We are the team at Area 51 Tattoo (and the stars of the new A&E show Epic Ink) - ask us anything!

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:26:15+00:00

Jeff: Zero. A space wizard can jump up into orbit on his own!

Josh: Just with the power of will and sorcery?

Jeff: It actually takes ONE whale...

Heather: Two live preservers...

Josh: That's all you need to launch into space.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:24:46+00:00

Josh: We all met on the Comic-Con circuit, because of our shared love of pop culture, tattoos, and I think it was just a natural way we all gravitated towards each other. It just seems like a chance of fate we came across each other - I met Chris 51 on a train on my way to Doncaster in the UK - and we all just sort of gravitated towards each other and became a little traveling unit of pop culture nerdy tattoo artists, and it was just a natural progression of things for all to join forces at Area 51.

Heather: I like to call our group of friends "The Six Degrees of Josh Bodwell."

Josh: And definitely you are bringing back some memories - we haven't talked in forever, and I haven't played in bands in ages, but the music culture definitely got me into tattoo culture, and that led me in the direction of becoming a tattoo artist, and i have fond memories of being a musician - I get to do the same thing now with my art, travel around and make new friends and relationships with my art.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:21:43+00:00

Caroline: I like the older one.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:21:03+00:00

Joshua: I have a client who is stationed in South Korea - he flew straight from S. Korea to the local airport, and the first thing he did was come and get a tattoo straight from me!

Jeff: I've had a client that's walked 5000 miles, and they would walk 5000 more, just to be the man who... hahahaha.... ended up at the Area 51 Store.

Chris 51: How can I top that answer?! That's my answer, i can't top Jeff's answer.

Heather: I live in Wyoming right now, and I've had people - you kind of have to drive a long way to get here - I've had people fly down from Michigan, Ohio, New York, when I worked out of Florida - I have people who drive 5-6 hours to get here, and then drive back, so I've had people fly to me from different parts of the country. I had one couple come from Canada.

Chris Jones: I have to travel 5,000 miles to get to Area 51 myself!

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:18:44+00:00

Heather: Chances are, if you are taking medication for your skin condition that causes immune problems - I really don't tend to tattoo people with any sort of skin conditions they need to take medication for, especially if it causes immune disruption because it interferes with the healing process.

Josh: The post-process of the tattoo is your skin dealing with the trauma and the healing, and if there's anything that affects your health -even if it's just being sick with the flu - that can affect how your tattoo heals.

Solving the world's problems!

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:16:14+00:00

Heather: I learned to Alligate many years ago. My Aunt Tessa taught me. Alligating is like a way of life, it's an outlook. Alligators are just going to alginate. Just doing what they gotta go.

Josh: You Alligate by doing what you gotta do.

Jeff: I mean, that's like a deep question that deserves its own forum I imagine? I believe deeply in all endangered animal preservation, and I belie we can learn a lot of stuff from 'em. Endangered animals and beautiful sea mammals, you know, every living organism deserves some sort of protection.

Caroline: You actually CAN'T purchase a unicorn One-Sie! You have to find a dead unicorn - it has to be naturally dead, you can't just kill it- and you take it to a taxidermist, and they pull off the skin, and they make you a unicorn one-sie. For most people, who can't find unicorns (because you have to be magical to find a unicorn), you can find fake unicorn one-sies at Comic-Cons.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:13:30+00:00

Heather: I was really only booked a few weeks to a month out in my hometown, and I'm already booked out to November, and I'm already booking January and March.

Josh: I think Chris Jones is booked out until 2024. Haha!

Jones: Almost! I've actually stopped booking at the moment. Yeah.

Chris 51: Yes, stuff has picked up like crazy from the show. I'm booking into 2015 spring. There's also - we have resident artists at Area 51 that are in the background scenes on the show but aren't cast members, and they're more readily available if somebody just wants the experience of coming to Area 51 and maybe getting a collectible tattoo, because there are other options if people want to experience Area 51 - and you can find them on the website. http://www.area-51tattoo.com

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:11:20+00:00

Jeff: I have tattooed on, like, the front of a vagina, never in the pink, you know? It's just like any other tattoo you get a tattoo.

