Article on Tattoo Machine in Toronto Star
When it comes to authoring books, tattoo diva Kat Von. D could learn a thing or two from Jeff Johnson.
In a magnificently written testament to the art of decorating the body, Johnson – a former Torontonian, now co-owner of the Sea Tramp Tattoo Company, Portland’s oldest tat shop – provides a definitive and authoritative take on his world.
Want to delve into the psyche of a skin engraver? Check. Need to learn the lingo and be able to differentiate between a “Swamp Panther” (a tattoo artist equipped for any situation) and a “Trojan” (a straightforward business-oriented tattoo artist)? Done. Looking for, as Johnson describes it, “a peek under the skirt of a fascinating profession?” No problem. Technique? It’s all here.
Lovingly wrapped in Johnson’s gift for riveting storytelling and flair for translating the vividly visual into prose, Tattoo Machine: Tall Tales, True Stories and My Life In Ink is an unflinching look at a career that is short on glamour but long on pride.