“Everybody thinks I came into the tattoo world with a red carpet at my feet,” says venerated artist Mister Cartoon. It’s easy to understand why this misconception exists: Cartoon was already well known in as a muralist and illustrator before becoming interested in tattooing. “Being a professional artist was a handicap,” he says. “I would have had an easier time if I had been selling disk brakes for a living.” Cartoon worked out of his mom’s kitchen (“I don’t advocate it,” he warns) for years before beginning an apprenticeship with Baby Ray at Spotlight. Now he’s working out of an inconspicuous three-floor loft in downtown L.A., where he deals exclusively with black-and-gray work. Cartoon’s pieces can be seen on celebrities like Eminem and, most recently, Meena Suvari. And, while it’s ... Feature Story

The difference between Spotlight and a lot of the other shops out there is evident as soon as you walk in. “Most shops in LA, or the world even, just have Xeroxed shit on the walls,” gripes artist Charlie Roberts. But at Spotlight, Roberts points out, “We’ve got original flash.” Much of that flash, it’s important to note, was hand-painted in the ’70s by Charlie’s own father, Spotlight proprietor (and living tattoo legend) Bob Roberts. Ultimately, however, it’s the quality of the artists that separates Spotlight from the pack. “I’d put my team against anybody’s,” boasts Roberts. “There are maybe only one or two other teams in the world that even come close.” Originally opened in Manhattan before moving to Los Angeles in the early ’80s, Spotlight shines as one ... Feature Story

Seventh Son might be the best amalgamation of all San Francisco’s tattoo scene has to offer. Co-owned by Jason Kundell (former coowner of Artwork Rebels), Erik Rieth (formerly of Everlasting Tattoo), and Luke Stewart (who was a regular guest artist at Artwork Rebel), the studio may be on the new side, but its artists have certainly been around long enough to garner respect. It shows in their clientele. “We cater more to the serious collector who wants bigger, custom pieces,” says Rieth. Translation? The accumulative hours spent working on a piece means the artists at Seventh Son often end up developing personal relationships with their clients. “For us, clients aren’t just customers,” says Rieth. “Since we see the same person several times, we end up becoming friends. Half the time ... Feature Story

Co-owned and operated by venerable artists Ed Hardy and Fip Buchanan, Tattoo City, in the heart of the historic North Beach area, is at the apex of the tattoo world. Hardy himself hand picks each of the store’s artists to carry on the tradition he began more than 40 years ago. “Everyone has an individual style, but they all work under Ed’s eye,” says Tattoo City manager Aleph Kali. “It’s quite an honor to work here.” Small and covered from wall to wall with antique flash from Sailor Jerry, Hardy, and other legendary artists, Tattoo City is also part “ink museum.” “A lot of the flash is older than most of the customers that come in here,” says Kali. But don’t head there expecting to pick up any Hardy gear. ... Feature Story

Grime talks fast, but his work takes time; his website, grimemonster.com, informs visitors that the wait to get inked is currently a whopping three years. Opening the store just over a year ago (after, Grime says, he grew tired of the “speed freaks” and “shitty landlord” he was dealing with at the now-defunct Artwork Rebels), Grime and his staff of self-proclaimed “tattoo warriors” have carved out a niche for themselves in the Bay Area. And that’s not just because they have a reputation for producing super-high-quality work or because the owner is something of a tattoo rock star; the shop works because, as Grime says, “We’re really nice.” With no signage to advertise that they even exist, Primal Urge is the studio for the erudite collector looking for a warm, ... Feature Story