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
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PHOTO SPECIAL!