Beer Can Hill

I’m receiving some questionable comments and emails from people who are interested in the Michelle McGee media circus.

Beer Can Hill is not a celebrity gossip site. I do not interview people for profit and it’s important to me that the people I interact with trust me and my site. I believe that consenting adults are free to live their lives as they see fit, and hopefully learn from their errors when they make them.

I also do not involve myself in the feuds between well-known tattooed women, and I don’t participate in them myself. That kind of crap hurts the tattooed community, and it’s childish. I have no hatred or animosity towards any tattooed public figure, and this is simply because I do not believe everything that I hear or read.

Tattoos and body modification should have nothing to do with negative social politics. Michelle McGee’s tattoos have nothing to do with her alleged personal choices and decisions. Tattoos do not cause women to become sexually aggressive husband poachers. Also? This is 2010. Men are responsible for their own behavior.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="460" caption="photo from ShockMansion.com interview."][/caption]

I hope that the people who are involved in this mess learn from their mistakes and get help for their problems, because I believe that this type of chaos and misery is unnecessary.

An individual using the email address lemooreshop at yahoo.com has advised me that Bullet Proof Tattoo and 92 Proof Tattoo are separate companies/shops. Bullet Proof is in Fresno,California and 92 Proof is in Lemoore,California. Beer Can Hill apologizes for the past misprint.

Also, my friend Christopher’s tattoo artist Thomas can be reached at this website.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Photo owned by Christopher."][/caption]

Christopher is turning 35 on July 14th. He agreed to discuss his tattoos with me the other day.

Carrie: Where are you from?

Christopher: I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but have
lived in Seattle for almost ten years.

Carrie: What do you do for a living?

Christopher: Online advertising, but I’m a contractor and will be looking for work soon. Hoping to stay in the industry, because I studied advertising in college and worked in it for several years, and
it’s great to be back in it after my original layoff.

Carrie: What do you do with your time?

Christopher: I’m a big movie watcher. I have a six-at-a-time Netflix membership and try to see as many as I can in the theater. I enjoy the full spectrum of visual art, from graffiti and stickers to museum shows. I also really like taking my own photos and I’m happiest when I have a lot of free time to walk around an unfamiliar place taking pictures.

Carrie: Is there a non-profit group that you support?

Christopher: I’ve never really been big on charity or fundraising, but this year, several of my friends are walking in the 3-day, 60-mile walk to benefit breast cancer research, so I’ve donated to each of them. I’ve had some major personal, professional, and financial setbacks since I moved here, so it was nice to be able to donate to them this year; it wasn’t a huge amount by any means, but it would have been impossible so many other years.

Carrie:  Who does your tattoos?

Christopher: The kanji characters on my left arm were done off a printout from Microsoft Word that I brought in to Eric Eye at Lucky Devil in Seattle. All my other work is by Thomas Graham at SuperGenius, and I plan to get a lot more done by him.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Photo owned by Christopher."][/caption]

Carrie: Why the pagoda?

Christopher: People ask me the same question a lot, and the funny thing is, it’s the one tattoo I have that carries the least significance. Basically, I needed something tall and skinny to go in that spot, and I figured I should look for something Asian-inspired to go well with the tree.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Photo owned by Christopher."][/caption]

Carrie: What do your arms mean?

Christopher: I’ll explain how everything happened, in order. In March or April of 2004, I’d just lost a job right as I was trying to figure out what to do with a free airline ticket I had. I ended up in Corpus Christi of all places, and I was in the hotel bored, watching TV. My good friend Nancy called and told me she was about to get a free tattoo, so I asked what it was going to be. She was getting the kanji symbol for “star” on the back of her neck. I told her I wanted “your mom” in Japanese on my arm, so that when people asked what it meant, I could just say “your mom”. When my 30th birthday rolled around in July, Nancy bought me that exact tattoo for my birthday.

For my next tattoo, I decided I wanted a seahorse, but decided they were too cute for a guy to wear. I figured a skeleton would look tougher, but seahorse skeletons look almost exactly like seahorses, so I decided to have one drawn up as though it were made from mammal bones. I took my sketch to a shop and talked to an artist about it, and she told me she’d need a week to work on it. I came back and was extremely disappointed to see that she found the exact picture on the internet that I had in mind as an example of what I didn’t want, and the proportions were all wrong for my forearm. She proved that she hadn’t listened to me at all when she said, “I figured you didn’t know
what their skeletons looked like so I went online and found this.”
Yeah, what I told you is that I didn’t like what they actually looked
like and asked you to draw something else!

