BME: Body Modification Ezine

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.

Tattoo, Piercing, and Body Modification News, Events, and Culture

  • Skin and Strings: The Art of Human Puppetry

    Written by

    Jonathon

    One of the most powerful things about being at a convention like OSC is the sheer concentration of experience, creativity, and capability in one place. When you’re surrounded by people who not only understand the technical complexities of suspension but are excited by the challenge of something new, ideas can move quickly from imagination to reality. This puppet suspension was one of those ideas—strange, evocative, and technically demanding. But with the right inspiration, the right rigging minds, and a performer willing to give themselves to the vision, it can become something unforgettable.

    I was drawn to puppet suspension after hearing about it from Kevin Donaghy when the OSC was having a meet for our Halloween performance, which had my mind wondering how the rigging could work and how could we make it happen, once I saw who all was going to be at suscon I knew I had to do and see what other creative minds could come up with and loved the idea of other OSC member’s and friends being puppeteers. 

    The suspension was everything I wanted and more. Already have the gear turning to take this idea to another level hopefully in the near future.

    -Kyle (@big_ears.bauer_north)

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  • Twelve Points to the Sky

    Written by

    Jonathon

    There’s a particular kind of magic that happens at your first big suspension gathering when you arrive with nerves, an open heart, and the quiet hope of flight. Guided by the encouragement of mentor Lynn Loheide and driven by the quiet confidence of belonging, Alex stepped into a space rich with support and energy. The Superman suspension wasn’t just about the pose—it was about trusting the space, the practitioners, and their own strength. What unfolded was more than just flight. What was raised was more than just a Superman.

    Let it be known—Alex proudly claims the title of our very first BME Boy to grace the banner of BME News. A well-earned moment in the spotlight.

    This was also my first superman! I chose a superman for a couple reasons. The first reason is honestly that I wanted to feel like superman (lol). I wanted to soar through the air and really feel like I was flying. The other reason is in this space, surrounded by people doing some of the most beautiful suspensions I have ever seen, I wanted to push myself. I had only ever done two point upper backs before this, so the jump from 2 points to 12 points was huge. I knew that if I wanted to do something big, this was absolutely the space to do it, because at home we really didn’t have all the tools we needed yet. Being in the space made me all the more sure I was making the right call. The room was so full of love and support, people giving and receiving others’ energy as if they were doing something as simple and automatic as breathing. This was absolutely the space to push myself. 

    The suspension absolutely gave me what I needed in that moment. I had a lot of nervous energy build up over whether or not I was doing the right thing, or in the right place, all of the new facilitator anxieties were very real. With that suspension, I got to let all of that go and just be in my own body, and out of that anxiety. My brain got to stop running at a thousand miles a minute, and I got to just be Alex, and exist in that moment, surrounded by people sending their love.

    –Alex

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  • Ontario SusCon 2025

    Written by

    Jonathon

    In March 2025, BME attended the Ontario Suspension Convention in Hamilton, hosted by the Kevin Donaghy and the Ontario Suspension Collective. We had the pleasure to take part and help document the event, but also run a booth to sell a bunch of old (but not quite vintage) stickers and shirts. This is the first, of hopefully many to come, such attendances for BME. If you’re planning an event in the future please let us know!

    BME's booth at the Ontario Suspension Convension

    The venue was impressively organized with dedicated prep areas and massaged tables, meticulously stocked medical supplies, sharp containers, and probably every kind of bandage and antiseptic imaginable. Above us, eight suspension stations hung securely from the ceiling, including one robust enough for a swinging beam supporting two adults behaving like giddy children.

    The mornings started quiet, filled with briefings, presentations, and workshops outlining the day’s events. It felt worlds away from the casual backyard barbecue suspensions we experienced in the early 2000s This was refined, structured, and professional, yet no less powerful.

    Once briefings ended, facilitators and practitioners sprang into action—rigging ropes, prepping suspendees—and soon the day became a whirlwind of simultaneous suspensions across multiple rooms. I had to move around constantly, trying to be fully present, capturing people moving through cycles of pain, contentment, ecstasy, and release. It was intense, humbling, and deeply moving. I only hope the photographs do justice to the extraordinary experiences I witnessed.

    Faces around the venue were mostly new, but I did encounter a few familiar smiles—older now, of course, just like mine. It was comforting to see those familiar faces, especially remembering those we’ve lost along the way.

    Stay tuned for more OSC content, this was only a tease. We have plenty more photos to share and stories to tell! We are planning to attend more local events and would love to come see you so please let us know what upcoming events you are planning.

    Finally, if you attended OSC 2025 and haven’t been in contact with us or received your photos from the event please reach out to me directly (jonathon at bme dot com).

    Thank you. See you again soon.

    —Jonathon

    1 comment on Ontario SusCon 2025

  • Welcome Back to Body Modification Ezine

    Written by

    Nef

    Dear BME Community,

    We’ve been gone far too long, but BME is back to give people a voice, a space, a community. With time everything evolves, and BME may be different than you remember. Our goal is to stay true to Shannon and Rachel’s values while changing with the times. We will be starting small with news, events, and a social page. Since we are currently based in NYC, there will be plenty of events happening in the city, but in time we will expand across the country. The site has always been built by the community’s collective contribution so we urge you to submit your creations, recommend people for us to interview, or volunteer as a writer yourself! We also have merch available on BMEShop.com with all of the proceeds going towards BME Projects.

    BME exists for you and thanks to you.

