The 1st time I recall seeing a tattoo was a traditional pe'a Samoan style tattoo on the former WWF legend High Chief Peter Maivia, and I knew I wanted one. Yeah, a 7 year old white kid wanting a traditional Samoan Bodysuit. Anyway, it was years later that I noticed more and more tattoos, and I noticed that you could get other designs such as Eagles, girls in Hula Skirts, all kinds of cool stuff. I'd been drawing since I could hold a writing utensil (Garbage Trucks and Dinosaurs were my favorite when I was about 3 or 4). Fast forward to 1987, A guy I hung out with named Jimmy Billings brought a Tattoo magazine to school and I remember looking through it and seeing some really REALLY nice tattoos, stuff from Jack Rudy, Shanghai Kate, Don Ed Hardy, Steve Gabriel, Fat Joe, and at that time of wondering what you're going to do for a career in your senior year of high school, I knew what my path was going to be. I got laughed at by EVERYONE for this desire.
It took a few years of putting the pieces into motion, kept drawing my ass off (did band logos and flyers for upcoming shows to keep up on the art skills, all local Death Metal stuff ), got tattooed (Mike Nicholson, RIP, did my first one) and around 1992, I formed the first Black Metal band in Massachusetts and this is where I met Jamie Cross who played drums for us. Jamie was tattooing and it totally redirected me from a path that was getting lost with other things. When Jamie started working in a shop, they were really cool about letting me hang around and observe everything I could, and I really cherish those days at Body Graphics in CT, and a big thanks goes out to Tim Brewer, Brett Bryan, Gypsy Putnam, Jes Artisoy, Scott Kaufmann and Paul Musso for tolerating me and my annoying questions. Also, when Paul went on to own Papillons in CT, he let me hang around for the same reasons, I always picked up a few things here and there, and they're always appreciated.
I started working in CT about 9 months before tattooing was legalized in MA, and from there I went on to work in a few different shops in MA honing my skills as best as I could, worked for a few shops and had the honor of doing a brief spot at Off the Map Tattoo in Easthampton working for Gabe (creator of Tattoonow.com) and Steve (Drunk Stuntman Frontman), and eventually settling down at Pisst Fish Tattoo in West Springfield MA. I really feel comfortable in this location, and the shop I work at is incredible. It's been a great ride so far, and I've worked with some amazing talent- Steve "Inker" Gabriel whom I've learned the most from after working alongside him, Jamie Cross kickstarted me back in gear, Rafael Rivera, Scott Kaufmann, Mark Bode, and several others who I've had the pleasure of working with in the past and present (Joshua Carlton, Johnny Berrios, Lou Jacque, Dan Henk, Jeff Ensminger, Nick Baxter). I also look forward to working alongside the guest artists that we're hosting in the future at the Pisst Fish.
The styles I appreciate in addition to all of the above mentioned are: Steve Gabriel, Paul Musso, Jamie Cross, Joe Capobianco, Shige, Mario Barth, DJ Minor, Paul Booth, Bob Tyrrell, Tim Brewer, Jes Artisoy, Gypsy Putnam, Nikko, Mike Devries, Jack Rudy, Brian Everrett, Gil "The Drill" Montie, Dave @ Good Clean Fun in Georgia, and many, many others.
The equipment I use: Pulse, Micky Sharpz, Papillons
Tammie:
Presently licensed by West Springfield Board of Health
Completion of Anatomy & Physiology
Universal Precautions Certification
First Aid Certified
CPR Certified
Attendee of learning seminars by:
Deano Cook
Brian Everett
Dave Martinez
Lyle Tuttle
As a kid, I always wanted to be an artist, all through school art was my favorite class. Practical life, however, points you in one direction while daydreams make you long for another. For too many years I've had jobs I've hated going to for money that barely paid the bills. Only every now and then was I able to escape into my imagination by putting pencil to paper. Then all of a sudden, in a moment of despair, like a bolt of lightening it struck me.......I could tattoo! I took the leap. There will never be anything else.
Jared Wicklund, Body Piercer
I was always an odd kid. I used to get kicked out of art class for sewing my hands together...I was just bored, didn't realize it would freak people out so much. Whenever I got my hands on needles, safety pins, clothing pins, etc. I would be sticking myself with them. Luckily, I had the sense enough to not pierce myself deeply so as to avoid the dreaded "germs". I finally progressed to getting my ear pierced, which caused a huge stir at my school (I was the first boy to get his ear pierced). Eventually that led to 4 more on my left ear, and one on my right. I was hooked...but for some reason they never really healed. I was lucky enough to have a very patient HAIR STYLIST pierce my ears, as she at least took time to align the piercings before piercing them with the dreaded GUN.
Let's face it, back in the late 80s/early 90s that what many people thought was the only way. It wasn't until I got hooked up with a girlfriend who had her navel pierced and kept having issues with it did I get my first experience of the body modification world. Unfortunately the few times I went to the piercing shop with her, I wasn't too impressed with the cleanliness or the "professionals" I met. That definitely gave me an unfavorable impression about the industry at that time. It wasn't until I moved to Tulsa, OK for college that I was exposed to a larger quantity of pierced people...and it just kind of stuck in my head. Eventually I let my earrings heal up because I was tired of the cheap jewelry, trying to find better metals to use to stop the irritation, etc. THERE HAD TO BE A BETTER WAY.
