MARK LANKIN - FUNHOUSE TATTOO ARTIST

About 8 years ago, the shop was open on Broadway and Ontario. I was in need of another artist to fill a chair and Mark walked in. When potential artists come looking for work, I usually look at their portfolios and take a day or 2 to decide, unless it's real mediocre stuff or poor stuff, in that case, I shut 'em down right there. But Mark was a whole other story. I said "can you start tomorrow?" Ha!! He agreed. Now, we had another secret weapon in the shop to combat any mediocrity in the city.

Every artist has their own style and some artists, these days, don't. They have someone else's style. This can be seen in the trend of repetitive traditional tattooing. Some artists don't travel outa their comfort zone. Mark doesn't have a comfort zone, he's uncomfortable all the time, that's why he does great work like this!!

If I was to categorize his style, I would say it's a cross between action hero comic books and realism. See these dragons he's doing, that's what dragons look like in real life, for your information. And this is what Heather our shop helper and owner of THE GOODS SCREENING AND APPAREL ON BROADWAY AT KINGSWAY just across from the KINGS GATE MALL looks like when she's on the toilet! Go talk to her, maybe you can buff her flamed helmet and then, she can buff yours... if not, go purchase some of their items, or get some shirts printed.

Maybe you're just like the rest of the world and really enjoy collecting fetus skeletons and want to pay tribute to your collection with a tattoo of one in a test tube! Or maybe you are a girl who likes to drive tanks and destroy sh*t. BAM!!!

If so, Mark will do it.

Maybe you want that portrait of your dalmatian. Y'know, that special photo you took of him before he died from smoking may mean everything to you. At least you got one before he died!! And now, you could remember him FOREVER the way he was when he was happiest...before the tar in his lungs turned into tumors and suffocated him to death.

Whatever it is, realistic, Japanese, bio-mechanical, color, black and grey... come down and talk to Mark. Come down and talk about hobos, government, food, Bart Simpson, the dumpster, the broom...christmas socks.

BECAUSE WE CAN...

Some of what we do is stuff that most artists in the city won't do. Saying that we do the impossible is close, but if we can do it how can it be impossible? It's skill level that makes it possible! Sometimes, an artist will say "it can't be done that small" and sometimes it's true, there are pieces that can be too small, like some high detailed fonts, but most of the time what these are really saying "I can't do it that small." Professionally, it would be better to tell it like it is to a client because the client will then decide wether to search for an artist who CAN and not have to compromise their original decision on size or settle. Some clients are open minded enough to let an artist "try" or go with it and accept the tattoo in a larger size. John Day's angel (above) took 4 hours... no outlines...just shades of color. No compromising here.

This is Yolanda's cover up... a mediocre under water scene is replaced by a high detailed realistic coral scene.

It boils down to skill level. Some artists will even say "in 10 years the lines will be fuzzy and the details gone"... another excuse. That is something that is impossible to predict! Exposure to sun, their pre disposed aging due to genetics, elasticity of the skin... after care, weight gain, muscle gain... all these things are factors!! But, let's just say, if that were true, that "in 10 years, the detailed, fine line tattoo will look like a turd", then so will the thick bold black lines they prefer to do! May be even worse!!! I don't know which would be worse a faded single needle line which could turn a light grey with shading that will disappear, or a dark bold line which will only get thicker with a grey fuzz around it.

Portraits and realistic work are standards used to measure an artist's general skill by. It takes eye-hand coordination to do these. First a stencil is placed on the skin, marking every subtle shade or wrinkle, the eyelashes, the highlights... and then it's up to the artist to translate the shade or value for that particular area wether it's by mixing the color or thinning down the black ink with water, BY EYE. Some artists excel in "traditional" style tattooing, which today is recognized as trendy, just like the tribal armband of the 90's. It does take some skill to draw a tattoo to match the style of tattooing's early pioneers (skulls with square eyes..), but the technique used to actually tattoo this style of work is rudimentary. Lining with a 7 - 9 needle liner and doing solid color is what most artists learn in their first few months of holding a machine.

This portrait was small, the guy's arm was skinny so he didn't have much room to work with, the face alone was approximately just over an inch wide so imagine the size of the eyes. This is single needle stuff!! The shades making the muscle tones, and facial details wasn't all done in blacks or greys... I won't let the cat out of the bag but any GOOD artist will be able to look at an image and instinctively know what to mix to get there.

