other things now and in
Other than being known as Spider Tits, Bonnie also is called “Squirt Woman” the future.” She models for the mainstream, she directs porn (like the Sons of
for her ability to ejaculate. “There is a girl who is a really big squirter in the busi- Anarchy parody, Sisters of Anarchy, “Doesn’t everybody wonder what it would
ness and she took me down that road,” she says. “She taught me how to squirt have been like to see Gemma get freaky?”) and has a 14-piece line of sex toys.
and from there I harnessed that skill and kept getting better and better at it to “I went to the shop and had all of my different parts molded, my face, my tits my
became Squirt Woman.” ass, my pussy, so it was really cool to see the replications. They actually have my
“I think that you can train to do anything but squirting might be harder than tattoos printed on them.”
most,” Bonnie says of lay women learning porn stars’ tricks. But she also admits, Her most-recent piece was tattooed by former Ink Master contestant “Gentle”
“A lot of the things that I have done on camera are not things that I have done in Jay Blondel in the Inked office. He put a ringmaster on her right shoulder to com-
my personal life.” pliment the bearded lady on her left shoulder. “It represents the fact that freaks
The sex in pornography, as with any creative endeavor, is always being pushed can be beautiful,” she says. “I am from a very conservative community in Ohio
to extremes film after film. “There is always the hardcore sex scenes, with the so when I had piercings and tattoos everybody looked at me like I was a freak of
doubles and the gangbangs and the DPs and all that, that is not the normal, nature.”
everyday sex for a housewife but of course there is always something new that She is a long way from Hamilton, Ohio, her tattoos and her ta-tas are on full
people are doing in porn,” Bonnie says. “It will always evolve. At first it was just display in Times Square. The street is teaming with tourists, 1/3 oblivious, 1/3
anal but people are going to incorporate enemas or balls up the ass or fruit up the pretending not to notice and 1/3 who are beaming brighter than the lights in
ass. There is always a variation that people can add to make it freakier or a little the Toshiba sign. Police officers break into smiles, construction workers holler
bit different. Some days you walk onto set and they tell you that it is a milk enema compliments and old women ask to squeeze her breasts. A few recognize her
movie. You say to yourself, Even though I have never done this, there is about to from her tattoos. All types have their phones out as her image gets uploaded to
be milk up my ass. And you do it.” Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. The Naked Cowboy gets dejected when the
Bonnie is up for most anything and she is always in control. “People look at TMZ camera trains on her instead of him, the resident sex symbol of 42nd Street.
the industry and think that I am a victim or I was forced into this without circum- “All in all,” Bonnie says, “my backpiece reminds me that you can be a freak in
stance,” she laments. “I got my hands tattooed when I was 16 years-old and I society but also beautiful too.”
JUNE/JULY 2015 | 39
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER
F O R E V E R U N I Q U E B I K I N I TO P; G A S O L I N E G L A M O U R C H A I N S H O RTS; A M I C L U B W E A R H E E LS
40 | INKEDMAG.COM B i k e - D u cati: Scram bler I con
I N K E D | HANDMADE
42 | INKEDMAG.COM
P H OTO S BY M I C H A E L K R A U S
MADE
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 43
JEFF
GOGUE
OREGON
BJBETTS
TR ADEMARK TATOO
44 | INKEDMAG.COM
DANSMITH
CAPTURED TAT TOO
STEFANO
ALCANTARA
INTERNATIONAL
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 45
JEFF
GOGUE
OREGON
CARLOSTORRES
TIMELINE GALLERY
46 | INKEDMAG.COM
NIKKOHURTADO
BLACK ANCHOR COLLECTIVE
STEFANO
ALCANTARA
INTERNATIONAL
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 47
C U LT U R E
THE ART OF DARKNESS
You are walking down the avenue
in New York City and then turn
into Paul Booth’s Last Rites Tattoo
Theatre, boom, the city’s smells,
sounds and lights are completely
shut out and you fell like you are in
a Medieval dungeon, lair or worse.
But it is an amazing experience to
the person with the right demean-
or. Now you can darken up your
place with the Paul Booth Brand
of décor including his “Retribution”
wall sconces/incense holders. We
guarentee you won’t see these in
Pier 1 Imports or QVC.
