Name: Tattoo Tom
Birthday: May 21st
Experience: Apprentice Tattooist, June 2013 – June 2014 (Black Sheep Tattoo); Junior Tattooist, June 2014 – June 2015 (Black Sheep Tattoo); Studio Owner & Head Tattooist, June 2015 – present (The Rising Tide Tattoo Collective)
Styles: Full colour nerdism
Awards: Best Tattoo, Florida Walker Stalker Con 2018; Small Colour, Cardiff International Tattoo Convention 2018; Small Stranger Things, Jurassic Coast Tattoo Convention 2017; Find My Ink UK Winner 2017; Best Traditional, Jurassic Coast Tattoo Convention 2013
Highlights: Internationally published, Skin Deep feature (July 2015), guest judge at Star Wars Celebration 2016 tattoo competition, Tattoo artist for GWAR comic Kickstarter
Sponsors: True Love Butter
Influences: Skottie Young, J Scott Cambell, Mark Bagley, Jim Lee
Origin Story
A New Hope…
Tattoo tom was a late comer into the professional art world, having picked up his first tattoo machine at the age of 30. Despite a life long appreciation of comic art and a love of tattoos, after clashing with his art teacher he turned his back on the formal art route.
As well as his love of art, Tom had a strong social conscience and moral compass. His two overriding charicteristics, empathy and justice, meant that he pushed to one side any plans for a ‘proper job’ and threw himself into social justice campaigning, non-violent direct action and animal liberation (think Green Arrow meets Squirrel Girl!).
The Empire Strikes Back…
At the personal behest of the then Prime Minister Tony Blair, this eventually led to Tom’s capture and incarceration. With a two year stint in prison and little to do, he harnessed his creativity and focussed on art. Tom took art classes and spent his spare time drawing and developing his craft.
On release from prison in 2012, Tom found himself severely restricted by Government Forces with conditions imposed to frustrate and eliminate all forms of political activity.
Finding himself forced out of his animal liberating ninja activities and banned from any contact with his comrades, Tom bumped into an old college friend who happened to work the desk of a local tattoo studio. With his support, Tom was able to enter the wonderful world of tattooing and meet other artists in the local scene.
Return of the Tattooed Jedi…
By October 2013, Tom had secured an apprenticeship at the Black Sheep Tattoo Studio in Bournemouth. Whilst some said focusing on a pop culture niche could never work and tried to push him down the traditional tattoo route, Tom’s determination and hard work resulted in a solid portfolio and client base of fellow geeks and nerds who shared his love of comics, anime, film and the good bits of popular culture.
Within months of starting his apprenticeship, Tom had his first Star Wars tattoo published in Skin Deep magazine, and within the first year he picked up his first award at the 2013 Jurassic Coast Tattoo Convention.
Tom continued to work at Black Sheep until June 2015 when he opened his own studio, The Rising Tide Tattoo Collective in Poole, were he works with a hand picked team of talented, nerdy artists.
His art has been featured internationally in a wide collection of books and magazines, and in July 2016 he had the honour of serving on the judging panel for the tattoo competition at the prestigious Star Wars Celebration Europe.