Some areas are hard to work on. Just look at the surface of the skin! There are dips and valleys, occasionally there are creases, moles... going from soft areas to hard bony areas!! It's not an easy job... a professional can make it look easy but it can be the most frustrating thing ever.

Some clients have great skin to work on! Even the subtle-est greys show up on them. This portrait was a pleasure to do!! This was freshly done so there is a little redness but you can see on the hat and the collar that Seio's skin was great for portraits. Don't mean to toot our own horn... TOOOOOOOOOOOOOT! But this is what WE CAN do. We are doers. As Wentzle Ruml would say, "I can do it, I'm doin' it." He's the guy 27 seconds in... you must see this movie, even if you don't skate...

SO, after work, do you know what time it is? Hungry?

how bout now?

Work all day... eat in the evening... digest all night... sweat all night digesting meat... wake up, put out a bi- product that looks like the baked beans in the picture.. with a side of what looks like the lemonade in the picture... clean up and do it again.

Car Tattoos Picture

Car Tattoos Picture 1


Car Tattoos Picture in back


Classic Car Tattoos


Car Tattoos Picture in arm

emo girls with tattoo

sexy emo girls with tattoos in chest bird pictures

THIS IS A TATTOO!!

This woman had cancer and both breasts were removed and reformed with implants. The problem was that during the operation they even remove the nipples! She came in asking about having the nipples tattooed on, she had seen it done in photos at her doctor's office but the work was VERY BASIC - not much more than a pink circle. Since her niece was a client at the Funhouse, she asked her about us and if we could do the job. She came down to consult and I told her that on the day of the appointment, to bring in pictures of what she'd like. Size and shape are crucial!!

A few weeks went by and the day of the appointment had arrived. I got to the shop early and started to set up the privacy area. She arrived on time and I asked "Are you ready?" and then told her the usual "this is going to be f*cking great!" She was a little nervous, and understandably so! When she took her shirt off it was as if she was sexless... what I mean to say was that she didn't seem to feel any modesty or embarrassment, she was totally expressionless. There was no effort to cover up or hesitation to show herself in front of a stranger. It wasn't as if she was an exhibitionist, more like she had no nipples to identify her as a woman so she didn't feel like a woman, and didn't feel that it was offensive to expose herself to anyone. She layed down and I drew the nipples on with a pen, centering them exactly where she liked them to be and started to work.

Her sister was there for support and as the first one was finished, I noticed the look on her sister's face. I finished the first one and gave her a quick look and moved on to the second one. In total, I think the job took 1.5 hours. When I finished, I asked her to go to the stand up mirror and check herself out. She got up, NOT COVERING HERSELF UP in any way (as she was used to this), and when she saw herself in the mirror, her hands immediately and instinctively raised up to cover herself! What she saw was not the sexless torso that the cancer had left her with... she had tears in her eyes!!

Tattoos are great. They do alot for people... wether it's a portrait of a friend...

or these fairies like on Tammy's arm, from her favorite book...

Anything is possible you'll know when you find it and you know where to go when you do!

The Power of Flower Tribal Tattoo

Tribal tattoo designs make the design of flower, animal and religious symbols and tribal flower tattoos are great variation of art and it is being greatly used by worldwide tattoo lovers.

Tribal flower tattoos are one type of ancient tattoo that can make you feel the essence of great cultural heritage. There is huge number of people are recognizing the value of the its body art. The bold strokes and curve designs are the combination of beauty and strength but now it is blended with fashion factor. The unique shapes and colors of tribal flower tattoos can really make you one from others tattoos fan. Normally the basic idea of imprinting it is done on one arm or on the back. These types of tattoos are really sophisticated and traditional.

In recent days tribal tattoos are executed and incorporated in different ways. Stark, black, arching lines and mirror-image patterns are the typical tribal tattoo patterns. Flowers are the most popular designs of it. Flower has become very popular and off course it is highly fashionable. There are lots of flower tribal tattoo designs and you can easily choose the perfect one for you.

Celtic Heart Tattoo - The Symbol of Love and Romance

Celtic Heart Tattoo - The Symbol of Love and Romance
Tattoos have since been a form of art and self-expression even from the earliest centuries. It also represents a person's characteristic and how he perceives himself/herself to be. In the past, only the warriors of a tribe had tattoos. This was to show what they have been through.