DEAD STOCK
Sneaker heads, collectors and others who just
copped a fresh pair love to look down. In fact,
our Instagram feed is all selfies, tattoos, lunch
and kicks shots these days. It wasn’t until Jor-
dans (or KDs) became the most important part
of a man’s outfit that we really started contem-
plating floors. Spilled had. This company, based
out of a garage in South Seattle, makes rugs
that pay homage to footwear. Just make sure
you buy another rug to wipe your feet on.
www.hadesfootwear.com
BETTER CLONE WAR
Based on the Hitman video games Hitman: Agent 47 is a sci-fi thriller about a breed of genetically engineered
human killing machines. Can Agent 47 (Rupert Friend) and the daughter of the agents’ creator stop a mega
corporation from creating an even deadlier army of super soldiers? It’s an arms race full of head games. —G.M.
THE INKED PLAYLIST
BY J O N A H B AYE R
AMAZING RACE
BRENT BEST
“Aunt Ramona”
JASON ISBELL
That pesky, Pagan Babylonian abductor of
children named Bughuul is at it again in Sinister “24 Frames”
Jason Isbell is the master of writing love songs that eschew
II. Things didn’t end well for Ethan Hawke and
cliches and “24 Frames” is a testament to his brilliance.
his family, or any family, in the first creepy as hell
movie. This time, “Mr. Boogie” has marked a ^ THE GOOD LIFE
house occupied by a single mother and her nine “Everybody”
year-old twin sons. Deputy So & So (James Ran- The Good Life get fuzzed-out and dissonant on this guitar-
sone) returns and hopefully he can save this new driven, demented-pop excursion.
family from suffering the same grisly fate. —G.M.
KINSKI
“Detroit Trickle Down”
Seattle rock behemoths Kinski craft another psychedelic
The Maze Runner was a very pleasant surprise so expectations assault with this cathartic rager.
are high in this sequel The Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials
which finds Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) and his fellow Gladers in a LOW
desolate landscape. Filled with even more challenging obstacles “No End”
than the maze they recently escaped, they must also team up Low put their own spin on dreamy pop on this airy rocker
with resistance fighters to take on the mysterious WKCD organi- that’s propelled by an utterly infectious melody.
zation. Director Wes Ball is once again at the helm. —G.M.
DAVE MONKS
“The Rules”
Tokyo Police Club’s frontman tones things down and shows
PARENTAL ADVISORY
he can shine on his own with this ballad.
REFUSED
“Destroy The Man”
Compton goes Hollywood with the Refused take plenty of chances on their first album in 17
N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Comp- years as evidenced on this progressive anthem.
ton. Original members Ice Cube and
Dr. Dre serve as producers for the STRUNG OUT
“Spanish Days”
movie which stars: O’Shea Jackson
Cali punk staples Strung Out get melodic on this
Jr. as Ice Cube, Corey Hawkins as surprisingly slick and massive-sounding sing-along.
Dr. Dre, Jason Mitchell as Easy-E,
Neil Brown Jr. as DJ Yella, and Aldis CHELSEA WOLFE
Hodge as MC Ren. Paul Giamatti “Iron Moon”
stars as Ruthless records co-founder. Equal parts haunting and hypnotic, this song illustrates why
Oh, and explicit lyrics abound. —G.M. Wolfe could be the next generation’s Bjork.
50 | INKEDMAG.COM
A CINDERELLA MAN STORY
Was it hard to hold back in the ring? up? It’s Victor Jr.” He says, “I know who you are.”
Every boxer can tell you the same thing. You can I was like, “Cool. Well, I don’t know if you really
literally swing 110 miles per hour and stop within know what I’ve done with my life, but I’ve done
a millimeter from someone’s nose. It took Jake some really big things.” And he says, “Yeah, I
some getting used to because I would come so know what you’ve been up to.” And then he says,
close to hitting his face. And, at first, he wasn’t “You know what gets me going? That tattoo
really trusting me. So he’d flinch and close his on your back, that last name. That’s my name.
eyes [laughs]. I’m like, “What are you doing?” and Don’t you forget that.” I said, “What? No, no, no,
he’s like “Dude, it looks so scary.” I go, “Don’t you got it twisted, it’s my name. I made it. You
worry, bro. Please trust me, I’m not going to hit didn’t make anything.” And he’s like, “No, just
you.” remember that.” I’m like, “Wow, anyway. Sorry
dad.” So from there we started a conversation,
You once had your last name tattooed on your back. Now it’s both good and bad. I just let it go, you know? I
evolved into a tribal piece. What’s the story there? don’t let that affect me. I just told him one thing.
