Got ink?
Whether your answer is "Hell yeah" or "Hell no," tattoo entrepreneur and artist Durb Morrison is hoping you come out to the 8th annual Hell City Tattoo Fest, which takes place May 29 through 31 at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus.
A vision of Morrison—who has dedicated his life to the tattoo industry as owner of Red Tree Tattoo and Art Gallery in Reynoldsburg—the Hell City Tattoo Fest is an all-encompassing event that combines live entertainment (music, comedy, dance and interactive live painting) and free seminars with tattoo competitions, book signings, panel discussions and more.
In attendance will be some of today's top artists, including LA Ink's Kim Saigh and Hannah Aitchison, Guy Aitchison, Michele Wortman, Shawn Barber, Marcus Pacheco and Nick Baxter.
Metromix talked to the 36-year-old Newark native Morrison about how tattooing changed his life, what his goals are behind the festival and whether he has any tips for Tasmanian Devil tattoo-wearing douchebags or Mike Tyson's inked-up face.
So what is it about a tattoo that makes you so damn passionate about ink on the body?
It is a lifestyle. I've always been attracted to the look of tattoos on the body and tattoo art in general, that's pushed me to get my own collection going. So the biggest influence for me getting tattooed is that I just love the look of it on the body. It appealed to me. I started getting tattooed at a young age and began tattooing at a young age, too, and haven't looked back. It's been the best thing that's happened in my life.
That's fine, but you took it a step further by creating the Hell City Tattoo Fest. How did this happen, and what's your goal for the festival that is billed as the largest of its kind in the country?
Really, the idea behind it was to create a better tattoo convention. I've been to a lot of them and there are a lot of issues I saw with them that I tried to make better, and it proved to be a winning combination. So, ours is a perfect festival because it involves everybody. It brings people beyond television to experience tattooing on a whole new level with the best tattoo artists in the world. It gives them a one-of-a-kind unique experience with other forms of entertainment going on as well, and not just tattooing.
It appears that even though we're well into the new millennium and more people are into the art of the tattoo, there's still a stigma attached for some segments of the mainstream society.
Well, the stigma has always been that it's criminal. That it's bikers and convicts and degenerates. And nowadays you see tattoos on actors and actresses, athletes, on television. It's literally everywhere and more accepted publicly now so the stigma is being killed slowly due to the professional representation of the art form.
So aside from the obvious, who would enjoy the Hell City Tattoo Fest?
You know what, literally anybody can enjoy this event. There is something for everybody—the kids or somebody not getting tattooed can come in and learn about the art form and history or listen to discussion panels or watch people compete with their tattoos. So, even if you're not getting tattooed or you don't have a single tattoo, or you're curious about what's going on in this world, there is something for everybody. And that's what makes it very unique and appealing.
OK, be honest, what would you say to the guy with a leprechaun tattooed on his ankle or the girl with a Tasmanian Devil on her calf?
To each his own. Everybody gets tattooed for their own specific reason, but something like that could have been thought out a little bit more.
Hmm, and any advice for Mike Tyson?
Just tattoo your entire face, dude. You're halfway there.
Look for our Metromix street team to be at the event this weekend, taking pictures of the best ink and the people who just like looking at good ink.
