Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1977-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 3, 1981)
Who, what, why and where to get a tattoo By Mike Rose Of The Print I Large, bright yellow letters burst out from the black back ground: “T A T T O OIN G.” | The American Tattoo Com pany on Molalla Avenue is hard to ignore. Inside, an entire wall is splashed with a rainbow of colors. There are several [thousand, tatoo designs, cover- ting about as many topics. | Tattoo artist Bill Brong was running the shop when my [associate and I arrived. With used car salesman finesse, I talked her into getting a tattoo. She was a self-admitted guinea P'S- [ Brong has been a profes sional tattoo artist for eight [years. He apprenticed under his current partner, Tom Slick. [When Brong was 12 years old, he found an ad in the back of a [magazine for the world’s only [tattoo school. He sent in 25 I cents for a brochure. ‘Twas too [young to get into the school,, but I always kept my head [geared for tattooing,” Brong [said. _ | The guinea pig tried to [choose a tattoo design while I [talked with Brong. Brong I sports Japanese-style tattoos [ which cover his forearms. “I’ve I got 40 hours work on me and I I’ve got 40 more hours to go, | and that’s just for two arm | pieces,” Brong said. 'Tm only I about half done.” I Brong has done body pieces, [which consist of both arms,’ | chest and back being tattooed. Brong said, “Right now, I’m working on a really intricate piece. 1t’s taken about four years so far.” An entire body piece costs about $5,000 at thè American Tattoo Company, while $10,000 or $15,000 for a body piece in San Francisco or Japan is not uncommon, ac cording to Brong. Tattoos range from $15 on up. “Tattooing is the most exac ting form of art,” Brong said. “When you work on canvas, if you mess up, you just get another canvas. With so meone’s skin, you just get one chance. All types of people visit the tattoo studio, according to Brong, “everyone from bank executives to bikers.” Brong added, “1 feel that a tattoo is a personal expression. I’ve done a lot of unusùal tattoos, but each person’s head is in a dif A TATTOO isn’t as painful or messy as most of us think. Indeed, it’s an art ferent space. I don’t consider form. any tattoo as strange.” Staff photo by Karen Marshall “I get along with almost Finer needles are used today, Tattooing is increasing in her bare foot and ankle resting popularity. The current trend is on his knee. “We don’t get a lot everybody,” Brong said. “After and tattoos are being applied Japanese-style tattooing. Very of women customers, just a all, would you sit in that chair with less pressure and depth. fine lines, lots of colors and few. In places like San Fran and give rne a bunch of static The bruising of the skin has designs are used in this style. cisco, almost 50 percent of the while I’m putting something on been reduced which aids in The subject matter is not customers are women,” he you that you are going to wear healing and lessens the chance said. the rest of your life? Think of infection, Brong explained. necessarily figures. about it.” ,' . All materials used are mixed Old photographs of carnival He4ook a straight razor and With a ball point pen, Brong with disinfectant. . side show people adorn the tat- shaved a small spot on her drew a nickel-sized butterfly on “You are definitely not the tpo booth. One is of a woman ankle. “I met my girlfriend tat the volunteer’s ankle. The pen same after you get a tattoo,” with a 'lprge snake entwined tooing. She came to me a little Contains a special ink that is around her body. There is a over,a year ago. I asked her out non-allergenic. “My parents Brong said as he tapped away small shapshot of a m an with a that night, and we have been would have an attack if they on the ankle. “It’s real strange, tattoo on the top of his head. together ever since,.but that’s, knew l was doing this,” said the I see a lot of kids come in here Brong had the young lady not the common practice,” he volunteer. On some designs, a who are looking for something. I’ll tattoo them and they’ll go volunteer sit cross-legged with related. plastic' stencil is used. Next, out of here like gangbusters. It Brong covered the area with a seems to be a real ego boost for topical bacteriant. a lot of people.” .