When I was a kid, my parents actually aban- “You know what, consider that tattoo gone.” I
doned us. Before that, there was one thing they had an appointment that upcoming week to have
were very strict of and it was, “No son of mine it completely lasered off. But the doctor I had
will ever have a tattoo or their ears pierced.” wanted ended up passing away, I had nobody
The day comes when I get home to an empty else to contact. I didn’t really want to go to
household. Abandoned. It was just my brother, anybody else. So I called my buddy Jaime who
my sister and myself. So I said, “There’s no one worked with Kat Von D and all these big people
He’s got talent in the ring, on the ballroom dance floor, and now on the big telling me what to do.” So first thing I did, I got in Hollywood. He asked what I wanted and I said
screen. Jack-of-all-trades Victor Ortiz stars alongside Jake Gyllenhaal and 50 my ears pierced. Second thing I did, I went to “Just freestyle some kind of tribal art on my back.”
Cent in Southpaw—a boxing drama where Ortiz sunk into his role with ease one of my buddies. I was 13, and I asked him, He did that, all freehand. It turned into something
since he was able to play a character not too far from his real-life self. “Hey bro, can you tattoo my back?” And he says, universal. Something that’s not gang related. Just
“What do you want?” I’m said, “I was thinking so you know, in regards to my father and I. I actu-
Inked: Did any of the cast members pick your brain and train with you? my last name on my back,” and he says, “Oh, the ally forgave him for everything in the end. We do
Ortiz: The day I arrived, the first thing I asked was, “Can I please go see Jake ultimate Mexican way.” talk occasionally, once in a while. My mom, she’s
[Gyllenhaal] train?” I needed to see what he was bringing. I was just curious actually a nice lady. I found her a few years ago
to see all of that. I got to the training session and, no joke, the first thing that What sparked the change? as well. Everything’s good. I wish them only the
came out of my mouth was, “Whoa, he needs a lot of help right now.” They About four years ago, I found my dad for the first best. And I hope that they know they’re forgiven.
were like, “What do you think, Vic?” And I said, “Well, first of all, that kind of time. When I saw him I said, “Hey Dad, what’s —Interview by Gil Macias
move doesn’t even exist.”
Our new resident Sex Columnist Jessica Wil- How do I convince my girl to share another girl with
How can I bring intimacy back into my marriage? I’d really like to try out new things with my girlfriend.
—rose_deveraux One of my biggest fantasies is to cover her in
honey from head to toe and lick her clean. I’m not
Intimacy is more about trust and honesty than it is sure how I can ask her this but do you think it’d
the act of having sex. If you and your partner are be a good idea to start with covering her vag and
open about what turns you on you’re more likely to boobies with honey and show her how much fun it
have a thriving sex life, even if it’s weird. could be for her too? —Thomas
Does penis size matter? —garthcassidy1976 Be honest! If that’s what you’re into then I’m sure
your girl will be more than willing to indulge in your
Yes and no. Enthusiasm goes a long way but if you fantasy. If you’re not down with that, try telling her
feel your manhood isn’t reaching lengths there’s it’s good for her skin and you like the smell. Spa
always girls with small vaginas. nights will become more interesting.
52 | INKEDMAG.COM
E339
Black Rose R198
Stud Earrings Bower Troth
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Ring
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Black Romance
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The Murnan Cross Of
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Bangle Earrings
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$51.98 $50.40
ULFE11
Bow Belles
ULFP20 Ear Studs
Devil’s Heart $25.73
Pendant
$32.55
P687
Helm of Awe
Necklace
$36.75
ULFP22
Forever Inked
Necklace
ULP40 $52.50
Piston Head P699
Necklace E353 Asmodeus
$36.75 Industrilobe Pendant
Ear Studs £63
$15.75 ULA4
Pain is Pleasure
E355 Bracelet
Raven Ear Wrap $40.95
$28.35 BT847
Corvinculus
T-shirt ULR1
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Love Hate
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ULR9
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B37
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Buckle ULA3
$94.50
Tattoo Machine
Bracelet
$72.45
Alchemy of England
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please quote: 3520 Roberts Cut Off Road
“INKED JUNE/JULY 2015” Fort Worth, TX 76114
WHOLESALE ENQUIRIES WELCOME! 817.236.3141 800.578.1065
Jewellery shown not actual size
I N K E D | FEATU R E
WHERE
THE WILD
A
THINGS E.
