jonvandyck american traditional tattoo, black and grey tattoo, dotwork tattoo, film tattoos, geometric tattoo, literary tattoos, mythological creature tattoo, neo traditional tattoos, nerdy tattoo, portrait tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo meaning, Uncategorized

The Lord of the Rings Tattoos:

The Lord of the Rings, written by J.R.R Tolkien is one of (if not the) most iconic fantasy stories ever written. The story was written as a sequel to another novel of his, The Hobbit. The Lord of the Rings was written in stages between 1937 and 1949.

Jesse Rix
Magnificent realistic back piece featuring Gandalf, Gollum, the ring, and the eye of Sauron. Done by Jesse Rix in Keene, NH.
Ben Kaye Tattooer & part owner of Ship Shape tattoo, New Zealand
Hyper realistic portrait of Gimli done by Ben Kaye at Ship Shape Tattoo in New Zealand.
Heath Clifford
Solid neo traditional hobbit hole done by Heath Clifford at Fat Ink Tattoo.
Kristian Kimonides Tattooist | Leviathan Tattoo Gallery | Melbourne | Australia
Elrond portrait done by Kristian Kimonides at Leviathan Tattoo Gallery in Melbourne, Australia.
Onnie O'Leary
American traditional Witch King done by Onnie O’Leary.

Tolkien fought in WW1, and this was extremely influential in his shaping of Middle Earth. As an example, WW1 was fought not by heroes, but by civilians. This reflects the hobbits who are quite literally the “little people”, who then step up to fight a war that they had not asked to be a part of.

Fong Vang Tattoo Artist @Inkarnate Tattoos 2211 11th ave E, #120, north Saint Paul, Mn
Black and grey portrait of Aragorn, featuring Gimli and Legolas. Done by Fong Vang at Inkarnate Tattoos in North Saint Paul, Mn.
Carles Bonafe
Terrifying portrait of Gollum and his precious. Done by Carles Bonafe.
Iliya Astafiev Tattoo Artist. N.Chelny city, Russia
Terrifying and realistic portrait of a nazgul. Done by Iliya Astafiev Chelny city, Russia.
Lauren Gibler Tattooer & Permanent makeup artist at Inkeeper_s in canton OH
Broken shards of Narsil. Done by Lauren Gibler done in Canton OH.
Róbert A Borbás
Graphic black and grey sleeve featuring Gandalf fighting the balrog on the bridge of Kazan Dum. Done by Róbert A Borbás done at Rooklet Ink, Hungary.

The films were directed by Peter Jackson, starting with The Fellowship of the Ring in 2001. They were filmed back to back on location in New Zealand, making for fantastic landscapes and scenery.

Alex Rattray Owner:Artist at Empire Ink EDINBURGH
Hyper realistic colour portraits of Sam, Frodo, and the ring. Done by Alex Rattray at Empire Ink in Edinburgh.
Cody Young Emerald Tattoo
A very green ent done by Cody Young at Emerald Tattoo.
Izhar Rott Owner of Manifacto Amsterdam Tattoos
Black and grey Gandalf amidst a geometric background done by Izhar Rott Owner of Manifacto Amsterdam Tattoos.
Lauren Melina
Blackwork Barad Dur (dark tower) done by Lauren Melina done in Perth, Australia.
Samantha I Love Mom Tattoo Studio in Dovercourt Village, Toronto
There and back again, inspiration taken from The Hobbit book cover. Done by Samantha at I love Mom Tattoo Studio in Dovercourt Village, Toronto.

Some of the most popular characters include Gandalf, Frodo, Gimli, Legolas, Gollum (Smeagol), Sam, Aragorn, Elrond, Saruman, Witch king, and Sauron. Fantastic creatures include the ents, the balrog, and the nazgul. Popular items include the swords sting, and the shards of Narsil, as well as the Witch King’s flail, and quaint hobbit holes. Of course we also can’t forget the ring itself, which makes a stellar tattoo, especially when paired with a portrait.

