Little Mike makes up for his diminutive status with a large, funny, and sarcastic character (his friends affectionately refer to him as BLB: Belligerent Little Bastard). Similarly, his designs are big and bold with thick, sculpted lines and exaggerated highlights that make his tattoos pop.

The dreaded cover-up tattoo doesn’t make Jones nervous; rather, she shines in correcting scratchers’ mistakes. Her tattoos are often bright, colorful, and pinuppy. The badass mom has a big cheering section outside tattooing, made up of her seven kids and her roller derby team.

Matthews is a self-taught artist who respects the styles of traditional Japanese and American ink. Don’t expect him to back down from competition: He’s also a professional mixed martial arts fighter who will go toe-to-toe with anyone trying to take the title he thinks he should rightfully own.

Miller comes with a different outlook on tattooing. After having worked with numerous design firms on branding campaigns, she quit her thriving graphic de- sign and illustration career in order to ink. She aims to expand the medium and push the boundaries of what is considered tattoo art with her illustrative work.

Some tattoo artists let their work do the talking—and while Benham’s pieces speak for themselves, his silver southern tongue also interjects. Using super clean lines, smooth shading, and the full color palette, Benham is one of the boldest artists and characters this season.