Spoiler Alert: That kid was just yawning. The New York Tattoo Convention this past weekend was actually very kid friendly and it was not unusual to see kids helping raise money for children’s charities, hanging out in their parents’ booths, or getting inked at the temporary tattoo station.
I’ve long been an admirer of the transformative powers of tattoos. There is something quite otherworldly about taking unmarked flesh and transmuting it into a living, moving piece of art. I am not alone in my fascination, according to the American Academy of Dermatology 24 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 50 have tattoos with a larger percentage, 36 percent to be precise, among those of us in the 18-to-29 year old bracket. Perhaps this is only representative of a fad among the ne’er-do-well youth, but I like to imagine that it is a trend that will continue until painted people are everywhere you look and we all look like a street scene from “Transmetropolitan.”
Keep clicking to see contestants from the Best American Old School Tattoo, Best Sleeve and Best Overall Tattooed Person competitions.