The tattoos of today represent or are in a way, a representation of the tattoo designs of the past. There are tribal tattoo designs, Celtic tattoos, and Goth tattoos. But out of these three tattoo designs, type or class of tattoos; people look to the Celtic tattoo designs for symbolism from artwork. These Celtic designs are difficult to decipher on what they really mean.

The most basic and fundamental key elements of Celtic design tattoos include spirals, knots and crosses, and even hearts. Most commonly, a heart is made with spirals, knots and crosses. A Celtic heart tattoo is requested and even chosen by people who feel a strong emotion which is love. Thus, the heart tattoos symbolize love, charity, and compassion.

Beauty of Flower Tattoo Designs

Beauty of Flower Tattoo Designs
Flowers are perhaps the among the strongest object used to symbolized women and tattoos are not any different. For centuries, women have been coming up with more creative and illustrious flower tattoo ideas to add to those that are already in existence. One of the main reasons for this is flower tats will never be out of style in any day and age. What this means is, these tattoos and ideas will be around and tattooed by women all over the globe in years to come yet.

When it comes to flowers, there are really no limitations as to what can be tattooed. No matter what, flower tats will almost always look great on a woman especially when tattooed by an experienced tattoo artist/tattoo parlor using quality tattooing techniques. What this means is there are really no right or wrong when it comes to flower tat ideas. It is more a question of whether these designs suit the woman in question. We do have some flower tattoo ideas to help out women out there wanting to get one (or even in multiples).

Rose Tattoo Designs - The Meaning Behind the Beauty

Rose Tattoo Designs - The Meaning Behind the Beauty
The roses is not only famous for its romantic connotations but have been used in more aggressive situations. Two famous families in England have a rose as part of their families symbolism. The Lancaster's emblem is red rose and The York's use white roses in their coat of arms.

One of Britain's dominant parties is symbolized by red rose. (The Labor Party).

Rose tattoo designs have been used as a sign of masculinity. They are not just for women. Take the famous rock band Guns And Roses. Each of its members wears a rose incorporated with a gun.

Skull Tattoo Designs - Dare to Compare

Skull Tattoo Designs - Dare to Compare
What does the grim reaper convey to you? It is not associated with Satan as some believe, nor does it represent simple death. These hooded skull tattoo designs are a reminder from medieval times that life is infinite and it suggests that there is life after death.

Sun Tattoos - Unique and Original

Sun Tattoos - Unique and Original
There are never ending ways to customize sun tattoos. Mix and match other designs for a totally unique look. A Celtic mosaic could be combined on wood. Add other symbols to create your own story line. Use your imagination.

They can be light hearted or serious. The choice is yours. Here are some tips on finding the best designs that have not hit the circuit full force yet. You will get ideas on creating your own version.

Chest Tribal Tattoos For Men and Women's

chest is an ideal body area to get tattooed since its an area that can be inconspicuous and therefore discrete. It is safe to say though that chest tribal tattoo theme is more popular with men that with women. The male tat enthusiasts like them because they make their pectoral bigger and more interesting. It adds a certain type of sex appeal and men definitely love them. Women on the other hand get them to express their femininity and sexual side.

japanese chest tattoo

The chest tattoos for men would be best displayed in cases where they can take their shirt off like in a beach or pool party maybe. Here are some ideas for designs for the male crowd:

• old school design like pin up girl, heart and skull
• tribal and celtic art
• animals like birds, dragon, panther and lion
• lettering designs
• angels and other religious symbol

Chest tattoos for women on the other hand are bent more on girly designs with symbolical meanings and feminine styles. Some examples of pretty designs are:

• flowers and vines
• stars and heart
• fairies and angels
• butterflies and dragonfly
• lettering and script designs

Chest tattoos for women


Chest tattoos for girls

Before deciding to get this type of body art, one has to make sure that the design is well thought of and at least meaningful to the wearer. This lessen the possibility of regretting getting tattooed in the end. Also, the chest is a large area to get inked on so there are ample rooms for creativity and imagination. To make the most of the possible great artistry on this skin canvas,

Chest tattoos for women

Chest tattoos for women on the other hand are bent more on girly designs with symbolical meanings and feminine styles. Some examples of pretty designs are:

• flowers and vines
• stars and heart
• fairies and angels
• butterflies and dragonfly
• lettering and script designs

tribal wolf tattoos

You can head over to your favorite browser right now and find a bunch of tribal wolf tattoos. I bet that 95% of them will be nothing close to the quality you are looking for, though. That's the problem with much of the artwork on the web, especially if you are using a search-engine to find them. Here is why that happens and how to fix it.