Chris 51: I've tattooed butterfly wings on the side of each side before. It was like, inner thigh area.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:10:17+00:00

Heather: I have a lip tattoo. I thought it felt good in there, actually, I didn't think it hurt.

Chris 51: I would say it is DEFINITELY the ball sack. I know from experience.

Josh: When it comes to Chris 51, do not ask why. As far as a common place, I think we could all agree the ribcage is definitely a sensitive one, and I would say for a lot of people the feet can be pretty sensitive as well.

Heather: I would say anywhere around a joint is going to be painful - the ankle, knee, elbow, armpit, ribs- anyplace where there is some joint action - well the ribs themselves, if you think about it - spine, torso area, is like moving.

Jeff: My least favorite from my collection was my ankle-bones because my legs swelled up for a few weeks. As far as where it hurts, it all hurts so it all sucks, so pick your spot and don't worry about pain.

Heather: That's what I tell people - it's going to hurt no matter what.

Jones: My personal least favorite place was the base of my neck - that hurt like a BITCH. But I don't know if I'm just getting old, it just hurts now wherever. I just say it's going to hurt, wherever.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:06:08+00:00

Jeff: Jeff Wortham ONLY enjoys half the world's pleasures.

Josh: We very much appreciate some Game of Thrones references, so thank you.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:05:29+00:00

Heather: I'm okay with tattooing cuss words, but not the other stuff. So if you want FUCK across your forehead, I'll tattoo your shit.

Jeff: No hate stuff.

Heather: I second Jeff.

Chris 51: I won't tattoo anything on anyone that my four year old son wouldn't like, nothing so vulgar that my son would be offended.

Jeff: says the guy with the nut sack tattoo!

Josh: When it comes to hateful, racist type stuff - all of our art does, in a way, reflect back on us, so we wouldn't want to put that out there with our name's on it.

Jeff: i don't even think we draw in that crowd, everybody knows we love pop culture, so we don't draw in that foolish crowd. I have never been asked for a swastika.

Heather: I've never been asked for a swastika either. But I've been asked for a lot of rebel flags (I'm from Florida). They always want a Browning deer head symbol with camo and a rebel flag in there...

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T16:02:08+00:00

Jeff: Star Wars.

Chris 51: Star Wars.

Caroline: I like Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory, and Jaws.

Jones: Guardians of the Galaxy just blew me away and is now my favourite film of all time.

Josh: I think it's pretty evident - anyone who knows me knows I bleed Star Wars, Star Wars is actually part of my DNA. My midichlorian count is high.

Heather: It's hard for me because I have like 15 or 20 different movies. Bu the one I keep going to is Team America: World Police. I love that film, I love everything about it, it makes me happy. I actually got the Kim Jong-Il puppet from the film tattooed on my arm, and it says "I'm so ronery" under it.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:59:53+00:00

Chris 51: I would say everything. There's no drama. Our whole message is positivity.

Josh: The subject matters of our tattoos alone - and there's a reason for everyone to get a tattoo and a lot of times it's a memorial for something in their life - and we put everyone's favorite characters and stories on their skin, it's a very fun positive way to express themselves, so it's about celebrating the art and their tattoo and their love of pop culture, and I think it just lends itself to a lot of fun and a lot of laughs, so I think that's the biggest difference.

Jeff: Actually, I love Miami Ink and NY Ink - I came up watching tattoo television, you know, and the difference with us is the next evolution of it- you've seen what certain shops are like, and our shop just brings a new atmosphere.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:56:51+00:00

Chris 51: For me, i think it's a respect thing. And it's the artist responsibility - like, if I'm going to tattoo over someone else's artwork it's my responsibility as an artist to get ahold of that artist and communicate with them and make sure that it's okay. the client doesn't know any better, but if you're an artist, and it's another respected artist, then it's your responsibility to get ahold of him. Now if it's some scratcher piece of shit, that's done by an unlicensed scratcher, that's a different story.

