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.

Author’s note: Today, Inked Talk takes a literary turn as we look at tattoos influenced by the life and work of Hunter S. Thompson. If this proves to be a popular subject, we may feature more articles featuring tattoos influenced by a particular artist or author. Read on.

Hunter S. Thompson is perhaps best known among the general public for three things: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his legendary drug use, and (sadly) to a lesser extent, Gonzo Journalism, even though the latter is truly his greatest contribution to the literary world.

It comes as no surprise to those familiar with his work and his life that he has also become the subject of a number of interesting tattoos.

This excellent portrait of HST features his oversized glasses and iconic cigarette holder at his lips. His distant stare, often captured in photographs and artists’ renderings of HST, may be the product of deep thought or heavy drug use. Or perhaps a little of each. The emblem in the background, which is a stylized fist grasping a peyote button, was first designed in conjunction with Thompson’s bid for sheriff of Aspen, Colorado. The logo is now associated with gonzo journalism, and is also popular subject for HST-influenced tattoos:

Perhaps the best evidence that HST’s persona remains at least as great and influential as his body of work is the fact that tattoos of HST’s most famous quotes are far less common. A popular HST quote, “Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride,” is featured on this simple tattoo:

There is no doubt that Hunter S. Thompson’s work and influence will continue to outlive their source. In fact, that his influence has extended to body art seems like a natural extension of gonzo, culminating in a total conjunction of the work with the person.

Former Suicide Girls photographer Lithium Picnic posted this amazing photo on his Myspace page this week.

Lithium Picnic (photographer Phillip Warner) made a name for himself by shooting many of the earliest Suicide Girls with his distinctive photography style. Beautiful tattooed women are a running theme through his work. When he broke off with the Suicide Girls a lawsuit followed, as did many web sites proclaiming “Free Lithium Picnic.” The lawsuit, and other similar suits brought by Suicide Girls against other so-called “alt-porn” photographers and models that were formerly associated with the Suicide Girls caused a huge divide among Suicide Girls fans and a fantastic backlash from fans of the photographers and models who were targeted.

Sadly, the lawsuit led to the closing of the Lithium Picnic website which had formerly hosted a fantastic array of Phillip’s work. Fortunately, there are still a number of websites showcasing his talent.

The lawsuit has been financially taxing for Lithium Picnic, but there are ways for fans to help out. There are some amazing prints of Lithium Picnic’s work available starting at just $50.00 on this site. Every so often Apnea also posts some of her clothing and other items for sale on eBay. (None available as of this writing, sadly).

It is sad that the talents of such an amazing man are being held down by greedy people in search of the almighty dollar. I would like to hope that the loss of the Suicide Girls’ fanbase over this ridiculous lawsuit fully eclipses any monetary compensation they could get from any lawsuit.

Free Lithium Picnic!

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Digital Shutters

Fresh out of rehab, troubled singer Amy Winehouse probably has more on her mind to worry about these days than the rather poor quality of her many tattoos. She was, however, recently spotted with a rather attractive new tattoo on her back. This one appears to be an American eagle perched upon a red, white and blue Ankh.

The Ankh is an Egyptian symbol of life, and the eagle is a very American emblem, so the combination of the two seems like a rather odd tattoo choice for a British woman, but the beauty of a tattoo is that we all get to attribute our own meanings and sentiments to our ink. Her latest is definitely a nicer quality than several of her other ones…perhaps she is at least turning over a new leaf with respect to her ink.

For Mikki Jeane, tattoos are about more than just body art. A musician, a wanderer, a promotional model and a true tattoo collector, her ink is a reminder of places she’s been, people she’s met and the music she loves. For this week’s Tattoo Spotlight, Mikki Jeane shares a little bit of her collection and her life.

Mikki Jeane gets a tattoo in every state she visits, and she is quite the traveler. She has each tattoo artist sign and date his piece of work, as though it was a souvenir of her trip or a memento of that piece of her life.

Mikki Jeane: You got it, souvenirs they are. And I never choose a shop beforehand…it’s mostly just which ever one has the right vibe while I’m cruisin’ by.

I have thirteen tats which blend very nicely together. They are all super memorable with mighty fine stories behind them. If I were to choose one it would be my Libra scales with a guitar in the middle. On one side of the scale there’s a bag of money and on the other side there’s a clock. It means I can’t balance money or time but music keeps them both in check. The day I got it is the day my mother passed on and she was also a Libra.

Mikki Jeane’s music is a big influence on her tattoos.

[I have] a tribal rose that says “darkness imprisoning me,” part of “One” by Metallica, the first song I ever learned on guitar.

I’ve been jammin’ for a long time now and that’s what led me to all these bad ass cities. My tunes are pure pain and they really hit your soul. I’ve lost 3 brothers, my uncle, and my mother and that’s why I hit the road in the first place, to give people a piece of my heart that I once gave to those I lost.

Mikki Jeane’s time in Milwaukee is coming to an end, as the wanderlust is taking her to the the sunshine and beauty of California. She left with a beautiful parting thought that seems to define her life and her travels: “YOU CREATE YOUR OWN REALITY.”

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451 Press Blogger Plug Time: Indie Music Chatter

The “Mom” tattoo is an enduring classic. For this week’s Tattoo Spotlight we are looking at a beautiful twist on the classic “Mom” design. Meet Leah:

Leah’s “Mom” tattoo is unique in that the heart has an Ankh resting between the heart itself and the “Mom” banner. The Ankh is an ancient Egyptian symbol associated with life, and Leah had special reason to choose this design for her tattoo.

Leah’s Mom is an amazingly strong lady in a very small package. She has been plagued with serious back problems for years, for decades, and has undergone excruciating surgeries and in short has dealt with more pain than most people could ever even imagine. Despite all of this, you have never met a feistier, more spirited strong-willed woman. When she learned she was pregnant with Leah the doctors advised her to abort because carrying the pregnancy to term could do significant damage to her already strained body. On top of that, she was four months along when she found out she was pregnant, and she had been taking some heavy-duty medications for her pain. She refused the doctors’ advice and she bought an Ankh ring as a symbol of the life she was so determined to protect. To this day Leah’s mom still wears the Ankh ring.

As a Mother’s Day tribute to her mom, Leah got her tattoo, complete with the Ankh.

And for the record, Leah is an amazing lady with a sharp sense of humor, an incredible amount of talent, and she’s a great friend.

Thanks for sharing your story, Leah. You rock!

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Lost starts tonight!

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.