247 Ink Magazine (August/September) 2017 Issue#16 | Page 236

into doing actual art stuff like drawing and painting I wanted to be a photog- rapher. Before I went to college, I was from a small upstate town, I was ac- cepted to FIT in New York City to study photography there. I don’t know if that’s considered anything. I don’t know. It’s a respected school so I would think that’s pretty impres- sive. FIT has a great reputation. It’s gotta be a good thing. So how would you consider your tattooing style “new school pop culture?” I’d say neo new school ... I joke around and tell people I’m a tattoonist. A merger between tattooing and a car- toonist. New school with big heads and eyeballs. The Jesse Smith approach. I remember in my first year looking at a tattoo magazine and seeing Jesse’s work and thinking Holy Crap, This guy is is so good, I could never be on his level and just a few months ago we col- laborated on a piece with him and a couple of other artists. So just to be on his radar is amazing. He’s nuts, love Jesse. Yea, he’s awesome. Any other influences? Not tattoo artists, but cartoonists like Don Bluth. Used to work for Disney back in the 80’s. He did the game Dragon Player, Anastasia, All Dogs Go To 234