Beer Can Hill

95% of Ms. Gnuse’s body is covered in tattoos. Beer Can Hill is unsure of who her tattoo artist is.

Interview with Marisa Kakoulas from BodyMod on Vimeo.

Marisa Kakoulas can be reached over at Needles & Sins. Adam Callen lives at BodyMod.org .

I’m not sure if this photo is fake, but I would like to speak with anyone with tattoos like this. Hit me up at beercanhill at gmail dot com.

Today is The Lizard Man’s birthday. Show some love! And participate in LizardManDay!

He will be performing at the Tattoo Hollywood Convention in August and the Black Hills Tattoo Convention in September.

The Lizard Man was interviewed on Beer Can Hill earlier this month.

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

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.

She went to Scot Rogers at Sub Q Piercing & Tattoo in Sacramento,California.

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.

My friends Eleanor and her tattooist son Alex recently visited Kat Von D’s shop. They told me that Kat Von D. and her staff were friendly. I have never seen the Miami Ink or LA Ink shows myself because I don’t have cable or satellite TV. I am interested in speaking to people who have patronized this shop, so hit me up at beercanhill@gmail.com.

This 2g inner conch punch was done by Chris Johnson out of Bullet Proof Tattoo in San Angelo, Texas.

Kellye Andrews is a friend of mine from LiveJournal. She is 24 and lives in a small town in Texas. She works in tech support for a local software company, and is going to school part time for an MIS degree.

Kellye has 2 tattoos, and 10 current piercings. More modifications are planned, though they’ve been put on hold until she finishes her ear projects.

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)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HOGJgDUEQc]