Rachel Larratt, also known as Chica Loca, takes a hair-pin turn at 129 miles per hour in her 2006 Lotus Elise and finds that the preceding evening's rain has washed away a large chunk of the stretch of Mexican roadway where she's been racing. She pilots around it and continues on, just a streak of gunmetal in Mexico's most perilous road race, La Carrera Panamericana. In the end, Chica Loca comes in first in class, first in exhibition, and tenth overall out of 103 entered in 2006. Not bad for a girl. In fact, this "girl" has had podium finishes in every rally series she's entered, including the Chihuahua Express; she even drove in the super-exclusive Player's Run, making record time in 2006 driving a Porsche 996 Turbo as fast ... Feature Story
Most artists are inspired by art they love, but it was a particularly bad backyard show by a Los Angeles punk group that spurred singer Liza Graves to form a band. "I went home and started my own band because I was so disappointed," Graves remembers. She teamed with her sister, guitarist Suzi Homewrecker, bassist Jacqui Valentine, and drummer Danni Harrowyn, and the new foursome started the snarling punk outfit Civet. "I think there's a stereotype that if you are a girl, you have to be girly. We're not afraid to say we've got balls but we're going to dress nice because that's how we are in regular life." Inspired by her mother's ink, Graves got a tattoo of a spider web complete with a black widow on her lower ... Feature Story
"It's scary." That's how Bradley Farrell, filmmaker, tattoo artist, and CEO of the social networking site eCirkit, describes what it's like to drive his matte black Ferrari 360 Modena on the track. "Even if you drive really well on the road, it's a totally different feel on the track, especially when you're throwing around a $150,000 car. You don't want to throw it into the wall." Farrell, 33, got into racing Ferraris after he sold his Long Island tattoo shop, High Rollers Tattoo, to a friend in 2005. Farrell opened the Hicksville shop in 1997, and over the years, filled it with a ping-pong table, a skateboard ramp, a gigantic shark and eel tank, and a wealth of celebrity guest artists, including Chris O'Donnell, Timothy Hoyer, and Grime. And though ... Feature Story
Ten years ago, when tattooer Horitaka traveled to Japan and sought out tattoo master Horiyoshi II with hopes of starting a back piece, he had no idea what he was truly beginning. "I wanted him to do my back piece, which is now finally completed, and we just hit it off," Horitaka explains. "If you had told me at that time that I would become an apprentice of his, I would have never believed you. The last 10 years have been magical." Horitaka, 34, was born in Japan and raised in the United States. Thankfully, his parents taught him Japanese, which helped later in his study of Japanese tattoo culture and traditions. Enamored with tattoos, he started collecting in high school and eventually began tattooing in 1998 before landing his ... Feature Story
Q & A with Montel Williams He's a former Navy spy, a medicinal marijuana smoker, and a tattoo enthusiast. Meet the other side of the daytime television king. Take one look at the half-sleeves blanketing both of his upper arms and it's clear Montel Williams lives up to his talk show's slogan, "There's More to Montel." Who would have ever guessed that underneath those neatly pressed shirts, this fixture of daytime jibber jabber is hiding intricate ink murals by the likes of the legendary Zulu from Zulu Tattoo? The "moreness" of Williams extends way beyond his surprising love of tattooing. He's an avid snowboarder, a skilled poker player, and an ex-military spy who speaks Russian and served in the invasion of Grenada. There's also more to a man who, despite ... Feature Story
ROCK OF LOVE We hang out at home with Scott Shriner—the only tattooed member of Weezer—to talk marriage, ink, and the band’s shocking sixth album. In a quiet neighborhood east of Hollywood, down winding tree-lined streets, sit homes belonging to Luke Wilson, Terry Gilliam, Barack Obama, and Weezer bassist Scott Shriner, who is standing in his living room in a stark white bathrobe looking a bit shocked to see INKED. The scene isn’t a wild rock star party with a hot tub full of groupies (this is Weezer after all). Quite the opposite. Shriner is simply running late. While the bassist excuses himself and disappears upstairs to get dressed, his wife, Jillian Lauren, makes homemade green tea. The cozy Craftsman home is filled with antique furniture and two hyperactive Cairn ... Feature Story
INKED: How does your new VH1 show Glam God with Vivica A. Fox work? FOX: We moved 15 stylists into a home. They are from the different worlds of fashion, from hair to makeup to wardrobe. We divided them into teams and put them through tests of styling for either a photo shoot, red carpet for MTV, red carpet for the Oscars, and other events. We were looking for that gem of a stylist to give them the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m one of the judges and I’m also the host. Let us guess: there’s drama. Oh yeah. There are some personalities that just—whoa! You had to go, okay baby, let’s calm down. For some people it was like, this is my life and my big opportunity, because it ... Feature Story
