There are conventions for everything these days, including tattoos! I’ve been wanting to check out my local tattoo convention for years but just never got around to it. It seemed like I was always out of town or just had other plans. Or honestly, I’d forget it was even happening. This past May though I changed that and headed downtown to check it out. I only bought a single day pass (Saturday) because I wasn’t sure if I needed more than one day. I had no idea what to expect since I had never been. When I entered the section of the convention center dedicated to the tattoo convention, my ears were filled with the sound of tattoo machines buzzing. I took my time to take everything in. I slowly made my way around the floor, checking out every tattoo booth along the way. Some artists had flash sheets and other merch for sale. A majority of them were already tattooing, or setting up their schedules for the day. It was easy to tell if an artist was accepting any clients for the day. Each table had a sign that said either books were open, or they were booked up for the day. Every artist is different when it comes to tattoo cons. Some will book ahead of time, others will do walk ups only, and some will do a mix of both.
After making a couple laps, checking out some booths, I started trying to find someone who was accepting walk ups and could execute what I wanted. I found one artist I thought would be a good fit based on her books but we just didn’t mesh. I got a weird vibe from her and just moved on. Then I came across the table for Chris. I could tell by his Avengers flash that he was the man for the job. He was obviously a nerd and had seen Avengers: Endgame which mattered a bit. Why? Because I was getting an America’s Ass related tattoo. His booth was a little crowded, so I kept wandering around and pretty much stalking his table until it cleared out. I was finally able to talk to him and show him my idea. He. Loved. It. I sent him a text with the image I wanted the tattoo based on and he asked that I come back in about 45 minutes. He had to make a few little edits to make it tattoo worthy and then make the stencil. I had no issues with that. I again wandered around then it was go time! I hopped up on the table and Chris got to work. He was super easy to talk to and had a great hand when it came to tattooing. It was a little weird knowing people could just stop and watch but it wasn’t a big deal. The tattoo was on my calf/ankle, it’s not like my ass was out for the world to see. Before I knew it, he was finished! And I was in love!
Now that’s America’s Ass. And it’s based on this pin by Elhoffer Design. I mean, I think he nailed it. When I shared it on Twitter, the response was hilarious. I’m not sure Chris Evans has seen it but I tagged his ass, along with the Russo Brothers and everyone else I could think of.
And for those wondering, yes it’s safe to get a tattoo at a convention! Everything is clean and properly sanitized just like at a shop. My artist made sure to wipe the table down I was going to use, showed me his machine set up and everything else before we got started. It was honestly a wonderful experience. If you do plan on getting work done at a con, I recommend getting there early if you can. The later in the day you go, the more likely artists will be booked up. Or if there’s an artist you like who’s been announced, check to see if they’re accepting clients before the convention. The most wonderful thing about these conventions is the fact artists come from all around the world. Chris was from Connecticut I think. A friend got a tattoo by someone from California. I know a few artists from the UK were in attendance as well.
And there you have it! Funny enough, this wasn’t the only tattoo I had done in May, or even the only Marvel tattoo I had done in May. I might write about that one later! If you have any questions about tattoo conventions let me know below and I’ll try my best to answer them!