I was pretty disappointed so I took a copy of my sketch over to
SuperGenius and Thomas drew exactly what I wanted in about 25 minutes. He really listened to me and it came out perfect, which is why I’ve gone to him ever since.

After my mom died, the “your mom” joke tattoo started to bug me a bit, so I wanted to turn it into a tribute tattoo. I decided I wanted to put her favorite type of tree on my arm, which is a weeping willow. Thomas took a photo of both my arms for reference and came up with a highly-stylized version of one which turned out really cool and actually mirrors the shape of the seahorse on the other arm. I’ve also noticed that he took the time to make the shapes in the tree mirror the characters it surrounds.

I’m actually going to cover my whole left arm with blackwork, the plan is to put a moon on my upper arm and hide something crazy like a skull in a samurai helmet (Thomas’ idea) on the inner part.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="239" caption="Click to see Christopher's series of T-Rex quotes."][/caption]

Carrie: I have seen the T-REX comic but am not familiar with its place in pop culture. Can you give my readers the cliff notes version?

Christopher: Dinosaur Comics is a daily web comic by Ryan North. He used clip art to set up the panels and mostly only changes the words each day. I discovered it during a period of unemployment and have been a huge fan ever since. Ryan is a modern philosopher of sorts, and I really enjoy the way his mind works.

The first and second panel of every comic always consist of T-Rex’s initial thought in panel one followed by a gasping realization in the second. The second panel taken out of context is usually funny on its own and I decided the spirit of it was exactly what I wanted as a tattoo. I noticed after the fact that I’ll be needing a touchup, though. I gave Thomas a prinout of the t-shirt version, which is missing the webbing from the sides of T-Rex’s mouth. I didn’t notice this until after the fact.

Carrie: Have you had to deal with any prejudice over being tattooed?

Christopher: Not at all. I’m willing to bet money that Seattle is one of the most heavily-tattooed cities in the world. I was in San Francisco over the weekend and was noticing the difference. At first, my dad didn’t like them and balked when I said I was planning more, but I could tell he warmed up to them a lot when he told me he thought the tree might look even better if I shaved it.

Carrie: What would you tell somebody who is getting ready to get their first tattoo?

Christopher: I would tell them they shouldn’t worry as much as people say they should. People act as though tattoos have to represent a milestone in your life or that they need to have a deep meaning, but I believe it’s fine if they do, but all that matters is that you enjoy them. It’s ok if you consider them decorative or fun, and it’s fine if they’re abstract, serious, silly, or ironic.

I would also tell them that it is indeed painful, but pain one time is no reason to miss out on a lifetime of wearable art.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="240" caption="Photo owned by The Lizard Man."][/caption]

Erik Sprague/The Lizard Man needs little or no introduction. He is an accomplished sideshow performer, public speaker, and body modification veteran. Recently he was kind enough to give me some of his time.

Carrie: Every now and then, there’s articles about implants gone awry and migrating, mutating, or infecting. Is this a concern for you? Can your implants shift over time?

Lizard Man: I’m not aware of implants mutating per se but the other things you mentioned are real concerns and I have seen examples of them happening. I am not particularly concerned since my implants are healed (which along with during the procedure is when most problems occur) and while they could shift it would be minimal at worst.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="350" caption="Photo by Allan Falkner."][/caption]

Carrie: Which healing methods do/did you use on your tattoos, piercings, implants, tongue..?

Lizard Man: I have found that I tend to heal best using the ‘just leave it the hell alone!’ method.

Carrie: Do medical professionals or dentists try to lecture you about your modifications?

Lizard Man: Not really – most of them are curious and have a lot of questions.

Carrie: Do you have any tattoos that are non-Lizard related?

Lizard Man: Yes. My inner lip tattoo, my ‘mom’ & ‘dad’ tattoos under my arms, the Erisian golden apple on my hip, the crossed x’s under my left eye, and the ‘WASD’ gaming tattoos on my fingertips

Carrie: What were you like as a child?

Lizard Man: Smaller.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Erik & Meghan's ferret Houdini. Photo owned by The Lizard Man."][/caption]

Carrie: How did you get in to ferrets? What do you think about states like mine (California) who prohibit their ownership?

