Repost: The World is Full of Kings and Queens

<i>In lieu of something new, something borrowed, or something blue, I am offering up <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/01/world-is-full-of-kings-and-queens.html">a post from three years ago</a>, in Tattoosday's infancy, from January 2008: </i><br /><br />I've been relying heavily on <span style="font-style: italic;">Tattoos I Know</span> since the end of summer, but today, in the chill of January, I spotted a cool tattoo on a stranger and added him to the Tattoosday gallery:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCFWT-LvAR4INv7I4OfTvPZVs4DDWm-78jCS7fAbpg0NpjPwwat1Bxkhda6rJmOMgoMlDp8CW4czWOtuPZXKWSbwqLR-aTCqqfgvGXmXjADUBpzN5F2kfUDOnmEn0qFNgpKAoJrbvApBp/s1600-h/100_6250.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157421225683495986" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoCFWT-LvAR4INv7I4OfTvPZVs4DDWm-78jCS7fAbpg0NpjPwwat1Bxkhda6rJmOMgoMlDp8CW4czWOtuPZXKWSbwqLR-aTCqqfgvGXmXjADUBpzN5F2kfUDOnmEn0qFNgpKAoJrbvApBp/s400/100_6250.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />It was in the mid-30's when I asked Frank about his tattoo. He gladly offered up his newest piece, this playing card queen.<br /><br />Frank is heavily-inked. He briefly flashed a leg and an arm covered with tattoos. But we stuck with this one. This particular piece, his newest, was done by Mike Profetto at <a href="http://www.nyc.com/Yellow_Pages/Designs_by_Michael_Angelo.190614/editorial.aspx">Designs by Michael Angelo</a> in Brooklyn.<br /><br />When I asked him why he had this queen of hearts, he said it only made sense to complement the king of diamonds on the right side of his neck:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfkFvw3P5GGhosQjBxWZJPQFtP4Vp0TEpHBPXmctyiETpN6XXIiMl4MAKmxnzuPMJ0maIUis3JeIHXk6Zt7VQeOeAaFqT_UEmH7KK_tLmKSehkGggsuIVEt9CXnjB75PnL8RHgu73LUDc/s1600-h/100_6252.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5157422771871722562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmfkFvw3P5GGhosQjBxWZJPQFtP4Vp0TEpHBPXmctyiETpN6XXIiMl4MAKmxnzuPMJ0maIUis3JeIHXk6Zt7VQeOeAaFqT_UEmH7KK_tLmKSehkGggsuIVEt9CXnjB75PnL8RHgu73LUDc/s400/100_6252.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />Incidentally, that's a spider on the back of his neck, between the two royal tattoos.<br /><br />The queen, being the newer piece, is much brighter and crisper.<br /><br />Frank is the first Tattoosday subject to offer up side neck pieces. He gave me his contact information, so I hope to feature Frank's work again in the future, with more detail about his tattoos, and the stories behind them.<br /><br />Thanks again Frank!<br /><br />*******<br /><br /><i>February 26, 2011: Alas, we never heard from Frank again....</i>

Repost: The World is Full of Kings and Queens

In lieu of something new, something borrowed, or something blue, I am offering up a post from three years ago , in Tattoosday's infancy,...

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Small World, Tattoosday-Style

