It’s Friday the 13th—time to treat yourself to an affordable tattoo from a talented Brooklyn artist who might otherwise be booked months out. Here’s a roundup of local shops offering a variety of cheap (starting at $13!) flash designs. Be prepared to wait in line (hopefully you took the day off), and walk out with a rad pizza slice tat or the badass sword-pierced skull you’ve always wanted.
Evil & Love| 211 Franklin Street
1-8pm $80-$180, first come first serve, cash only, arms and legs only! Each artist will have dozens of designs to choose from, price depends on size. Get in line early! More info
If you’re looking for something strange and unusual to do this Friday the 13th weekend, look no further than Gristle Tattoo + Gallery (26 Bushwick Ave) in Bushwick who are hosting an ultra creeptastic goth puppet show. On Saturday night (April 14th) from 8:30pm-10pm, puppeteers Handsome Devils Puppets will be bringing you their grotesquely exquisite puppets acting out “tales of doom & gloom, of gladness & glow.” There’s no ticketed entry, but there’s a suggested donation of $10-15.
I have no idea where this will lead us, but I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange. If you’re a fan of filmmaker and master of weirdness David Lynch, you are probably obsessed with his most famous of works, (duh, Twin Peaks) which has recently been rebooted on Showtime. And, if you’re a fan, you’ll probably want to check out this flash tat event at Three Kings (572 Manhattan Ave) next Thursday! Tattoo artist Amanda Rodriguez is hosting a special Twin Peaks flash day from 12pm-10pm, where you can get designs ranging from The Bang Bang Bar’s logo (omg!) to an adorable log that reads “ASK IT” underneath to a One Eyed Jacks poker chip. You can peep the available designs on Amanda’s Insta account. Prices range from $100-450, and if you want to reserve a space in line, there’s a $50 deposit required. You can email her for deposit info: [email protected]. I mean, you should just go for it. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don’t plan it. Don’t wait for it. Just let it happen. It could be a new shirt at the men’s store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot black coffee.Or even a tattoo.
The dudes of Greenpoint Tattoo Co. — John Reardon, Dan Bowhers, Matt Bivetto — Photo by Mitch Boyer
John Reardon opened Greenpoint Tattoo Company on Meserole Street in 2011. With almost two decades of experience working in the US and around the world, Reardon has a lot of stories to go along with it. This is why on a sweltering Saturday morning before they open for the day, I sit down in the very New York shop—pressed tin ceilings, wooden floors, tattoo art-lined walls and a bookshelf full of design inspiration from Gray’s Anatomy to Japanese symbolism—to chat with Reardon, fellow Greenpoint Tattoo Co. artist Matt Bivetto and GPT client, writer and director Dan Bowhers, about their new observational workplace comedy web series, Ink Inc., which is premiering in mid-November.
Greenpointers: When did Greenpoint Tattoo Company open and where were you before GPT?
John Reardon: I opened it in 2011. I had had a private studio on North 7th Street and before that I worked at Saved[426 Union Ave]. I’d also opened a shop with my ex-wife in Copenhagen and I’d worked at other places around New York City.
GP: How did you get into tattooing originally?
JR: In 1996, it was still illegal in Massachusetts. I was going to Pratt and I thought it would be a good idea if I tattooed so that I didn’t have to go to Providence or New Hampshire.Continue reading →
This Wednesday, August 9th, Evil and Love (211 Franklin St) will be hosting a Drink n’ Draw. Live figure drawing and beer provided by Old Blue Last. Starts at 8! $10, BYO art supplies.
RSVP: [email protected]
If you’re tatted up at all, you probably know about the Friday the 13th tradition shops have for offering relatively cheap flash (pre-designed) artwork. I’ve met a few people who only have tattoos from Friday the 13th flash sales—it’s a look that either says “I’m too cheap for a sleeve,” or “I don’t give a fuck what you think.” Honestly, though I appreciate a beautifully-designed back piece, I’m a fan of the miniature bodyart form that is flash. Here’s some local shops who are offering deals today. Be prepared to wait in line.
Evil and Love | 211 Franklin St.
$30-$100 tattoos from 1-9pm. Come by for cheap tattoos, $200 raffle and good company. Re post and tag us to enter the raffle. We’ll be taking walk-ins all day and have tons of flash to choose from!
Adam J. Machin’s flash specials at Three Kings Tattoo
Three Kings Tattoo | 572 Manhattan Ave. @dave_ball will be tattooing special designs from his Black Book, as a “Black Friday the 13th” special! Stop by our Brooklyn shop and check out what Dave’s got in his spooky Black Book! Also @adamjmachin will be offering some special flash designs from 1pm til 10pm! Each piece is $130 and are sized as is. Tattoos will be done on a first come, first served basis, so be sure to get here early! Continue reading →
Greenpoint Tattoo Co. (131 Meserole Avenue) was started by John Reardon in 2011. The shop’s interior walls are covered top to bottom with sheets of tattoo flash designs. Almost all the flash displayed is custom painted by the crew of artists who works there. So just because you choose a tattoo off the wall doesn’t mean it’s generic. If you’re just in to browse, they’ll let the books full of artists’ work and flash tell you what you need to know, or you can follow them on Instagram and browse from home. Continue reading →
On the corner of Franklin Avenue and Eagle Street you’ll find Evil & Love Tattoo (211 Franklin St.). A signboard hangs out front with their distinctive umbrella-eye logo, and a chalkboard advertises walk-ins. The windows are full of modern shelves that could be mistaken for a trendy coffee shop, but through these you can see large designs painted on the walls.
Via Instagram @evilandlove
Inside, I was greeted by a man with a friendly demeanor and tattooed head. This was Joey Rosado, who began as an apprentice shortly after the shop opened in 2013 and is now a full-time tattoo artist there. When I complimented the giant squid attacking a submarine tattooed on his arm he told the story of how he got it (you’ll have to ask him yourself). Continue reading →
East River Tattoo (1047 Manhattan Ave.) opened in 2000 out of a storefront on Franklin Street, making them Greenpoint’s first tattoo shop. They have since moved a few blocks to their current Manhattan Ave location, where a glance in the window reveals a taxidermy fox next to a spotted and stuffed fawn. Continue reading →
Greenpoint currently has four tattoo shops, each with their own vibe, style, and specialties. Whether you’re a tattoo collector, planning a custom piece, or just seeking a small meaningful mark on your skin, finding the right match is never as easy at it seems.
The best way to check places out is to go by and look through the artists’ books found on the front counter of most shops. After you’ve looked at designs, notice the quality of lines in various artist’s work and the way tattoos are placed on people’s bodies. Greenpoint’s tattoo shops are so close you can check them all out in one afternoon.