Lizard Man: Meghan (my wife) had a ferret when we met and was already a big ferret lover. I was very quickly won over by them. The law prohibiting ferrets in CA is probably the only case of legislation I can think of that makes even less sense than marijuana laws (which ironically CA leads the way in reversing). Domestic ferrets have been kept by humans for over 2000 years and they cannot survive without our care, feral cats are far more dangerous, they do not pose a risk in any real sense. Hopefully the CA law will change soon and the many ferret owners there will be able to keep their pets without fear of them being confiscated.

Carrie: Have you had any problems with people bothering/stalking you or your wife?

Lizard Man: Nothing too bad, the occasional person getting a little bit creepy but nothing really threatening.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Photo owned by The Lizard Man."][/caption]

Carrie: I noticed that you were pretty vocal about the Octomom fiasco. Would it be fair to say that you believe that people should be more responsible for themselves?

Lizard Man: Absolutely, and I also think that they need to stop reproducing!

Carrie: Do you consider yourself to be childfree?

Lizard Man: Yep.

Carrie: Do you consider yourself to be an atheist?

Lizard Man: With god as my witness, hell yes I am!

Carrie: Do you have a dietary or work-out regimen you adhere to?

Lizard Man: I have some I TRY to adhere to.

Carrie: My friend Cassandra wants to know if you’ve ever eaten a lizard.

Lizard Man: Nope.

Carrie: Several friends and customers of mine have questions about oral sex with a split tongue.

Lizard Man: Oral sex is a skill like any other, a split tongue expands your options but you have to develop a proficiency – it is not a magic bullet for success

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="276" caption="The Yamaha Majesty (2007 model)."][/caption]

Carrie: What kind of motorcycle do you want to get after you get your license?

Lizard Man: I’m looking at some cruisers and smaller tourers but also looking very seriously at some larger scooters like the Yamaha Majesty. I want a reliable, low maintenance ride I can put plenty of miles on.

Carrie: What do you have going on in the new future? I kind of think you need your own talk show.

Lizard Man: I think I will also do live shows, that’s my crack, but I am working on trying to do some more interesting and unusual TV and video projects. I also have a music project going with my buddy Mossy called Lizard Skynard.

Carrie: What are your band members like ?

Lizard Man: Well, they are crazy enough to attempt a band with me. I have essentially no musical talent whatsoever but they are incredible and great at taking my odd ideas and working with them to create some really cool stuff.

Carrie: How many tours have you done? Do you prefer to tour with bands or side/circus shows? Has anything really funny or strange ever happened while you were on tour?

Lizard Man: In traditional terms I have done 12 national tours of the US, besides those I have done countless one-shows around the world often stringing them together in my own little mini tours. I don’t really have a preference between other types of acts to be out with – its about the people not the genre. More things have happened on tour than I could possibly relate in anything less than book

Carrie: Who are some of your favorite performers and why? Other than Wittgenstein, who has influenced your art?

Lizard Man: Some of my favorite current performers are Joe Rogan, Penn & Teller, Slipknot, Mastodon, and Brian Posehn – I will go see any of them any chance I get. For influences, I usually cite Joseph Beuys, Andre Breton, Duchamp, Burden, and the Great Omi.

Carrie: Do you think that the tattoo/piercing/modification industry should be regulated?

Lizard Man: In principle yes, but as a practical matter it is very complex.

Carrie: What do you tell people who think they want to do what you’ve done?

Lizard Man: I tell them they need to very carefully consider the risks and commitment it entails.

The Lizard Man supports Coney Island USA, Child’s Play, and the American Civil Liberties Union.

The next stop on his tour schedule is June 27th & June 28th at the Lethbridge Tattoo Weekend in Lethbridge, Alberta Canada.

He can be reached at the following:

Official Site.
IAM/BMEzine.
FlickR.
MySpace.
Twitter.

The Lizard Man is also mentioned or shown in the following:

Modify
Sausage Factory: The College Crier’s Infamous Interviews of the Freaks and the Famous

My interview with Erik Sprague The Lizard Man will be up!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Chris on the job."][/caption]

Chris waited on me at a drug store I had to go in while I was visiting Atascadero. He liked my tattoos and I liked his hair! He agreed to be on Beer Can Hill.

Chiris is 19 years old and a native of Atascadero,California. When he is not working at his day job he is an artist and a musician.

