A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

Where should the line be drawn?

In follow-up to the conversation on in what context (if any) a “Hitler tattoo” is appropriate, Lane Jensen (iam:inksation) asks,

Does a shop have a moral obligation to turn away serial killer portraits the same way they turn away racist tattoos?

Mike Gibson at Dragon FX who did these Richard Ramirez (the Nightstalker) and Albert Fish portrait tattoos says, “no”.

Comments

268 responses to “Where should the line be drawn?”

  1. MikeManson Avatar
    MikeManson

    The leg sleeve was my idea ..i had been looking for a worthy person to wear it for a few years and when i ran the idea by my friend he loved it . so we planed out thirteen killers so there are eleven more to come .
    i dont think it is any different than doing a tattoo of Stalin or Patton or Napolion or even Bush! We are marking events in history nothing more (our vision is just a bit of a twisted one)

  2. MikeManson Avatar
    MikeManson

    The leg sleeve was my idea ..i had been looking for a worthy person to wear it for a few years and when i ran the idea by my friend he loved it . so we planed out thirteen killers so there are eleven more to come .
    i dont think it is any different than doing a tattoo of Stalin or Patton or Napolion or even Bush! We are marking events in history nothing more (our vision is just a bit of a twisted one)

  3. cuntcumber Avatar

    I’ve wanted an Albert Fish tattoo for years. I’m quite jealous.

  4. cuntcumber Avatar

    I’ve wanted an Albert Fish tattoo for years. I’m quite jealous.

  5. cuntcumber Avatar

    I’ve wanted an Albert Fish tattoo for years. I’m quite jealous.

  6. cuntcumber Avatar

    I’ve wanted an Albert Fish tattoo for years. I’m quite jealous.

  7. Krynn Avatar
    Krynn

    I think anyone is free to do with his or her body what they want. Pierce it, cut it, tattoo it. Tattoo it with anything they like, where they like. Tattoo artists therefore, are free to tattoo what they wish, too. If they don’t want to tattoo certain things because it goes against what they believe, fine.

    But do they have a moral *obligation* towards society? Hell no.
    Individual expression before anything, even if the consequence of that self expression is expulsion from society because of what the images represent to that society.

    Or why else would they turn away these requests…because they do not want evil to spread? Evil ideas won’t go away if you suppress them…

    …blah, I’m tired 🙁

  8. Krynn Avatar
    Krynn

    I think anyone is free to do with his or her body what they want. Pierce it, cut it, tattoo it. Tattoo it with anything they like, where they like. Tattoo artists therefore, are free to tattoo what they wish, too. If they don’t want to tattoo certain things because it goes against what they believe, fine.

    But do they have a moral *obligation* towards society? Hell no.
    Individual expression before anything, even if the consequence of that self expression is expulsion from society because of what the images represent to that society.

    Or why else would they turn away these requests…because they do not want evil to spread? Evil ideas won’t go away if you suppress them…

    …blah, I’m tired 🙁

  9. Krynn Avatar
    Krynn

    I think anyone is free to do with his or her body what they want. Pierce it, cut it, tattoo it. Tattoo it with anything they like, where they like. Tattoo artists therefore, are free to tattoo what they wish, too. If they don’t want to tattoo certain things because it goes against what they believe, fine.

    But do they have a moral *obligation* towards society? Hell no.
    Individual expression before anything, even if the consequence of that self expression is expulsion from society because of what the images represent to that society.

    Or why else would they turn away these requests…because they do not want evil to spread? Evil ideas won’t go away if you suppress them…

    …blah, I’m tired 🙁

  10. Krynn Avatar
    Krynn

    I think anyone is free to do with his or her body what they want. Pierce it, cut it, tattoo it. Tattoo it with anything they like, where they like. Tattoo artists therefore, are free to tattoo what they wish, too. If they don’t want to tattoo certain things because it goes against what they believe, fine.

    But do they have a moral *obligation* towards society? Hell no.
    Individual expression before anything, even if the consequence of that self expression is expulsion from society because of what the images represent to that society.

    Or why else would they turn away these requests…because they do not want evil to spread? Evil ideas won’t go away if you suppress them…

    …blah, I’m tired 🙁

  11. bodymodgirl Avatar
    bodymodgirl

    my personal thought is that its anyone’s right to get whatever they want on their body. its their skin, they want it for the rest of their life. so, its their choice. my opinion….

