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. wintermute Avatar
    wintermute

    I for one, was here for Shannon’s writing, and personal viewpoint. You really took blogging to a level of art. And that can’t be done by a commitie.

  2. wintermute Avatar
    wintermute

    I for one, was here for Shannon’s writing, and personal viewpoint. You really took blogging to a level of art. And that can’t be done by a commitie.

  3. Miguel Young Avatar

    hey, shannon, are you planning to continue in bodytwo?
    cause the last time you were away from the editorial front of modblog the posting quality went down, and it was a sad thing to witness.
    Not that the other editors were that bad, its just that you are good in this subject, and, as you pointed, in a topic that is more mainstream with each passing day, its not a matter of finding good pictures and histories, but to apply an human filter to the landslide of information, and you are a great human filter 😉

  4. Miguel Young Avatar

    hey, shannon, are you planning to continue in bodytwo?
    cause the last time you were away from the editorial front of modblog the posting quality went down, and it was a sad thing to witness.
    Not that the other editors were that bad, its just that you are good in this subject, and, as you pointed, in a topic that is more mainstream with each passing day, its not a matter of finding good pictures and histories, but to apply an human filter to the landslide of information, and you are a great human filter 😉

  5. Jade Avatar
    Jade

    You will be dearly missed as BME won’t ever be the same without you. Thank you for educating and entertaining us for as long as you did, and best of luck to you in whatever you do!

  6. Jade Avatar
    Jade

    You will be dearly missed as BME won’t ever be the same without you. Thank you for educating and entertaining us for as long as you did, and best of luck to you in whatever you do!

  7. Therese Avatar
    Therese

    I wish you all the best, Shannon,
    it wont be the same without you!

    And I really hope modblog wont go all downhill like last time.

  8. Therese Avatar
    Therese

    I wish you all the best, Shannon,
    it wont be the same without you!

    And I really hope modblog wont go all downhill like last time.

  9. rsco Avatar
    rsco

    As Shannon has always said, although he created it, BME was a community, and a community first. I hope that this community (one which I’ve watched, lurked and occasionally commented on) continues to support itself and each other. The bitterness of the past legal issues was divisive, and lead to nothing but bad things. The issue for me isn’t about who controls what, or who’s allowed where… I will read BME for BME and I will read ineedmorelife and zentastic to hear about Shannon and check out his art.

    There is a vast difference between an individual no longer being employed by the largest body-mod website in the world, and that individual no longer being part of the body-mod community.

    Best of luck BME, Best of luck Shannon.
    I know we will see you both around.

  10. rsco Avatar
    rsco

    As Shannon has always said, although he created it, BME was a community, and a community first. I hope that this community (one which I’ve watched, lurked and occasionally commented on) continues to support itself and each other. The bitterness of the past legal issues was divisive, and lead to nothing but bad things. The issue for me isn’t about who controls what, or who’s allowed where… I will read BME for BME and I will read ineedmorelife and zentastic to hear about Shannon and check out his art.

    There is a vast difference between an individual no longer being employed by the largest body-mod website in the world, and that individual no longer being part of the body-mod community.

    Best of luck BME, Best of luck Shannon.
    I know we will see you both around.

  11. Alek Avatar
    Alek

    It wont be the same without you Shannon, hope you all the best. Without you I wouldnt be where I am today.

  12. Alek Avatar
    Alek

    It wont be the same without you Shannon, hope you all the best. Without you I wouldnt be where I am today.

  13. Bugletina Avatar

    Wow. I did not expect to come home and read that….
    I haven’t ever posted on modblog before (although I have been tempted on numerous occasions but decided to stay out of the many dramas I have seen here!) and it is sad that my first (and most likely last) post is under these circumstances….

    I have had my iam page for almost 8 years now and I never thought I would be so sad to hear that. Despite never talking to you personally you have done a lot for me throughout the years and I have met a lot of wonderful people because of it. But anyway I guess I just wanted to say thank you, and good luck.

  14. Bugletina Avatar

    Wow. I did not expect to come home and read that….
    I haven’t ever posted on modblog before (although I have been tempted on numerous occasions but decided to stay out of the many dramas I have seen here!) and it is sad that my first (and most likely last) post is under these circumstances….