Carrie: Is your hairstyle considered a mohawk?

Chris: It depends on if I put it up all the way or not. It’s cut exactly like a mohawk but sometimes I do a pompadour instead of a mohawk.

Carrie: What products do you use?

Chris: I use beeswax and hairspray….and every once in a while eggwhites or Knoxs Gelliton to put up the mohawk.

Tattoo by Jonny The Feather at Traditional Tattoo in San Luis Obispo,California.

Carrie: Who did your piercings and tattoos? What is your tattoo of?

Chris: Ed at Traditional Tattoos in San Louis Obispo did all of my piercings. The tattoo is a ragdoll/voodoo doll. Jonny the Feather from Traditional Tattoos did that tattoo.

Carrie: Has any of this caused you problems with other people?

Chris: Work told me that I had to lower my pompadour and that I wasn’t allowed to wear my lipring in and I have to cover all of my tattoos. As far as out in public I get quite a bit of things yelled at me as well as poor customer service. People are offten rude and very quick to judge.

Carrie: What would you tell other people who want to do this stuff?

Chris: I say go for it! The best part of a person is their individuality. Don’t let anyone make you conform to what they want. Who cares what others think of you? That’s their problem for being ignorant assholes.

Chris supports Doctors Without Borders.

If you are interested in being featured on Beer Can Hill, see this page.

Madison Mitchell is an onery Italian-American porn actress who will be turning 26 years old on May 31st. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California.

Carrie: Where are you from?

Madison: I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan.

Carrie: What have you been doing lately?

Madison: I am working on my website backdoorwhore.com,
and marketing myself and making more movies. I also have a normal day time job, but come on now. That’s boring.

Right now I am in the middle of finding a rescue to donate money to off of my blog. 50 percent of all pay pal donations go directly to an animal rescue of my choice. I have a bleeding heart for animals and try to give the little guys a voice.

Carrie: What was your first tattoo?

Madison: It’s covered already. It’s covered by the cat on my arm! It was 3 shooting stars that looked like lucky charms. I was 17, fuck my life!

Carrie: What was the last tattoo you received?

Madison: I’m working on a piece on my ass that is two hearts with a banner that says Boy Crazy.

Carrie: Which artist(s)/shop(s) did your work?

Madison: I go to Eric Ziobrowski at Visionary Tattoos in New York, Dawn Cooke in Michigan, and Dan Rick at Big Top Tattoos in Utica, Michigan.

I have one tattoo done by this tattoo artist [Name Witheld] at Aces Tattoo in Warren, Michigan. He gives awful tattoos and it’s in the process of being covered because he is a disgusting pig. He’s a baby raper. Please publish that.

Carrie: Which healing method do you use?

Madison: I use Aquaphor for the first few days and then after that I use Aveeno’s non-scented lotion. To wash I use Dial anti bacterial soap with no scent.

Carrie: Do you regret any of your tattoos?

Madison: Yes! Haha.

Carrie: Do you plan to get more tattoos?

Madison: Of course. My next one will be on my left ass cheek and its going to say Fuck Bitches, Get Money

Carrie: Have your tattoos ever caused you problems with strangers, friends, family, bosses, etc.?

Madison: I have one above my vagina that is 2 boxing gloves that says Hit It Like A Champ that Dan Rick did and a lot of people tell me its gross and I look like a whore… But I am a whore so that doesn’t matter.

Carrie: What made you reject your parents’ lifestyle?

Madison: I don’t have a dad. I’m waiting for the day he’s actually dead to everyone else and not just me. But, my family is 100 percent Italian. I’m the first born in America and they are super strict. I’ve always kind of been super vivacious and unorthodox. I have always done my own thing.

Carrie: Were you tattooed before you were a Burning Angel?

Madison: I was on Burning Angel when I was 18. I’m 26 now. So yes. I was tattooed at 16. Why would I get tattooed to be on a website? That would be super retarded.

Carrie: That would be silly, but sometimes people do it. Do you have any piercings or other modifications?

Madison: I have my tongue web pierced as well as my navel and tragus.

Carrie: Do people recognize you in public and/or bother you about your work or tattoos? How do you handle it?

Madison: If people try to touch my tattoos I slap their hand and say “It’s not braille!” I am kind of a bitch. But yeah people recognize me a lot. I just smile and talk to them. They are normal people just like me you know?

