Five Years Gone: I Still Miss You, Tom

<div class="tr_bq">When Tattoosday was but a wee little blog, with big hopes and dreams, one of the early champions and supporters was my friend, Tom.</div><br />Five years ago today, he died suddenly and tragically. I still miss him.<br /><br />Although the memories fade, his spirit still lives on in the pages of Tattoosday.<br /><br />That said, I share this post, from 2007, featuring my friend Tom's tattoo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIW43Fjy0oB45TvMN68U8XLtqBTUS1EZEXsoujeNfx96csFKEwJbbqTa27eNsBKQ_MQGmPvhs4lPZh5ENtNPlzO6VnV3xbFk7yAjphzwRRog2H1k4WhNtmLyDVt8pqckA7z2HisAFXA4Z/s1600-h/100_5069.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109098099137111794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIW43Fjy0oB45TvMN68U8XLtqBTUS1EZEXsoujeNfx96csFKEwJbbqTa27eNsBKQ_MQGmPvhs4lPZh5ENtNPlzO6VnV3xbFk7yAjphzwRRog2H1k4WhNtmLyDVt8pqckA7z2HisAFXA4Z/s400/100_5069.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br /><blockquote><br />"This is the sole tattoo of my friend and co-worker, Tom.</blockquote><blockquote>Tom designed and drew the art upon which this tattoo was based.</blockquote><blockquote>The Reaper is posed on Tom's biceps/deltoid and has resided there since 1984, when its host was a young lad of eighteen. </blockquote><blockquote>This is Tom's only tattoo and he has no plans to get more. He is proud of the fact that, because he designed it and because he then tore up the original design, it is a one-of-a-kind piece. He said that it was very painful because of the amount of black ink that went into it.</blockquote><blockquote>The tattoo was inked by Dean at <a href="http://www.lolastattoos.com/">Lola's Tattoos</a>, then in <a href="http://www.cliffsideparkonline.com/">Cliffside Park</a>, but now in <a href="http://www.bogota.nj.us/">Bogota, New Jersey</a>. Tom got this tattoo "because it was cool," although the tattooer tried to convince him not to get it because it was "too mean" for him. Twenty-three years later, Tom says he has no regrets about his ink.</blockquote><blockquote>Thanks, Tom!"</blockquote><br />Last night, on the eve of this somber anniversary, my Google Play shuffle served up the following song, which I had the pleasure of seeing live with Tom at Jones Beach just a few months before he died:<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ag6rRnCQUMk" width="640"></iframe><br /><br />Thinking of you, Tom, I still miss you, and Tattoosday misses you too.

Five Years Gone: I Still Miss You, Tom

When Tattoosday was but a wee little blog, with big hopes and dreams, one of the early champions and supporters was my friend, Tom. Five yea...

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Welcome to the Machine

I met Paige over by the New Jersey Transit section in Penn Station late last month and she shared this, one of her five tattoos:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaiG6Q0lXQvcy6Xw0XlphcyOzbY-gAHvLaUYWyUwVanzq9kCh3QZMkGyIJ7zuoFKiwqtEsZa2vCJn7pvZ-ZKBt6FfM23leR3-tjMZGIgjsVLvIqDxAnPd0oBpNkrToD9_QjI47iJD/s1600/biomech.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaiG6Q0lXQvcy6Xw0XlphcyOzbY-gAHvLaUYWyUwVanzq9kCh3QZMkGyIJ7zuoFKiwqtEsZa2vCJn7pvZ-ZKBt6FfM23leR3-tjMZGIgjsVLvIqDxAnPd0oBpNkrToD9_QjI47iJD/s400/biomech.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />It's a biomechanical piece that helps illustrate her as a machine. Her plan is to ultimately turn it into a sleeve with an apocalyptic bent.<br /><br />She had this done at Lola's in Bogota, New Jersey. Work from Lola's has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.<br /><br />Thanks to Paige for sharing her tattoo with us <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Lola%27s%20Tattoos">here</a> on Tattoosday!

Welcome to the Machine

I met Paige over by the New Jersey Transit section in Penn Station late last month and she shared this, one of her five tattoos: It's a ...