    I have had my iam page for almost 8 years now and I never thought I would be so sad to hear that. Despite never talking to you personally you have done a lot for me throughout the years and I have met a lot of wonderful people because of it. But anyway I guess I just wanted to say thank you, and good luck.

  15. Tranque Avatar
    Tranque

    It’s not going to be Modblog without you at all.:[

    I enjoyed your takes and your taste, and I’m sad to see you go. I hope that maybe you can come back sometime, although by the severity of the post, I doubt it.

    It’s been a good haul.:]

  16. Tranque Avatar
    Tranque

    It’s not going to be Modblog without you at all.:[

    I enjoyed your takes and your taste, and I’m sad to see you go. I hope that maybe you can come back sometime, although by the severity of the post, I doubt it.

    It’s been a good haul.:]

  17. quinnn Avatar
    quinnn

    Shannon,
    I have hated seeing what I interpreted as a stranglehold on your personality over the past 6-9 months. I’m glad you are going to be able to enjoy even fuller the life that you love without any negatives bringing you down. Good luck, you will be missed.

  18. quinnn Avatar
    quinnn

    Shannon,
    I have hated seeing what I interpreted as a stranglehold on your personality over the past 6-9 months. I’m glad you are going to be able to enjoy even fuller the life that you love without any negatives bringing you down. Good luck, you will be missed.

  19. moscow Avatar
    moscow

    bye bye shannon, take care

  20. moscow Avatar
    moscow

    bye bye shannon, take care

  21. Emma Avatar
    Emma

    We love you Shannon.
    Best of luck in the future, keep us updated.

    x

  22. Emma Avatar
    Emma

    We love you Shannon.
    Best of luck in the future, keep us updated.

    x

  23. berryboo Avatar
    berryboo

    Agreed with #154, but if it’s what you’ve got to do, then I say do it. 🙂
    I’m really saddened, however, I just know you’ll go on to bigger and better things, Shannon. Here’s to the past, present and future, mate!

  24. berryboo Avatar
    berryboo

    Agreed with #154, but if it’s what you’ve got to do, then I say do it. 🙂
    I’m really saddened, however, I just know you’ll go on to bigger and better things, Shannon. Here’s to the past, present and future, mate!

  25. ARAkas Avatar

    See you in hell Brother man im sure we’ll share a drink there one day.

  26. ARAkas Avatar

    See you in hell Brother man im sure we’ll share a drink there one day.

  27. Cardboardfrog Avatar
    Cardboardfrog

    byebye shannon!
    thanks for everything you’ve put into the site and the community,
    Without all the work you put in im sure a lot fewer people would be well informed enough to make good desicisions with regards to mods,
    You will be sorely missed,
    Thanks, Dan

  28. Cardboardfrog Avatar
    Cardboardfrog

    byebye shannon!
    thanks for everything you’ve put into the site and the community,
    Without all the work you put in im sure a lot fewer people would be well informed enough to make good desicisions with regards to mods,
    You will be sorely missed,
    Thanks, Dan

  29. CreativeNonFiction Avatar

    You will be missed. Take care and good luck in everything you do.

  30. CreativeNonFiction Avatar

    You will be missed. Take care and good luck in everything you do.

  31. Rattus Avatar
    Rattus

    Well. the life goes on.
    Shannon i want to thank you for your hard work. And BME realy changed my life. About 4 years ago i disscovered it . And every time i checked it i somehow thought about how to maintain this whole portal. So i bet it’s hard to do .)
    So thanks again Shannon i will raise a glass in your name .)

    Sorry for broken english 🙂 .
    – Dmitry

  32. Rattus Avatar
    Rattus

    Well. the life goes on.
    Shannon i want to thank you for your hard work. And BME realy changed my life. About 4 years ago i disscovered it . And every time i checked it i somehow thought about how to maintain this whole portal. So i bet it’s hard to do .)
    So thanks again Shannon i will raise a glass in your name .)