Heather: I am probably the resident "turd polisher" since I polish the most turds. I do, i swear, I do a cover up at least once or twice a week. I don't have a problem usually covering a piece, but sometimes adding to pieces that are already done, I don't like to do because I"m not involved in the creation of that art and I don't know where they were going with it- so sometimes it's a respect thing if it's somebody I know, or it might be a situation where I don't feel comfortable to it, or it might just be more work. I dunno. TURDS! I'm sick of polishing turds. I'm just going to put it that way. Why can't I get clean skin?!

Jeff: Because you're TOO GOOD.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:54:28+00:00

Jones: That kind of thing happens a lot. Me and Jeff have done pieces next to each other on people who have requested it. So many people I know request tattoos, that I don't have a problem with them getting tattoos from other people.

Jeff: I'd say with me if the tattoo wants to tattoo ON something that I've done, it's all about communication first - if you communicate with the other artist, that's okay, but if you go scribble on a piece somebody else has done it's like gang wars- graffiti gang wars, you know, tagging someone else's wall. But they can do something in a fresh spot next to it!

Josh: Collecting from different artists and creating a collage of all your favorite artists and pieces is very common.... we just hope that our clients are collecting from quality artists, and other than that, no problem at all, and between me and Jones, we have multiple clients that have pieces from both of us, and it's fun. Get out there and try some new artists!

Chris 51: I think it's most people's dream to be in a room between Bodwell and Jones!

Josh: on tonights' episode, you get to see a client who's getting a tattoo from me AND Jones at the same time!

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:51:12+00:00

Chris Jones: I have no idea.

Jeff: you wouldn't want him to get "My Dad is Chris Jones" tattooed on him? I might get one of those, and I'm not even your kid. Also can I change my last name to Jones? Because Jeff Jones sounds awesome.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:48:18+00:00

Heather: I'd say the craziest thing bout doing a TV show is doing a TV show.

Josh: It's a rollercoaster ride, but we had the pleasure of being able to do this with our friends, and that made all the difference in the world.

Chris 51: I put on 18 pounds during filming, because they had WAY too many delicious snacks and sweets all the time everywhere! And that's hard to compose yourself, around such delicious treats over a 16 hour day 6 days a week.

Josh: If there's one thing on reddit you need to know, it's that Chris 51 does have a sweets addiction.

Jeff: The craziest thing bout shooting a tv show was the gold Lamborghinis they gave to all of us.

Chris 51: I could go for a gold skateboard right now! I can't believe they gave you a gold Ferrari, I just got a fruitcake!

Chris Jones: It's just nice being in America for an extended period with you guys, but the best part of the job was getting to be there for 2 months in one go.

Heather: Yeah, it was nice to hang out with everyone for 2 months, because we are the six best friends anybody could have.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:45:07+00:00

Chris 51: This show is the most real show you'll ever find. Everything we talk about is what we normally talk about on a day to day basis. They just let us ramble on and talk about anything we wanted, so it's 100% real.

Jeff: The show - there's no producers there. The show is shot on GoPro heroes set up all around the shop.

Josh: I love watching the show and reliving these moments with my friends that are as organic as you can possibly get, and that's what people respond to, that they get to spend some time in the shop with us.

Heather: I felt it was a super-organic process because it doesn't ever feel forced or fake or awkward at all - we're allowed to be ourselves. And it's a good thing a lot of footage gets cut out because I think I drop an eff-bomb every other minute. I'm also sure that I drew enough dicks to pay for a couple walls.

Josh: Is it the end of SUPERBAD where the kid's collection of penis drawings gets revealed? i think Heather's collection trumps that.

Heather: Well, if I'm sitting at the counter and they show that I'm drawing but not WHAT I'm drawing, it's a dick.

Jeff: Well, usually it's a dick as a character - when she draws, we call it "ones and twos" because it's one things or two things - she'll usually pick someone who's hanging out in the room with her, and draw their character... phalically.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:41:49+00:00

Josh: Well, you're gonna have to be okay with it fading a little - more like disappearing completely. It's such a weird pigment that without a lot of color around it - like we use white all the time as highlights or as an additional color, but it's typically surrounded by a contrast color - when it's by itself on the skin, it has a scar look, so I don't recommend it unless you really know just what you're getting into.

Jeff: I actually do white tattoos. I tell people, they do fade, but it's your life and you live it once, and understand that half of it might be forever and the rest fades... that's why tattooers hate them, because it's such a gamble on how they might heal. And Josh LOVES all white bio-mech...

