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Approximately 5,000 tattoo enthusiasts flocked to
the Tampa Bay area during the weekend of March
23 for the annual Tampa Bay TattooFest, hosted
by Bruce Ripley of SilverWorld Body Jewelry and emceed
by Radical Randy, who shed his trademark mullet and
donated it to a good cause – to be made into a wig for a cancer
patient. The event was held at the Double Tree Hotel –
Tampa Westshore Airport March 23-26.
For PRICK, this convention was a working vacation, which is why my wife
and I brought our son along for his first road trip. With the Salvador Dali
Museum in nearby St. Petersburg and the glitz of Ybor City only minutes
away, the Tampa Bay TattooFest was a great time to relax a little and take in
some sites while getting some stellar work by some of the best artists in the
industry.
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| Dee Dee Seruga of Pleasure Points Tattoo in Spring Hill, Fla. was visited by her daughter while tattooing PRICK photographer Max Brand. |
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Every square inch of available space at the Double Tree was used for this
convention, including the restaurant, which is where Bag Lady Sue put on a
stand up routine without her usual costume gimmick. Even without her tattered
garb, though, she kept the crowd in stitches.
Seminars were taught by Dave Martinez, Shane O'Neill, Monte Moore,
and Brandon Bond, who did his first seminar ever called "Execution To
Publication," which covered everything from planning a good tattoo to seeing
it in print.
On Friday, artists Jason Ackerman and Trevor Wilson of Lucky 7 Tattoo
in West Palm Beach, Fla. tattooed a father and son simultaneously. Jesse
Smith and Jason Stephan of Electric Eye Tattoo in Cocoa, Fla. also worked
on a collaborative tattoo on the leg of one of Jason's regular clients. Even
show producer Bruce Ripley took some time out to get tattooed by Bret
Zorro of New York.
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 The intense focus of Mikey Leroy
Jenkins Jr. of Sacred Heart Tattoo in
Norcross, GA. |
 Dennis Pase of Savannah, GA has
cool green gloves. |
 Michelle Gallo of Pleasure Points
Tattoo in Spring Hill, Fla. |
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The contests were huge at this convention. There were more than 50 entries for
Tattoo of the Day Saturday, with three sets of judges seeing people at the same time.
The tattoo fest was also swarming with TV and film buzz with the appearance of
Joey Hamilton and Jen Dabbs of A&E's Inked and Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company in
Las Vegas, Nev. Cameras were also rolling for a film crew taking footage for a documentary
called American Tattoo, which, according to the crew, is getting shopped to HBO and
various film festivals.
The Tampa Bay TattooFest was one of the best shows of its kind in the Southeast.
Props to Ripley and his staff for hosting yet another entertaining and informative event
with tons of tattoo talent. It's definitely a Florida tattoo tradition not to be missed.
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 Lisa Murphy of Against The Grain in Melbourne, FL. |
 Russ Abbott of 13 Roses Tattoo in Atlanta, GA. |
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 This is Aron from Crimson Anchor
Tattoo in Tampa, Fla. You should get
tattooed by him, I promise. |
 PRICK editor Chuck B. and baby
Dylan James at Dylan's first
convention. |
 It's always nice to see Christine
working the Stinky Monkey/Pint Size
Punks booth. |
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For more information, go to www.tattoofest.com.
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