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Tattoosday's Brush with Greatness: Joan Jett in Union Square

"Timing is everything," goes one saying, and "it's the little things" is also a phrase true to my heart.<br /><br />Before we venture on a little diversion, let's remind ourselves that Tattoosday is about "meeting and appreciating body art (okay, tattoos) in the New York City area". Unless I go on the road, of course.<br /><br />There are numerous sites that can give you a road map to celebrity tattoos, for example, but I generally don't encounter star ink, so it rarely graces this site.<br /><br />Yet yesterday found me down by Union Square, seeking out a copy of <a href="http://www.bodytypebook.com/">Ina Saltz's</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Body-Type-More-Typographic-Tattoos/dp/0810982765/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2">Body Type 2</a>, which I hope to bring with me tomorrow night to the Upper West Side <a href="http://store-locator.barnesandnoble.com/store/2628">where</a> Ms. Saltz will be discussing the book.<br /><br />On the way back to the subway, I had the pleasure of running into a cluster of people milling about a tattooed individual who is a genuine rock star: the lovely <a href="http://www.joanjett.com/index.html">Joan</a><a href="http://www.joanjett.com/index.html"> Jett</a>.<br /><br />I was going to just gawk and move on, like a polite New Yorker, but Ms. Jett was there for a reason, she sported a black tank with an "I ♥ <a href="http://www.peta.org/">PeTA</a>" slogan and she was talking to folks about a cause near and dear to her, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegetarianism">vegetarianism</a>.<br /><br />Unbeknown to me, this was a bit of public relations, as indicated by <a href="http://www.peta.org/mc/NewsItem.asp?id=14624">a PeTA press release</a>.<br /><br />At some point, I thought, well maybe I could get Ms. Jett to talk about one of her tattoos, in exchange for some publicity on Tattoosday.<br /><br />Good idea, and even the PeTA people seemed to think so, but I only managed to squeeze in a mutual "hi" and eye contact, as I competed with fans with much more passion than me. But more on them later.<br /><br />I took these shots of one of her tattoos as I stood nearby:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8D9YdeOfG7tJnUCVwDl7vfjpV5wc74HfeaXuWYKZXSoPHFvq3318IOGQkgv33ziSfOmtf4MRkL4vUc9OTKga-0rgBMe_85n4DEU4V8etePZk4GxGLAFxyweHPg1CSR3drbP-BC9d/s1600/jett+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467729383515250082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8D9YdeOfG7tJnUCVwDl7vfjpV5wc74HfeaXuWYKZXSoPHFvq3318IOGQkgv33ziSfOmtf4MRkL4vUc9OTKga-0rgBMe_85n4DEU4V8etePZk4GxGLAFxyweHPg1CSR3drbP-BC9d/s400/jett+2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwITOZcz9KENu6TOlL4PubS4xLW83WFd8DMS91WDIXBgNB3dhjLqOejOZ5agLbV00Og2mj2KIM8ENEjiSlZKoG7vMW0-Thh3gui-0w-iOfOzPttLlcaDoKPGEf9He6G4K6u-FrL10/s1600/jett+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467729224923411346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVwITOZcz9KENu6TOlL4PubS4xLW83WFd8DMS91WDIXBgNB3dhjLqOejOZ5agLbV00Og2mj2KIM8ENEjiSlZKoG7vMW0-Thh3gui-0w-iOfOzPttLlcaDoKPGEf9He6G4K6u-FrL10/s400/jett+1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" /></a><br />I even took the obligatory self-portrait of myself with Ms. Jett being interviewed in the background, just to see how dorky I could make myself appear in public:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVf6mfTLyfHnKVzxLpYKVSEYbWAQvJDcv8mEF-XE3bp71ZZbJyfCLz5CTTLqVUDMSD1reoMSLk0omhLx4wgpCTzH5pMakBns4WaaVHq06A9BgQlD7F75c37dUkJdnFcpcmLjKKxxj/s1600/me+and+joan+jett.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467728995451522082" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghVf6mfTLyfHnKVzxLpYKVSEYbWAQvJDcv8mEF-XE3bp71ZZbJyfCLz5CTTLqVUDMSD1reoMSLk0omhLx4wgpCTzH5pMakBns4WaaVHq06A9BgQlD7F75c37dUkJdnFcpcmLjKKxxj/s400/me+and+joan+jett.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" /></a><br />I had a great post formulated about the piece, but found myself a little late to the party, based on <a href="http://www.needlesandsins.com/2010/03/an-ode-to-joan-jetts-tattoos.html">this great entry</a> by Marisa over at <a href="http://www.needlesandsins.com/">Needles and Sins</a>, which includes links to discussion about the meanings of her tattoos.