THE RULE: “No pitcher shall have markings on his body that are potentially distracting to the umpire or batter. Markings that are potentially distracting include tattoo(s) or other marking(s) which, in the opinion of the umpire, could interfere with the umpires' ability to make calls, endanger the health or safety of a batter, or otherwise interfere with the play of the game. In addition, no Player may have any visible corporate markings or logos tattooed on his body.” Major League Baseball banned Florida Marlins pitcher Justin Miller from showing his tattoos on the mound, but they can't stop him from talking about it. Justin Miller's hard-throwing right arm earned him a spot in the Major Leagues, but it's the full-sleeve tattoo on his left arm that earned him his notoriety. ... Feature Story
Tattooing wouldn't be where it is today without females, both as inspiration and as artists. INKED looks at a few of the American women who spend every day wrist-deep in ink and blood. Stephanie Tamez AGE: 45 SHOP: New York Adorned, New York City and Brooklyn “I'm not exaggerating when I say that every day is an unusual experience,” says Stephanie Tamez, tattooist at New York Adorned. “The cast of characters— good and bad—that walk through our doors is endless.” Then there's the roster of celebrities she's spent time tattooing, including Christina Aguilera, Pink, members of The Strokes, and, interestingly enough, novelist John Irving, who had her tattoo the names of his wife and kids. “I was introduced to tattooing when I went to Switzerland to get my first tattoo ... Feature Story
Denise Richards returns with a new television show and a new tattoo, courtesy of Kat Von D. Here’s what happens when two reality TV queens collide. Check out behind the scenes photos of the shoot at Moli.com! When something sureal goes down in Hollywood, it ’s safe to assume reality TV is involved. How else would Denise Richards, a 37-year-old actress and single mom, wind up linked to 26-year-old tattoo artist Kat Von D? Here’s the story: Kat, who stars in the ever-popular LA Ink, actually ended up on Richards’ new E! reality show, Denise Richards: It’s Complicated, when Richards (and her camera crew) visited Kat’s shop (no LA Ink camera crew that day) to cover up Richards’ tattoo of her ex-husband’s name (more on that later). It’s a confusing ... Feature Story
Pro skateboarder Jereme Rogers can reel off a list of broken bones including numerous fingers, his left foot (twice), his right foot, his hand (several times), and a cut that nearly severed the tendon in his hand. “If it would have cut the tendon all the way in half it would have wound up into my wrist,” he remembers. “They would’ve had to go back in and stretch it back out.” But one injury holds the title for the most painful: a testicle-racking drop onto a handrail. “I jumped off and fell on my balls with all my body weight,” Rogers explains. “I didn’t pee blood, but it was beyond black and blue.” Rogers took photos to document the destruction. “I don’t know where those pictures went. I hope nowhere ... Feature Story
Reading off the tattoos from H20 front man Toby Morse’s skin is a lot like flipping through the artists on his iPod. “I probably have like 30 different band tattoos, man,” he says from his California home, scouring his legs for examples. “I’ve got 7 Seconds, Murphy’s Law, Madball, Kill Your Idols, Dag Nasty, Minor Threat. I have like eight Sick of It All dragons. … I even have a portrait of Madonna. They’re all bands that have inspired my life.” For the first time since 2001’s Go, Morse is feeling that inspiration. He recently released a new H20 full-length, Nothing to Prove, which was produced by Chad Gilbert of New Found Glory and released by Boston hardcore label Bridge Nine records. The band’s line-up hasn’t changed and, according to ... Feature Story
Jewelry designer Jules Kim doesn’t like to be ripped off, so the fact that her studio is in the heart of New York City’s Chinatown, the home of knockoffs, is a bit ironic. Not long after launching her high-end jewelry line Bijules in 2004 and seeing her work worn by everyone Gwen Stefani to Rihanna, Kim started a weaponry series. Now she says she’s seeing shrunken versions of her “fucking glocks everywhere!” In response, she came up with a strategy: “I follow a strict schedule to get my stuff out before anyone can bite my style.” As a nod to those annoying copycats, Kim created a sub-line called Bitejules. This collection of oddly cool pieces includes a cast of her dear old Aunt Winnie’s dentures and her roommate’s retainer. “When ... Feature Story
Tattooers’ names are tossed around in casual conversation all the time. But unless they’re starring in a popular TV series or have a multimillion-dollar clothing line named after them, most artists aren’t exactly recognizable to millions. Except maybe Scott Campbell. Whether you know his name or not, chances are you’ve seen his work, and not just the tattoos. Campbell’s art and design skills have popped up on everything from packaging for Camel cigarettes to products for Nike, Volkswagen, BlackBerry, Yellow Tail wines, and a few other national brands. Campbell is also known for the company he keeps. He was close friends with Heath Ledger (and even attended the actor’s memorial service and gave Ledger’s family memorial tattoos) and also counts Marc Jacobs, Helena Christensen, and Josh Hartnett as clients. By ... Feature Story