“Is this your first tattoo?” Brong asked the volunteer. Brong inked the tattoo a “Well, just relax. I’ll stop any bright orange with a fountain time you want.” The outlining pen-like device. He wiped off By winter, a ski bus costing scheduled for the summer, in machine, a hand-held electrical the excess ink with a cloth. $20 a. person per trip for skis, cluding three river rafting trips, instrument, started to buzz. “There you have it,” he said. transportation and food was set two hikes, a camping trip arid a The machine punches pinholes The fresh butterfly tattoo look up, but after the first trip, the climb up Mt. Hood. Dates on in the skin. He touched the ed clean and crisp; not the bus idea went down due to low these trips area available on the device to her ankle. bloody mess I expected. The levels of snow. A problem con outdoor recreation brochure There was no grimace of whole procedure took about 10 fronting the program winter rack located in the Community pain. “It stings a little, but it’s minutes. term was, “people weren’t Center. really not a pain,” Said the “I wonder what I’m going to ready to go out in the cold,” volunteer in a calm voice. It think about this tattoo tomor A meeting will be held on said Sullivan. Instead of out was almost like she was getting row,” said the volunteer. door activities, he paid $40 to Wednesdays one and a half a pedicure. Brong said, “You’ll look at that join a ski film club. Attendance weeks before each trip at 7:30 and say, “Gee, that wasn’t so p.m. in either CC 101 or CC Modern technology -has bad! They really are addicting. at these films grew through the season an average from 10 to 117 to discuss where and when made tattooing safer and less You’ll be back to see me again to rr)eet for the trips, and maps painful. “They used to just in about a month. You’ll say, 50 people. Along with the films, will be available through jackhammer tattoos right in,” ‘Now, about that big rose I Brong said. Sullivan brought in several Sullivan. wanted’.” guest speakers, including “The trips are set up without backpackers, Scott Shuey, guides so people can choose who presented slides of the to participate and withdraw, Pacific Northwest Trail which from certain activities on a drew about 45 people, and Jim trip,” said Sullivan. “Last year Bridwell, who lectured on clim the program operated on a bing the major mountains of $400 budget,” he said, and so the world, attracting about 50 far, “everything’s been free for people. the people.” A parachutist lectured on Next year, Sullivan hopes, campus drawing 30 spectators. Steve Johnson, who spoke on “We’ll have our own room for outdoor survival, and a displays, maps and picture speaker from Outward Bound, boards. We’ll have more of a who did a presentation on the students’ room where students program, drew 25-30 people. will run it,” Spring term brought the Anyone intereted in getting a return of Shuey who presented group together or becoming in slides from the Continental volved in the summer pro Divide, a 2,600-mile trek from grams is encouraged to contact LIMITED TIME OFFER Mexico to Canada. Shuey also Sullivan in: the Student Ac led a day hike along the Col tivities office, or see the Offer good through June 3 at CCC Bookstore. umbia Gorge. brochure rack in the Communi Seven trips have been ty Center. Sullivan discusses past, plans for rec. program The 1980-81 school year saw the creation of the College’s first O.utdoor Pro gram which progressed over the year and drew interest from all areas of the community. The program idea came from Director, of Student Ac tivities Debbie Baker and Dean of Student Services Jim Roberts. When Baker was elevated from student activities couselor to her current position last year, they decided to split her former job in two: student programs specialist, filled by David Buckley, and outdoor program specialist, filled by Kelly Sullivan. Ideas for the program were taken from, those at Oregon State University and University of Oregon. “U of O’s program is probably the best in the United States,” said Sullivan. “The trips are set up as out door experiences,” said Sullivan. “There are no guides and anyone can go.” A brochure rack is set up in the Community Center con taining brochures on hiking, biking, rafting,- etc; “We’ve gone through way over 500 pieces of material this year. People take stuff,” Sullivan said. Fall term, Sullivan arranged nine day trips including biking, day hikes and an educational mushroom exhibition. x Wednesday, June 3, 1981 SN: OL0055 111 I ■■■' ■ ■ ■ PHOTO SPECIAL!