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkZ0LcOMLOsghiPCSLk-ukRGgcUwFahCHT0CGDNAQ1f7Uhaa6os2nMcnk_hlCKPHqvVzY_LBVTAbUNI3Y6eEL8dJpB6vfyosJevCH8BvuA2q-5gAZ2zzUxIijDBJQU58u0B3qCqMt/s1600/joan+jett+tattoo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467722894514770530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxkZ0LcOMLOsghiPCSLk-ukRGgcUwFahCHT0CGDNAQ1f7Uhaa6os2nMcnk_hlCKPHqvVzY_LBVTAbUNI3Y6eEL8dJpB6vfyosJevCH8BvuA2q-5gAZ2zzUxIijDBJQU58u0B3qCqMt/s400/joan+jett+tattoo.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 250px;" /></a><br />But, remember, here on Tattoosday, it's often as much about the encounter as it is about the tattoos.<br /><br />Remember the fans I mentioned before? I met Danielle, who sports a black heart tattoo (similar to one worn by Victor <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/06/heeeeeeeeeres-victors-tattoos.html">here</a>), but had just shown Ms. Jett this cool Runaways piece in the center of her back:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UbOxBdmfZSkON6Vi8AeQ9h3mtflUSS8arcIUNdRCB5EKVJK1N1Py1y2z1mmSGDNMJDVhJLmmDBanOrmW1aotzEgLn1lzPvtIu5GOUGjGUjiMAyTAZJz4XBP5MPAX9-dxjjEAcSH4/s1600/runaways.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5467729086260794050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UbOxBdmfZSkON6Vi8AeQ9h3mtflUSS8arcIUNdRCB5EKVJK1N1Py1y2z1mmSGDNMJDVhJLmmDBanOrmW1aotzEgLn1lzPvtIu5GOUGjGUjiMAyTAZJz4XBP5MPAX9-dxjjEAcSH4/s400/runaways.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 365px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Danielle co-hosts a web show on the <a href="http://whcs.hunter.cuny.edu/">Hunter College radio station</a> called <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=331037703392&ref=share&v=info">Activity Grrrls' Radio Revolution</a> on Tuesdays at 2:00pm here (<a href="http://whcs.hunter.cuny.edu/" target="_blank">whcs.hunter.cuny.edu</a>), "where to go for your weekly dose of rock n roll".<br /><br />She was thrilled at meeting Ms. Jett and loved that it was in conjunction with a PeTA promotion. Danielle is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegan">vegan</a> and the tattoo artist in New Jersey used vegan ink for the tattoo.<br /><br />Danielle updated me with the following information:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">I got the tattoo done in <a href="http://www.lolastattoos.com/">Lola's Tattoo Shop</a> in New Jersey, the artist's name is <a href="http://www.littlereatatattoos.com/home.html">Charlie</a>. He's also vegan. I told him I wanted a tattoo of the words 'The Runaways' through two cherries and he came up with a design.</blockquote>So it was quite a productive lunch for me. I got my book, ran into Joan Jett, took a picture of her tattoo, and then got a photo of a piece inspired by her first band, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Runaways">The Runaways</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Joan, Danielle, and the folks at PeTA for helping make this post possible here on Tattoosday!<br /><br />If you're interested in Joan Jett's testimonial about her commitment to the vegetarian cause, check it out below:<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.petatv.com/swf/video.swf?v=joan_jett_veg_testimonial_high" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" height="255" width="335"></embed><br />You can order a FREE 'Vegetarian Starter Kit' at <a href="http://www.goveg.com/order.asp?c=petastreamvids">GoVeg.com</a>.<br /><br />More vegetarian testimonials <a href="http://veggietestimonial.peta.org/index.aspx">here</a>.<br /><br />And here's a <a href="http://www.peta.org/vsk/">link</a> to the <a href="http://www.peta.org/vsk/">PeTA Vegetarian Starter Kit</a> which Ms. Jett was distributing.<br /><br />And finally, here's <a href="http://www.digtriad.com/news/watercooler/article.aspx?storyid=141603&catid=176">a link</a> to a news brief on the event with some video in which I do not appear.<br /><br />Full disclosure: I am married to a vegetarian, but I am not one myself. I possess not the willpower to commit to such a cause, but I support and commend those that do.