R By Tyler Tr ykow ski Photos by Brian Ziff
St yled by Mia Colona + Ryan Ulsh
54 | INKEDMAG.COM
P h o t o s b y S o p h y H o l l a n d S t y l i n g b y R e b e c c a W e i n b e r g G r o o m i n g b y S h i r l e y P i n k s o n f o r W 3 I I P e o p l e A s s i s t a nNir
t : Mvana T-shir
a d d y Ta l i a s t by Christian Benner
Inter view by Rocky Rakovic Special thanks to Carly Jane Chappell Location: SouthSide Cycles, Brooklyn, NY
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 55
56 | INKEDMAG.COM Converse Chuck I I, K T Ferris Creations Jewelr y
It’s four on a Thursday afternoon, and Machine Gun Kelly is ask-
ing a stranger in his House of Blues dressing room to read his
ribcage to him. That’s where a particularly memorable tattoo of
a bus and a stick figure flying through the air sits, emblazoned
with “5/14/2013”—the day he almost died trying to score weed in
Manchester.
For the 25 year-old Cleveland rapper, it’s a typical story:
marijuana is harder to find in Europe than on our shores. To that
end, Kells hit the street looking for the sketchiest drug dealer he
could find. When he spots his guy, he steps out into the wrong
side of the road and goes flying six feet. The 20 mile-per-hour col-
lision with a double decker trolleybus was head-on in the most
literal sense, given Kelly’s skull spiderwebbed the bus’ windshield.
He wakes up to screaming bystanders and an ambulance. At the
hospital, the first X-ray showed no fractures or bleeding, despite
the fact that—medically speaking—the man’s head should have
split in two. Baffled doctors ordered an MRI that came back clean,
then another.
“Then everyone in the hospital started calling me
Superman,” he says, “and it was just this moment where I was like,
holy fuck. I cannot be fucking hurt.”
But his fans already knew that. (Turns out he was being
pretty straightforward on “Wild Boy” when he said “all they know is
they can kill anybody but Kells.”) His hellraising childhood should
have killed him to begin with, from his first arrest at 13 to home-
lessness weeks after walking a high school graduation nobody
expected him to see, followed by a two-year heroin addiction. All
MGK does is defy expectations. The audience of Harlem’s famed
Apollo Theater never expected him to become the first white rap-
per ever to win the whole damn show in 2009. “I have people’s
choice awards from MTV that were supposed to go to Kendrick or
Macklemore because at the time, they were hotter,” he says. “But
their fan base isn’t like mine, so we defy.”
Nobody expected a rapper whose influences run from Anti-
Flag to U2—and whose music is just as hard to peg—to prove the
weight of his name after his 2012 debut, Lace Up. But everything
that hasn’t killed him only set the stage for what’s to come: His
sophomore album, General Admission, and the next phase of his
career, where he’ll have to defy expectations again.
MGK is the kind of rapper who needs to be experienced
full-on to understand. There’s a raw energy, sometimes bordering
on manic, that drives his rap and message. He’s the kind of kid
who puts his entire self out on stage, who refuses to restrain him-
self (see, again, “Wild Boy”) That means you’re going to take the
good with the bad. He’s an open book, and his albums and stage
presence veer between wild vulnerability, political earnestness,
the fury and ecstasy of a young guy who’s had to claw his way to
where he is and hasn’t lost sight of what that means. His fans are
just as rabid.
That’s why he’s splitting the final track of General
Admission, “Bad Motherfucker,” with Kid Rock, because those
who would judge the rapper for that don’t, get him. For an album
that could make or break his career, Kells isn’t shying away from
risks. There are guests and music on this album that are far from
safe. The majority of General Admission was born from jam ses-
sions with friends, and one of Kells’ goals for the release is to
capture the spirit of his show, where live musicians feed into his
unhinged energy on stage. “I think we’re going to wake up one day
and realize we can’t be in a club forever,” as he puts it. Not that
he hates EDM, but “a synthesizer can only say so much for me,”
he says. “But that guitar solo? Oh, my god, that motherfucker can
make me cry. ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ I’ll cry to that.” He continues
with interesting influences for a rapper. “Neil Peart. John Bonham.