To say Jayceon “The Game” Taylor is a man of many contradictions is an understatement. An example: He grew up in Compton, CA, gangbanging with the Bloods even though his own mom was once affiliated with the Crips. He’s a cocky son-of-a-bitch who’s never been afraid to publicly champion himself as the greatest rapper alive. At the same time, he exhibits near-monk-like humility when it comes to thanking his friends, family, and hip-hop predecessors for paving the path of his success. Even The Game’s trajectory from Compton delinquent to international rap star has been riddled with paradox. He’s as hardcore a representation of West Coast as they come, and yet his first album, The Documentary, was a collaborative lovefest between geographical opposites Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Kanye West, Nate Dogg, ... Feature Story
She didn't want to sleep alone. It was July 2006 and almost midnight, closing time at Sacred Tattoo in downtown Oakland, and 26-year old tattooist Devon Blood was working on a back piece for another artist at the shop when his cell phone rang. His girlfriend Tanya [not her real name] wanted him to sleep at her East Oakland apartment. So when the shop closed, Devon rode his bike along the quiet streets to her live/work loft on 20th Avenue. Boxes filled the apartment. It was their last week in San Francisco. On Monday, the couple planned to move to Olympia, Washington, where Devon would tattoo and Tanya would attend college. The going-away party with family and friends was scheduled for Sunday. They were asleep when a thumping noise woke ... Feature Story
It started with a song that might be about masturbation. It was 2002 and R&B singer Tweet [born Charlene Keys] had spent time behind the scenes as a backing/guest vocalist on a few Missy Elliot tracks before pairing with Elliot producer Timbaland. The resulting track, “Oops (Oh My),” found sultry Tweet moaning lines such as “I was looking so good I couldn’t reject myself” and “Oops, there goes my shirt up over my head.” The ode to self-pleasure became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard R&B chart and her Elektra Records’ debut Southern Hummingbird, soon followed. Just like that, Tweet had become a major name in R&B. But because of label problems her 2005 sophomore set, It’s Me Again, took three years, a lifetime in the R&B world. And ... Feature Story
VINNIE JONES IS A PSYCHO. It’s the nickname he earned himself as a pro soccer player, and if you had to pick just one word to describe the roles he’s pursued in his second career as a Hollywood bad-ass, “psycho” would fit the bill quite snugly. The 43-year-old British expat first came to notoriety in the ’80s. Though his skill and heart on the soccer field were undeniable, it was his brutality that made him stand out. Headbutts and career-ending tackles aside, it was one very legendary act of viciousness that catapulted his name to the top of the sports page. During one match, Jones “distracted” an opposing player by grabbing the poor guy’s balls. A now-famous photo of the incident turned Jones into a soccer legend. Years later, with ... Feature Story
New York City hardcore could never have been born anywhere else. The music was built in the city, for the city. It came stripped-down, muscled-up, and overloaded with all of the frantic energy and violence of the streets. It was designed to intimidate. The musicians were homeless, AWOL, and just plain crazy street kids who felt fed up with the chaos of early ’80s New York. President Reagan’s economics had knocked the poor to their knees. Unemployment and a raging drug epidemic tried to finish the job. New York hardcore gave that madness a voice. It took form slowly, in shitty clubs and even shittier rehearsal rooms. Agnostic Front built the sound and the snarl. The Cro-Mags gave it spirituality. Murphy’s Law made it fun. Every word meant something. When ... Feature Story
The Lower East Side was once the exclusive domain of New York City’s poorest immigrants and most brazen drug dealers. Over the years, the neighborhood has been co-opted by million dollar condos, but Dr. Dave Ores (or Dr. Dave as locals have known him for 13 years), isn’t beating the anti-gentrification drum. Instead, in his street-front medical office—which looks like a lowbrow art gallery because it is—Dr. Dave powers up his laser equipment and offers expensive services like body hair and tattoo removal, facial rejuvenation, and wrinkle reduction to LES’s wealthy new residents. It’s these luxury services that help fund his family practice while he provides free or low cost medical care to the uninsured and low-income locals, people who live in the projects a few blocks from $700-a-night hotel ... Feature Story