Tattoosday's Brush with Greatness: Joan Jett in Union Square

"Timing is everything," goes one saying, and "it's the little things" is also a phrase true to my heart. Before we v...

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Re-Post: Tattoos I Know - The Grim Reaper

Today is a sad anniversary for us here on Tattoosday, for it marks one year since our friend, Tom Wacker, passed away unexpectedly.<br /><br />Tom was an early supporter of the blog, from its fledgling days as a once-a-week feature over on <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com">BillyBlog</a>, and he watched us grow with a mixture of excitement and pride.<br /><br /><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/07/hello-polaroid-goodbye-kodak.html">The camera I use</a> was a birthday gift from Tom and his fiancee <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2007/07/introducing-tattoosday.html">Sephora</a>, and he was always first in line to see the pictures I took whenever I had new material for the blog.<br /><br />A week or two before his death, Tom was hanging out at a friend's house in New Jersey. He took pictures of his friend's sleeve and e-mailed them to me. The photos are still in my mailbox, unposted. I still haven't the heart to call his friend and talk tattoo with him.<br /><br />There are times I am hesitant to approach people, for whatever reason, and I overcome whatever resistance I may feel, knowing that's what Tom would have wanted me to do, and that somewhere, he is watching, urging me on, applauding my efforts, admiring the ink.<br /><br />As a tribute to Tom, I am reposting his tattoo, which he shared with us here, back in 2007.<br /><br />It's not the best tattoo, but it's Tom's, and his spirit is infused here in Tattoosday. It's the least I can do for the friend that supported us so much in the early days. Here's to you, Tom!<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Tattoos I Know: The Grim Reaper (<a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2007/09/tattoos-i-know-grim-reaper.html">originally posted September 11, 2007</a>)</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIW43Fjy0oB45TvMN68U8XLtqBTUS1EZEXsoujeNfx96csFKEwJbbqTa27eNsBKQ_MQGmPvhs4lPZh5ENtNPlzO6VnV3xbFk7yAjphzwRRog2H1k4WhNtmLyDVt8pqckA7z2HisAFXA4Z/s1600-h/100_5069.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109098099137111794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIW43Fjy0oB45TvMN68U8XLtqBTUS1EZEXsoujeNfx96csFKEwJbbqTa27eNsBKQ_MQGmPvhs4lPZh5ENtNPlzO6VnV3xbFk7yAjphzwRRog2H1k4WhNtmLyDVt8pqckA7z2HisAFXA4Z/s400/100_5069.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This is the sole tattoo of my friend and co-worker, Tom Wacker.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Tom designed and drew the art upon which this tattoo was based.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The Reaper is posed on Tom's biceps/deltoid and has resided there since 1984, when its host was a young lad of eighteen.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">This is Tom's only tattoo and he has no plans to get more. He is proud of the fact that, because he designed it and because he then tore up the original design, it is a one-of-a-kind piece...</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">The tattoo was inked by Dean at </span><a href="http://www.lolastattoos.com/" style="font-style: italic;">Lola's Tattoos</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, then in </span><a href="http://www.cliffsideparkonline.com/" style="font-style: italic;">Cliffside Park</a><span style="font-style: italic;">, but now in </span><a href="http://www.bogota.nj.us/" style="font-style: italic;">Bogota, New Jersey</a><span style="font-style: italic;">. Tom got this tattoo "because it was cool," although the tattooer tried to convince him not to get it because it was "too mean" for him. Twenty-three years later, Tom says he has no regrets about his ink.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks, Tom!</span><br /><br />****<br />***<br />**<br />*

Re-Post: Tattoos I Know - The Grim Reaper

Today is a sad anniversary for us here on Tattoosday, for it marks one year since our friend, Tom Wacker, passed away unexpectedly. Tom was ...

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Horror Goulash with a Side of Power Mushrooms

