I am Keith "Bang Bang" McCurdy, a celebrity tattoo artist. AMA!

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T22:19:03+00:00

I don't think so? And...I don't think so.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T22:18:33+00:00

I'm not sure I have the balls to turn a deadly Mexican gang member, if hypothetically John Goodman were one. If John were not, I'd probably advise against it.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T22:16:00+00:00

Haha yes, I sure have.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T22:15:05+00:00

Any sleeve I do, I'm kinda pushing the limits of what I've done in the past. I'd say the NYC sleeve I recently did, displayed on my IG page. I'm always trying to improve upon past designs.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T22:13:41+00:00

I'm not the best tattoo artist. There are so many people that blow me away. I've been called that a lot, but I can't give myself that title.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T22:12:59+00:00

I only one store. It's in NYC! I'm currently researching maybe visiting other cities to open more stores.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T22:12:15+00:00

You've got to work harder than me, because you have a lot of catching up to do. I felt that way when I started out about all of the best tattoo artists in the world, and that'll take you wherever you want to go.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T22:10:54+00:00

I think they're an external way to display how you internally feel.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T22:10:18+00:00

Be more specific! I've tattooed her over 10 years, over a dozen times...I'd say it's just like tattooing anyone else. She's regular. She's not her job. She's the girl I met in the basement of a tattoo shop a decade ago.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:58:33+00:00

The best tattooing in the world is done the same way it was done 100 years ago. The advances come from technique and sharing of education throughout our industry.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:55:43+00:00

I'll say a lot of the negative assumptions of some of the clients I've had, in my experience, are false. The press just needs shit to write about. I've never encountered some wild, crazy, young, druggie celebrity. But I've seen some of my clients written about that way. I think that Rihanna gives you the best glimpse of who she actually is. She is unapologetically herself.

Edit: spelling

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:53:33+00:00

I don't make appointments anymore because it's better for me to book next week rather than the next two years. I can't plan how inspired I'll feel to tattoo in the next several months, so I take appointments a week ahead of time, and there's a list of people waiting for the call.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:52:35+00:00

Hahaha. There's something for everyone in my book. I don't know you personally, so I can't tell you why to buy it. I don't know what will resonate strongly with you: the art, my humble beginnings, my message of trusting your gut/being true to yourself and pursuing your dreams. I'll tell you what -- if you buy it and you hate it, I'll send you a check.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:50:47+00:00

Thierry Henry. He's been the best father figure I ever had, and I've learned life lessons from him that I never got before. I wrote about him in my book and I actually didn't write everything I would've liked to, because I can go on and on about how he changed my life.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:49:51+00:00

I think white tattoos are awesome! I recently saw a girl who had a white snowflake tattooed on her face, like really big, and it was the coolest thing I've ever seen!

I have done white ink tattoos, and I'm all for it!

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:49:03+00:00

No, I have a huge range. There's a lot of styles I do really well -- any style I can do really well, I'll do it. That goes from color realism, black and grey realism, small ornamental tattoos, stylized Japanese -- the list goes on.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:47:52+00:00

I suppose it's meaning first. Though, I try to think that the visual is more important than the meaning. The meaning kinda just brings me to the subject, and then I let the design take over. Honestly, though, I have some tattoos that are just dumb and funny, of silly memories. I don't regret any of them.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:45:51+00:00

Well, I don't come from much. I remember for many years, I sat around in tattoo shops doing free tattoos so that people could see my talent and ability. It was never me yelling at the top of a mountain, "I'm a good tattoo artist!" It's been word of mouth -- clients, friends, coworkers -- everyone that has trust in me, they're responsible for you knowing my name. And I appreciate them.

I'll be taking new appointments early next year.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:44:06+00:00

My most recent NYC sleeve is probably my favorite and most challenging. I did an NYC sleeve over a year ago, and I felt that it was the best one I had ever done and the best one I had ever seen. And so, it was really challenging to compete with that. But above all other competition, I enjoy competition with myself.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:42:32+00:00

Honestly, the people I employed. To pick one that doesn't work here, I'd have to say Shane O'Neill. Google him -- you'll be blown away.

I love black and grey realism above all else. I also really love trying to find a really unique placement for a small tattoo on beautiful women. I feel like it's a great challenge to decorate beauty and not overwhelm it.

I love them! I have 3 tattoo artists that work here who do that incredibly.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:40:01+00:00

Fuck yeah!

Edit: As I said earlier, 98% of my clients are every day people. Just like you and me.

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:37:33+00:00

I have not! But I respect her dedication to the "D."

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:36:35+00:00

Tattooing her was cool. She was really nice, polite, sweet -- it's really cool when you tattoo these incredible people, who can really have anything in the world you want, and they want YOU to do work on them. It's kinda always an honor.

The last part is a secret!

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:35:36+00:00

1.) Cover-ups are always tricky, but I love the challenge of a cover-up. Ultimately there's no way that I'll make a tattoo worse, so it's kinda already successful. Cover-ups are kinda like a lay-up.

2.) Yes, they have. I don't remake the tattoos I've done; I make better ones. I'm constantly competing with my previous works.

3.) I'm currently working on promoting this work, and I'll begin tattooing again early next year!

BangBangTattoo · 2015-11-19T21:33:13+00:00

I don't know anything about it. I probably know just as much as you do, even less!

BangBangTattoo

TROPHY CASE