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On the Honest Tattooer podcast, Jon, Matt, Ermes, and Pony read listener letters about common tattoo shop problems: shops favoring artists with big social followings, two artists dating and bringing relationship tension into the workplace, and a shop owner whose talented friend drives away managers and staff through harsh communication. They discuss balancing shop promotion across artists, encouraging simple, consistent content for introverted tattooers, and separating business from friendship when addressing behavior that harms shop culture. They also talk about posting frequency and algorithms, show examples of a fresh-to-healed tattoo with online criticism differences between Instagram and Facebook, debate pricing and logistics for a convention collab tattoo, and end with thoughts on daily practice for drawing and creativity. They mention attending the Third Coast Tattoo Convention in Chicago.

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We back guest Joshua Bowers about a year after his last appearance, this time with show-and-tell including the Steel Driver rotary that emulates a coil stroke, the Heavy Hand weighted pencil grip (plus an Apple Pencil prototype), and a battery adapter that turns a battery into a power supply and can shift weight off the machine. They discuss foot switches vs wireless/constant-on setups, cord management, and why many artists return to coil-style performance after starting on pen machines. The conversation shifts to how social media escalates tattoo drama into public “movements,” online validation, and public therapy, including examples of inflammatory accusations and appropriation debates. They also warn about corporate consolidation and looming regulations that could price out small makers.

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In this podcast episode, tattooer and fine artist Vincent Castiglia explains how he began using blood as a medium, describing its unique kinetic energy and personal connection. He details the technical process—collecting blood (initially via diabetic lancets), preventing clotting, storing it refrigerated in airtight vials, diluting only with water, and using decomposition stages to control hue and value. Castiglia discusses public reactions, misconceptions, and the spiritual and historical context of blood in art, including cave paintings, and shares commissions using others’ blood. The conversation covers imagination, synchronicity, trauma, Giger’s insight into a painting linked to Castiglia’s near-amputation accident, artistic influences, advice for finding an authentic voice, and closes with commentary on modern tattoo content trends and contact information for his websites and Instagram pages.

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This week we welcome guests Stevie “Crazy Stevie” Wells and Phil Luck. They discuss the overhead of large shops, a global slowdown in tattooing, and how social media has changed community and communication. The conversation contrasts street shops and private studios, arguing tattooers should educate clients and that younger generations struggle with in-person communication and expectations of permanence. They define a good tattoo as readable and built to last, compare tattoos to fast fashion, and share stories about consent forms, safety practices, and handling difficult walk-ins. 

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On the Honest Tattooer Podcast, we talk with special guest Jeremy Schad from Syracuse, New York, who started tattooing in 2019 during COVID through an informal mentorship that drilled clean linework and helped him become known for fine, crisp lines. Jeremy shares his background in digital art and music, how a blown-off tattoo appointment led him to meet his mentor Michael Conklin (now his shop co-owner), and how he transitioned from working at Apple’s Genius Bar to full-time tattooing with support from his now-wife while facing skepticism from a previous marriage. The group discusses learning methods (fake skin vs real people, watching tattoo livestreams), critiques viral social media takes like “coil machines are obsolete,” reacts to ultra-fine single-needle work and a botched tiger coverup to highlight why coverups are difficult, and talks about what drives engagement in tattoo content. Jeremy plugs upcoming convention work in Baltimore and shares how he tattooed the band Holding Absence after “shooting his shot.”

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The hosts celebrate Matt Buck’s birthday and apprenticeship “graduation day,” reflecting on his years tattooing and how his perspective changed after realizing the medium’s limitations and longevity needs. Buck discusses his fine art training, the value of academic realism fundamentals, and why tattooing often requires breaking painting “rules” (like avoiding outlines) to embrace tattoo rules that age well. The conversation explores how illustration and visual storytelling translate into tattooing, plus a bar story where Matt draws a “meaningful, risky, sexual tiger.” The episode shifts to mental health and accountability in tattooing, reacting to a public social media meltdown by a well-known artist, then broadens into how online outrage, reviews, and public venting spiral, emphasizing professionalism and not being a creep.

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This week we talk with realism and biomechanical pioneer Roman  Abrego, who has tattooed for about 25 years, including in prison and on the streets. Roman shares his early life as a standout baseball athlete, his roots in San Bernardino and time in Wisconsin, and how meeting artists like Mike Cole, Carson Hill, Nick Baxter, shaped his path into hyperrealism and biomech. He reflects on building and running multiple shops (including in Yucaipa, Melrose, and Brazil), nonstop travel, long tattoo sessions, burnout, and the sacrifices tattooing can demand from family life. Roman discusses stepping back to reset, creating beyond tattooing, staying grounded, upcoming TV project plans, and offers advice to draw or create every day and keep pushing.

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This week we  talk with realism tattooer Nico Negron from Northport, New York, about starting tattooing with an eBay kit in 2006, how tattoo culture has changed, and the opening of his new shop, Icon Tattoo.

The group reacts to viral tattoo “hot takes,” arguing that “bold will hold” still matters, fine line can last when tattooed correctly, and different styles often attract different clients. They criticize content that glamorizes poor technique, discuss spiritual “energy” claims about tattooing, and debate artist loyalty when working between multiple shops

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