Carrie: Is there anything you want to tell somebody who is thinking about getting their first tattoo?

Madison: Think long and hard about it! Getting a cover up sucks.

Carrie: Is there anything you want to tell people who think that they want to get involved in making porn?

Madison: Make sure you’re in it for the right reasons. And recognize the consequences and how your family will feel. Think about whether or not it’s really worth it.

Carrie: What are you going to do next?

Madison: I want to do a ton of work with Belladonna. I just met with her today. She is so awesome. Her husband Aiden is so sweet. I also want to work with Kink.com.

I will also be at the Burning Angel booth for Erotica LA or maybe its Exxxotica I dont fucking know… I’ll be signing and selling my dvds with Porn Star Tweet, saying hi and giving hugs.

I will be featured in Hustler magazine in August so keep your eyes out! I have more movies coming up too.

I am also working on putting some live cam shows on my website Backdoor Whore and my own little gallery of pictures. Yay! I’m excited.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="239" caption="Photo taken at the North Carolina Tattoo Convention."][/caption]

Z is a 23 year old hairstylist, make-up artist, model, and actress. She is a member of the Gypsy Queens.

Carrie: What are your tattoos of?

Z: Asian back piece , flowers which will one day be a sleeve and rib piece, scissors on my neck, skull and gun below the belt, and a design made by a great friend who will always be dear to my heart on my lower back.

Carrie: What was your first tattoo?

Z: The Chinese symbol for beautiful. I received it on my 18th birthday.

Carrie: What was the last tattoo you received?

Z: The rare desert flower on my upper right rib.

Carrie: Which healing/aftercare method did you use?

Z: I have tried a lot of different ways, but the best for me has been H2Ocean Tattoo lotion.

Carrie: Do you regret any of your ink?

Z: Nope, not at all, The only thing I do regret is not getting it done the 1st time by a good artist, I have had to have a lot of my work re-done.

Carrie: Have you ever had anyone react negatively about your tattoos?

Z: Oh yeah, I get “You’re to pretty for all those tattoos” and “wow I never thought you would have all that”. It’s no big deal to me. My body is my temple I’m just painting my walls, Plus I’m very opened minded and it’s a gift that not everyone was blessed with.

Carrie: Is there anything that you would like to tell people who are thinking about getting their first tattoos?

Z: You get what you pay for and take the time to find someone who gets what you want and listens to you.

Carrie: Which artists/shops do you patronize for tattoos?

Z: Mutiny in Asheville, NC. Taylor Cort and Daron James ROCK!! I also like Little Johns in Greensboro, NC.

Carrie: Why did you join the Gypsy Queens?

Z: I joined because I met the founder Frankie in Las Vegas for the Pit Ball and fell in love with everything she is about and the girls with her. They all have hearts that are filled with love and the power to give so much! Which is how I have always felt about myself!

Besides her work with the Gypsy Queens, Z supports the rescue and rehabilitation of pit bulls, particularly those that were rescued from Michael Vick. She can be reached on MySpace.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="212" caption="Photo by Steve Reyes."][/caption]

Pin-up model Cherry Dollface and I have never met. However, we have the same maiden name and leopard spot ink tributes on our shoulders. Cherry works at Black Diamond Tattoo in Venice Beach, California. Naturally, I had to ask her about herself!

Carrie: What was your first tattoo? How do you feel about it today?

Cherry: My cherries on my chest. I still love them.

Carrie: What do you use for healing/aftercare?

Cherry: I use Aquaphor for the first 4 days and then I use lubriderm.

Carrie: Do you have any piercings or other modifications you are comfortable discussing?

Cherry: I used to have my lip, tongue, and bellybutton but I took them all out when I was a teenager.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="215" caption="Photo by Andy Hartmark."][/caption]

Carrie: Have you ever been unhappy with how a tattoo turned out?

Cherry: Yeah, I have a lot of ghetto tattoos. I was young and dumb and a bunch of my friends started tattooing around the same time so I got to be the guinea pig. I don’t recommend it. Haha…

Carrie: Do you ever feel that people treat you differently or make false assumptions about you as a person because you are tattooed?

Cherry: Of course. A lot of people don’t understand why I would want to “ruin” myself. A lot of people just stare. I definitely get rude attitudes from time to time but mostly people think it is pretty and aren’t mean.

