NEWS: Needled News by Marisa DiMattia

CULTURE: Needled News by Marisa DiMattia

There’s an old cliché, Good tattoos ain’t cheap, and cheap tattoos ain’t good. You’d think that an expression so popular would reach the collective ink-lovin consciousness leaving no room for sites like Badtattoos.com. But, alas, many still pay more for trendy shoes than lifetime tattoos, and so the other cliché—you get what you pay for—rings truest for body art.

Cheap tattoos are an easy lure for those under 18 and even university students with little cash flow. Tattooers who can’t compete artistically with others tend to market themselves to this demographic for a quick buck. These Skin Shadies go beyond the unethical and into the dangerous, and they make tattoo headlines.

The shadiest of them all this past week is the owner of an Oklahoma tattoo shop who allegedly tattooed a 16-year-old on the neck—a Kanji no less—then pierced her tongue and, as an added bonus, sewed her lips shut and took a picture. Once her lips were set free, the girl told her mother, who then filed charges. Tattooing and piercing a minor without parental consent is a misdemeanor that carries a penalty of up to 60 days in jail and $150 fine on each count if convicted. With Oklahoma overturning its tattoo ban and legalizing the art just this past November, news like this really aids the tattoo community in establishing legitimacy in the state [gratuitous blogger irony].

In Arkansas, another guy with a tattoo machine faces misdemeanor charges for tattooing over a hundred students and leaving some sick with more than just bad art. The 19-year-old Arkansas State University student used his dorm room as a make-shift tattoo parlor. No sterilization or disinfectants were found, which would explain why some of his “clients” needed medical attention. You'd think the risk of bacterial infections and even Hep C would be enough to scare students into saving up for a professional tattoo; however, this goes to show that even in the bastions of higher education, there are still plenty of idiots.

And it ain't limited to American idiots.

Two weeks ago I wrote about a New Zealand traditional tattooer who transmitted a deadly flesh eating virus to two clients, one who fought for his life for two months, and infected two others with less dangerous bacteria. He was suspended from tattooing while an investigation took place. Now the family of the man who almost died is shocked to learn that the department of labor will likely lift that suspension. The Dominion Post reports:

Ok, it's a rare and drastic case but I'm using it to demonstrate that despite the popularity and increasing artistry of tattooing, it still has it's risks.

I've said it before and I'll say it again—I'm preachy like that—do your homework, find the best person for the work you want, and save your cash for a great artist. There's no rush. The cost of the tattoo may be high but a real work of art on your body forever is priceless.

Marisa_DiMattia is a lawyer and editor of Needled.com, a blog on tattoo art and culture.

Dear Jesus fuck.

... That's about all I have to spare for that first story. Except at least it was the back of her neck instead of the side, so it can be covered by long hair if necessary.

When one of my cousins went on a schooltrip to London practically the entire class save for three or four students came back with crappy tattoos, these were 13-15 year olds.

Apparrantly when they got of the boat a lot of shady people were waiting for them selling cheap souvenirs but also offering cheap piercings and tattoos.

Sewed her lips shut?! Urgh.

Sak Yant is another dubious one, when we asked the monk if there are people he doesnt tattoo, and he goes, "oh, people with AIDS". Having said that they were using the same spike for at least 10 plus people (apparently up to 50 a day!).

I'm so happy i found an artist who's safe, reliable and worth every penny.. it seems crazy to me that people don't recognize the risks of shady tattooing..

It's sad to see incidents such as these when many tattoo artists worldwide have fought to change the negative stigma that tattoos have had. It's also sad to see people who don't research shops/artists in their area. Good advice towards the end of this column-it's always a great read and very well written!

"a Kanji no less"
Hahaha.

But seriously...that's pretty fucked up.

glad i saved up, and did a lot of research before just randomly going out and getting some ink.

why would anyone want their lips sewn shut? now, i know some people's lips that i would love to sew shut, but agreeing to have one's own lips sewn shut escapes me. oh well, just chalk it up under "things i'm not likely to get".

Creepy. If people aren't concerned about getting just plain ugly art inked on their bodies for life, I guess they're not concerned about endangering their health, either. I've heard that piercers in NYC only get a couple of days worth of training before they can pierce any part of your body, which freaks me out as well. I'd really like to know that the people looking to perform potentially dangerous acts like tattoos and piercings on me are trained and certified in some manner...