Credit: Jason Odell (photographer), Rocky Rakovic (writer)
Do you think she was planted to be your heel?
Absolutely, 100 percent. And after she was gone, they brought a different one in, Liz [Friedman]! That’s one of the reasons I quit High Voltage. When Kat offered up Liz to come work for me, I was offended and considered it a poison apple. You don’t offer things up to your friends when you yourself don’t even like them. In the end, that was the final straw for me, and I grabbed my shit and walked out.
Kat Von D considers you a mentor and a close friend—how did that sit with her?
I don’t really know. When I tried to tell her why I was leaving I didn’t get much of a reaction, which then made it much easier for me to leave.
Absolutely, 100 percent. And after she was gone, they brought a different one in, Liz [Friedman]! That’s one of the reasons I quit High Voltage. When Kat offered up Liz to come work for me, I was offended and considered it a poison apple. You don’t offer things up to your friends when you yourself don’t even like them. In the end, that was the final straw for me, and I grabbed my shit and walked out.
Kat Von D considers you a mentor and a close friend—how did that sit with her?
I don’t really know. When I tried to tell her why I was leaving I didn’t get much of a reaction, which then made it much easier for me to leave.
So was it an easy break?
I didn’t like that it came to the point where I needed to leave, but it had to be done. Of course, leaving didn’t turn out to be that simple. I had a lot of prior commitments and a contract to fulfill with the Discovery Channel. This is where it got complex. And I also really wanted to finish what I started. So in the end I found a way to leave and fulfill my contract, by going over to the other shop being portrayed on the show, Craig Jackman’s American Electric.
I didn’t like that it came to the point where I needed to leave, but it had to be done. Of course, leaving didn’t turn out to be that simple. I had a lot of prior commitments and a contract to fulfill with the Discovery Channel. This is where it got complex. And I also really wanted to finish what I started. So in the end I found a way to leave and fulfill my contract, by going over to the other shop being portrayed on the show, Craig Jackman’s American Electric.
Did you know him from before?
No. But I had seen his work and knew that he was a good tattoo artist. I actually met him on the day I walked out of Kat’s shop for the last time. He and I just candidly sat down, started having a conversation, and we just clicked. Craig is one funny bastard and it made the last eight weeks of filming fun again.
Have you and Kat talked since?
No, we haven’t. I do like Kat and I wish her nothing but the best. Every so often I get the urge to call her, but I haven’t yet. Hopefully, in a while, when all of the smoke clears we’ll sit down, remember what we first liked about each other, then we’ll talk and laugh about this trippy ride.
No. But I had seen his work and knew that he was a good tattoo artist. I actually met him on the day I walked out of Kat’s shop for the last time. He and I just candidly sat down, started having a conversation, and we just clicked. Craig is one funny bastard and it made the last eight weeks of filming fun again.
Have you and Kat talked since?
No, we haven’t. I do like Kat and I wish her nothing but the best. Every so often I get the urge to call her, but I haven’t yet. Hopefully, in a while, when all of the smoke clears we’ll sit down, remember what we first liked about each other, then we’ll talk and laugh about this trippy ride.
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