I have a few days off and was buying some milk at the grocery store when an older gentleman in line behind me complimented me on the tiger tattoo on my calf, which has been well-documented here, in <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/01/tyger-tyger-burning-bright.html">this initial post</a>, and subsequent ones.<br /><br />The gentleman asked who the artist was and mentioned his son was an artist as well. "Who?" I asked, and he told me, Mike Perfetto, aka <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/designs-by-michael-angelo-brooklyn">Designs by Michael Angelo</a> in Brooklyn. I gave him a flier and he introduced himself as <a href="http://democratperfetto.com/">Ralph Perfetto</a>, our Democratic District Leader here in Bay Ridge.<br /><br />I know you're likely thinking, "Nice story, Bill, but is it really that much of a small world coincidence?" Actually, yes, because my backlog had brought me to posting a couple of tattoos on <a href="http://www.nyhctattoo.com/tattoo-artists/peter">Peter</a>, who I had last seen at the <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/07/recap-of-matty-no-times-fundraiser-at.html">Matty No Times benefit</a> back on July 17. One of those tattoos, you guessed it, is by Mike Perfetto.<br /><br />Let's take a look:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLG5YJBQC5_uzXMOYwmqqcZ0Lov1s0SZRmiLa8E8DpormKbPGXvK2rzm34_nEPPeNZFkw22pK8rEkScQ-MryBMMx5a-OA6mCTfmC0dYomSPwOQ-8gHoUDzgPOfTffI0ks__JU2FrK/s1600/Jesus+Hand+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLG5YJBQC5_uzXMOYwmqqcZ0Lov1s0SZRmiLa8E8DpormKbPGXvK2rzm34_nEPPeNZFkw22pK8rEkScQ-MryBMMx5a-OA6mCTfmC0dYomSPwOQ-8gHoUDzgPOfTffI0ks__JU2FrK/s640/Jesus+Hand+wm.jpg" width="506" /></a></div><br />Pete also shared a tattoo on his leg by legendary Brooklyn artist Tony Polito. As you can see, Pete has quite a collection of ink, and he takes pride in the work he has from "old school" New York artists tattooing in the American Traditional style. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhQNX3ejlTs5dHcFIaVK6V0DvEjjG_QgsyzjpHHPmB3BVjFxs3QicFN9XfDIW9IRwHFFg-vrRz8iUJUiPiTivMNVeiIvWpSIMLRPonclRBc9T3QaEWqryAFZwqhxpZpqav4Yci9V8/s1600/Petes+leg+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuhQNX3ejlTs5dHcFIaVK6V0DvEjjG_QgsyzjpHHPmB3BVjFxs3QicFN9XfDIW9IRwHFFg-vrRz8iUJUiPiTivMNVeiIvWpSIMLRPonclRBc9T3QaEWqryAFZwqhxpZpqav4Yci9V8/s640/Petes+leg+wm.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br />Pete explained that "Old Calcutta" was a nickname for Tony's shop from the early '80s to the mid '90s because of the high intensity atmosphere of the shop and the people who were there.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz97e2S03uBX1mxGPt30qe6MSY9V3-TTd1b8Xz2-Zh7tNOjvUs1S4HMWsQzu9vnWPcaStQD8LgmU74AJfuzEQv47XRpj2XgBJtGQQH0JPZC4gbKdUd5I_bD6lj4r2X6rOpIKdeevgk/s1600/Old+Calcutta+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz97e2S03uBX1mxGPt30qe6MSY9V3-TTd1b8Xz2-Zh7tNOjvUs1S4HMWsQzu9vnWPcaStQD8LgmU74AJfuzEQv47XRpj2XgBJtGQQH0JPZC4gbKdUd5I_bD6lj4r2X6rOpIKdeevgk/s400/Old+Calcutta+wm.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />Thanks to Peter for sharing his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday (<a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/06/peter-carusos-ink-old-school-brooklyn.html">again</a> and <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/01/eagle-and-parrot.html">again</a>). Peter has been working hard at <a href="http://www.nyhctattoo.com/">New York Hardcore Tattoo</a> on Stanton Street. They have recently remodeled the shop and are working hard on producing quality art on the denizens of New York City. Be sure to stop in and meet their crew.

Small World, Tattoosday-Style

I have a few days off and was buying some milk at the grocery store when an older gentleman in line behind me complimented me on the tiger t...

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John's Tattoo Identity (With a Bonus Vendetta)