If you want to settle on some generic, cookie cutter tribal wolf tattoos and get them inked on your body, go right ahead. If you truly want to be able to uncover the websites that will have original, super tribal wolf tattoos then you'll need to know this next tip.

Sure, you can find thousands of images out there, but search-engines are horrible at showing you where the truly great galleries are. Most of what you'll find will be low end galleries that are sizzling with cookie cutter type images that are over seven years old. On top of that, these galleries even post a slew of images that weren't even supposed to be used as real tattoos! That's right. If you pick one of those tribal wolf tattoos, you might not like the result once you get it tattooed. Images that weren't drawn specifically with tattoos in mind tend to come out looking far less crisp as it looked on paper.

Feminine Tribal Tattoos

Feminine tribal tattoos are on the rise and with that increasing popularity it is becoming more common to see females branding a Hawaiian tattoo instead of other typical "pretty tattoos." Like all flower tattoos there are classical meanings behind the flowers and there are also typically designs such as tribal that these Hawaiian flowers are commonly found immortalized within. So what is the meaning behind these tattoos and why could this be the perfect feminine tribal tattoo?

Those who have decided to seek the Hawaiian flower instead of a rose or another common flower are making a great decision. It encompasses all the feminine beauty of any other flower with a unique twist. This flower tattoo is typically found in tribal form. Instead of the bright flowy colours we tend to see in flower tattoos it is usually made with big bold black lines, in a more tribal form. It can be added to beautiful other Hawaiian tribal designs such as the sea turtle, mountains and other well known Hawaiian symbols.

These flowers stand for friendship and hospitality just like the Hawaiian people. Another popular Hawaiian flower choice is the lei. These beautiful flowers are found in bright colourful presentations all over the bodies of both men and women. There are also those who have permanently inked these beautiful flowers in lei's around their necks, to symbolize the hospitality and friendship that is presented by Hawaiian natives to visitors to their island. For those who choose the exotic form of the Hawaiian flower tattoo you can ensure it is one to be proud of and to wear happily.

Transworld Skateboarding Magazine/ Now and then...

This appeared in the new Trans World Skateboarding Magazine. This is the June 2010 issue.

I was at the grocery store buying some sh*t and picked it up, started flipping through it and on page 60 there it was. It was so great to have a mention like this, especially to be on the same page as Steve and Micke Alba and the Pappas brothers, all of which are friends of ours.

Skateboarding really does have a colorful history. It's so mainstream now, more than it has ever been and people don't realize what it took for it to be so accepted! The obstacles, we all had to go through. Sometimes surviving on small paychecks, unlike now, where there are million dollar shoe and clothing endorsements!

Thanks to people like Danny Way who pioneered the Mega ramp, people like Tony Hawk who was so advanced in his early days, blowing away all the established pros of that era and continued to do so for decades... thanks also to Duane Peters who set a standard for attitude and resilience - bouncing back from serious injuries and DEATH!!... we never thought about why we did what we did, it just came naturally - tattooing, punk and skateboarding and now, most of top professionals are tattooed! That was no accident! People take if for granted but there is a reason for the evolution!

We were all kids who loved to skate and for us, it has kept us young. It has done so much for us as people... Unlike team sports, skateboarding promoted individuality, self esteem, physical fitness and creativity... you didn't have to worry about losing the game FOR THE WHOLE TEAM because you didn't catch the ball, and then have to face ridicule from the rest of the jocks!! You could progress at your own pace or you could strive to be like your skate heroes and learn the tricks they did. Your goal could be to get as crazy at the Upland Pipeline skatepark as Steve and Micke Alba did...




you could learn layback roll outs like Duane Peters !!!

T-Bone Photo.

This was from our generation... we were kids looking up to them before we turned pro in 1985!!


Wanna say thanks to Mackenzie Eisenhour for the write up! Let's do an interview!!!