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.

So Long And Thanks For All The Fish

After a personally difficult legal dispute over BME, I’ve had to face the potentially insurmountable reality of being massively in debt, and I have chosen to transfer the business to Rachel (the details of this deal are sealed, so please don’t ask). Within the month my role at BME will come to an end, and new staff (made up largely of people who’ve been working on BME for some time as well) will be taking over. I will no longer be writing online about body modification, although I will be maintaining my regular blog and other projects of course, as well as working on several body modification book projects which I am eager to complete.

It’s definitely a very strange and mixed set of feelings, having run this site from the very beginning, over nearly a decade and a half. On one hand I’m very much looking forward to having the opportunity and time to paint and tackle new adventures, and on the other hand I will very much miss both the people and the subject in general that I came to know through BME. That said, when I grew up and fell in love with body modification — and later built BME — this was a very different and much more “outsider” culture, so maybe now, as not just tattooing but body modification as a whole enjoys unprecedented levels of popularity and acceptability, it is a good time to pass the torch on to a new generation. It’s my hope that they maintain the site in the spirit that it was begun, while taking on the challenges of a new environment.

I have very much enjoyed being a part of BME and I leave it with good memories. Thank you to everyone who’s been a friend of the site, and everyone who’s helped bring it to this point. I hope you’ve enjoyed my contributions — I know I’ve enjoyed yours — and I hope that you continue to enjoy what BME brings in the future.

See you in hell! 😛

         Shannon
         [email protected]
         zentastic.com

 

Comments

760 responses to “So Long And Thanks For All The Fish”

  1. Zasmarkana Avatar

    I will miss Shannon here but this is his decision and I hope it will be good for him 🙂
    Good luck!

    I’ve just started my journey with bme (sending photos and so one) but I was a fan of this site from long time, Shanonn was an integral part of that. I think it will be hard for everyone to change, to think that he is not on bme.

    So one more time
    Good luck and thanks for everything 🙂

  2. Zasmarkana Avatar

    I will miss Shannon here but this is his decision and I hope it will be good for him 🙂
    Good luck!

    I’ve just started my journey with bme (sending photos and so one) but I was a fan of this site from long time, Shanonn was an integral part of that. I think it will be hard for everyone to change, to think that he is not on bme.

    So one more time
    Good luck and thanks for everything 🙂

  3. hilary Avatar
    hilary

    shannon i will miss you more than i know right now. but i wish you the best of luck with future projects and in life. you have changed the world with bme and i thank you.

  4. hilary Avatar
    hilary

    shannon i will miss you more than i know right now. but i wish you the best of luck with future projects and in life. you have changed the world with bme and i thank you.

  5. Acid_ Avatar
    Acid_

    “A big part of BME dies with this news.”

    AGREED! BME needs you, Shannon..

  6. Acid_ Avatar
    Acid_

    “A big part of BME dies with this news.”

    AGREED! BME needs you, Shannon..

  7. Leslielotuspetal Avatar

    This place has shaped me into a person that I never thought I would become. I first came to this site in search of information about getting my ear cartilage punched with a gun. 7 years, 18 piercings, and 1 unfinished tattoo project later, I have more understanding and love for body modification. I am able to see beauty in people that I once saw as “weird” or “freaky”; and I am proud to say that I am just as “weird” too. I met the man that I would someday like to marry on here.
    Thank you, Shannon.

  8. Leslielotuspetal Avatar

    This place has shaped me into a person that I never thought I would become. I first came to this site in search of information about getting my ear cartilage punched with a gun. 7 years, 18 piercings, and 1 unfinished tattoo project later, I have more understanding and love for body modification. I am able to see beauty in people that I once saw as “weird” or “freaky”; and I am proud to say that I am just as “weird” too. I met the man that I would someday like to marry on here.
    Thank you, Shannon.

  9. NakedSilence Avatar
    NakedSilence

    Good luck with everything beyond BME Shannon, you have been a wonderful contribution to a lot of people’s lives.
    Thank you for everything you’ve done.

  10. NakedSilence Avatar
    NakedSilence

    Good luck with everything beyond BME Shannon, you have been a wonderful contribution to a lot of people’s lives.
    Thank you for everything you’ve done.

  11. Dresden Avatar
    Dresden

    Well, that’s fucking sad. I understand the terms of everything, yadda yadda yadda, and that’s cool and all, but that seems weak. You’re an odd fellow, but that’s why I like you, and I like reading your blog posts and stuff on ModBlog. I mean, couldn’t it have gone a different way and you still at least stay part of this? I know there’s 229 at this point posts before mine, and you probably answered these, but still, I want to vent my frustration, and well, at the same time I understand that sometimes you just gotta move on and not everything can always stay the same, still, I hope to find a place to read about the shit you do, and the things you see. And maybe sometime in the next few years when I’m visiting Toronto (and I frequently do!), I’ll get a chance to run into you and shake your hand and maybe have a coffee or a beer. So, good luck, and may our paths cross again.