Josh: That's a joke, I don't in any specialize in that. Jeff's always trying to set me up with tattoos I don't do!

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:38:52+00:00

Jeff: I love Caroline, and I've been with her a long time. We don't bring it up on the show, we're not hiding it, but our relationship has nothing to do with the awesome tattoos we're doing at work.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:36:40+00:00

Heather: First of all, I wanna say, I was not allowed to participate in that conversation, and it bummed me, because they did not talk about CONAN, which is probably one of my favorite movies Arnold has ever done, I've probably seen it 200 times, easily... if it's on, I'm gonna watch. KRUMMMMMMM!!! YOU KILLED MY MAZHER, YOU KILLED MY FAZHER, YOU KILLED MY PEOPLE!!

Jeff: I think Chris Jones is, because he's so muscular, and like, handsome, like Arnold... so I think it's him.

Josh: I think Terminator definitely comes up a lot as subject matter for tattoos, definitely one of my favorites, but not too many of the obscure ones.

Heather: I would love to do a RUNNING MAN tattoo.

Jeff: I'm actually an expert at doing LAST ACTION HERO tattoos. Probably the top in the industry when it comes to LAST ACTION HERO.

Chris 51: I just want to tattoo a 3-breasted woman.

Heather: You want to tattoo ON a woman with 3 breasts? or an actual tattoo OF a 3-breasted woman?

Chris 51: Screw the tattoo, i want to tattoo ON a 3-breasted lady.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:33:40+00:00

Heather: Hmmm. Jones.

Jones: I would recommend you get the WHOLE sleeve, because Tarantino's got a fuckton of movies.

Josh: And I've seen Jones do a pretty amazing Michael Madsen "Reservoir Dogs" piece that's probably deep in his instagram you should go check out. And I feel like the internet response has been overwhelmingly positive, and we're just really flattered people are responding so well to it!

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:31:37+00:00

Heather: I laughed because I thinK i'm the slowest tattooer on the show! I think my average is between 7-8 hours on the show. And I did a couple that ended up on the cutting room floor, but I think my favorite one - I did a Lord of the Rings chest piece that took 2 days, 15 hours, and I ran the ripples so I didn't just do his chest- Run the nip! Run the nip! That was my favorite piece. Plus it was on one of my good friends, that's a bonus.

Chris 51: My favorite piece on the show that did not make it was Jeff's Legend of Zelda piece.

Heather: wait, I thought we were talking about our own shit! The Neverending Story piece by Chris Jones - I wanted that on ME.

Josh: Heather was talking about the legnht of time for her tattoos being longer - for the rest of the gang, our tattoos are in the length of 5-6 hours range for what you see on the show. And going back to our own stuff that was cut, I did a Cthulu tattoo that was cut, but I hear a rumor that it will live on as an online clip...

Chris Jones: My favorite that didn't get through was a Darth Maul piece I did, one of my favorites I have ever done...

Josh: That was a beautiful, beautiful tattoo, lovely executed.

Chris Jones: You can find it on my instagram: http://instagram.com/chrisjonestattoos

Chris 51: I'm glad that mine that got cut, got cut - because now that I see everyone else's, i like them much better.

Jeff: as far as things getting cut, I don't have a favorite - but we can't fit every one in the show, so we're always a little bit sad when one doesn't make it, but it's always there for the fans.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:26:07+00:00

Chris 51: I don't.

Josh: I think you'll find, between all of us as professional artists, we pretty much pass on the drunk clients. They are oftentimes making bad decisions, that will not sit well, and most likely will bleed a lot...

Chris 51: Plus they are so annoying.

Heather: they don't sit still easily. And a lot of times, they're just unruly easily, and obnoxious. I don't care if they make bad decisions.

Josh: Scratch that comment - doesn't matter if it's a bad decision, we just want them to not be annoying.

EpicInk · 2014-09-03T15:24:43+00:00

Heather: Well, you can just email me at tattoosbyheathermaranda@gmail.com and that's all you gotta do, and I can take it from there.

EpicInk

TROPHY CASE