Five years ago, just before Estonian pop singer Kerli turned 16, she asked her conservative mother to let her get a tattoo of a “little Chinese hieroglyph” on the back of her neck for a birthday present and reward for her academic prowess. “She said, “No fucking way’” Kerli remembers. Instead, her mom challenged er to find every book in town about China, read it, and report back. If she thought the teenager knew enough, she could get the tattoo. “She thought I was never going to do it, and of course I did. So that was my 16th birthday present. It cost $10 from this little shitty salon in Estonia.” It wouldn’t be the last time Kerli would set her mind on something. Born Kerli Koiv, the 21-year-old singer ... Feature Story
There’s something different about San Francisco scarf designer Twinkie Chan. Several things actually. First, there’s the way she talks. Twinkie doesn’t say things like “Look at that” and “My parents said.” Instead, she says, “Take a gander” and “The parental response was.” The speech pattern is most likely the result of her San Francisco day job. She works (using her legal name, which isn’t Twinkie Chan) in San Francisco at a job that requires more than passing knowledge of the literary world. Next, there are her tattoos. Holly Ellis, at Idle Hand in San Francisco, did the cupcakes on her stomach and most of her sleeve, which features fl ying strawberries, circus animal cookies, and frozen desserts. Misha, at Zulu Tattoo in Los Angeles, gave her a red licorice bow ... Feature Story
In This Moment singer Maria Brink rocks, spits, screams, and sweats. Meet the new face of metal. A couple of years after moving from Albany, New York, to Los Angeles, In This Moment frontwoman Maria Brink almost gave up on her dream. It was mid-2004 and she was living alone, had no friends, hated her day job, and none of the groups she called to audition for would call her back. But instead of following her judgment, packing up her car and heading back east, the singer drove to a local tattoo shop and had the words “We Will” inked on the underside of her left wrist and “Overcome” on her right one. The phrase, once the slogan for the civil rights movement, became a mission statement for the tenacious ... Feature Story
Landing an appointment with famed New York City tattooer Seth Wood is tough. Finding him is the really hard part. Although he works a booked-solid schedule at Daredevil Tattoo and his own home studio, Wood spends more time traveling to conventions and guest spots at shops around the world, such as Invictus Custom Tattooing in Oslo and LTW in Barcelona. The past year alone has taken Wood to London, Milan, Montreal, and Moscow. “I’m winding that down a bit, considering that there was one point that I was on the road for 13 months straight,” Wood explains. “My favorite conventions to work are London and Milan, mostly because they’re organized and promoted so well. There’s also an unusually high percentage of good tattooers who attend and a lot of the ... Feature Story
Jonathan Reis knows reinvention. As the frantic singer / guitarist / commander in chief for beloved acts Rocket From the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, and Hot Snakes, Reis has sweated his way across stages under a series of monikers, from Speedo to the Swami. With his new band, The Night Marchers, Reis has another chance at reinvention. This time, he wants to be a ghost. “We are apparitions of fallen street warriors that lurk in the subterranean abyss that is the professional nightclub scene,” says Reis. “We’re ghosts of bad ideas from long ago that refuse to dissipate into the ether and are fiercely loyal to our desire to wreak havoc on ourselves and share in the pain with a small group of likeminded individuals, sprinkled throughout the globe to ... Feature Story
The desserts at New York City’s Jean Georges are some of the most sought-after sweets in the world. Tasty dishes, such as a citrus quartet featuring delicious innovations like halvah powder and a gelled Meyer lemon curd with lemon poppy cake, are the work of pastry whiz Johnny Iuzzini, who honed his sweet craft at a list of the city’s most-hallowed culinary temples. “I did whatever I had to do to work with the best,” he explains. Raised in rural New York, the star chef built his career from the butcher’s table up. At 17, he got a job at Brooklyn’s River Café but struggled with butchering meat. Growing up outside the city with a mother whose career involved nursing sick and injured animals back to health made him sensitive ... Feature Story
Nothing about Margaret Cho made it look like she had a chance in hell in Hollywood. Chubby, Korean, and bisexual (she admits to all three) in a business that typically has a hard time swallowing that list, Cho’s rank as one of the biggest female comedians on the planet is the result of a one-woman battle, built from her fi rst stand-up comedy gigs in a club near her parents’ book store in San Francisco to tours with Jerry Seinfeld and a showcase full of awards. For a while, Hollywood won. After a failed TV show attempt, where suits told her she was “too Asian” then hired a coach to train her to be “more Asian,” Cho battled with an eating disorder and alcohol abuse. She returned with a vengeance ... Feature Story
