Opinionation: Do You Tattoo?
It's been a while since we've posted a geeky game-related tattoo so I figured I would show off a little leg and give you boys and girls a look at my recent/first tattoo and tell a little story of how it came to be.
When looking into getting a tattoo, the concept of its permanence scared me a little. What if it didn't look exactly right? What if I didn't like it next month, year, or decade? How would a tattoo look on me years down the road? To confront my fears I purchased a book called No regrets: The Best, Worst & Most #$%*ing Ridiculous Tattoos Ever (available here on our handy dandy Amazon store). I figured that if I could look at all of these outrageous tattoos and still wanted one that it was meant to be. Over the years I've had many different ideas of what I wanted, but never settled on something definite. However, while I was perusing the book, I caught the sight of something that spoke deeply to me: an oddly illustrated tattoo of a bikini-glad woman riding a gigantic Game Boy. While I enjoyed it immensely, it was still missing that extra little something to make it special. I soon came to realize that in order to make it more "me," I would have to replace the basically faceless bikini woman with a MuscleBear-ified rendering of spoken word performer, musician, and my parallel universe husband Henry Rollins dressed as a half-naked cowboy. I was fortunate enough to have Richard Livingston, an unbelievably talented concept artist and very patient friend, draw up the image for me. I waited a few more weeks to make sure it was what I really wanted and after finding a skilled tattoo artist around my neck of the woods the rest is history and forever marked on my left leg.
I couldn't be happier with the results and I love that it gets most people to crack a bit of a smile when they see it. The experience got me wondering if any of you dear readers have any gaming tats of your own. Do you have Kratos' flaming chains of pain etched into your forearms or maybe you have a little invincibility star somewhere more, uh... intimate? Let us know and share your story in the comments!
For those wondering, it didn't hurt at all. In fact, it was one of the most smoothing and relaxing experiences of my life.
Game-Boy
Posted to Miscellany, Video Games on 4 February 2010
· Comments (17)
Other stuff like this: Musclebeartastic, opinionation, shameless, tattoos
That's the stupidest tattoo I have ever seen, and my 40 year old mother has a tramp stamp.
Hey way to be a nice guy about it Ratt. Anyway I like it, it's exciting!
that is most excellent! i always enjoy seeing video-game related tattoos, and have a particular love of portraiture in tattoos.
i actually recently acquired a game-related tattoo myself. i got the symbols for the eight virtues from the ultima series (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtues_of_Ultima) tattooed on different parts of my body. and was, in fact thinking, that gg.net hadn't had a video game related tattoo in a while and i need to send y'all some photos or something. glad someone filled in the gap!
I'm too indecisive to get a tattoo, but I imagine if I one day decided to take the leap it would be Final Fantasy related. If I was feeling outlandish perhaps a chocobo or a moogle. If wanted something a little more conservative I would get one of the game logos or a crystal.
I do love tattoos on other people. Definitely a major turn on for me, especially sleeve tats.
My fiance and I both got tattoos of the Rebirth Ring from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance on our ankles. It's nowhere near as intricate as that baby- which looks pretty sweet, I must say- and it's not easily recognizable, but there are plans to get more, probably game related, as well.
Hey, if it makes you feel good, it's your body! Do what you like!! :)
Not instantly recognisable as gaming related, but to those who know the reference its very obvious.
I've a single black angel wing on the right side of my back.
I have yet to decide on one I would want as a permanent addition to my body. the closest I have come is debating getting Leviathan from FFXI on my calf, as I always thought that was a cool rendering, despite hating the Summoner class in that game. =/
I have a couple of tattoo's:
Decepticons Logo (left shoulder)
Cobra Commander (left forearm)
"From knowledge, power; And with power, anything" in Daedric (chest)
and i hope to get more in the future! Im planning to end up as one of those random people with Scar's tatoo from FMA.
For my [age redacted]'th, I'm getting the Reboot logo. I think it's fairly reasonable; it's what first got me into video games and 3D animation (doubly important as a game art student), it was made in Vancouver near my hometown, and it's one show I can watch over and over without it losing it's nostalgia.
The one problem I have is where to get it. This may be a good place to ask; I'm a little... bearish, and I can't seem to find a good spot on my that isn't really hairy. The problem is once the hair grows back, it'll probably make the tattoo look really weird. What should I do about it? I could find a place with thinner/blonder hair, or I could just shave around it when I feel like it... Plus I don't want to get it in a place that's going to stretch when I get older, I want it to stay circular.
I've spent my entire life avoiding permanence. No tattoos, no piercings, no bridges burned, no irreversible decisions of any kind.
Now I'm 40, and it's become apparent that permanence finds me whether or not I avoid it. So now I look at tats like these, and the ones my younger bear friends are covering themselves with (nearly all of whom work "respectable" office jobs), and instead of thinking how ridiculous and regrettable they'll seem in 20 years, I start wondering which one will work for me.
If it's gaming related, it'll probably be Pac-Man. But realistically, I'll probably be getting the bear paw or Scorpio before I go there.
I have a mandragora (FFXI style) on my right forearm who is standing behind a waffle the same size as him! And boy is he happy about it!
I have a Moogle (FFXI version) tattoo on my right lower leg. I couldn't be happier about it. I spent well over a year deciding what I wanted and a month finding the right pictures to use as a model.
It's now over a year old and I can't imagion myself without it.
Don't listen to the asshole that is Ratt... Sure, these things are meant for opinions, but it's plainly obvious he's just a mean, soulless, rude human being.
I on the other hand think your tattoo is not only original, but really really cool. The original GameBoy is such an icon, and really takes me back whenever i see one... even if a half-naked man is riding one (wink). I must, when I first glanced at the 2 photos you have next to each other, I thought you got the same tattoo ON EACH LEG. hahahahhahahah I think one is definitely enough. Now if I can only decide on what the hell I'm going to get. Being the bear chaser I am, it'll probably have something to do with that, but your tattoo really inspired me to maybe add a hint of gaming into the picture.
I have the Horde symbol on the back of my neck from WoW and have recently thought about getting the Decepticons symbol as well, cause, you know.. Decepticon Blackout is my boyfriend! Although, I have no clue where as of yet.
Being a girl, I would put it in a fairly intimate place if I didn't already have a Fleur de Li there ;)
I have a triforce on my left inner wrist and a Blooper (newer 3D version) on my right shoulder blade. I love video game tattoos on myself and on other people! I know the triforce isn't all that original and honestly I think it's fun that so many people share the same tattoo and love for the series!
I have an alien from Space Invaders on my left calf. Sometimes nongamers almost recognize it and ask me if it's a 'tamagotchi' or a 'pacman'. (=
OMG, how did I miss this I caught it in the weekly roundup and that's one impressive bit of ink, no matter what some would say.
I've plenty of ink myself, but none are gaming related. I am considering having Squall's Griever symbol from Final Fantasy VIII done somewhere, but that's only a maybe - I've got to have my third Phoenix completed and then I'm considering a back piece that will work in the two tattoo's I have on my shoulder blades (both Phoenixes but in very different styles) and add a third, larger one that fills most of my back.
I do have a couple of "geek" tattoos though - one of the Phoenixes is the design used as the emblem on The Phoenix in Star Trek First Contact and another is the Mark of Eyghon from Buffy...