    -Dresden

  12. Dresden Avatar
    Dresden

    Well, that’s fucking sad. I understand the terms of everything, yadda yadda yadda, and that’s cool and all, but that seems weak. You’re an odd fellow, but that’s why I like you, and I like reading your blog posts and stuff on ModBlog. I mean, couldn’t it have gone a different way and you still at least stay part of this? I know there’s 229 at this point posts before mine, and you probably answered these, but still, I want to vent my frustration, and well, at the same time I understand that sometimes you just gotta move on and not everything can always stay the same, still, I hope to find a place to read about the shit you do, and the things you see. And maybe sometime in the next few years when I’m visiting Toronto (and I frequently do!), I’ll get a chance to run into you and shake your hand and maybe have a coffee or a beer. So, good luck, and may our paths cross again.

    -Dresden

  13. sic Avatar
    sic

    Well, thats somehow odd. Some month before this was stated, that BME had an hostile takeover, which was reversed by a couple of court trials. One of the main persons in that fact was “rachel”, who was known as an (ex-)girlfriend of shannon. After the case was settled, everything went back to normal.

    Now this “goodbye”. It is somehow odd. If this happened to me, i would have taken care of rachel getting to the deepest bottom of hell, so she won’t be able to try to take over my project ever again. I tried to sue her until she was broken or dead. But thats me, and I am quite a radical guy.

    If it is really true and Shannon did this without any pressure and willingly, than I wish him a really good future and a happy life. This step could be understand, because he has a little daughter, who is growing up now and where she comes into a phase, where you must “hide” such things as bme from her. I will follow his other blogs around, because they are fascinating.

    If it is again a try of a hostile takeover, than I just want to warn you, that shit like this will not only tear big parts of the community away, but also show some personal weakness of you people. It would change bme in a way many people would not want to accept, and it could cut away some of your most interesting sources.

    Eighter way, I wish every party in this case the best that could happen, personally and financially. And I hope it won’t do that much trouble than the last try did.

    Greating, sic

  14. sic Avatar
    sic

    Well, thats somehow odd. Some month before this was stated, that BME had an hostile takeover, which was reversed by a couple of court trials. One of the main persons in that fact was “rachel”, who was known as an (ex-)girlfriend of shannon. After the case was settled, everything went back to normal.

    Now this “goodbye”. It is somehow odd. If this happened to me, i would have taken care of rachel getting to the deepest bottom of hell, so she won’t be able to try to take over my project ever again. I tried to sue her until she was broken or dead. But thats me, and I am quite a radical guy.

    If it is really true and Shannon did this without any pressure and willingly, than I wish him a really good future and a happy life. This step could be understand, because he has a little daughter, who is growing up now and where she comes into a phase, where you must “hide” such things as bme from her. I will follow his other blogs around, because they are fascinating.

    If it is again a try of a hostile takeover, than I just want to warn you, that shit like this will not only tear big parts of the community away, but also show some personal weakness of you people. It would change bme in a way many people would not want to accept, and it could cut away some of your most interesting sources.

    Eighter way, I wish every party in this case the best that could happen, personally and financially. And I hope it won’t do that much trouble than the last try did.

    Greating, sic

  15. blackwinghalo Avatar
    blackwinghalo

    Last time this blog was not organized by Shannon I stopped reading purely because of the quality of content and commentary.

    I hope that the people who begin writing for modblog can write as well as Shannon!

    Good luck.

    Thanks for your years of news/interest Shannon. Truly one with a passion for body modification. You’ll be missed!

  16. blackwinghalo Avatar
    blackwinghalo

    Last time this blog was not organized by Shannon I stopped reading purely because of the quality of content and commentary.

    I hope that the people who begin writing for modblog can write as well as Shannon!

    Good luck.

    Thanks for your years of news/interest Shannon. Truly one with a passion for body modification. You’ll be missed!

  17. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Lame. I’ll be missing you.

  18. Heather Avatar
    Heather

    Lame. I’ll be missing you.

  19. PC Avatar
    PC

    I will follow your blog.
    Good luck with every thing.

  20. PC Avatar
    PC

    I will follow your blog.
    Good luck with every thing.

