Books

Mitch O’Connell: Tattoos (Paperback)


Mitch O’connell

Mitch O’Connell (Illustrator). Last Gasp 2007,

Paperback, 264 pages,

List Price: $14.95

Our Price: $9.56

4.5

The book contains 250 tattoo designs, the best of O’Connell’s 3 sets of tattoo flash titled Stewed, Screwed and Tattooed (2001), Done While Drunk (2002), and From the Bottom of the Barrel (2006). Each limited edition set sold for $100, and is now out of print, and this volume collects all the images in one easy-to-flip-through book. Mitch O’Connell’s art is reminiscent of the Old School tattoo art, from masters such as Sailor Jerry Collins and Don Ed Hardy, but uses more contemporary themes with a distinctive style.

The Tattoo History Source Book (Paperback)


The Tattoo History Source Book

Steve Gilbert. Juno Books 2001,

Paperback, 244 pages,

List Price: $29.99

Our Price: $18.92

5.0

The Tattoo History Source Book is an exhaustingly thorough, lavishly illustrated collection of historical records of tattooing throughout the world, from ancient times to the present. Collected together in one place, for the first time, are texts by explorers, journalists, physicians, psychiatrists, anthropologists, scholars, novelists, criminologists, and tattoo artists. A brief essay by Gilbert sets each chapter in an historical context. Topics covered include the first written records of tattooing by Greek and Roman authors; the dispersal of tattoo designs and techniques throughout Polynesia; the discovery of Polynesian tattooing by European explorers; Japanese tattooing; the first 19th-century European and American tattoo artists; tattooed British royalty; the invention of the tattooing machine; and tattooing in the circus. The anthology concludes with essays by four prominent contemporary tattoo artists: Tricia Allen, Chuck Eldridge, Lyle Tuttle, and Don Ed Hardy. The references at the end of each section will provide an introduction to the extensive literature that has been inspired by the ancient-but-neglected art of tattooing. Because of its broad historical context, The Tattoo History Source Book will be of interest to the general reader as well as art historians, tattoo fans, neurasthenics, hebephrenics, and cyclothemics.

Tribal Tattoo Designs from the Pacific (Paperback)


Tribal Tattoo Designs from the Pacific

M. van Dinter. Mundurucu Publishing 2007,

Paperback, 283 pages,

List Price: $17.99

Our Price: $17.99

3.5

A unique compilation of photographs and drawings of tribal designs and tattoos from more than 50 Pacific cultures, including the Marquesas, the Maori, Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji & the Cook Islands.

Great Book of Celtic Patterns: The Ultimate Design Sourcebook for Artists and Crafters


Great Book of Celtic Patterns

Lora S. Irish. Fox Chapel Publishing 2007,

Paperback, 200 pages,

List Price: $22.95

Our Price: $14.81

5.0

Calling on geometric forms found in Celtic monuments and manuscripts, this crafter’s companion presents basic design principles and step-by-step instructions for plotting out and drawing lines, twists, braids, and knots in the ancient Irish tradition. With lessons that can be applied to a multitude of arts and crafts—from needlework and woodworking to decorative painting—this instructional guide unravels the secrets to creating intricate Celtic knot work. Offering increasingly intricate designs with the addition of lines and new textures, artisans of any skill level will revel in the endless archive of original patterns provided in this sourcebook.

The Tattoo Encyclopedia: A Guide to Choosing Your Tattoo (Paperback)


The Tattoo Encyclopedia

Terisa Green. Fireside 2003,

Paperback, 288 pages,

List Price: $16.95

Our Price: $0.87

3.5

Skipping the technical details of how to get a tattoo, Green’s catalog delves into the fascinating realm of why people get tattoos and what images they choose. After an introduction sketching the history of skin art, Green, an archaeologist and UCLA research associate, launches into an alphabetical encyclopedia with a collection of common tattoo symbols under each letter. She offers an illustration of the symbols and describes the meaning and symbolism behind each. For example, a hammer suggests “might, activity, and brute force.” The book also explains more obscure tattoos, such as the number 13, which stands for the thirteenth letter of the alphabet (M) and is sometimes used in lieu of a marijuana leaf; and a sunflower, which represents constancy. Green covers some 800 images, from acorn (“an ancient representation of life and birth”) to Zuni fetish (a popular Native American symbol).