The one thing that kills me though is when people assume I am a Suicide Girl because of my tattoos. I think it is so rude that people assume that just because I have tattoos, I take my clothes off for money.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="212" caption="Photo by Lotus Josephine."][/caption]

Carrie: Have tattoos ever caused you problems in the modeling industry, work environments, with family or significant others?

Cherry: It definitely limits me with modeling, but it is also how I got my start so it is a mixed blessing. I am short anyway, so the modeling world had a lot of closed doors right from the start. My family loves me regardless and it has never been an issue. There are definitely certain jobs I can’t take, but they all tend to be jobs that I wouldn’t want anyway.

Carrie: Many heavily tattooed women have stated to me that they get tired of the intrusive questions and even grabbing from strangers. Have you had this problem?

Cherry: Yes!! I hate being touched by strangers. It is so rude and intrusive. And I hate germs. Hahaha. I understand the questions (although I get sick of “did those hurt?”) since a lot of people are just curious, but I draw the line at being touched and grabbed.

Carrie: Do you regret any of your tattoos? Would you/have you covered any up or had them removed?

Cherry: I had my ex husbands name covered up. I also regret getting my stomach tattooed because I want kids someday and I wasn’t thinking about it when I was 19! Haha…

Carrie: Do you plan to get more ink?

Cherry: Yeah… I don’t want to be super covered though. I am keeping my back empty so that I still have pretty girl skin left.

Carrie: Has anyone ever copied your tattoos? Have you considered copyrighting your custom work?

Cherry: Yes. A girl got the same exact tattoo as me and it really bothered me. I think tattoos should be an individual thing. I wouldn’t go as far as copyrighting… I think people know that I had them first. Haha…

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="221" caption="Photo by Miss Jenna Anne."][/caption]

Carrie: Is there anything you would like to tell girls & women who are thinking about getting a tattoo (or 100) ?

Cherry: I would say to really think about what you are getting. I see so many girls (and boys) going out and getting 100 tattoos in 100 days and it blows my mind. Tattoos to me were always something that should be earned. It is also really strange to me when people have their necks and hands done and nothing else. I dunno, I guess it is all a matter of opinion.

Carrie: What’s it been like working at the shop in Venice? Do customers assume that you are married to one of the artists or are a tattooist yourself?

Cherry: People always assume I am an artist. I haven’t ever been asked if I am dating anyone in the shop… but I think it is pretty obvious that I am not. These guys are like my brothers…

Carrie: Do you attend tattoo conventions or expos?

Cherry: Not really. I went to Musink because a friend got me in for free. I think they are kind of overpriced. I am not really that into tattoo culture. I just like having them.

Carrie: Which of your tattooists would you recommend to people?

Cherry: Eno!! He works at my shop and he fixed some of my stuff and he is AMAZING! His color work is great and he is just an incredible artist.

Carrie: Is there anything about the tattoo industry that frustrates you or you otherwise feel strongly about?

Cherry: I think it is annoying how tattooing has become a trend. There are so many bad “artists” out there giving people horrible tattoos that they will have for the rest of their lives. I think that it should be harder to become a tattooer to weed out the schmucks that ruin people’s skin.

Cherry supports U.S. soldiers. She can be reached on MySpace.

Brian Giambo is a 51 year old truck driver from southern California’s Inland Empire.

Carrie: What are your tattoos of?

Brian: Roses, peacocks, ladies faces. Last time I counted I sat under the needle 86 times.

Carrie: What was your first tattoo?

Brian: A red rose I got at the Long Beach Pike when I was 16. It cost 17 bucks …today it would cost 200 bucks.

Carrie: What was your last tattoo?

Brian: The last tattoo was the dragon I have around my left arm.

Carrie: Did you get any tattoos while serving time in prison?

Brian: A little more then half of my tats were done inside…I never had any problems [with infection or disease] but I’ve seen a few guys that did.

Carrie: How did you go about getting tattooed in prison?

Brian: They made the machines out of tape players. I used to work in the LTs office when I was in Folsom and every time the cops took a tat machine from the inmates, I would go in his office and steal it back, then sell it back to the guy who lost it.

The best ink comes from the laundry….but if you got to make it you just burn a toothbrush. Hold paper over the top and the ash sticks to the paper. Then you mix the ash with water…it went for 10 dollars a drop. The ink out here is a lot better then inside, much darker.

Carrie: Which healing/aftercare method did you use?