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvknxeMA91PgAL8XQCwZMW1pWZOwhuSWhzZgwwr-9WUbwCJhM0hWg0vN_Tbtv83LcUboitwTUaRt4x4SCxH-hH-YstTaqUYcvQ7GLufJcpaYZwk2zDMQjf-xDubbHdzZnABtprdVZ77o/s1600-h/Horror+Goulash+detail+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355672714934080530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxvknxeMA91PgAL8XQCwZMW1pWZOwhuSWhzZgwwr-9WUbwCJhM0hWg0vN_Tbtv83LcUboitwTUaRt4x4SCxH-hH-YstTaqUYcvQ7GLufJcpaYZwk2zDMQjf-xDubbHdzZnABtprdVZ77o/s400/Horror+Goulash+detail+1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 327px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />I was passing through <a href="http://www.c21stores.com/">Century 21 Department Store</a> when I spotted <a href="http://www.jasonfeulner.com/">Jason</a>, a web designer who estimates he is 50% covered in tattoos.<br /><br />He offered up this sleeve, which he worked on for six sessions with the tattoo artist <a href="http://www.stainpain.com/">Sean Sweeney</a> at <a href="http://www.lolastattoos.com/">Lola's Tattoos</a> in Bogota, New Jersey:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNOw0dwwzdUfNB_pGJOt1uNgY78MJq7TAOgcJl-kp1NW8326NCItk7LVb7eIKhLXqqUEGTkYXkHAk-HX61GslTB1M9eNgwvcm8-7BSV4Z4g_nE5-7Er7JjRYcCACtdwcgdC_185HzuMs/s1600-h/Horror+Goulash.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355672800168636450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiNOw0dwwzdUfNB_pGJOt1uNgY78MJq7TAOgcJl-kp1NW8326NCItk7LVb7eIKhLXqqUEGTkYXkHAk-HX61GslTB1M9eNgwvcm8-7BSV4Z4g_nE5-7Er7JjRYcCACtdwcgdC_185HzuMs/s400/Horror+Goulash.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 131px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Sean has subsequently moved to Virginia.<br /><br />They called this piece "Horror Goulash" as it was a big pot of ideas for a sleeve, with an emphasis on the dark and macabre. Over the period of its creation, they collaborated to add ideas to it.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nIjkIaOq72ny7kIC5VqUfolXA2vzsJWxPPrHuTj5yvsAcY5QQrWOuRQ1ujfIfP-9xKSpKVOQuvvXIdWzMKjjj0cSjGpboWcjrehvY7v6awfr0_KqmRvRtPLTjKTKIWzpryQuuGM-5EE/s1600-h/Horror+Goulash+detail+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355672553131244882" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9nIjkIaOq72ny7kIC5VqUfolXA2vzsJWxPPrHuTj5yvsAcY5QQrWOuRQ1ujfIfP-9xKSpKVOQuvvXIdWzMKjjj0cSjGpboWcjrehvY7v6awfr0_KqmRvRtPLTjKTKIWzpryQuuGM-5EE/s400/Horror+Goulash+detail+2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 194px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Jason also had this piece tattooed on the back of his left calf:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieomTKpTjAsX31VucadvOw-cln0WldV0jqtkypZCswHpqk14uu4uWIca3jPD_euGmQZDoc9uXTIq4CFQzbuAYntf82qJ-TEvYErOvtnfBBuUwk6stU3ehiMu8FgNIYmnRtbKayiMU0wGk/s1600-h/Mushrooms.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5355672490674709778" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieomTKpTjAsX31VucadvOw-cln0WldV0jqtkypZCswHpqk14uu4uWIca3jPD_euGmQZDoc9uXTIq4CFQzbuAYntf82qJ-TEvYErOvtnfBBuUwk6stU3ehiMu8FgNIYmnRtbKayiMU0wGk/s400/Mushrooms.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 400px;" /></a>These are, for the uninitiated, the power mushrooms that are sought after in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo">Nintendo</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros.">Super Mario Bros.</a> video games.<br /><br />Jason loves Nintendo and admitted, it was a "spur of the moment" piece tattooed "somewhere in the Village".<br /><br />Thanks to Jason for sharing his amazing ink with us here on Tattoosday!

Horror Goulash with a Side of Power Mushrooms

I was passing through Century 21 Department Store when I spotted Jason , a web designer who estimates he is 50% covered in tattoos. He offe...