Tribal Tattoos [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)


Tribal Tattoos

Andy Sloss. Carlton Publishing Group 2007,

Paperback, 72 pages,

List Price: $7.95

Our Price: $2.99

3.5

As people around the world rediscover the art and traditions of indigenous peoples, tribal images have become a leading source for tattoo designs. This fully illustrated handbook shows nearly 100 tattoos from around the world, developed by Maori and Aboriginal tribes and the native peoples of Africa, America, Asia and Europe. Tribal Tattoos recounts the history of body decoration, explains the meanings and myths behind the symbols, and offers many patterns that can be combined into new motifs. All the designs included can be enlarged and traced to decorate any part of the body. Full instructions for temporary tattoos using henna or other body paints, are also included.

Gangs And Their Tattoos: Identifying Gangbangers On The Street And In Prison (Paperback)


Gangs and Their Tattoos

Robert Schober (Illustrator). Paladin Press 2000,

Paperback, 161 pages,

List Price: $25.00

Our Price: $13.50

4.0

In this book, Bill Valentine, author of Gang Intelligence Manual, shares the latest intelligence on the predominant street and prison gangs and other disruptive groups, with particular emphasis on their identifying tattoos. Supplementing the text are scores of detailed illustrations by Correctional Officer Robert Schober that replicate some of the most common tattoos worn by members of each of the groups discussed.

This groundbreaking work makes a substantial amount of previously classified information available to the general public for the first time. In addition to presenting the latest intel on white, black, Hispanic and Asian gangs, it also includes new information on groups such as the White Afrikaner Resistance Movement and the Russian Mafia, which add to the mounting challenge faced by those laboring to hold the line against the menace posed by gangs, hate groups and organized crime.

Tattoo (Hardcover)


Tattoo

Dale Rio. Running Press 2005,

Hardcover, 128 pages,

List Price: $22.95

Our Price: $7.03

4.5

Tattooing is a reflection of the basic human desire to decorate the body, and tattoos have held many different meanings throughout history. The practice has existed since ancient Egypt, and in our contemporary society has become a popular way for people of all ages to express themselves. Tattoo is a fascinating journey through the colorful world of this corporeal art form, via hundreds of fascinating photographs documenting the highly complex ritual tattoos of various subcultures, as well as the fantastic designs of modern tattoo artists.

Permanence: Tattoo Portraits by Kip Fulbeck (Paperback)


Permanence

Horitaka (Foreword). Chronicle Books 2008,

Paperback, 276 pages,

List Price: $19.95

Our Price: $5.95

4.5

Once a fringe phenomenon, tattooing is now a full-blown cultural fact. More than 40 million people in the U.S. alone have tattoos, all with unique stories about why they chose to indelibly mark their bodies. Permanence combines photographic tattoo portraits with these stories, told in the subjects’ own words and handwriting. Kip Fulbeck brings together young and old of all races, religions, and political persuasions—from celebrities to suburban moms to Hells Angels. Including interviews with celebrity tattooers Kat Von D and Oliver Peck (Miami Ink), hardcore legend Evan Seinfeld, and some regular folks, Permanence is an entertaining and enlightening portrait of the tattooed population today.

Tattoo Traditions of Hawaii (Paperback)


Tattoo Traditions of Hawaii

Tricia Allen. Mutual Publishing 2006,

Paperback, 218 pages,

List Price: $19.95

Our Price: $17.05

4.0

Anthropologist and tattooist Tricia Allen has harnessed centuries of knowledge about Hawaiian tattoos and has created this fascinating, comprehensive reference book that can be enjoyed by both tattoo enthusiasts and cultural scholars. Tattoo Traditions of Hawaii describes the evolution of Hawaiian tattooing as an art and science tracing it from its early roots in ancient Polynesia; presents motif, meaning, placement, tools and techniques along with personal observations and commentary in meticulous and graphic detail; discusses contemporary Hawaiian tattooing within the context of contact with the Western world; and includes drawings of designs and patterns for ideas and consideration.