I started out in college taking pre-med courses, as I originally intended to be a doctor. Unfortunately chemistry and calculus didn't have the same ambition for me. I did learn a lot about the human anatomy at the cellular level, and at the organismic level. That combined with my desire to start doing some "crazier" piercings...led to my body piercing breakthrough. So one fateful night I decided to pierce my nipples. Now understand, at this point, I still didn't "get" the idea of keeping jewelry in a body piercing. I was always play piercing, sewing with thread or keeping the needles in through the very top layer of skin...never deep enough to draw blood. Until that night...I pierced my nipples with sterilized sewing needles...only for the sensation at first (yes, I'm a pain junkie)...and when I looked at them in the mirror, I was fascinated at how they looked. Maybe there was something to this body jewelry thing after all.
I did some research and found some suppliers of sterilized equipment that would sell to ANYONE, which I know sucks...but I never planned on piercing others, this was just for myself...so I thought it wasn't so bad for me to participate in the unethical purchases. So I pierced my nipples...which then led to me piercing my labret (after I obsessively revisited everything I could find on the cardiovascular system and integumentary system in relation to the face...yeah, I was NERVOUS...no one showed me this stuff, and the urban legends about permanent nerve damage, and the true risks of blood poisoning, arteries, veins, salivary glands, etc. had me FREAKED). I guess I was lucky with always using my common sense, I never guessed on sizes...I always used an outside caliper so I never pierced with jewelry too short or too long. I then pierced my eyebrows, then my ears again... I was hooked. I did my research on healing times and waiting accordingly before subsequent piercings. I started fanatically searching the internet for more information, more creative areas to pierce, looking for what others were doing, etc. I pierced my bridge after careful deliberation...this was a hardcore piercing that I definitely wouldn't be able to hide at my job. I had to start wearing glasses to cover all the piercing holes while I was at work (yay Corporate America, baby!)... I then pierced my lip on both sides, and was finally enjoying how I felt about myself, and how I looked in the mirror...and understood that this was what I was needing all my life. I finally felt that my inner self matched my outer self.
Then the requests started happening...people I was meeting were asking me who was doing the awesome piercings on me...they were impressed with the placements and how nicely healed they were. When they found out that I had done them all, I started getting begged to pierce people. I never charged them more than what it cost me for jewelry and equipment, which they would buy for me for every piercing... At this time, I freehanded 99% of the piercings I performed, due to my inability to sterilize equipment I didn't have many options for tools. Once I realized that I was in demand, I tried to get an apprenticeship in Tulsa to get access to an autoclave, but no one was taking on anyone...the industry was glutted in the area. There was one really stand-out shop in the area that I was always impressed with. I bought as much jewelry there as I could, just to show my support. I would pay for people to get pierced so that I could attend and watch how any unfamiliar areas were pierced. There's only so much research and preparation you can do, it's always good to use all resources available to you...so I started using shops I respected to learn from them. I have a lot of friends across the US thanks to the internet, so I got to check out piercing techniques in Colorado, California, Tennessee, Texas, and Arkansas... I also started investing in tools to see if they were easier to pierce with... I would let piercings heal up so I could repierce them later using different jewelry and techniques...mainly for educational purposes, but also because it provided me with that awesome adrenaline rush that came with the pain.
I eventually moved to Massachusetts in the fall of '04, and was so happy tattoos were legalized since I had left (they were still illegal in OK at that time). My brother had gotten extensively tattooed from this guy John Hilsmeyer at Miller Cotton's, and I had gotten a simpler armband from him the year before on a visit...so I was ready to start inking up. When I was making my appointment for my tattoo, a few girls came in to get pierced and were told that there was no piercer at the moment. While getting tattooed by John, he encouraged me to go for the position…and that’s how I got my start.
I worked at Miller Cotton's for the next three years, always trying to better myself with piercing techniques, aftercare, industry education, jewelry selection, metals, etc. It all came very easy to me, and I soon found myself to be the best in the area for piercings. I felt triumphant, but also disappointed...I was rapidly feeling like a big fish in a small pond. Events eventually transpired where I started taking on guest spots to keep myself active during the slow winters, and had three lined up. I started working at Pisst Fish, and basically fell in love with the place. Their ethics, their artistic talent, and their respect for the industry AND the clients were above par. Not to mention they have one of the largest piercing areas I've seen in this state. AND they were looking for someone full-time, permanent, and with my talents. I made my decision...I cancelled all my other guest spots, and started working here fulltime. I still do a couple days a week at Miller Cotton's while I help them find another piercer that I approve of, as I don't want their reputation to suffer.
I love this industry, and am obsessed with quality and consistency. THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR A BAD PIERCING. It disgusts me to see piercings improperly placed, lopsided, cockeyed, blatantly crooked, pierced too shallow or too deep, or improperly sized. I am adamant about my pursuit of knowledge, and constantly conduct research into aftercare, materials, suppliers, educators, etc. I know that no one ever knows everything, but that the pursuit must NEVER stop. I expand my knowledge and networking whenever I can.
I want my clients to receive the best that they can get. I would expect nothing less, and neither should you. When you get a piercing from me you can rest assured that you got the best your money could buy, and the safest most professional piercing this industry has to offer. I stake my reputation on every piercing I perform. So don't settle for second best, come get pierced correctly the FIRST time.