Blink-182. Green Day. Let me zone out to that, I’m like, holy shit.”
ThisP halbum
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W e i n b e r g G r o o m i n g b y S h i r l e y P i n k s o n f o r W 3 I I P e o p l e A s s i s t a n t : M a d d y Ta l i a s
Inter view by Rocky Rakovic Special thanks to Carly Jane Chappell Location: SouthSide Cycles, Brooklyn, NY
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 57
By Ro b e r t Mc Co r m ick Ph o to s b y M i k e R u i z
Am e r ic a n Ap p a r e l s h ir t ; W I L D F O X sh o r t s; B i k e J e w e l s n e ck l a c e & b r a c e l e t s;
58 | INKEDMAG.COM Jo h n Va r v a t o s le a t h e r c u f f; J o o m i L i m sp i k e b r a c e l e t
Pr o p s t y lin g b y L izzie L a n g
to headlining stages today. It’s the story, in detail, that couldn’t be
told on the first album. “My relationship with my father, with my
daughter, the difficulty of her not being two anymore and realizing
her dad is gone. The things I deal with as a man by saying damn,
am I doing this for the right reasons? To really provide for my kid,
or because I was such a fucking loser growing up and I have this
point to prove to the world? Am I doing this because I love the
music or because I want to spite every person that said I wasn’t
one of the greatest to touch the microphone?”
That’s not to say MGK’s life is anything other than fantastic, rel-
atively speaking. He’s signed to Interscope and selling out shows,
making money—the rock star he dreamed of becoming when he
started this long climb. Also fantastic? Amber Rose, his new girl-
friend, a woman as hard to pin down as him. On their first date, “we
sat and listened to Appetite for Destruction, spazzing about guitar
solos, and it clicked. I realized she’s a badass. And things kicked
off from there.”
Holding court with a hip-hop princess like Rose is a nice leap
from, as he tells it, “fucking girls for Adderall when I was 20,” he
says with a laugh. “My first album was fueled by Adderall. Straight
up, there’s plenty of girls out there right now like yo, Kells crashed
on my couch for a night or two in college, stole half my bottle of
Vyvanse and left in the middle of the night.” For the record: The guy
who annotated his own lyrics on Genius two years ago with “side
note for the girls out there who think their men are ‘fucking’ them,
you don’t know what rough sex is like until I fuck you” hasn’t grown
up a bit in that department.
“I have no restraint,” he says, as if anyone expected anything
else. “If I’m in an Uber, or stepping outside for a smoke break, or at
a dinner meeting, I will fuck on the spot. And being in public turns
me on even more. I’m mastering the sensuality of a good love mak-
ing session, but I love me a sloppy, scratchy, almost bloody fucking
sex session.” A paragon of moderation this kid is not.
On his back, Kells sports a new tattoo, Salvador Dalí’s The
Temptation of St. Anthony. It’s the kind of nightmare-cum-drug
trip that made Dalí synonymous with surreal: Elephants and
horses lurch across the desert on spindly legs as tall as buildings,
with Jesus at their feet brandishing the cross. “Like he’s repent-
ing,” Kells says. “He sees the end is coming, and he’s repenting
because he knows he’s done so much wrong, but has good inten-
tions and wants to be forgiven. And I feel like that’s me, man,” he
says. “I’ve done a lot of fucked up things, but my heart is pure.
People I’ve done wrong, situations I’ve handled poorly—shit,
crimes I’ve done—I want to be forgiven for all that.”
