A tattoo convention is a meeting and exhibition for tattoo practitioners and enthusiasts from different shops and areas, as well as anyone who wishes to see the world of tattooing up close.
A tattoo convention is a meeting and exhibition for tattoo practitioners and enthusiasts from different shops and areas, as well as anyone who wishes to see the world of tattooing up close.
The first world tattoo convention was held by Lyle Tuttle and Dave Yurkew on January 24–25, 1976 in Houston, Texas. [1] Dave Yurkew, who was also President of the North American Tattoo Club [2] went on to host another 6 consecutive World Tattoo Conventions through 1982. Lyle Tuttle was quoted as saying that this was. "The event that changed tattooing forever.”
On January 19–21, 1996, Dave Yurkew and Lyle Tuttle co-hosted the 20th anniversary of the First World Tattoo Convention in Houston, Texas, following up with the 25th anniversary on January 18–21, 2001 in Houston, hosted by Dave Yurkew and John "Big John" G. Stuckey.
The first International Tattoo Artists Association Convention was held in 1977 in Reno, and the first National Convention was held in Denver, Colorado March 23–25, 1979 at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. Speakers at this convention were: Don Ed Hardy, Terry Wrigley, Peter Tat 2 Poulos, Diane Poulos, Bob Shaw, Big Walt Kilkucki, Painless Jeff Baker, Dave Yurkew, and from Germany Horst Streckenbach and Manfred Kohrs. [3]
Tattoo conventions range from small events sponsored by a local business that may last a day, to major international conventions spanning a weekend or the better part of a week.
They may include contests and exhibitions, booths selling tattoo-related items and even booths rented for use by tattoo artists who work during the convention. Collectors may attend conventions specifically to obtain a tattoo from a particular visiting artist.
Other events may include professional events such as workshops and meetings as well as social events.
Contests, usually restricted to registered participants, usually feature a variety of categories: black-and-gray, tribal, oriental, backpiece, women, men, and so on. Judging may be by vote or by a panel of judges.
The first tattoo convention in London, England took place in 2005. [4]
The first tattoo convention in Germany was held in 1980 by Horst Streckenbach in Frankfurt. [5]
Australia holds some of the biggest tattoo conventions in the southern hemisphere, including Tattoo Expo and Rites of Passage Tattoo Festival, both of which showcase some of the world's leading tattoo artists. [6] [7]
The history of tattooing may go all the way back to the convicts that were being sent to Australia, with a large portion having a singular tattoo, often an anchor or initials. [8] Since then, tattoos have become a large part of Australian life, with one in four Australians having a tattoo, [9] making tattoo conventions a popular destination in Australia.
The NAMM Show is an annual trade show in the United States organized by the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM), which describes it as "the industry’s largest stage, uniting the global music, sound and entertainment technology communities". It is typically held in January at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.
MegaCon, short for Mega Convention, is a large speculative fiction convention that caters to the comic book, sci-fi, anime, fantasy, RPG, and gaming communities, often occurring in spring at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. The convention is the largest fan convention event in the Southern United States and second largest in North America with an attendance of 190,000 and generating an economic impact of 205 million in 2024.
Norman Keith Collins, known popularly as Sailor Jerry, was a prominent American tattoo artist in Hawaii who was well known for his tattoo designs.
An anime and manga convention is a fan convention with a primary focus on anime, manga and Japanese culture. Anime conventions are commonly multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels, with a larger number of attendees participating in cosplay than most other types of fan conventions. Anime conventions are also used as a vehicle for industry, in which studios, distributors, and publishers represent their anime related releases. They also take place in multiple different countries, such as Japan, South Korea, China, India, Indonesia, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
Supanova Comic Con & Gaming is a fan convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy film and TV, comic books, anime, gaming and collectables. It is held annually in the Australian cities of Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast.
PAX is a series of gaming culture festivals involving tabletop, arcade, and video gaming. PAX is held annually in Seattle, Boston, Philadelphia, and Melbourne. Previously, it was also held in San Antonio.
Otakuthon is a Canadian anime convention promoting Japanese animation (anime), Japanese graphic novels (manga), related gaming and Japanese pop-culture. It is held annually for 3 days in downtown Montreal during a weekend in August. It is a non-profit, fan-run anime convention that was initiated by Concordia University's anime club, named Otaku Anime of Concordia University. The name "Otakuthon" is a portmanteau of the Japanese word "otaku" and "marathon". Otakuthon strives to be a bilingual event, having programming, the masquerade and the program book in both official languages. The first edition of Otakuthon was held in 2006 in mid-June, but later moved to early-mid August / late July from 2007 onward. The current edition, Otakuthon 2024, is being held on August 2-4, 2024 at the Palais des congrès de Montréal.