  12. bodymodgirl Avatar
    bodymodgirl

    my personal thought is that its anyone’s right to get whatever they want on their body. its their skin, they want it for the rest of their life. so, its their choice. my opinion….

  13. bodymodgirl Avatar
    bodymodgirl

    my personal thought is that its anyone’s right to get whatever they want on their body. its their skin, they want it for the rest of their life. so, its their choice. my opinion….

  14. bodymodgirl Avatar
    bodymodgirl

    my personal thought is that its anyone’s right to get whatever they want on their body. its their skin, they want it for the rest of their life. so, its their choice. my opinion….

  15. Leroy Avatar

    Whats the difference between getting a tattoo of a serial killer than, say a tattoo of the devil?

    One is fictional 😉

  16. Leroy Avatar

    Whats the difference between getting a tattoo of a serial killer than, say a tattoo of the devil?

    One is fictional 😉

  17. Leroy Avatar

    Whats the difference between getting a tattoo of a serial killer than, say a tattoo of the devil?

    One is fictional 😉

  18. Leroy Avatar

    Whats the difference between getting a tattoo of a serial killer than, say a tattoo of the devil?

    One is fictional 😉

  19. aesthetic-perfection Avatar

    I find these tattoos amazing!!! I have always found serial killers very,very intresting.
    …but these are gorgeous pieces,amazing tattoo artist!!

  20. aesthetic-perfection Avatar

    I find these tattoos amazing!!! I have always found serial killers very,very intresting.
    …but these are gorgeous pieces,amazing tattoo artist!!

  21. aesthetic-perfection Avatar

    I find these tattoos amazing!!! I have always found serial killers very,very intresting.
    …but these are gorgeous pieces,amazing tattoo artist!!

  22. aesthetic-perfection Avatar

    I find these tattoos amazing!!! I have always found serial killers very,very intresting.
    …but these are gorgeous pieces,amazing tattoo artist!!

  23. Allahkat Avatar

    This is off topic, but because I read it a few times in here, why would you call getting your entire leg tattooed a leg sleeve? Wouldn’t you call it a pants leg?

  24. Allahkat Avatar

    This is off topic, but because I read it a few times in here, why would you call getting your entire leg tattooed a leg sleeve? Wouldn’t you call it a pants leg?

  25. Allahkat Avatar

    This is off topic, but because I read it a few times in here, why would you call getting your entire leg tattooed a leg sleeve? Wouldn’t you call it a pants leg?

  26. Allahkat Avatar

    This is off topic, but because I read it a few times in here, why would you call getting your entire leg tattooed a leg sleeve? Wouldn’t you call it a pants leg?

  27. Adam Avatar

    I say live and let be.

    From images of a ‘devil’, serial killer, mass murder, dead baby, people who direct others to kill, to words of murder, rape or whatever it may be.

    Unless it’s illegal, it’s solely the tattoo artist’s call.

  28. Adam Avatar

    I say live and let be.

    From images of a ‘devil’, serial killer, mass murder, dead baby, people who direct others to kill, to words of murder, rape or whatever it may be.

    Unless it’s illegal, it’s solely the tattoo artist’s call.

  29. Adam Avatar

    I say live and let be.

    From images of a ‘devil’, serial killer, mass murder, dead baby, people who direct others to kill, to words of murder, rape or whatever it may be.

    Unless it’s illegal, it’s solely the tattoo artist’s call.

  30. Adam Avatar

    I say live and let be.

    From images of a ‘devil’, serial killer, mass murder, dead baby, people who direct others to kill, to words of murder, rape or whatever it may be.

    Unless it’s illegal, it’s solely the tattoo artist’s call.

  31. Asha Avatar
    Asha

    i think its more so the artists decision. I mean I enjoy the stories behind serial killers very much! Its like watching a horror movie but it was a moment in history, to me its like tattooing Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger, the only diffrence is that its real life vs fiction. Many movie horror characters are based on serial killers anyways.