General Admission is his confession. Look into MGK’s eyes
and you’ll see the gritty passion of a man who battled his share
of demons to win that rock star lifestyle. “This album is a ticket to
my life,” he says. “See how similar we all are, man. We’re all going
through the same shit, seeing the same stuff.” Maybe not the exact
same; few guys get to date women like Amber Rose, or peer out at
sold-out House of Blues audiences chanting along in time to your
lyrics. But anyone who’s sinned and repented, anyone who’s been
through a gauntlet, been pigeonholed and miscalculated—as Kells
would say, “straight David and Goliath type shit”—can find some-
thing of themselves in MGK and his new album.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 59
R E H A B C O L L E CT I V E O N E P I E C E ; V I TA F E D E A N D M I A N S A I B R A C E L E T S; V I N TA G E R I N G S A N D C H O K E R
Girls: Leah Jung, Camilla Kybele Hansen, Kay Reynolds, Elena Venetia, Kristina Amato, Noelle Léon, Karlee Jane, Jessianne Marie
60 | INKEDMAG.COM
I N K E D | STU FF
VAPE
TH E S E S M O K E M A C H I N E S A R E S L I C K O N TH E D R A W
62 | INKEDMAG.COM
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I N K E D | POV
64 | INKEDMAG.COM
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Do you want to play fly-on-the-potato-
salad in Joanna Angel’s backyard as she and
her Burning Angels frolick in the sun? Of
course you do. Here are things that came
out of Joanna’s mouth (that, along with her
vagina, butt and body, launched the alt-porn
genre) during the affair. —Nick Fierro
72 | INKEDMAG.COM
p h o t o s b y S e b r i n g R e vo l u t i o n m a k e u p b y Kerr y -Lou B rehm
JUNE/JULY 2015 | 73
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 73
Cami Li has been in the crucible of Celebrity Big Brother and the notorious British tabloid press—so she is used to having eyes all
around her. Taking into account that comfortability, her strong personality and exquisite beauty we thought Cami was the perfect candi-
date to be the first tattooed model to be captured in 4-D. We brought her to Steven Sebring, the photographer, filmmaker and multimedia
artist who created Revolution, a 360-degree photography dome unlike the world has ever seen. To echo the rapid shooting style we
swiftly shot questions at Cami that she answered expeditiously. Following is that conversation and stills from the session that redefine the
notion of “moving images.” For the interactive view of Cami, her tattoos and a dance of light and movement visit inkedmag.com/revolution
INKED: What is it like dating in the spotlight? Cami Li: Jeez, it fucking sucks. You don’t know who likes you for who you are, or
just “Cami Li.” But I got lucky and have me a pretty awesome dude. You joked about releasing a sex tape, do you have a favorite
celebrity sex tape? I’ve never watched any of them, honestly. I am my own sex tape. Do you feel for other celebrities or do you just
think it comes with the territory? I don’t feel for any of that shit. Anyone coming into this industry should know what they’re getting
into. I’ll take all the negative, because the positive is worth that. Do you allow yourself to get lost in love or do you holdback for a
while, thinking that revealing secrets or kinks to lovers could end up in the press? Deep down, I’m a hopeless romantic. That
being said, not many men see that! I have a rough exterior because it’s hard to let people in. And if some douche wants to reveal my sex
secrets, I’ll look like a fucking boss! Because your personal life is in the newspapers and blogs, do you feel like you have to date
celebrities? No way! I rather stab my eyes with rusty needles than date a celeb. I like guys who are down to earth, not stuck up their ass.
What was the best part of Celebrity Big Brother? Making friends with people I probably never would have crossed paths with like
Katie Price, Katie Hopkins, Michelle Visage and Patsy Kensit. What was the hardest part of filming Big Brother? Not talking to my
family for 28 days! Do you have any more to say to Perez Hilton? He should have been swallowed. What made you want to go on
MTV’s Ex on the Beach? Revenge. That’s all I wanted and I fucking got it. I’m so glad the world got to see who Kirk [Norcross] really was
aka a lowlife loser. #girlbye What do you want people to learn from that relationship? Don’t ever date a controlling douche. How
does tattoo culture and perception differ between the UK and the US? In the UK, it feels like tattoos are more acceptable. What
the fuck! Let’s get with it, USA! How does sexual behavior differ between the UK and the US? From my experience, UK boys are
more open, if ya know what I mean, ladies. What do you look for in a guy? Make me laugh, and you have my heart. True story, boys. Do
men have a hard time being intimate with a woman who has portrait tattoos on her? First off, what idiot has a portrait of a dude
on themselves? That being said, if she has a portrait of a dude, run for the hills! You have a My Little Pony tattoo, do you have any
Brony fans? I do, but they’re top secret. Who is doing your tattoos these days? Tony Mancia out of Atlanta. What is your favorite
current piece? My backpiece. I wish I would have met Tony a long time ago, he’s super cool and professional. Some tattoo artists should
take a page out of his book... When do you think you’ll stop getting tattooed? Fuck no. Did you really sleep with a guy who had
a platinum cock ring? Ahh, I did. Was he proud of it? He was definitely proud of it and I was disgusted. Next! And you referred to
your lady part as a “baby canal” and “the golden vagina,” any other names? “Perfection,” yeah!