    I am excited to see how BME evolves and honored to further my parents legacy. They are icons to live up to, which is inspiring yet humbling. I am certain that if can make a fraction of the impact they did, they will be proud, as will I. They’ve taught me that community and knowledge are the most important things to hold close, and I think that is especially important with the world right now. We will foster this with BME, and as a community we will restore BME back to the force it was.

    This wouldn’t have been possible without the unwavering support of Jon and Erik, who have dedicated the past year to this relaunch. Their combined strength on both the business and technical fronts have been essential. I’m deeply grateful they chose to join me in taking on the responsibility and future of BME.

    -Nefarious Larratt

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  • BME Social Media

    Written by

    Nef

    Word of mouth has been our method of reuniting the community, and it has brought a substantial amount of us together. I am inspired by your loyalty and I want to remind more people of BME’s existence. In 2020 we gained control over @bmezine on Instagram. It has been sitting dormant since then, which we are changing now. I believe that we can reunite thousands of past BME members by getting exposure there. Initially, I would like to feature you on our page. If you have any works you are particularly proud of, please send submissions to [email protected] and include if possible your artist, any interesting details about the work, and you @ if you would like to be tagged.

    I have ideas of interviews, videos about different body mods, and news, but you know exactly what you want to see. If you have suggestions or ideas please email me at [email protected] .

    BME continues to exist because of all of you. Thank you,

    Nefarious Larratt

  • BMEShop

    Written by

    Nef

    Despite the hurricanes in 2015 which destroyed almost all of what Rachel owned, she managed to save the original inventory from BME. We have relisted some of the stock on BMEShop.com with the hopes you may be interested. 

    Our first drop includes a selection of one of a kind skeleton statues, originally hand carved in Indonesia from animal bones. Depending on the success of this drop, future drops will include jewelry, suspension supplies, rare body-mod books and different types of body modification supplies. 

    Every purchase is very appreciated as 100% of the profits go directly to the restoration and maintenance of BME. I am very grateful for the continued support BME has received and I will be hand writing a thank you note for everyone who orders from this drop. 

    – Nefarious Larratt 

  • Rachel Larratt 1980-2022

    Written by

    Jen Savage

    Unfortunately, when we lost some of the ModBlog content, it included the post about Rachel’s passing. (Original Post) Rachel passed away on June 22, 2022. She died in her sleep.

    Even now, it’s extremely difficult to write this post. Rachel meant so much to so many. She was my friend but she was so much more than that. For me, she was family and today, just a week after what would have been her 43rd birthday, the pain is still very raw. For those of us who really knew her, Rachel was a light and a force. She was passionate, generous and kind. She was goofy and ridiculous. Without even knowing it or trying to, she could command a room.

    I’ll never stop missing you Rachel.

  • Come Join Us

    Written by

    Jonathon

    For those of you still with us. We’ve setup a new (temporary?) site where we can all connect with each other and share our photos and stories again. SOCIAL.BME.COM is that place and we hope you’ll join us. While I don’t expect a swarm of people signing up, due to the currently limited resources, we’re doing a controlled rollout to ensure the performance and availability of what little we have online right now.

    The software is called Mastodon, it’s a decentralized social networking software. At this time we’re keeping this community (node) private. Meaning your posts do not show up on the network (only on this node), nor do they show up to non-logged in users. Currently we have no plans of opening it completely public, but it’s not impossible. Of course any future changes to visibility will be communicated to all users.

    We hope to see you there.

    https://social.bme.com/invite/uqpMbjaC

    -jonathon

  • To The BME Community

    Written by

    Jonathon

    I hope you might remember me, my name is Nefarious. My childhood was surrounded by BME and I have missed it in the past years, so hello I hope you are doing well.  As you may already know, today 10 years ago my dad Shannon Larratt passed away. And if you were not aware, my mom Rachel Larratt passed away last year in June. Together they built BME and created a place where people truly had freedom. BME may have not been as active recently as it was in the past, but I do not want to let it die with them. Unfortunately through those years of neglect, the site and community have deteriorated. Since my mom’s passing we have been dealing with hosting issues, unforeseen struggles, and a string of bad luck. We’re still gaining full control over some accounts. It is very complicated, but we are asking for patience. We are trying to get it back, but this time it will take longer than it has before.

    I cannot promise that the millions of photos and videos since its inception in 1996 are safe right now, but if it does come to it, together we can create a new collection. Jon, Jen, Marks and I have worked tirelessly trying to keep BME online, and we will continue to do so. In the meantime we will keep this blog running, and we are launching a private website that will allow us to stay connected.

    Times have changed and so have all of you. BME on the other hand has had nearly no changes in the past 15 years. We are overdue for more than just a makeover and recent events mean that BMEShop is our only source of income right now. If you ever want to make suggestions, or even just want to send a friendly letter, please reach out at [email protected]. 

    – Nefarious

  • We’re still here. We’re not giving up.

    We’re still here. We’re not giving up.

    Written by

    Jonathon

    I wanted to provide another update since it’s a new year. As you can tell I’ve not managed to import any of the old Moblog content yet, but I’m hoping to work on that soon. I was away for the holiday spending time with family. I believe I have been able to fix the main site billing issues so you should hopefully be able to create new subscriptions or if you had one that expired over the holiday it should renew very soon.

    We are continuing to keep the site alive and online and we’re working in the background on some plans for the future. Please stay tuned, as we hope to make some announcements on the future path for BME. Thank you all for the support.

    -jonathon