    Sorry for broken english 🙂 .
    – Dmitry

  33. PredatorDK Avatar
    PredatorDK

    NONONONONONONONONO! :/

  34. PredatorDK Avatar
    PredatorDK

    NONONONONONONONONO! :/

  35. Angie Avatar
    Angie

    awwww, Gonna miss your modblog entries!! =( Good luck with your new adventures though!! =)

  36. Angie Avatar
    Angie

    awwww, Gonna miss your modblog entries!! =( Good luck with your new adventures though!! =)

  37. sae Avatar

    i know there’s so many comments that you may never see them all but thanks for everything shannon. you’ve played one of the most important rolls in modern body modification and given access to an education that hundreds of thousands, if not millions of us would have never found otherwise.

    i’ve been reading and researching and educating myself through bme for the last 6 or 7 years and the journey has been amazing. my friends and i wouldnt be the people we are if we didnt have this space to learn and grow in, and the quality of all the work we have done would be subpar.

    im sad to see you go but nothing is forever and i am very accepting of that fact. i truly wish you the best in whatever you do from here on out and i hope the next phase of bme can continue to triumph, however if it doesnt, that is life.

    moving forward is a part of life.

    thank you so much shannon.

  38. sae Avatar

    i know there’s so many comments that you may never see them all but thanks for everything shannon. you’ve played one of the most important rolls in modern body modification and given access to an education that hundreds of thousands, if not millions of us would have never found otherwise.

    i’ve been reading and researching and educating myself through bme for the last 6 or 7 years and the journey has been amazing. my friends and i wouldnt be the people we are if we didnt have this space to learn and grow in, and the quality of all the work we have done would be subpar.

    im sad to see you go but nothing is forever and i am very accepting of that fact. i truly wish you the best in whatever you do from here on out and i hope the next phase of bme can continue to triumph, however if it doesnt, that is life.

    moving forward is a part of life.

    thank you so much shannon.

  39. Julia Avatar
    Julia

    🙁

    Shannon, I just want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart; you’ve changed my life and I know the lives of many others. I’ve been visiting BME for the past six years and it’s opened my eyes and my mind and I’ve grown so much because of this community. Coming where I come from (probably where most people come from) with such closed minded people, modblog and BME were places I could go to be with other open-minded, loving, amazing people who didn’t look down on others because they were different and had different images about themselves and their bodies; instead you showed them in all their diversified beauty.

    Thank you.
    BME and Modblog won’t be the same without you 🙁

  40. Julia Avatar
    Julia

    🙁

    Shannon, I just want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart; you’ve changed my life and I know the lives of many others. I’ve been visiting BME for the past six years and it’s opened my eyes and my mind and I’ve grown so much because of this community. Coming where I come from (probably where most people come from) with such closed minded people, modblog and BME were places I could go to be with other open-minded, loving, amazing people who didn’t look down on others because they were different and had different images about themselves and their bodies; instead you showed them in all their diversified beauty.

    Thank you.
    BME and Modblog won’t be the same without you 🙁

  41. Carol Avatar

    Am really quite upset about this, I teared up!! I’ve been lurking for over a year but never posted before. I really hope that your articles in Bizarre will be continuing. Wishing you all the best for your futute and thanks for all your hardwork.

  42. Carol Avatar

    Am really quite upset about this, I teared up!! I’ve been lurking for over a year but never posted before. I really hope that your articles in Bizarre will be continuing. Wishing you all the best for your futute and thanks for all your hardwork.

  43. JohnnyTremendous. Avatar

    I just wanna say thanks for everything, Shannon. Over the years BME has been an important part of peoples lives for reasons too numerous to mention. Here’s hoping the new crew will keep the high standards and challenging content that were abundant during your reign.

    As someone else said earlier –
    The King Is Dead… Long Live The King!

  44. JohnnyTremendous. Avatar

    I just wanna say thanks for everything, Shannon. Over the years BME has been an important part of peoples lives for reasons too numerous to mention. Here’s hoping the new crew will keep the high standards and challenging content that were abundant during your reign.

    As someone else said earlier –
    The King Is Dead… Long Live The King!

  45. kay Avatar
    kay

    Aww shit! This kindof sucks.

  46. kay Avatar
    kay

    Aww shit! This kindof sucks.

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