Alexandra Skarsgård
Sting and flowers done by Alexandra Skarsgård in London.
Dan Mawdsley Pop Culture Tattoos in Melbourne✖️The Black Mark Tattoo Northcote
Black and grey Gandalf portrait done by Dan Mawdsley at Pop Culture Tattoos in Melbourne, Australia.
Jerome Chapman
Linework version of an ent. Done by Jerome Chapman.
Maksims Zotovs
Hyper realistic Gollum done by Maksims Zotovs.
Tony Sklepic Pop culture inspired tattoos and artwork. EDMONTON ALBERTA
Hyper realistic matching portraits of Saruman (and the eye of Sauron) and Gandalf. Done by Tony Sklepic done in Edmonton, Alberta.

Lord of the Rings tattoos are often done in a photo realistic or hyper realistic style, as well as black and grey, dotwork, linework, American traditional, and neo traditional.

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Black and grey Legolas done by Khail Tattooer at Young bloods Tattoo in Perth, Australia.
Dave Swambo
Witch King hand and Morgul blade done by Dave Swambo at Stronghold Tattoo in Cardiff, Wales.
Jess White
Bright and bold hobbit hole done by Jess White in Sacramento, CA.
Nick imms Fumbling through life. Owner of @thechurchtattoo ☦️
Gorgeous portrait of Frodo and the ring done by Nick Imms at the Church Tattoo.
Travis Stanley Ink City Tattoo Bonney Lake, WA Capitol City
American traditional Witch King and flail. Done by Travis Stanley at Ink City Tattoo in Bonney Lake, WA Capitol City.

Which do you prefer, the books, or the films?

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jonvandyck american traditional tattoo, black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, portrait tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, Uncategorized

Marilyn Manson Tattoos:

Marilyn Manson is a musician, painter, and actor. Known for his controversial music, and dark style. His stage name, “Marilyn Manson” comes from mixing what he believes to be the two most influential people in recent American history; actress and model Marilyn Monroe, and serial killer Charles Manson.

manson Andrea Morales
Mini Manson portrait done by Andrea Morales in Spain.
Manson Angel Lopez Sousa at The Shining Tattoo in Spain
Brilliant black and grey Manson by Angel Lopez Sousa at The Shining Tattoo in Spain.
Manson by Draven Heart in Adelaide
Black, grey, and red portrait with pentagram by Draven Heart in Adelaide.

He has sold millions of copies of his albums, and his influence reaches far and wide. He has a cult following, and those who love his music, really love it. He sells out stadiums around the world, and never fails to awe the crowd.

Manson Christian Grimma at Sigil Ink
Disney meets Manson in this more traditional style portrait by Christian Grimma at Sigil Ink.
Manson Matthew Murray at Black Veil Tattoo in Salem Massachusetts
Satanic pope Manson by Matthew Murray at Black Veil Tattoo in Salem Massachusetts.
Manson Paul Acker Seance Tattoo Parlour, Bensalem PA
Realistic creepy Manson by Paul Acker at Seance Tattoo Parlour in Bensalem PA.

His music is described as shock rock, and goth, and his style follows in this same manner. Manson has had numerous run ins with the law, and public, including being blamed in part for the infamous Columbine school shooting. He has also had his shows protested by religious groups for being Satanic. Manson has been given the honorary title of “reverend” in the Satanic Church, but has said many times before in interviews that he does not actually believe in the devil, or any religion. All of his art is satirical and made to shock those who listen, and view it.

Manson Dan Molloy in Perth, Australia
Terrifying portrait from The Beautiful People music video, by Dan Molloy in Perth, Australia.
Manson Johnny Scillieri at Ace Tattoo in Glendale AZ
Heavy black portrait by Johnny Scillieri at Ace Tattoo in Glendale AZ.
Manson Paul Acker
Hyper realistic Manson, also by Paul Acker.

As a tattoo, Manson is often done as a portrait, showing off his own various tattoos, makeup, and various costumes from music videos, photo shoots, and live shows.

Manson Laura Gomez at The ink Captains Tattorium
Black and grey portrait showing off his own tattoos by Laura Gomez at The Ink Captains Tattorium.
Manson Mike Guinn
Green Manson from his Smells Like Children days, by Mike Guinn.

What is your favorite Marilyn Manson song?

