Inked Talk

Historically, the anchor tattoo had a clear meaning: it was the mark of a sailor who had sailed the Atlantic Ocean. The popularity of the anchor tattoo among sailors was certainly understandable: aside from being a “tool of the trade,” the anchor is an obvious symbol of stability and groundedness - two things that a sailor in perilous waters may long for. Over time, regional variations in the style and color of the anchor tattoo developed, each with their own meanings among sailors.

Anchors also have a connection to Christianity. In times when Christians were persecuted for practicing their faith, the anchor (with the horizontal bar beneath the ring) became a secret symbol of the cross - a connection which is certainly not lost in some anchor tattoos.

Today, people of all professions may find some connection to the anchor tattoo simply as a symbol of steadfastness and stability. Some incorporate text or other images with the anchor to give special significance to their tattoo.

The anchor tattoo has proven to be very versatile both artistically and in meaning. There are nearly as many variations on the anchor tattoo as there are people who have the tattoo, and their reason for choosing an anchor are likely just as varied.

If you enjoyed learning about the anchor tattoo, you may also enjoy a previous Inked Talk article on the heart tattoo.

Ron Black, Founder of Wild Oklahoma Media, was kind enough to share his tattoo story with Inked Talk.

What is the story behind your ship tattoo?

In Ron’s own words:

Ron was a mere seven years old when he realized what he wanted to do with his life. He and his family toured the USS Missouri while on display in Bremerton, Washington and seeing the majestic nature of the warship and the historical impact of the Mighty Missouri, it was settled: Ron would join the Navy.

Strangely, no one has ever had the courage to speak disparagingly about Ron’s tattoo. They call him the “400lb Gorilla of Oklahoma Media” - perhaps that’s why.

Ron - thanks for sharing your tattoo and the story. Military tattoos have a special significance for me: my dad had some excellent and admittedly bizarre tattoos from his days in the Army in the 1950s. I bet each one had an amazing story, and I wished I had asked him to share them before it was too late.

Visit the Wild Oklahoma Myspace page for more about Ron and his show.

Thanks, Ron! Awesome ink, and a great story.

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I always love to plug my fellow 451 Press bloggers. If you are a video gamer you can’t miss 1PStart - easily one of my favorite video game blogs around.

This is my Dragon on my right arm. I received this From Nick Martinez at 12Monkey’s here in Tracy back in 2004. 1976 was the year of the Dragon. Thats the year I was born in and thats why I have it. It took 3 sittings (about 6 hours) to finish.

This would be my devil pin-up girl. Nick Martinez is also responsible for this piece. I told him I wanted a devil girl he designed it for me and now its mine forever. I got it because of a situation I was going through at the time and felt I was being treated unfairly because I wasn’t conforming to the traditional woman sterotype. And as you can see I make it a point not to conform;)

This I recieved at Tattoo U II in Fremont,CA. I don’t remember the artist’s name :/ That happens to me… ha ha. For all you Sublime fans you will recognize this as the Sad Sun from the Second Hand Smoke Cd. I am a big Sublime fan, but I got it because I liked and and It represented something that was meant to be happy, but it was crying.

This I received from an Artist who’s name I don’t remember at Wicked in Berkeley,Ca. I was there with a friend and my dragon was in process on my other arm. I loved the traditional design and If i’m not mistaken it is a Sailor Jerry Design. I was there with a friend who was gonna get a tat so I decided to get another as well.

This was also done by Nick Martinez at 12 monkeys. And yes it hurt like a bitch. But I love it. Love and Hate is classic and those two words RULE my life. The sparrows are Sailor Jerry sparrows and really just represent for me the beauty of traditional art.

I have more. I took some of these with my cell phone cam and sent them to my email. The network must be backed up because Its taking FOREVER to receive the others. It should be updated by tonight.

so stay tuned for Medusa… and AN evil Joker…. AND SOMEBODY’S NAME?!?!?!?!

oh my!

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean a style of tattooing graced the bodies of roving sailors. This style of tattooing, most commonly called “traditional”, was the craft of Sailor Jerry. Traditional tattooing is still popular today (almost all my work is traditional) and so is Sailor Jerry.

Sailor Jerry was born Norman Collins in 1911. A the age of 19 he became a sailor and traveled the world. In his travels he got his first tattoos and was turned on to the art and imagery of Southeast Asia. This would have a major influence on him when he opened his own shop in Honolulu’s Chinatown.

Back then Chinatown was the only place you could get a tattoo on the island. Chinatown was a playground for men who wanted to get drunk, pay for women and get tattoos. His customers were primarily sailors and soldiers and he catered to them with bold images of what appealed to them. These images included ships, women, big cats and a variety of other themes. In an effort to single himself out, mostly because his work was so widely copied, hes started printing “The Original Sailor Jerry” on his business cards.

He not only made contributions to the art, but to the technical side as well. He was one of the first to use single use needles and hospital quality sterilization. He also expanded color choices by making his own safe pigments. He was also vocal against sub-par artists calling then “scab artists”.

Sailor Jerry died in 1973 leaving his flash and likeness to be managed by proteges and friends, Ed Hardy and Mike Malone. Sailor Jerry is one of a kind, a master at his tattoo style, what has come to be known as “Old School” tattooing.

For more info on Sailor Jerry visit sailorjerry.com.