  21. kookyknut Avatar

    Thanks Shannon, all the best.

    x Tim

  22. kookyknut Avatar

    Thanks Shannon, all the best.

    x Tim

  23. :' Avatar
    :’

    Good luck with everything Shannon. Thanks for everything.

    You really changed me as a person.

  24. :' Avatar
    :’

    Good luck with everything Shannon. Thanks for everything.

    You really changed me as a person.

  25. kitsch Avatar
    kitsch

    Shannon, you are the lifeblood of this place.
    BME is dead.

    You will be sorely missed.

  26. kitsch Avatar
    kitsch

    Shannon, you are the lifeblood of this place.
    BME is dead.

    You will be sorely missed.

  27. Briggitte Avatar

    awwww
    Sucks but I guess you have to do what you have to do.

  28. Briggitte Avatar

    awwww
    Sucks but I guess you have to do what you have to do.

  29. d Avatar
    d

    Oh man, I can’t believe it’s really happening.. How can it be ? To say it’s the end of an era would be a gross understatement – this is the end of BME 🙁 Whatever it becomes now, will be something else..

    Still – for the last 15 years – thank you Shannon. You’ve changed the lives of thousands of people for the better, saved the health and probably even lives of many and created a wonderful community. You’ve really made a difference. I wish you all the best in the future and once again thank you so much for BME!

  30. d Avatar
    d

    Oh man, I can’t believe it’s really happening.. How can it be ? To say it’s the end of an era would be a gross understatement – this is the end of BME 🙁 Whatever it becomes now, will be something else..

    Still – for the last 15 years – thank you Shannon. You’ve changed the lives of thousands of people for the better, saved the health and probably even lives of many and created a wonderful community. You’ve really made a difference. I wish you all the best in the future and once again thank you so much for BME!

  31. pete Avatar
    pete

    thanks for your great page and work.

  32. pete Avatar
    pete

    thanks for your great page and work.

  33. Tom For Real Avatar

    Byebye Shannon 🙁

  34. Tom For Real Avatar

    Byebye Shannon 🙁

  35. xDeviant Avatar
    xDeviant

    Shannon-
    like many people here, I feel as though you have changed my life for the better. I found BME five years ago and it has influenced my life as I grew up to the 19 year old I am today. Thanks for being the other parent 🙂
    I hope all goes well for you.

  36. xDeviant Avatar
    xDeviant

    Shannon-
    like many people here, I feel as though you have changed my life for the better. I found BME five years ago and it has influenced my life as I grew up to the 19 year old I am today. Thanks for being the other parent 🙂
    I hope all goes well for you.

  37. Steph-knee Avatar

    Goodbye Shannon, I’ll miss you input… Thank you for BME.

  38. Steph-knee Avatar

    Goodbye Shannon, I’ll miss you input… Thank you for BME.

  39. idyllicchick Avatar

    Thanks for everything, Shannon. You will be missed.
    <3

  40. idyllicchick Avatar

    Thanks for everything, Shannon. You will be missed.
    <3

  41. pete Avatar

    *tears* 🙁

    You will be missed Shannon!!!

  42. pete Avatar

    *tears* 🙁

    You will be missed Shannon!!!

  43. redeye Avatar

    my heart goes out to you shannon, i’m so, so sorry for what’s happened. you’ve given so much… you may not have been able to end things on the best terms, but you can at least bow out knowing you’ve touched the lives of more people than you can possibly imagine.

    thanks for everything. i hope your next consuming passion finds you hastily.

    so see you down there i guess – i’ll bring the marshmallows.

    -pete

  44. redeye Avatar

    my heart goes out to you shannon, i’m so, so sorry for what’s happened. you’ve given so much… you may not have been able to end things on the best terms, but you can at least bow out knowing you’ve touched the lives of more people than you can possibly imagine.

    thanks for everything. i hope your next consuming passion finds you hastily.

    so see you down there i guess – i’ll bring the marshmallows.

    -pete

  45. ShanaArielle Avatar
    ShanaArielle

    Le sigh.

    I’m glad to hear that BME will keep going but really… things aren’t going to be the same without Shannon. Especially Modblog, I’m going to miss his humor.

  46. ShanaArielle Avatar
    ShanaArielle

    Le sigh.

    I’m glad to hear that BME will keep going but really… things aren’t going to be the same without Shannon. Especially Modblog, I’m going to miss his humor.

  47. javel Avatar
    javel

    thanks for changing my life. im sure gonna miss your posts.

  48. javel Avatar
    javel

    thanks for changing my life. im sure gonna miss your posts.

  49. K Avatar
    K

    Ouch.

  50. K Avatar
    K

    Ouch.

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