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jonvandyck black and grey tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, Uncategorized

Artist of the Month: Carlos Torres

Carlos Torres is a hyper realistic black and grey artist from San Pedro CA. He is almost entirely self taught with 18 years of experience behind him. He is a tattoo artist and a painter who specializes in realism and surrealism.

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Angel riding horses in a full back piece.

His work is incredibly detailed and realistic. He creates brilliant original pieces. He has been to numerous tattoo conventions around the world and won the first place black and grey in London. His work has the feeling of a painting come to life, thanks to his experience with oil paintings.

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Chest piece with skeleton, sword swallower, and fire breather.

Carlos has even done head and face tattoos, which can be daunting as it is extremely visible and will be one of the first things people see when looking at his clients.

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Surrealist face.
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Full face with a Mayan style.
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Full leg sleeve of warriors.
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Another brilliant (not quite finished) back piece.
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Lady head and tiger.
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Huge horse with surrealist design within.
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Huge motorcycle on the belly.
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Mayan temple style rib piece.
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Surrealist puppet master.
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Healed full torso piece with Victorian woman, ship, skulls, angels, and surrealist filler.

Which is your favorite piece by Carlos?

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jonvandyck black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, dotwork tattoo, film tattoos, literary tattoos, mythological creature tattoo, nerdy tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, Uncategorized

Fantastic Beasts Tattoos

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them is a short book written in 2001 by J.K Rowling after the Harry Potter series. Written as a textbook for Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, the book is “written” by magizoologist Newt Scamander. Proceeds of the sales of the book go to “Harry’s Books Fund” to help needy children in the poorest countries in the world.

The film adaptation comes out November 18th, 2016, and fans of Harry Potter around the world could not be more excited!

The book and film feature many strange and”fantastic” beasts from the wizarding world, including the acromantula, ashwinder, augurey, basilisk, billywig, bowtruckle, bundimun, centaur, chimaera, chizpurfle, clabbert, crup, dementdemiguise, diricawl, doxy, dragon, dugbog, elf, erkling, erumpent, fairy, fire crab, flobberworm, fwooper, ghoul, glumbumble, gnome, goblin, graphorn, griffin, grindylow, hippocampus, hippogriff, horklump, imp, jarvey, jobberknoll, kappa, kelpie, knarl, kneazle, leprechaun, lethifold, lobalug, mackled malaclaw, manticore, merpeople, moke, mooncalf, murtlap, niffler, nogtail, nundu, occamy, phoenix, pixie, plimpy, pogrebin, porlock, puffskein, quintaped, ramora, red cap, re’em, runespoor, salamander, sea serpent, shrake, snidget, sphinx, streeler, tebo,thestral, troll, unicorn, werewolf, winged horse, and yeti.

Since we don’t know what the majority of these creatures look like yet, there are a few that tend to get quite a bit of attention in the tattoo community. The elf, particularly Dobby, the thestral, the hippogriff, particularly Buckbeak, dragons, dementors, and the phoenix, particularly Fawkes.

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Buckbeak the hippogriff, done by Dan Molloy at Bold as Brass in Liverpool.
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Dotwork thestral by Emily Ann in a private studio in Sydney.
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Blackwork thestral by Jim Ordie.
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Neo traditional thestral by travelling tattooist Jonathan Penchoff.
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Adorable Dobby the house elf by Jared Mcfarland at LG Tattoo in California.
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Sirius Black in his animagus form, by Jim Ordie.
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Blackwork dementor by Jayden at Sacred Skin Tattoo in Brisbane.
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Basilisk by Jayden at Sacred Skin Tattoo in Brisbane
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Hungarian Horntail dragon on top of Gringotts by Jayden at Sacred Skin Tattoo in Brisbane.
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Fawkes the phoenix with hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry by Jayden at Sacred Skin Tattoo in Brisbane.
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Phoenix by Mike DeVries in California.

As the movie is set to be very popular, i’m sure there will be many more magical creatures being tattooed soon! All of these creatures make a potentially cool tattoo, and many people have taken it upon themselves to carry them on their skin forever!

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jonvandyck realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, Uncategorized

Artist of the Month: Paul Acker

Paul Acker has been described many times as the master of horror when it comes to tattooing. He specializes in realistic horror themed tattoos, and does an amazing job of it.He owns The Séance Tattoo Parlour in Bensalem, PA.