“My art has become a history lesson for me,” reflects San Francisco artist Shawn Barber. “I’m constantly learning about the tattoo industry, the people that have defi ned it, and those who have changed it.” The 37-year-old painter has devoted the past three years to creating Tattooed Portraits, a bold collection of paintings of artists with tattoos, tattoo artists, tattooed art, and tattooist materials. The pieces, which average about 30 inches by 40 inches, reveal Barber’s talent for capturing a raw sense of simplicity existing in a swirl of intricate designs, patterns, and colors. He creates more than 100 paintings a year, and those have been collected into two books, 2006’s highly successful coffee table tome, Tattooed Portraits, and the recent follow-up Forever and Ever, which contains “The New York ... Feature Story
The other side of Miamy lurks right behind the sandy shores and sweaty nightclubs of South Beach. From the proud Cuban communities like Little Havana to the mean streets of Liberty City, the city has another side that isn’t all sunshine and martinis. Like his hometown, there’s another side to Pitbull. Somewhere behind the bling and club bangers, the Cuban-American MC wants to be more than a party-starter known for the hypnotic beats and infectious hooks of club anthems like “Culo” and “Toma.” And like any artist, the line between art and commerce has left him conflicted. “What I do is make hit records,” Pitbull says flatly. “As an independent artist, I can’t gamble what I would love to give the public with the fact that I don’t have that ... Feature Story
“When I shop at Nordstrom, the store employees follow me around,” says Los Angeles makeup artist and handbag designer Allison Burns. If only those department store employees, on the look for shoplifters, knew they were tailing the head of a handbag line coveted by celebrities and now sold at Bergdorf Goodman and more than 250 boutiques worldwide. Burns started her company in 2001; at the time she had already been working in Hollywood as a makeup artist for more than a decade, and she often wore her own handcrafted accessories to work. It was client Jillian Barberie who finally convinced her to sell the bags. The company took off after stars like Cameron Diaz and Cate Blanchett were photographed carrying her slouchy rock-inspired leather designs. Burns’ makeup clients, like Paris ... Feature Story
Mixed martial arts has become the defining sport of the 21st century, and with it comes a new style of fighter—smart, athletic, and more often than not, covered in ink. Here, a look behind the scenes of the sports’ largest promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Punching someone in the face just doesn’t cut it anymore. Where boxers only use their fists, the dominant fighters of the 21st century also kick, knee, trip, and wrestle—anything legal to secure victory. Mixed martial arts and its most popular promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, are undergoing a furious ascent into the mainstream. The gloves are smaller, and the action is faster and harder-hitting, but beneath the brutal veneer, the sport, its fighters (and their tattoos) are surprisingly complex. The UFC came into being in ... Feature Story
Actor Eddie Steeples’ tattoos tell his life story— and as far as we can tell, it’s going to be a comedy. Writers’ strike or not, a hit comedy on NBC is doing Eddie Steeples pretty well. Or so it would seem for the My Name Is Earl star, who is nearly impossible to track down. When I finally get him on the phone, he’s chilling in Hawaii. “I just really needed to get away for a minute, real last minute. So I figured okay, Hawaii,” Steeples explains, after apologizing profusely for his elusiveness. It seems the Texas-born, Missouri-raised actor hasn’t lost his manners since moving to Los Angeles. No doubt he was brought up right by his large, close-knit family, since they’ve influenced his career as well as his most ... Feature Story
Rashad McCants played possessed. In high school, he ripped through the competition, earning state MVP honors in New Hampshire while taking his team to the state championship. College was no different. At Air Jordan’s alma mater, University of North Carolina, McCants scorched opposing defenses with his silky smooth skills, earning All-Conference and second team All-American status as a sophomore while leading his storied conference in scoring; he went on to help the Tar Heels cut down the nets as the 2005 NCAAnational champions. The 6’4” guard also became one of the most controversial college basketball players in history. The press latched on to McCant’s lone wolf personality and his inflammatory statements about playing at Chapel Hill. The media labeled him “bipolar” and “borderline psychotic.” He memorialized the adversity in ink, ... Feature Story
Years from now, when nursing homes fill with tattooed and grommeted punks pushing 70, Kearney Nick Jones, now known as Nick 13, the singer/guitarist of psychobilly juggernaut Tiger Army, won’t have any regrets. “If I were a guy sitting in my bed in a nursing home, I would rather have sleeves, even if they’re incredibly faded and blurred, than be the guy sitting next to me that has no tattoos,” says Nick 13. “I think there would be more respect and affection from the staff because it’s evidence that you’ve actually lived a real life.” If ink in the skin is emblematic of a real life, then Nick 13 wanted to start living much sooner than he actually did. Crediting his father’s wishes, he didn’t get his first tattoo until ... Feature Story