I met John recently in a local drug store in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Ridge,_Brooklyn">Bay Ridge</a> section of Brooklyn.<br /><br />I had actually seen John once previously in the store, but had been unable to speak to him at the time, so I was happy when I ran into him again.<br /><br />His upper right arm is a <i><a href="http://www.starwars.com/">Star Wars</a></i> tribute, but I shot the left arm instead. He was laughing because he had just been questioned by several people at a <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/century-21-brooklyn">nearby department store</a> and now that he had escaped to a different shop, here I was questioning him about his work.<br /><br />This is a shot of his left arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4G8JZ9_2SR_q1EG5_SgYzecrV8-JoCwxpdgAl0mcNLvVwzevQkcsI3h2ii1-etDdwPvrHnTtvtQp2Oe6QAgLHsFHjofWia85mMabyM4w_YSStmaLqNpFa_Z8KfklMy-IPkQNViZKe/s1600/alien+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4G8JZ9_2SR_q1EG5_SgYzecrV8-JoCwxpdgAl0mcNLvVwzevQkcsI3h2ii1-etDdwPvrHnTtvtQp2Oe6QAgLHsFHjofWia85mMabyM4w_YSStmaLqNpFa_Z8KfklMy-IPkQNViZKe/s400/alien+collage.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><br /><br />Like the <i>Star Wars</i> theme on his right arm, the left arm embraces outer space, what John called his "tattoo identity".<br /><br />He did note that this had been reworked and represented the repairing  of a much smaller piece. He sung high praise to Alex Franklin of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/brooklyninkbodypiercing">Brooklyn Ink</a>, who did the majority of this work and made the piece what it is today. Alex and Brooklyn Ink are no strangers to Tattoosday. <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Brooklyn%20Ink">This link</a> takes the reader to all posts tagged "Brooklyn Ink".<br /><br />Before explaining that tattoo to me, however,  he had shown me something that had not been visible in the department store. He pulled up his shirt to reveal this awesome <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta">V for Vendetta</a> tattoo in the top center section of his back:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWg-VAX4cD8NyonMkkq2PxAN80OsBJbi7JaXATIWW5Glx2vH8hF0dD43uOHBQFgmWuej3194y6yMK9raGhpfTMknzHP2yTQulq9DIhzuN83kGNpt0xyTK6iN31ZhyNq4Re87Gchm9/s1600/V+for+Vendetta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFWg-VAX4cD8NyonMkkq2PxAN80OsBJbi7JaXATIWW5Glx2vH8hF0dD43uOHBQFgmWuej3194y6yMK9raGhpfTMknzHP2yTQulq9DIhzuN83kGNpt0xyTK6iN31ZhyNq4Re87Gchm9/s400/V+for+Vendetta.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><br />John loved the graphic novel and the movie as well. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ece5iBvXa0Xg_1GIWEjQ6jlizHQf1XRajX6ypXY2MqdQWyJ83P96XYrzzY3qupAFi5tXI0WeBGoMSuv7Zk5fIxxIUXqSTZG5w8wAQVMYZH7shvi4NC1xv2HVoI6Sl3YAwI3mtF_j/s1600/V_for_vendettax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ece5iBvXa0Xg_1GIWEjQ6jlizHQf1XRajX6ypXY2MqdQWyJ83P96XYrzzY3qupAFi5tXI0WeBGoMSuv7Zk5fIxxIUXqSTZG5w8wAQVMYZH7shvi4NC1xv2HVoI6Sl3YAwI3mtF_j/s320/V_for_vendettax.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpF-7I3EmZhVVKaY4ncKv6Hml1h3P3sXty4r5t7vbQN4Me8xgbXRFfWiUSDmfVY4qfD-odYZ3mGY-PHW52u6RPUGY0d2Oug6t6D-VFqqwr85Q5wPWMi_WCxVH5y9a2z3JlpBNV2Jf/s1600/v-for-vendetta-6-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqpF-7I3EmZhVVKaY4ncKv6Hml1h3P3sXty4r5t7vbQN4Me8xgbXRFfWiUSDmfVY4qfD-odYZ3mGY-PHW52u6RPUGY0d2Oug6t6D-VFqqwr85Q5wPWMi_WCxVH5y9a2z3JlpBNV2Jf/s320/v-for-vendetta-6-800.jpg" /></a></div><br />The character of V makes a striking tattoo. This was inked by the incomparable <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=designs+by+michael+angelo+brooklyn&fb=1&gl=us&hq=designs+by+michael+angelo&hnear=Brooklyn,+NY&cid=10589599892127857747">Designs by Michael Angelo</a> in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Work from his shop has appeared previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Designs%20by%20Michael%20Angelo">here</a> on the blog.<br /><br />Thanks to John for sharing his incredible tattoos with us here on Tattoosday! We hope to bring his Star Wars sleeve to the site some time in the future.

John's Tattoo Identity (With a Bonus Vendetta)

I met John recently in a local drug store in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn. I had actually seen John once previously in the store, but ...

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