Paul has been tattooing since December of 2000. As a kid he loved Tales from the Crypt and fangoria, which developed into a love of horror as he grew up. When doing his horror themed work, he focuses on the lighting within the tattoo, much like an actual horror movie does, to give the piece depth and contrast. Here are some of my favorites of his.

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Mad Max remake
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Christian Bale’s American Psycho
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Stephen King’s It
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Michael Meyers and his home, from Halloween
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Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs
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Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th
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Bloody wolf
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Decaying zombie
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Frankensteins monster looking as sad as ever
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The Evil Dead 2013 remake
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Jaws
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Edgar Allen Poe with raven and black cat
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Iconic Marilyn Manson
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Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street
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Wednesday Addams from The Addams Family
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Angry little Gollum from Tolkien’s the Lord of the Rings

Paul Acker only does tattoos that he is interested in doing. Better make sure you want something cool so you can get a brilliant piece from him!

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jonvandyck american traditional tattoo, black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, portrait tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, traditional tattoo, Uncategorized

Clown Tattoos

Love them or hate them, clowns have been around a long time. As court jesters in medieval times, to circus performers, theatre actors, street performers, to movie stars, great Cirque Du Soleil acrobats, and children entertainers. Clowns are meant to be a happy, exuberant, silly performer, but lately have been much more active in the horror department. From books and movies like Batman’s “Joker” character, Stephen King’s “It”, Rob Zombie’s “Captain Spaulding” and “31”,and  American Horror Story’s “Twisty, clowns are now pretty terrifying. Some pop culture horror clowns are unfortunately based on real people who were killer clowns, such as John Wayne Gacy. Now, in 2016, North America and parts of Europe are experiencing what the media is calling “killer clown attacks”, where people are dressing up as creepy clowns and chasing, staring at, and harassing people all in the hopes of scaring them, or in some more serious situations, worse.

Whether you think clowns are funny or scary, they make some great tattoos.

Clown tattoos are usually done in American traditional, realism, and black and grey styles. They are either happy, fun clowns, sad, crying clowns (often done as “tramp” clowns), or horror clowns.

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Matching American traditional clowns by Dan Santoro.
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Crying traditional clown by Jonathan Reina in Gran Canaria, Spain.
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Creepy American traditional clown by Kujo at Clipper Ship Tattoo in Atlanta, GA.
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Sad traditional clown by Josh Adams in Canonsburg, PA.
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Outline of a happy looking clown by A. Perry at Gentlemen Tattoos in Youngstown, Ohio.
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All black crying clown by Jason Donahue at Liberty tattoo in Seattle.
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Creepy black and grey realistic horror clown by Ukix Asmirantika at Luxury Ink, Bali.
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Menacing Joker tattoo by Andrey Stepanov in Russia,
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The Killing Joke, Joker by Sophie Adamson at The Projects Tattoo in Plymouth, UK.
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Realistic black and grey Joker by Tom Caine at Holy Mountain Tattoo in the UK.
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Realistic Rob Zombie’s Captain Spaulding by Alex Wright at Grindhouse Tattoo Productions in the UK.
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Realistic Stephen king’s “It” tattoo by Sam Barry in Belfast.
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Realistic American Horror Story’s “Twisty” the clown by Evan Olin at Powerline Tattoo in Cranston, RI.

Do you love them or fear them…?

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jonvandyck american traditional tattoo, black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, portrait tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, Uncategorized

Ghost (Band) Tattoos

Ghost is a popular metal band from Sweden that formed in 2008, and quickly became popular around the world. The bands macabre theme, costumes, lyrics, gothic sound, and artwork make for the perfect Halloween band. The vocalist “Papa Emeritus” is dressed as a Satanic Pope, and the instrumentalists all wear black clothing and devil masks, and go by the name “the nameless ghouls”. Adding to the band’s theme is an air of mystery. No one knows exactly who any of them are. Even when signing autographs, the vocalist signs with his stage name, and the nameless ghouls use stamps with their individual alchemical symbols, allowing people to focus on the art instead of them as individuals.. Despite their dark and often satanic lyrics, members of the band have stated that they are religious in some form, and have said in interviews that they are all “tongue-in-cheek”, it’s all for the entertainment and artwork.