It’s freezing in Boston, but Sandy Poirier pays the cold weather no mind—he’s sporting his typical uniform. “If I die, I want to be buried in a rock and roll T-shirt, tight jeans, Chrome Hearts jewelry, and sneakas,” he says, with a voice that sounds like a scratched-up recording of John F. Kennedy. At first glance, the owner of South Boston’s Shag Salon is slightly intimidating, that is until he picks up a glass of champagne, which softens his image a bit. “Girls think it’s a sexy drink,” he explains. But Poirier doesn’t drink often, and he doesn’t smoke, though his Tommy Lee-on-a-Harley look suggests otherwise. Oddly, the self-proclaimed “Rockstar Hair Warrior” began his life working on cars with his father. “I was a gearhead dealing with the elements and ... Feature Story
As different industries continue to embrace tattoos, the importance of preserving the integrity of the culture has never been more important. That’s where Todd Burnes and Olivia Miner, of Canvas Los Angeles, come in. Originally conceived as a modest boutique, Canvas Los Angeles quickly expanded into a 4,000-square-foot store and gallery showcasing the clothing designs and fine art of the world’s most legendary needle artists. “The original vision, which remains the current vision, [was a] place to fully appreciate what tattoo artists are capable of outside tattooing itself.” Not a tattoo shop, but an innovative fine-art gallery and retail store exhibiting the non-skin-based work of tattoo masters worldwide. “Tattooing is one of the oldest art forms known to man, yet there has never been a place outside of tattoo shops ... Feature Story
Web exclusive: Check out our gallery of Korn tattoos here. Upload yours. Jonathan Davis is the last guy in America you’d expect to be well adjusted. Think about it: The guy’s whole career has been built on being a fuck-up. For the last 15 years, Davis has battled and exploited his inner demons as the lead singer of Korn, gaining legions of fans that empathize with his tortured childhood and share his dark fascinations. Born with severe, nearly life-threatening asthma, Davis was abused by a family friend as a boy, ostracized and ridiculed by his classmates as a teen, and became a drug addict and a rock star in his 20s. By the time he hit 30, he was one of the most famous singers in the world, with a ... Feature Story
There is a balance to accessorizing: You want to look like you’re not about to take shit from anyone, but you don’t want to over do it and end up more Prince than punk. For some, this balance is an inherent trait. If you’re not one of these people, meet Mitchell Binder. Binder started his accessories company, King Baby Studio—a line of hefty silver rings, pendants, buckles, and more—after working as an apprentice and casting his own silver pieces for friends out of a 500-square-foot studio. In the late ’90s, a group of Japanese collectors found his jewelry on eBay, flew to Southern California, and bought his whole stock for cash. He used the money to start King Baby Studio in 2000. “It was a total rags-to-riches thing. I’m from ... Feature Story
The Learning Channel's reality show L.A. Ink is a phenomenon. It's come on the scene and pummeled the ratings of every tattoo television show that came before, and its star, Kat Von D, is the hottest thing in heels right now. Known for her lifelike black-and-gray portraits for more than ten years, the 25-year-old vixen has put her time in. Sadly, a lot of jealous folk in the tattoo world have a problem with the fact that she and the other artists in her shop—Corey Miller, Hannah Aitchison, and Kim Saigh—are glamorizing tattooing (yet they have no problem reaping the windfall their industry is feeling as a result of the show's success). I recently had a chance to talk with Kat and her crew, which also includes Pixie Acia, manager ... Feature Story
What does it take to be a flash in the pan? Apparently, a combo of the right drugs, locker room references to genitals, and blatant pride about things that common sense would tell you to keep quiet. And Paris Hilton never hurts. Right now, I’m on the phone with Dirt Nasty and Andre Legacy, two thirds of the Los Angeles-based, white shock rappers Dyslexic Speedreaders, which also includes Mickey Avalon. The two are frenetically discussing their fifteen minutes, transsexuals, and of course, groupies. “We appeal to a different crowd. They’re crazy, affluent suburban kids who are usually skaters, punk rockers, and surfers. They’re not your typical rap crowd,” says Nasty. “They’re young, and a lot of them are girls.” “We have a good demographic,” Legacy adds. “Like, ages 15 to ... Feature Story
Sitting down with artist Tara McPherson you’re likely to get a lesson in physics these days: “When you take a super bright object, like a quasar, and place it in front of a massive object, it creates the illusion of four identical objects surrounding the original. That’s called Einstein’s Cross gravitational lens.” To hear this pouring so fluidly out of the mouth of an artist who is known more for gothic characters and insanely beautiful rock show posters than for having a keen acumen for science is surprising. McPherson, a California native who transplanted to New York three years ago, speaks of this as she sits in her storefront studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, burning the midnight oil in preparation for her show at the Jonathan Levine gallery, which begins February ... Feature Story