74 | INKEDMAG.COM
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 75
“I am my own sex tape.”
I N K E D | SOC IAL
Femme
Fatale P h o t o s b y A n g r y M o on
Swedish Killer (on Instagram @swedishkiller_xoxo and @swedishangel666) is like those damn Sour Patch Kids, she is ruthless but sweet. A bit of an
enigma, wrapped in ink, wrapped in not-so-much clothing, we followed her down a dark hallway for her first major magazine shoot with the trepidation
of a male praying mantis succumbing to the inevitable.
78 | INKEDMAG.COM
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 79
S
wedish Killer (with a sleeve by Moises Cortez) is a
dangerous follow anywhere—including Instagram.
Here are dispatches of her siren song.
Pravda F R O M R U S S I A W IT H I N K : O L E G S H E P E L E N K O B R I N G S H I S
R E A L I S M TAT TO O S TO T H E U N I T E D STAT E S.
by Stephanie Collazo photo by Mark Mann
84 | INKEDMAG.COM
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2015 | 85
Pravda means “truth” in Russian. No word describes Russian tattooer Oleg Shepelenko Which is more challenging and why?
better, from his views on the industry to his realism tattoos that stay true to the Tattooing with color, in my opinion, is the most difficult because there are
subject (with the exception of the sugar skull mask he put on Vladmir Putin). Having dozens of shades that need to be introduced under the skin without damag-
travelled to the United States, the tattooer is leaving his mark on our local culture with ing it. It requires a lot of experience. For black-and-grey tattoos, things are a
dazzling pieces from portraits to animals. Before you book that backpiece you’ve been little different. This style is much faster and less traumatic. Therefore, almost
planning, check out this new kid from the Eastern Bloc. every good studio has a wizard that does well in black- and-grey. And this is
no surprise.
INKED: What made you decide to teach yourself how to tattoo?
SHEPELENKO: When I was learning how to do tattoos there were very few You look for inspiration in photography, do you ever photograph your own references?
famous artists in Russia to look up to. So I had to search the internet, books, Many of the portraits I do are of my own photos. I find it easier to take
and magazines for any information I could use to develop my skills. a good photo myself, rather than have to explain to the person what is
required of the photograph. I have a set-up for professional photography in
You began tattooing in 2001 as a hobby, why did you make the switch to professional tattooer my studio.
in 2005?
Over those first four years my work One of your more infamous tattoos is of Vladimir Putin painted
was improving so much that I began to up like a sugar skull. Putin is notorious for not taking well to
receive offers to work in professional being mocked, did you ever think there could be ramifications
studios. My client list was constantly for the person who got the tattoo or possibly for you?
growing. The career pretty much devel- My client came into the studio and asked for a
oped itself. Putin tattoo. The twist was he wanted it as unsual
as possible because he collects a lot of unusual
How do you think being self-taught has helped and sometimes funny tattoos. We did try our best
your career? How do you think your career would not to offend Vladimir Putin and I do not believe
be different if you had been mentored? this tattoo to be provocative or politically charged
I believe that being self-taught I have in any way.
come to work in my own style, free from
the limitations that I would have had What is the most unusual tattoo that you’ve done?
with mentors or teachers. I have often I would like to do more unusual, or unconven-
thought about learning from profes- tional, tattoos. Unfortunately my clients are
sional artists, but I’m always faced with increasingly turning to rather ordinary desires. But
the fact that they are restricted by rules. trust me, if I get to do an unusual tattoo, the Inked
I think it’s disheartening to have my art audience will be the first I tell.
limited by these rules, so I decided to
look at their work and implement some Being self-taught, you spent hours redrawing portraits of
of what I saw in my own work. people and animals, why have you now chosen to focus on one
medium (tattooing)?
What are the pros and cons of having been self Initially I wanted to draw so that I would copy
taught vs having a formal apprenticeship? images and increase my skill level in tattooing.