Brian: I used A&D on the street, soap & water in the pen.

Carrie: Do you regret any of your ink?

Brian: I used to, but that’s why they have cover up tats. I had a girl’s name once and the cover up looks better then the name ever did.

Carrie: Do you feel that people stereotype you based on your ink’s style or subject matter?

Brian: Hell yes! Once in the court room I had a deal to do 16 months. The DA walked in looked me up and down and changed his mind and gave me 3 years!

Carrie: Do you plan to get more tattoos?

Brian: More?! Hell no! That shit hurts too much and cost too much, and I ain’t going back to the pen for free tats!

Brian supports U.S. soldiers. He can be reached on MySpace.

This past weekend at the Fresno & Santa Maria Tattoo Conventions was so much fun. I met a lot of really cool people and I want to thank everyone who gave me their time.

I’m a one-woman operation and want to make sure I have my facts straight and give credit where credit is due.

I have something like +300 photographs to sort through and edit before I can upload and post them on Beer Can Hill.

If I photographed you or spoke to you at either show please either comment with your name/artist name/shop name & location below or email it to beercanhill @ gmail . com. I can also be reached on MySpace.

Author and advice columnist Sarah-Katherine Lewis is a friend of mine from LiveJournal. She recently agreed to discuss her tattoos with me because she is wonderful like that!

Carrie: What kind of reactions have you received about your tattoos?

Sarah-Katherine: Most people like ‘em. I’m amazed at how many people don’t recognize images of the Virgin Mary, asking me “who’s that???” and pointing at the Guadalupe-inspired image on my arm. When dude-bras ask me what the Latin tranlates to, I ordinarily tell them something random and clowny, instead of the actual translation.

Carrie: Do you have anything to add about your St. Michael tattoo?

Sarah-Katherine: His banner says “Veritas,” which is Latin for “Truth.” I believe that if you tell the truth, you will defeat Satan’s power over you and the world. Just telling the truth is terrifying, but I truly believe it’s the most revolutionary thing you can do.

Carrie: Who did your work?

Sarah-Katherine: Tracy at Anchor Tattoo (Seattle) did my sleeve, and fuuuuuuuck, I just realized I forgot the name of the kid who did my Saint Michael but he’s at Emerald City Tattoo in Seattle. A guy named Jesse did my Latin banner in Portland, OR.

Carrie: Did having tattoos help or hinder you in the sex industry?

Sarah-Katherine: Some customers didn’t like my tats and didn’t get shows with me, and when I did fetish modeling I usually costumed around them to cover them up to give more of a vintage look, but for the most part, they didn’t hurt my business much. When I was working I was hourglass-shaped with a big butt, big boobs, and muscular legs, and most men are more interested in the shape of a woman’s body than in her ink when they’re shopping for adult entertainment. A marketable body trumps ink every time.

Carrie: Have tattoos ever caused you problems in other work environments, with family or significant others?

Sarah-Katherine: Problems? No. Though, recently, I was supposed to get an MRI and was denied one by the MRI techs because supposedly, tattoo ink can contain metal and if mine did, it would heat up and melt my skin under the MRI.

Sarah-Katherine published Indecent: How I Make It and Fake It as a Girl for Hire in 2006. She published Sex and Bacon: Why I Love Things That Are Very, Very Bad for Me in 2008. Autographed copies can be purchased from her store here. Sarah-Katherine currently works as a freelance writer and is interested in writing about women with depression.

I also command you to check out Sarah-Katherine’s other sites!

http://www.sexandbacon.com
http://www.sarahkatherinelewis.com
http://www.twitter.com/markedformetal

Sarah-Katherine Lewis is a proud supporter of RAINN.

Are you a tattooed person/tattoo artist that has something to say about your artwork, the industry, or tattoo culture? I support independent artists, professionals, and businesses and am happy to promote them. Hit me up at BEERCANHILL AT GMAIL DOT COM.

Upcoming interviews with The Tattooed:

Sarah-Katherine Lewis (author)

Chris Hangsleben (tattoo artist)

Cherry Dollface (model)

Brian Giambo (veteran of the California prison system)

Amina Munster (model, leathercrafter, Suicide Girl)

Dawn Peck (organizer of Tattooed Sweethearts)

Valkyrie (social worker, tattoo artist, Gypsy Queen)

Lyndsey Bass (entertainer, Gypsy Queen)

Susanna Parker is a 24 year old college student and singer/musician from Bethesda, Maryland. She currently sings with a group called Situation Normal and also enjoys photography. She’s my Twitter/Livejournal buddy and agreed to answer some questions about her ink.