Siri Garber, founder of Platform Public Relations in Los Angeles, has a groovy voice—a raspy, powerful one that probably makes some of her male clients think about pleasure, rather than business, when she picks up the phone. But this celebrity publicist’s throaty purr isn’t a result of barking orders. “I think some of us [in the public relations industry] are seen as pushy, bitchy bulldogs, that’s not me. I don’t believe in raising voices or screaming,” says Garber. Her approach for dealing with stars? “I don’t overstep my boundaries, but I’m there if they need me, like when someone starts asking inappropriate questions.” Even when faced with an ugly, public disaster she maintains a level head. “I was Paris Hilton’s publicist when the sex tape scandal broke,” she says. “Even ... Feature Story
By 3 p.m. on Saturday afternoon in Stanton Social’s kitchen on New York City’s Lower East Side, there’s a muted roar of polyglot jabber punctuated with the staccato clang of pots and pans. The restaurant’s team of chefs and line cooks are readying themselves for the onslaught ahead: 3,000 plates will be passed through the service window before quitting time. Executive chef Chris Santos is at the helm of this focused frenzy. He knows it’s a work day foreign to nine-to-fivers; for cooks, late afternoon is mid-morning. It’s an alternative lifestyle, and Santos cultivates an atmosphere of convivial profanity, serious work ethic, and after-hours debauchery among his staff. “These guys need to blow off some steam at the end of the night,” he says. “We’re like a dysfunctional crew of ... Feature Story
Ink Incorporated: Unedited Interview with Kat Von D You read about Kat and the other artists of L.A. Ink in our Winter issue. Now read Chris Nieratko’s full, unedited, absurd interview with Kat here. Chris Nieratko: How are you? Kat Von D: I’m a little sick. I have some kind of cold, congestion thing. It’s not the AIDS, is it? Oh, no. I have the HIV but most of the time it’s the cancer that makes me feel like this. I only have one or two fluff questions, and the rest will be fun. How did you get into tattooing? I started tattooing when I was 14 and I’ve been drawing all my life. I was hanging out with a bunch of punk rock kids from around town, and one ... Feature Story
Some say the best writing descends from despair, longing, elation, love; the same old drill. But, as Liam Wilson, bassist of Dillinger Escape Plan, will tell you, the only reason to write an album is out of revenge—sweet, sweet revenge. “If someone were to show me a crystal ball years ago and say we would make our best album without our drummer, I would never have believed them,” Wilson discloses auspiciously over a pint of local brew at the pub. It all started when Dillinger’s long-time drummer announced he would be quitting the band merely a month before recording was to start. Quitting, that is, to join another more famous, not-to-be-named-here, bigger band. Luckily, after all the mooting, choplogic, and lawyers were over with, the band decided to go on ... Feature Story
More than six years sober, former Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx has long emerged from rock-star rock bottom. Still working the over-processed, jet-black hair, complete with black-on-black threads and requisite metal rocker accoutrement, he looks young and refreshed, unlike most of his over-50-and haggard contemporaries. He’s in control. In fact, his most recent tattoo barks directions to the dude at the morgue who will take over when he finally kicks the bucket: “Tag Here” is etched on his toe. But if Sixx can help it, he’s not kicking the bucket anytime soon. Though he is one lucky fuck, having escaped death by overdose twice. Sixx didn’t totally piss away his rocker hey day in a drugged stupor; he managed to chronicle his life and death(s) for his debut memoir, The ... Feature Story
“I decided I wanted to be a clown when I was 7 years old,” says Theo Kogan, lead singer of Theo and the Skyscrapers. The whole clown thing didn’t quite work out, but, she says, “I think in a way I sorta became a clown on my own, especially with Lunachicks [Kogan’s first band]. That was taking clown to the best possible place.” Since then, Kogan has had a different aesthetic—if clownish at times—and not merely in the styles she chooses to wear. Rather, her appearance has become an expression of self, and she is a work in progress, musically and artistically. It sounds cliché, but it’s true. “Once I found punk and metal it helped me to express myself and become an individual,” Kogan says. “I was never your ... Feature Story
Get out your friggin’ checkbook, because these guys are ready to take it and put it to good use. And when you’re 60 or something, you’re going to have a pile of cash to spend on stuff that the elderly need, like Viagra. But seriously, Thrasher Funds, which manages a mutual fund and a privately held, pooled investment vehicle is looking at you, or should we say your money, as a yet untapped resource for investment. This is because you’re young, have more money than previous generations your age, and don’t have the slightest clue what to do with it. Don’t know what a stock is? They’ll explain everything you need to know— even on YouTube and MySpace—in order to get you to give them at least $100 to start, ... Feature Story