I have no limitations on my style. The I’m not so interested in drawing on paper, to me
main disadvantage is that in order to it is better that the time gets spent on creating a
succeed one would need to spend beautiful tattoo on the skin. The more I work on
two- or even three-times longer learn- the skin, the better I feel my level of tattooing gets.
ing. Going through trial and error and
constant experimentation is important in What was your first tattoo?
order to find what works best for you—it First tattoo I got I was 17 years-old and it was a
is time-consuming. pattern on the shoulder. I had my friend, Alexander
Haishyan, do it for me. It was very painful, but I
Were you working towards being an artist that focused on realism, or was this something you immediately realized that it was mine and I loved it.
came to love after dabbling in other styles?
I was always struck by the style of realism. And I purposefully tried to work Who do you want to be tattooed by?
on it and improve this style. I want a tattoo from Nikko Hurtado. I left a place for him on my leg. And on
the other leg, a place for A.D. Pancho. We sometimes talk, but can never
You work in realism, but you have said that you do not like doing fine details, why not? meet, because he and I are constantly working. Our schedules have yet to
Small details in the realism tend to change over a few years after the tattoo line up.
heals. I see, in some work, after a couple of years that noticeable details lose
their sharpness. So now I have to constantly work to ensure that my tattoos You have quite a collection of tattoos, who have you been tattooed by?
don’t lose the quality. This is my main focus when trying to master this style I have tattoos from a lot of amazing artists. I view every single one of them
at the highest level. as colleagues and friends. We meet, work together and build a friendship
through hard work and a shared passion for the art. The most recent piece
Would you say that you prefer color to black-and-grey? I’ve gotten was done by my friend Rich Zayas of Tattoo Lou’s in New York.
Yes. You can take the same color piece, give it to two talented artists, and He did the Statue of Liberty on my neck to represent my love for New York.
receive two completely different tattoos. We, as individuals, based on our
local environment, life experiences and so many more factors, interpret You are currently working out of Tattoo Lou’s in New York, any plans to make a move?
colors differently. Color helps to distinguish my work from the 1000s of I am working towards being a part of the team at Tattoo Lou’s. I appreciate
other artists out there. Looking at black-and-grey, you see many of the same being given the opportunity to be part of the World Famous Tattoo Ink Pro
works resemble each other. It is much more difficult to make your black-and- Team. The exposure I’ve gained since becoming a member has allowed me
grey unique and not like any other. to get my work out of Russia.
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88 | INKEDMAG.COM A m e r i c a n A p p a r e l b r a t o p ; C o n ve r se sn e a k e r s; vi n t a g e o ve r a l l s; hat by H urley
DANNY
YOU DON’T PROMOTE HAVING BEEN ON TELEVISION, IS THERE
A REASON WHY? I think that if I’ve learned anything from my
boss, Victor Modafferi, it’s that the work speaks for itself. You
can have all the promotion in the world but not be a great
artist. After I got the promotion from TV, I figured I did my one
LEPORE
thing that I kind of needed to get a boost, but at this point I
don’t want to promote anything TV-related. I don’t want to
make people think that that’s the reason people are coming
to me. I want to prove that my work can be good enough to
where I don’t need a TV show. I prefer to do it my way and let
the hard work and the art speak for itself.
V I S I T: I N S TA G R A M .C O M / D A N N Y L E P O R E
YOU MOSTLY WORK IN BLACK AND GREY, WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO
GO THAT ROUTE? When I first started tattooing I was heavily
into color, but black-and-grey just sticks out to me a little bit
more. It’s a little classier; it blends into the skin a lot nicer.
I feel that with realism you can accomplish way more with
black-and-grey. I’d like to focus on one thing and have a
specialty. I’ve seen that a lot of other artists have been really
successful when they focus on the thing that they are good
at and what they enjoy doing the most because that’s when
the best work comes out. When I do black-and-grey, it just
feels right. It feels like what I’m supposed to be doing.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO MAKE YOUR WORK STAND OUT? Honestly,
I’m just trying to get better everyday. I still have a lot to learn.
I’m happy with the progression I’ve made the past couple of
years, but I feel that I have more potential. I look at a tattoo
and usually the client is pretty excited about it. They are
enjoying it, but I don’t get excited. I try not to hype myself up
too much. I try to look at the imperfections in it and see what I
90 | INKEDMAG.COM can do next time to make it better.