Don Ed Hardy is an American tattoo artist known for his tattoos, strong influence on the development of modern tattoo styles, and his eponymous apparel and accessories brand.
Lyle Gilbert Tuttle was an American tattoo artist and historian of the medium, who had been tattooing since 1949. He tattooed Janis Joplin, Cher, Jo Baker, Paul Stanley, Jeff Scranton, and many other American musicians, actors, and celebrities.
Vyvyn Lazonga is a tattoo artist who began her career in Seattle in the early 1970s and was trained by Danny Danzl. She was the first woman to work for herself in the industry, not her husband or another male shop owner. She worked in San Francisco and was tattooed by Ed Hardy in the 70s. She won the award for Best Tattooed Female in 1978 for his work. Later she was fortunate enough to meet Horiyoshi II at one of Lyle Tuttle's parties before returning in 1989 to open her studio in Seattle.
Cliff Raven Ingram was one of a handful of tattoo artists who pioneered the adoption of the Japanese tattoo aesthetic in the United States. Born in Indiana as "Clifford H. Ingram," Cliff later shortened his first name and adopted his business name of "Raven" as his legal middle name, largely to facilitate mail delivery.
Tattoo the Earth was a concert tour from 2000 to 2002 in the United States. Scott Alderman, the festival's creator, believed that the tour would help "catch the vibe" between the musical artists and the body artists, saying in a prepared statement, "Nothing represents the counter youth culture like music and body art. It is a statement of purpose and a passport to another way of living. We're simply creating a venue where it can be expressed."
Horst Streckenbach "Tattoo Samy" was a well-known German tattoo artist and historian of the medium, who had been tattooing since 1946. Streckenbach is considered important in the development of tattooing in Germany. With Manfred Kohrs from Hanover in Germany from 1974 to 1978 he developed a rotary tattoo machine and in 1975 the barbell.
Manfred Kohrs is a German tattooist and conceptual artist, who has been tattooing since 1974. He was a student of Horst Streckenbach. Together they developed the barbell piercing in 1975. Kohrs invented a rotary tattoo machine with main part an electric motor and an ink reservoir. In 1977 Kohrs founded the first German Tattoo Artist Association. Kohrs has been chairman of the board of the Institute for German Tattoo History (IDTG), which he founded 1997. He gave up tattooing in 1990 and began studying economics. Since completing his economics degree in 1996, he has served as tax consultant and Certified Public Accountant (GER).
L.A. Comic Con is a three-day multi-genre convention held annually in downtown Los Angeles, California. L.A. Comic Con is one of the largest independent conventions in the United States and encompasses several categories, including comic, horror, sci-fi, anime, gaming, and pop culture, with a particular focus on the local Los Angeles community.
EB Games Expo, commonly known as EB Expo or EBX, was a video game trade fair and convention held annually from 2011 to 2018 in Australia. It was organised by EB Games Australia. It was used by many video game developers to show off their upcoming games and game-related hardware. Unlike E3, it allowed members of the general public to attend. The most recent show was held in 2018 as part of the Penny Arcade Expo.
A comic book convention or comic con is a fan convention emphasizing comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at convention centers, hotels, or college campuses. They feature a wide variety of activities and panels, with a larger number of attendees participating with cosplay than for most other types of fan conventions. Comic book conventions are also used as a method by which publishers, distributors, and retailers represent their comic-related releases. Comic book conventions may be considered derivatives of science-fiction conventions, which began during the late 1930s.
Crunchyroll Expo (CRX) was an annual three-day anime convention held during August/September at the San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California over Labor Day weekend. The convention was organized by anime licensor Crunchyroll and LeftField Media.
Bert Grimm was an American tattoo artist dubbed the "grandfather of old school". Grimm's work and mentorship contributed to the development and popularity of the American Traditional tattoo style. He is said to have tattooed Bonnie and Clyde and Pretty Boy Floyd, among others.
The Tätowierkunst e.V. is an association of German tattoo artists registered as a formal organization in 2000. The organization promotes recognition of tattooing as a form of fine art and cultural heritage. It hosts educational events and art exhibits, and it encourages scientific research related to tattooing. It has also advocated for tattoo artists to be eligible for the German Artists' Social Security Fund.
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