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Tom Wacker, 1966-2008

Late Thursday night I received a phone call I wish had never needed to be made.<br /><br />My friend Sheri called me to tell me that her fiancé<i> </i>Tom had died unexpectedly earlier that day, the victim of an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aneurysm">aneurysm</a>. He was only 42.<br /><br />People die every day in America, in the world. Young, old, healthy, sick. Death is a fact of life. Here at Tattoosday, we acknowledge that. Memorial tattoos abound.<br /><br />But Tom was not just anyone. He was my friend, and he was with me from the beginning of this venture, one of Tattoosday's earliest fans and supporters. Not only did he offer up his own ink (reposted below), but he was always on the lookout for me, and saw most of the photos before they made it to the blogosphere. We'd exchange messages and updates over the weekends, and he always anticipated my return from lunch on weekdays, to see if I had spotted any awesome ink.<br /><br />He knew how much I was yearning for a better camera, and he ended up getting me <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/07/hello-polaroid-goodbye-kodak.html">a new one</a>, with Sheri, for my birthday.<br /><br />And if we weren't talking ink, we were talking music, both of us big fans of Iron Maiden, Guns N' Roses, AC/DC, and Metallica.<br /><br />Below is the post I ran of his tattoo, a grim reaper from his metalhead days. It's not spectacular work, but it graced his skin, and made him one of the inked nation.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Tattoos I Know: The Grim Reaper (originally posted September 11, 2007)</span><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIW43Fjy0oB45TvMN68U8XLtqBTUS1EZEXsoujeNfx96csFKEwJbbqTa27eNsBKQ_MQGmPvhs4lPZh5ENtNPlzO6VnV3xbFk7yAjphzwRRog2H1k4WhNtmLyDVt8pqckA7z2HisAFXA4Z/s1600-h/100_5069.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109098099137111794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIW43Fjy0oB45TvMN68U8XLtqBTUS1EZEXsoujeNfx96csFKEwJbbqTa27eNsBKQ_MQGmPvhs4lPZh5ENtNPlzO6VnV3xbFk7yAjphzwRRog2H1k4WhNtmLyDVt8pqckA7z2HisAFXA4Z/s400/100_5069.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />This is the sole tattoo of my friend and co-worker, Tom Wacker.<br /><br />Tom designed and drew the art upon which this tattoo was based.<br /><br />The Reaper is posed on Tom's biceps/deltoid and has resided there since 1984, when its host was a young lad of eighteen.<br /><br />This is Tom's only tattoo and he has no plans to get more. He is proud of the fact that, because he designed it and because he then tore up the original design, it is a one-of-a-kind piece. He said that it was very painful because of the amount of black ink that went into it.<br /><br />The tattoo was inked by Dean at <a href="http://www.lolastattoos.com/">Lola's Tattoos</a>, then in <a href="http://www.cliffsideparkonline.com/">Cliffside Park</a>, but now in <a href="http://www.bogota.nj.us/">Bogota, New Jersey</a>. Tom got this tattoo "because it was cool," although the tattooer tried to convince him not to get it because it was "too mean" for him. Twenty-three years later, Tom says he has no regrets about his ink.<br /><br />Thanks, Tom!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~~~<br /></div></blockquote> I have been posting less, of late, but Tom's spirit will live on through Tattoosday. For he is the audience I envision while writing. I know he would tell me not to mourn, but to keep on doing what I love, blogging ink, meeting new people, and showcasing their body art for all to enjoy.<br /><br />I'll miss you, Tom. This blog's for you, too, wherever you are.

Tom Wacker, 1966-2008

Late Thursday night I received a phone call I wish had never needed to be made. My friend Sheri called me to tell me that her fiancé Tom ha...

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Tattoos I Know: The Grim Reaper

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIW43Fjy0oB45TvMN68U8XLtqBTUS1EZEXsoujeNfx96csFKEwJbbqTa27eNsBKQ_MQGmPvhs4lPZh5ENtNPlzO6VnV3xbFk7yAjphzwRRog2H1k4WhNtmLyDVt8pqckA7z2HisAFXA4Z/s1600-h/100_5069.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5109098099137111794" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMIW43Fjy0oB45TvMN68U8XLtqBTUS1EZEXsoujeNfx96csFKEwJbbqTa27eNsBKQ_MQGmPvhs4lPZh5ENtNPlzO6VnV3xbFk7yAjphzwRRog2H1k4WhNtmLyDVt8pqckA7z2HisAFXA4Z/s400/100_5069.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><br />This is the sole tattoo of my friend and co-worker, Tom Wacker.<br /><br />Tom designed and drew the art upon which this tattoo was based.<br /><br />The Reaper is posed on Tom's biceps/deltoid and has resided there since 1984, when its host was a young lad of eighteen.<br /><br />This is Tom's only tattoo and he has no plans to get more. He is proud of the fact that, because he designed it and because he then tore up the original design, it is a one-of-a-kind piece. He said that it was very painful because of the amount of black ink that went into it.<br /><br />The tattoo was inked by Dean at <a href="http://www.lolastattoos.com/">Lola's Tattoos</a>, then in <a href="http://www.cliffsideparkonline.com/">Cliffside Park</a>, but now in <a href="http://www.bogota.nj.us/">Bogota, New Jersey</a>. Tom got this tattoo "because it was cool," although the tattooer tried to convince him not to get it because it was "too mean" for him. Twenty-three years later, Tom says he has no regrets about his ink.<br /><br />Thanks, Tom!

Tattoos I Know: The Grim Reaper

This is the sole tattoo of my friend and co-worker, Tom Wacker. Tom designed and drew the art upon which this tattoo was based. The Reaper i...

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