Dogtown Ink

Kevin Hinton, tattoo art, tattoos

Digital photograph

March 7, 2008
Old Glory Tattoo Parlor
Venice, California

When you say someone has Japanese style tattoos, you don’t usually mean Hello Kitty — unless you’re talking about Venice, California’s Malina Huang.

Attention ladies: Re-Ink-R-Nation specializes in women’s tattoos and piercing — from Japanese kanji brush style tattoos to fixing ugly tattoos from your past (hence the shop’s name) to permanent make-up tattoos that look completely natural. At least according to Mamasan, the artist and piercer. Actually, male tattoo artists along the boardwalk regularly send Mamasan clients who need her special skills with female body art.

Mamasan speaks JAPANESE.

Ink Ink’s Karina and Stephanie are both exquisite tattoo artists. I know this because of the persnickety friends I have who patronize them…and because I can see with my own eyes. A longtime Dogtown ink establishment located near the corner of Lincoln and Brooks, it’s one of Venice’s best tattoo parlors.

Marissa’s fine tattoo artistry is much in demand along the boardwalk. Buzzbomb, itself, isn’t much to look at, but Marissa’s ink art is. If you’ve come to the beach for a tattoo, make sure to consider Marissa.

Say you need a tattoo and a haircut. That’s why they invented Old Glory. It’s two parlours in one. Talk about 30-minute make-over. Seriously, you want a traditional American tattoo in the spirit of legends Sailor Jerry and Ed Hardy, Old Glory Tattoo’s owner, Kevin Hinton, is the man to see. Kevin specializes in nautical tattoos, which he’s got quite a few of, himself. He’s also practiced at Irezumi, or Japanese-style tattoo art.

You’re practically sitting on the beach when you’re getting inked at this boardwalk fixture. One of several popular Venice Beach tattoo parlors owned (at least in part) by Sean Heirigs, All Star offers both ink and piecing. And a beachside view.

Let’s face it, there’s always someone (your mom) who’s going to call you crazy for getting a tattoo. Why not agree? Tell ‘em you actually got your ink in the Asylum. That oughta shut ‘em up. Tattoo Asylum is a longtime Venice fixture and popular spot for crazy tattoos…like the name implies.

Make that houses of ink. House of Ink owner Sean Heirigs is perhaps the boardwalk’s leading tattoo impresario: He not only owns two House of Inks within spitting distance of one another, he also owner or co-owner of nearby Tattoo Asylum, All Star Tattoo & Piercing and Lincoln Blvd’s Ink Monkey.