Tattoos: the art of inking

Everyone knows that a general rule of thumb in the world of body modification is to research the studio and artists you choose, because (in the case of tattoos especially), it's going to be there for a very, very long time. Sounds pretty simple right?

Well, I had done my research, and I knew that Tora Tattoo, a studio in Waterloo, housed not one, but both of the most well respected artists in the area. I also knew there was a waiting list of at least one or two months. Unfortunately, being young, impatience got the best of me. So it was that on a particularly cold January morning in 2001, I found myself scanning the “Flash” art adorning the walls of a somewhat less reputable tattoo studio in my home town of Kitchener, Ontario. I had recently turned eighteen and I was itching to get my first piece of work.

I found a Tribal Flash piece I liked and went home to think about it. Of course, I knew what I was going to do before I got off the bus. That night I arrived back at said studio. Halfway through the session, I was asked to wait outside for 20 minutes while he pierced a girl's clitoris. Afterwards, he informed me that those were some of the “perks” of his job. I should have left with my half tattoo right then.

Three hours later I was the proud bearer of something I considered to be more then just a tattoo, but a symbol. A sign on my forearm that would say, “That's right, I may be a nice guy, I may even be a bookworm, and just a little artsy fartsy, but dammit if I'm not bad ass.” I always relished the idea of never being exactly what people expected you to be. People would see me coming and they might think, troublemaker, but before long they would see that I was cultured, polite, a little traveled, and hungry for knowledge. Right?

Off I went into the frosty night, my coat slung over my shoulder, free hand clutching a paper towel to my open wound, a container of “Tattoo Goo,” in my pocket. “This seems a little weird I thought. Wouldn't a bandage help? Do I wash it? How long will it take to heal? Sun isn't really a problem right now of course, but will it ever be?

Well needless to say, the tattoo got infected and took two months to heal, as opposed to the couple of weeks it should have taken. The same goes for the scarring and absence of ink in certain areas. I went back after it was fully healed, still believing that the scabbing that had occurred was normal, and hoping for the free touch-ups I had been promised.

I was greeted with a, “Did you pick this? No? Well it looks like you been pickin' it!” I told him that the areas that were missing ink, scabbed over really bad. This fazed him little, and he scribbled me in for an appointment later that day. “Luckily” for me he said, “there is an opening tonight.”

I never showed up at that appointment, and I've never set foot in that studio again. I also deterred more people from going there over the years then I care to mention. I learned my lesson right!? I went to Tora from then on? Not exactly.

I later got the tattoo covered up by another gentleman in a studio in Waterloo. Tattooing as a career appealed to me, so that same day I dropped off an application for an apprentice position, as this shop had a sign in the window. My artistic skills weren't terrible, but they were a far cry from professional. This place wasn't that bad, but like many self employed tattoo artists, his horrible customer service skills would have put Henry Ford to shame. It was for this reason that I declined his subsequent offer of employment. Four years with a guy who has no objection to tattooing Swastikas and other hate propaganda for a price? Going so far as to display it prominently amongst his Tattoo Flash? No thanks.

He gave me a better understanding of how to take care of a tattoo, and sent me off with HIS particular guidance of how to help it heal properly. Unfortunately, despite this, the tattoo healed only slightly better then before, leaving me disenchanted with tattooing, and a fear that maybe my skin was too sensitive, and would never accept the ink.

Some time, and a couple more studios later, I finally got it together and made an appointment with Bryan at Tora Tattoo. Six surprisingly fast weeks later I was sitting in his chair, discussing my past history of problematic tattoos, (being careful to avoid the mentioning of names.) Bryan did my next three tattoos, and every one healed beautifully. I was very pleased and I knew I had found a shop that I could stick with.

Later, I decided I was going to start a piece I knew would be challenging. I wanted the portraits of some of the literary and artistic heroes who had influenced me over the years; Starting with Charles Bukowski, American novelist and poet. Bryan humbly referred me to Jamie Iszumi, the shop's multi-award winning owner who is known for his portrait work. I knew I was in good hands. The portrait was finished at a reasonable price, and looks eerily lifelike. It is my pride and joy.

I recently finished the second of three long sessions that will form a half sleeve on my right arm. Jamie worked the aforementioned tribal piece into the larger tattoo seamlessly, making it looks as if it was supposed to be there all along.

With their careful attention to detail, hospital-grade sterility and above all, excellent customer service skills, Tora Tattoo should stand as a pillar in the tattoo industry. No one at Tora feels the need to look tough or talk down to anyone with an “I'm the boss” attitude. You will not be made to feel inadequate, all of your questions will be answered fully, and you will walk away (and return, and walk away again...) satisfied with a tattoo that would make Ray Bradbury's Illustrated Man proud.

Jamie is also well known down at City Hall for his standards. He is currently working on getting a law passed to deny tattoos to ANYONE under the age of eighteen, parental consent or not. In this way, Tora is not only upholding the highest standards in the industry, but they are also paving new ground and raising the bar for what it takes to be a respected studio.

So if you're too young remember that patience is a virtue, and wait. It will be worth it. If you're too cheap, just consider the cost of having to get your tattoo redone by another studio. If you don't like the wait list at Tora, consider the fact that there is probably a wait list for a reason; ask yourself why there isn't one at the place you are considering as your other option.

So take my advice seriously; the world is a changing place, and the tattoo industry is changing with it. People might not be as likely to shun tattoos as they used to be, but a crappy tattoo is STILL a crappy tattoo. Finally, I still consider it to be my personal task to change the misconceptions about tattooed people. However, make no mistake; people will still look down on you from a perch. Heck, look at me, I'm currently enrolled in my first year in the Hotel Management Program of all things. Think of the hardships and discrimination I will endure. So raise a glass of Guinness, and remember: you can change the colour of you hair, and you can even change the colour of your eyes. They used to think you couldn't change the colour of your skin but we're proving them wrong, dammit. My name is Leigh, and I…am…TATTOOED!