  32. Asha Avatar
    Asha

    i think its more so the artists decision. I mean I enjoy the stories behind serial killers very much! Its like watching a horror movie but it was a moment in history, to me its like tattooing Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger, the only diffrence is that its real life vs fiction. Many movie horror characters are based on serial killers anyways.

  33. Asha Avatar
    Asha

    i think its more so the artists decision. I mean I enjoy the stories behind serial killers very much! Its like watching a horror movie but it was a moment in history, to me its like tattooing Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger, the only diffrence is that its real life vs fiction. Many movie horror characters are based on serial killers anyways.

  34. Asha Avatar
    Asha

    i think its more so the artists decision. I mean I enjoy the stories behind serial killers very much! Its like watching a horror movie but it was a moment in history, to me its like tattooing Michael Myers or Freddy Krueger, the only diffrence is that its real life vs fiction. Many movie horror characters are based on serial killers anyways.

  35. anonymous Avatar
    anonymous

    to each his own.

    but the swastika used to be a symbol for peace, didn’t it?

  36. anonymous Avatar
    anonymous

    to each his own.

    but the swastika used to be a symbol for peace, didn’t it?

  37. anonymous Avatar
    anonymous

    to each his own.

    but the swastika used to be a symbol for peace, didn’t it?

  38. anonymous Avatar
    anonymous

    to each his own.

    but the swastika used to be a symbol for peace, didn’t it?

  39. ChopperMark Avatar
    ChopperMark

    Following the logic, a tattoo artist should never tattoo a picture of a Police officer either, because if someone’s relative was killed by Police officer, it would upset them. Maybe a portrait of George H W Bush should not be tattooed either, think of all the Iraqi civilians that have been killed, and all the soldiers who have come back with limbs missing or worse have died.

  40. ChopperMark Avatar
    ChopperMark

    Following the logic, a tattoo artist should never tattoo a picture of a Police officer either, because if someone’s relative was killed by Police officer, it would upset them. Maybe a portrait of George H W Bush should not be tattooed either, think of all the Iraqi civilians that have been killed, and all the soldiers who have come back with limbs missing or worse have died.

  41. ChopperMark Avatar
    ChopperMark

    Following the logic, a tattoo artist should never tattoo a picture of a Police officer either, because if someone’s relative was killed by Police officer, it would upset them. Maybe a portrait of George H W Bush should not be tattooed either, think of all the Iraqi civilians that have been killed, and all the soldiers who have come back with limbs missing or worse have died.

  42. ChopperMark Avatar
    ChopperMark

    Following the logic, a tattoo artist should never tattoo a picture of a Police officer either, because if someone’s relative was killed by Police officer, it would upset them. Maybe a portrait of George H W Bush should not be tattooed either, think of all the Iraqi civilians that have been killed, and all the soldiers who have come back with limbs missing or worse have died.

  43. moddoctor Avatar
    moddoctor

    ChopperMark: I’m thinking that you’d get wide agreement that nobody in the Bush family should be tattooed on a person…of course, that’s not your point.

    😉

  44. moddoctor Avatar
    moddoctor

    ChopperMark: I’m thinking that you’d get wide agreement that nobody in the Bush family should be tattooed on a person…of course, that’s not your point.

    😉

  45. moddoctor Avatar
    moddoctor

    ChopperMark: I’m thinking that you’d get wide agreement that nobody in the Bush family should be tattooed on a person…of course, that’s not your point.

    😉

  46. moddoctor Avatar
    moddoctor

    ChopperMark: I’m thinking that you’d get wide agreement that nobody in the Bush family should be tattooed on a person…of course, that’s not your point.

    😉

  47. MikeManson Avatar
    MikeManson

    I would just like to say Thanks to the people who take these pieces of art for what they are ART!!! thanks again for the positive reactions ….we worked hard on them

  48. MikeManson Avatar
    MikeManson

    I would just like to say Thanks to the people who take these pieces of art for what they are ART!!! thanks again for the positive reactions ….we worked hard on them

  49. MikeManson Avatar
    MikeManson

    I would just like to say Thanks to the people who take these pieces of art for what they are ART!!! thanks again for the positive reactions ….we worked hard on them

  50. MikeManson Avatar
    MikeManson

    I would just like to say Thanks to the people who take these pieces of art for what they are ART!!! thanks again for the positive reactions ….we worked hard on them

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