On July 20-23, tattoo collectors and artists converged with 130,000 fans at the Comic-Con International: 2017 in San Diego. The San Diego Convention Center is a million-plus sq./ft. venue; during this time every summer, it is the mecca for collectors of other genres besides comic art, including horror, video game, anime, sci-fi, and old-school gaming. […]
By Mike Madriaga “I started as a cha-cha at a tattoo shop in Ensenada, Mexico,” joked April Hernandez, as she traces the art on her client’s shoulders at the 3er Expo Tattoo in Mexicali. “And little by little by watching, I learned the art of tattooing.” April may be small in stature, but her unique […]
By Mike Madriaga Maria Jose Cristerna received her first tattoo at the age of 14 years old which was a rendition dedicated to her favorite Metal band, Battery. Cristerna’s transformation as one of the world’s largest tattoo and body-modification collectors didn’t really take effect until she was 19, but even then her collection was kept […]
Last October, the Concourse Center in San Diego was the 4th stop of the Body Art Expo tour. It’s an ongoing “About the Artist, for the Artist” exposition that travels to various cities to unite world-famous tattoo artists and up-and-comers and piercers with collectors looking to get new ink or piercings on the spot. […]