Carrie: What are you doing with your life?

Susanna: I’m currently enrolled in community college, working towards an Associates degree in General Studies. After I get the associates, I plan to enroll in a four year, but I don’t know my major yet. I play guitar, and several friends and I are working on a band together.

Carrie: Which artist/shop did your feet? When?

Susanna: The fish were done by Wes at Ambrotos Tattoos in Silver Spring, Maryland in November of 2007. The flowers were done by Rachel at the Bethesda Tattoo Company in Bethesda, Maryland in May of 2008.

Carrie: What did you use for healing? How long did it take to heal? And was wearing shoes during healing a pain in the ass?

Susanna: The tattoos took about three weeks to finish peeling. Wearing shoes was manageable, but annoying. Most of the time I wore shoes that left the top of the feet uncovered, such as ballet flats and flip flops. Walking was painful for the first day and a half after the tattoos were done.

Carrie: What does the work on your feet mean to you?

Susanna: The fish represent my sisters and I. Kind of silly, but we all stick together, yet go our own ways. When we fight, it can be vicious, hence the Siamese Fighting Fish. The flowers represent me- each flower has a distinct meaning according the Victorian practice of assigning meanings to flowers. The sunflower means optimism, the day lily means enthusiasm, the Star of Bethlehem (white) means hope, the hyacinth (purple) means sorrow, the amaryllis (pink and white) means dramatic, and the delphinium (blue) means boldness.

Carrie: Do people comment when you wear sandals?

Susanna: Yes- anytime I wear sandals several people stop me to compliment or comment on my tattoos. Sometimes they’re mistaken for socks, which always makes me laugh. I get asked about the pain alot, and often people will quiz me because they are about to get their first tattoo. I also get a lot of stares walking down the street. Who knew people looked down so much?

Carrie: Do you regret any of your tattoos?

Susanna: Not really- the Yin and Yang I thought may have been a mistake- I originally got half of a Yin-Yang with a friend of mine, and shortly after that we had a falling out, which is why I got the other half. But even so it marks a period in my life that I don’t regret, as it taught some valuable lessons about who to trust.

Carrie: Do you plan to get more tattoos?

Susanna: Yes! I have at least five more planned. I want a phoenix on my back, a crow on my right shoulder/upper arm, an elephant on the inside of my left upper arm, ivy and zinnia flowers on my leg, a bass and treble clef on my wrists… the list goes on and on, and keeps getting longer.

Carrie: Have your tattoos ever caused you problems with strangers, friends, family, or bosses?

Susanna: When I worked at Starbucks I was not allowed to wear cropped pants because my ankle tattoos were visible, which was a problem in the humid DC summers. And at first my family was displeased with me for getting any tattoos at all. Now my parents are, if not happy, accepting of my tattoos.

Carrie: Is there anything you want to tell somebody who is thinking about getting their first tattoo?

Susanna: Think about your design for a good amount of time. I tend to wait for at least six months, more often a year, before getting a tattoo done. The one time I didn’t resulted in the ill-advised Yin-Yang tattoo with my friend.

Someone about to get a tattoo should also shop around until they find an artist compatible with them. My two favorite tattoos are the ones on my feet, and I had an excellent rapport with both artists- they listened to what I wanted and worked with me to get a design that was attractive and easily done.

When getting your tattoo, for the love of all that is holy, hold still! Flinching can cause the artist to mess up the design, and will make them annoyed at you if it happens too often. If you feel that you must move, tell them so they can remove the needle from your skin.

Finally, if the pain is bad, talk. Talk to your artist, distract yourself with conversation and jokes. I did that through both feet and managed to deal with the pain easily.

Susanna supports S.O.M.E. and the ASPCA.  She can be reached at the following websites:

http://www.sparkfrost.livejournal.com
http://www.myspace.com/originalsuze
http://www.suzethroughalens.blogspot.com
http://www.twitter.com/SparkFrost

Are you a tattooed person/tattoo artist that has something to say about your artwork, the industry, or tattoo culture? I support independent artists, professionals, and businesses and am happy to promote them. Hit me up at BEERCANHILL AT GMAIL DOT COM.