More "ink" than skin

I’d think with a publisher like Larry Flynt, there’d be a little more skin showing in this magazine. Surprisingly, there appears to be more ink than skin. I have read, or looked at, this magazine for several years now. However, the copy I am commenting on today is the September 2000 issue.

Usually with tattoo magazines, each issue is dedicated to at least one tattoo convention. This one covers the Detroit Motor City Tattoo Expo. The headlines on the cover are:

“Rare Photos of Disappearing Tribes”;

“Texas Tattoo Tornado”;

“Prettiest Girls in Detroit” - the Detroit Tattoo Expo.

As I said above, the publisher of this “skin” magazine is Larry Flynt of “Hustler” fame. But the pictures are no more graphic in this magazine than in any of the other tattoo or piercing magazines. Let me put it this way, there are no “naked just for the sake of being naked” shots (such as the “show us your t*ts” shots in Easyriders.) As with any tattoo magazines, most are sold behind the counter and have the “adult warning” on the front.

Departments

“Bits and Snatches - Hanky Panky’s History Lesson”;

“Pat Fish Talks Taxes”;

“Horitaka Visits Horiyoshi III’s Yokohama Museum”

“Another Samurai Bites the Dust - the Wedding of Permanent Mark and Yuko Kato”;

“The Big 10 Questions” - with Captain Don Leslie;

“Hipshots” - some Deirdre Lamb outtakes from past tattoo shows;

“Talkback - Tattoo Schools: A good thing or a bad thing?”

“Readers Gallery” - pics of readers and their tattoos

“Needlecraft” - business-card size ads

“Tattoo artists and their rides” - Bert Rodriguez and his chevy truck

Features:

“The Chris Trevino interview” by Bob Baxter (who seemed to do most of the interviews I noticed)

“Centerspread: The Chris Rainier interview - photographing a vanishing world - tribal tattoos and scarification”

“Matty on the Mat” - interview with Matty Jankowski

“5th Annual Motor City Tattoo Expo” - put on by Tramp and Brian Everett

Columns

“Diggin’ the Dirt” by Holly Tuesday - tattoo news from around the world and Holly’s thoughts

“Ask Zeke” - questions and answers by Zeke Owen

“Our Living History” - collection of tattoo memorabilia by C.W. Eldridge

“Ed Hardy’s Tattoo Beat”

“Editor’s comments” - Bob Baxter’s editors page

“Letters” - self explanatory

The few ads that the magazine carries are mostly for piercing jewelry or ads by other artists. None for say, cigarettes or cars, etc.

This magazine is geared more toward other tattoo artists. If you are not a hard core tattoo person, most of the people in this magazine - artist interviews, names being tossed around, etc., will not be familiar to you. (I’d say 1/3 aren’t familiar to me and I’ve been to several tattoo conventions and I work at a tattoo shop part time.)

Also, there are not as many pictures of tattoo “flash” in here as say, “Tattoo” magazine. So if you’re just looking for pics of “cool” tattoos or more mainstream tattoos, get “Tattoo” or “Tattoo Flash”.