“There’s a huge snow blizzard. Holy shit.” Michael Madsen is getting snowed in at his ranch in Montana. Married with six kids, I ask him if his entire family is with him. “Yes, except for my two older ones. They’re 16 and 18, back in L.A. pumping pussy. I don’t blame them.” With most actors, you can get a sense of what their real-life, off-screen personas are from talk-show appearances and the like. But Michael Madsen, while a fine actor and a modern day icon for badassity, isn’t exactly a mainstay on the celebrity circuit. So the only thing I had to go by was his on-screen personas, most notably Mr. Blonde from Reservoir Dogs, the guy who methodically cuts a duct-taped cop’s ear off with a straight razor, forever ... Feature Story
“Getting the name of a loved one tattooed on you jinxes the relationship,” says Eve Salvail. She should know. She had the name of a girlfriend tattooed three separate times—and each time they broke up, she had to get the name covered up again. Lucky in love, it seems she’s not. But she has had some luck as a model. Salvail, who grew up in Quebec, made her name in the ’90s as the muse to designer Jean Paul Gaultier. “He visited a café in Montreal where there were pictures of me displayed,” she says. Of course Gaultier must have noticed her almond eyes and killer cheekbones, but no doubt what attracted him was also her shaved head and the large dragon tattoo on her scalp. For that, she has ... Feature Story
Mario Barth grew up in Austria, immigrating to the states in 1995 to set up his tattoo shop in New Jersey. “I started tattooing a long time ago. It chose me to do it,” he says. “There was no scene at the time, it was all very underground. I had no financial interest in it, but then I realized I could make money out of it.” It took a while for Barth to develop his large customer base, of which he guesses 20 percent are celebrities. “I got good exposure in the ’90s from traveling. I did a few celebrity clients, and it was a slow build up from word of mouth. It just grew with one customer at a time.” Now, Barth has a two year waiting list, and ... Feature Story
It’s true a British accent makes anyone sound more interesting, but that’s only part of what makes people want to listen to rapper Misfit Dior. She first got attention for starring on VH1’s White Rapper Show (she was the only contestant good enough not to have to audition), but she’s been rhyming since she was 12. “I started because I was fascinated with gangsta rap, and I loved groups like N.W.A.,” she says. At 20, she met Proof, of D12, who gave her constructive criticism—and her name. “In the UK, if you’re cute you’re declared fit,” says Misfit. “We was kind of high when the name came up.” In honor of Proof’s memory (he was shot in 2006), Misfit had his name inked on her right forearm. “It’s the same ... Feature Story
Considering most, if not all, of the songs from Eagles of Death Metal’s first two albums are about screwing almost anything with a vagina, it’s funny that lead singer Jesse Holmes never got laid until he met his wife. “Girls didn’t want to have sex with me, and they had no problem letting me know. The song Jesse’s Girl was the worst thing that ever happened,” he says. And of course he was the small kid with the “eccentric” family who got beat up a lot—he sort of sounds like a supermodel. Then in high school Holmes met Josh Homme (of Queens of the Stone Age), who saved him from getting his ass kicked numerous times and ended up throwing him in his mom’s car and driving him to L.A. ... Feature Story
Stuck in a house for months without television, music, or a phone is like solitary confinement. Add in flamenco-dancing Tyra Banks, vicious fashionista boys, and a gaggle of neurotic women and it becomes a surrealist nightmare. If you survive, you have what it takes to be America’s Next Top Model. 22-year-old CariDee English calmly climbed to the top of the heap of hopefuls amid all that chaos. “Things got intense and crazy. Sometimes you really just wanted to slap someone,” she says. Since winning the title, she moved from her hometown of Fargo, ND, to New York City. “It’s been a whirlwind,” she says. “I like waking up and not knowing what’s going to happen, I couldn’t do repetitive work. That would drive me nuts.” Luckily for her, modeling is ... Feature Story
Mike Jones is known for giving out his cell phone number, screen name, and e-mail address to fans, but, ironically, he can be a hard man to get in touch with. Some calls to him go straight to a busy signal, and once, while attempting to schedule this interview, his manager said he had just dropped his cell phone in a swimming pool. But eventually he answers the phone while driving his Phantom to the Houston airport. He’s headed to Atlanta to check out a producer for his upcoming album, The American Dream. He just got in from Los Angeles this morning, and it sounds like he’s holding his cell out of the window of the car. Being from Houston, Jones got labeled as part of the dirty south. “Oh ... Feature Story
