Who or what were some of your early inspirations?Some of my early inspirations must have been neighborhood things like cars, choppers, and religious artifacts from church. Some of my favorites things back then were the Ed Roth era cars and artwork, along with paintings from David Mann. I remember I would go to church every Sunday morning and look at the dramatic Virgin Marys and the stages of Jesus carrying the cross. I look back now and realize how all of that was an inspiration to me.
What work are you best known for?I have a reputation for fine-line black and gray tattoos, but most know me for my portrayal of religious icons. Then there is also that ghetto/gangster street stuff, the ones with the old-school collages with bombs, gangsters, girls, streetlights, and handguns.
When did you officially start this facility?In 2001. I was going to sign the lease on 9/11, but we all know what happened that day, so I ended up getting this place the following day and have been right here ever since.
Coming from the East Coast, give us a brief breakdown of where you've tattooed.I've been in Long Beach, San Pedro, San Gabriel Valley at Fat George's, which was a little shop on Valley Boulevard, then I was blessed to work at Tattooland in East L.A. on Whittier Boulevard, and then they moved to Anaheim, and after that I made my way up to Hollywood.
In terms of the future, what is the plan for Shamrock Social Club?My main concern is to keep it real. I want Shamrock Social Club to be a place where kids, families, and homies can come and be comfortable. I want this to become their second home regardless of whether they're famous or not.
For anyone who knows their history, you've become well known for tattooing celebrities as well as being one of the forefathers of black andgray. How did that come about and how does it feel?Some of the first celebs I did were Mickey Rourke and Cher, but I would have to say that I owe a lot to Mickey because he was one of the first celebrities I tattooed and developed a good friendship with.
How influential was Mickey Rourke?Mickey showed all of Hollywood that you could still be in the public eye and have a few tattoos. He was real symbolic of the tattoo lifestyle and made a difference way back before tattoos were considered "cool."
What changes have you seen in the tattoo lifestyle other than it being more socially acceptable nowadays?There are two things that blow my mind: the fact that you can now remove them or that people can use cream to make the tattoo process painless. I remember how it used to be a scary thing to get a tattoo and how it hurt and that it couldn't be removed, but now you can avoid all that and some of that punch is watered down a bit since you have a way out. In a way that makes me sad, however I do realize that it's good for the business in the long run. I guess I just kind of miss the old days when you had to be an outlaw, or you had to be a real brave soul to get a tattoo.
As far as your shop is concerned, who are your key artists?I don't have one key person but a few of them. For starters I have Freddy Negrete or "Coyote" as he is known. I consider him to be the godfather of the single needle black and gray style, and he pretty much invented the fine-line black and gray tats back on Whittier Boulevard. I'm also proud to say that I have his son working here as well. I also have Andrew Farnsley who I consider the "Great White Hope." He is one of the cleanest, best, and most artistic tattooers I have ever known, and he blows my mind every day. I've got so many artists to list, an amazing crew that includes Doug Stewart and OG Danny Romo, and it's safe to say that I have the cream of the crop here--the top of the heap.