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Realistic Papa Emeritus by Paul Acker at Seance Tattoo Parlour in Bensalem PA.
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Black and grey photo realistic Papa Emeritus by Salva Navalon.
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Another Papa Emeritus by Micke Bayman at True Heart Tattoo in Sweden.
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American traditional take on Papa Emeritus by Vince Genois in Quebec.
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Adorable cartoon version of Papa Emeritus by Stacey Martin at Golden Age Tattoo in Texas.
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Creepy caricature of Papa Emeritus by Ver Rou Ven in Berlin.
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Surrealist Nameless Ghoul by Ron Russo at 570 Tattooing Co in Wilkes Barre, PA.
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Black and grey Nameless Ghoul by Tim vonEvil at Evil Eye Tattoo in Stockholm, Sweden.

What is your favorite Ghost song?

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jonvandyck american traditional tattoo, black and grey tattoo, blackwork tattoo, dotwork tattoo, neo traditional tattoos, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, trash polka tattoo, Uncategorized

The Simpsons, Treehouse of Horror Tattoos

Since its first episode as part of second season in 1990, the Treehouse of Horror has been a huge hit with Simpsons fans. Dark, witty, and chalk full of pop culture references, Treehouse of Horror is always sure to be a spooky addition to your Halloween festivities.

Many episodes are based loosely off of various monster movies, horror, and thriller movies and books, such as; Nightmare on Elm Street, Frankenstein, Psycho, Amityville Horror, Twilight Zone, The Exorcist, Poltergeist, The Shining, The Monkey’s Paw, King Kong, Night of the Living Dead, Dracula, The Raven, Clockwork Orange, and more.

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Bart trick or treating as an executioner by Jason Ochoa while guest tattooing at Flying Panther in San Diego, CA.
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Good old Flanders/Satan by Jeff Ortega at Evil From The Needle in London.
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Smilin’ Homer J. by Joshua Davis at Wicked Inklination in Muswellbrook.
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Grim Reaper Bart by Justin Dion at Sovereign Tattoo.
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Hyper realistic, murderous Krusty the Clown doll by Mike DeVries at Redemption Tattoo in Northridge CA.

Three little bangers by Sara Eve at Artisan Tattoo in Pittsburgh PA.

Three little bangers by Sara Eve at Artisan Tattoo in Pittsburgh PA.
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Dotwork zombie Homer by Sebastian Camargo.
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The Shining Homer by Wes Pratt at New Tribe Tattoos in Toronto.

The Treehouse of Horror episodes also often feature a fun alien duo, Kang and Kodos, who are always up to some sort of mischief.

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Kang and Kodos by Omar Powers at Trader Bobs Tattoo Shop in St. Louis.
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Kang or Kodos in a traditional rose by Drew Cottom at Amillion Tattoo.

What is your favorite Treehouse of Horror episode?

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jonvandyck black and grey tattoo, literary tattoos, nerdy tattoo, realism tattoo, tattoo, tattoo info, tattoo meaning, traditional tattoo, Uncategorized

Game of Thrones Tattoos

A Game of Thrones is the first novel in “A Song of Ice and Fire”, a series by George R. R. Martin. It was published in 1996 and won multiple awards. The following books were equally as popular.

The HBO TV show came out in 2011 and it was an immediate hit with fans around the world; also winning multiple awards over the years. The books and shows diverse characters and fantastical world make for great tattoos, as well as hundreds of memorable quotes. Here are some of my favorite Game of Thrones tattoos!

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Quote and dire wolf/Stark House by Fran at Inky G’s in Wolverhampton, UK.
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Badass realistic White Walker by Georgi Kodzhabashev at Iron & Ink in Southern Denmark.
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Classic “Winter is coming” a with traditional wolf done by Heather Bailey at Black Heart Tattoo in San Francisco.
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Realistic and bloody mother of dragons done by Jose Rosado at Black Tie Parlour in Miami.
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King slayer! Done by Kate S. Art Gallery Tattoo in New Jersey.
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“Not Today” quote and tombstone done by Landon at Gristle Tattoo in Brooklyn.
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