John Shares More Than Just a Fly on the Wall

I met John walking down 7th Avenue in the upper 20s back in the beginning of September.<br /><br />He has six tattoos, but it was this one, on his left side, that I spotted through the hole cut in the side of his t-shirt:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvGIRSqMl8xU7MQLpuJNCYs9mxQFlMzauq_314v0Dv83TuA1y-Kim3hFDksbYMm5XYxs2iQ68oIg0glYBqJT9zF83qH7tH50H7RHb_zT5EjPFocGJjtXZuHje6qxRVX-5Z2j-13d0f2M/s1600/Banksy+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvGIRSqMl8xU7MQLpuJNCYs9mxQFlMzauq_314v0Dv83TuA1y-Kim3hFDksbYMm5XYxs2iQ68oIg0glYBqJT9zF83qH7tH50H7RHb_zT5EjPFocGJjtXZuHje6qxRVX-5Z2j-13d0f2M/s640/Banksy+wm.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br />Fans of the popular British graffiti artist <a href="http://www.banksy.co.uk/">Banksy</a> will recognize this as a tattoo based on his work. Another Banksy-inspired tattoo appeared <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/10/you-gotta-go-there-to-come-back-sarah.html">here</a> on Tattoosday in October of 2009.<br /><br />Why this design? Aside from the fact that John likes the imagery, he especially likes the dripping effect at the bottom of the piece, as if it was spray-painted on. He also related to the ape's sign that reads "Laugh now but one day we'll be in charge".<br /><br />The piece was inked at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Neptune-NJ/Neptune-Tattooville/295323493183?v=wall">Tattooville</a> in Neptune, New Jersey.<br /><br />Here's a shot of the original Banksy work:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ILc30TZSzYwBES3PcNphp1raujXndkVj_TfHCX_iXzgS2J5nN7Ig_RA3ZiNM_sBZMmzqbtkpdhO8n0TTk91KIBCip_5mcZ4rgIuyCv4QJV4kOLktRrBaDB6MiADeo7Z2C1wnn8WkNsI/s1600/banksy_laugh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ILc30TZSzYwBES3PcNphp1raujXndkVj_TfHCX_iXzgS2J5nN7Ig_RA3ZiNM_sBZMmzqbtkpdhO8n0TTk91KIBCip_5mcZ4rgIuyCv4QJV4kOLktRrBaDB6MiADeo7Z2C1wnn8WkNsI/s400/banksy_laugh.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />John offered up, an additional tattoo, as well:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx93-r1FU4la6opVY97BbUG7VKQejvRq4yKio_or14XY9bWCVGR6suWAQK3W3MMdCqfxWuWPt3UhsZ7kuqlrYm0c9d730DkFVpAEnOXbUR9trmW7s4rIpsPaGlxQsO8f7alb358xmnbsI/s1600/Flyday+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx93-r1FU4la6opVY97BbUG7VKQejvRq4yKio_or14XY9bWCVGR6suWAQK3W3MMdCqfxWuWPt3UhsZ7kuqlrYm0c9d730DkFVpAEnOXbUR9trmW7s4rIpsPaGlxQsO8f7alb358xmnbsI/s320/Flyday+wm.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />Yes, that's a fly tattooed under his right armpit.<br /><br />John explained that this was tattooed by an artist under the moniker "<a href="http://www.porktomic.com/">Porkchop</a>" at Asbury Park's <a href="http://www.parlor-gallery.com/">Parlor Gallery</a>. It was part of an occasional event called "Fly Day Friday".<br /><br />If that sounds bizarre, it gets even crazier. If you present Pork Chop with an item that was bought for under $5.00, and he finds it valuable, he will trade it for one of his fly tattoos.<br /><br />John successfully presented an item and got the tattoo in exchange.<br /><br />"What did you offer?" I asked.<br /><br />"A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pets.com#The_Pets.com_sock_puppet">Pets.com sock puppet</a>," he replied.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BQ61uPCQ6EcM4dCB1MwMDf0WdXVK6l3DyIxWOOLtKzXMNyRQsVnebpXyeFSXx4rANraL_tg1eYRmGSA-33cKPyPBCq1ADWCQUxMNv4KL6NDCtSneyBpNL_zDbM3FvRAnKWyEwN84NgE/s1600/petscom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7BQ61uPCQ6EcM4dCB1MwMDf0WdXVK6l3DyIxWOOLtKzXMNyRQsVnebpXyeFSXx4rANraL_tg1eYRmGSA-33cKPyPBCq1ADWCQUxMNv4KL6NDCtSneyBpNL_zDbM3FvRAnKWyEwN84NgE/s320/petscom.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br />Cool.<br /><br />Thanks to John for sharing these unusual tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

John Shares More Than Just a Fly on the Wall

I met John walking down 7th Avenue in the upper 20s back in the beginning of September. He has six tattoos, but it was this one, on his left...

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