BME: Body Modification Ezine

A tattooed person suspends from hooks, laying flat, one leg higher than the other. Their head is back, and they seem to be smiling, dark hair dangling like an anime character.

Celebrating body modification culture since 1994.

Tag: Geek Tattoos

  • Love Cubed

    Written by

    Rob

    Video courtesy IAM: JackeeLynn

    Let me start with a quick thank you to JackeeLynn for letting me use the video of her solving a Rubik’s cube.  If it isn’t obvious by now, this post is about the most famous puzzle cube ever invented.

    Like LEGO fans, the Rubik’s cube has a loyal following of people who collect cubes.  The majority of these collectors are also the ones who can solve a cube effortlessly because they know the special algorithms that make solving the cube easy.  Now when I first got a cube I got frustrated and took off all the stickers to solve it.  As I got older I found that smashing the cube and putting it back together worked much better.  Did anyone else use these techniques, or was I the only one who couldn’t solve the cube at 4?

    Now as much as Jackee loves her LEGO and her cube, the person sporting this tattoo may outdo her love for the cube.

    The following image was sent in by SailorxDani as part of the Mutiny Tattoo mini-portfolio on BMEzine.com.  I don’t know who the recipient is, but it’s clear they not only love Mr. Rubik’s invention, but they added a nice sentiment to go along with it.  Not everyone is a perfect cube, and as long as you’re happy with yourself, that’s all that matters.

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    Just in case it wasn’t clear, that isn’t Jackee’s tattoo, although you can see hers in this ModBlog post from back in February.

    I’ve got one more picture from SailorxDani to share with you, but to save some space you’ll have to click the read more button.  I must warn you, the image may bug you.

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    As far as palm tattoos go, that one is pretty awesome.  Too bad it’ll probably fade out quickly.

  • Aperture Science

    Written by

    Rob

    A wise woman once said, “we do what we must because we can.”  While the woman may have been a homicidal computer bent on torturing and killing people, while promising cake for all, she does have a point.  When it comes to what we do with our bodies, the sentiment rings true.  We do what we must to ourselves because this is who we are, and we have the freedom to do what we can.  There’s this inner drive to change our outwards appearance into what we feel it must look like, and thanks to practitioners all over the world, we can do what we need to do.

    One of those practitioners, Sean Flinn from Stone Clover Artisan in Iola, WI, was able to give one young man exactly what he wanted.

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    The uploader (gonzofreelancer), is clearly passionate about photography.  And thanks to Sean, he was able to do what he wanted in the way he wanted.

  • I like my coffee like I like my…

    Written by

    Rob

    [Insert witty joke here]

    So let me share a fun fact with you.  I have never had any form of caffeine in my system.  Ever.

    It’s true, I’ve never had a cup of coffee, a sip of tea, or even a drink of cola.  It hasn’t been easy, let me tell you.  When I was teaching high school, there were days when I came close to cracking.  Granted there were also days that made me want to take up drinking booze too.

    So why people drink coffee is a small puzzle to me.  I get that caffeine is a stimulant, and in the morning a shot of it can really get you going.  What I don’t understand is the motivation behind the first cup.  Do we as a society have a permanent need for it?  Have decades of conditioning by older generations taught us that we need caffeine to get moving in the morning?  Or has this all been a product of an overzealous marketing scheme that has worked so well people have a hard time considering cutting it from their routines?

    Now coffee isn’t the only stimulant that we enjoy.  In fact, I’d wager to say that the modified community probably has more sources of stimulation that the rest of the world.  We’re in tune with our bodies, we know what we can and cannot do to stimulate ourselves (and I’m not talking about sex, although that is a factor to some).  Heck, for some the absence of stimulation can act as a stimulant to some.  So when we see people all over the world reaching for a pot of coffee in the morning, are they going for it because they’re addicted, or is it some primal urge for stimulation that humans possess, but most cannot express?  The modded community has learned a great deal about stimulation over the centuries, and can tap into that base need in many different ways, and can even express their desires openly.  Yet to the majority of people, those who haven’t tapped into a deeper form of self-awareness, is caffeine their way of coping?

    I suppose this is all just food for thought.  Which I guess exposes where I get my stimulation from.  I don’t need caffeine because as long as my mind is active and engaged, I don’t need that extra boost.

    The bottom line in all this is that no matter my thoughts towards caffeine, there are those out there that genuinely love the rush that it delivers.  I think it’s safe to assume that the submitter of this photo, Ouza, is one of the many who just loves the kick of a good cup of coffee.

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    So I heard you like your coffee crisp?  Am I wrong?  How do you like your coffee?  And if you’re not a coffee drinker, where do you get stimulation fix from?

  • Up, up, down down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start

    Written by

    Rob

    I like to think that when it comes to video games, I was born in the perfect year.  You see, when I turned 8, the Nintendo Entertainment System hit stores in North America.  I was definitely the target audience the marketers had in mind.  Two years prior I had gotten hooked on G.I. JOE and Transformers, this year, Nintendo owned my soul.  As kids my age grew, so did the video games.  8-bit became 16-bit, then 32, 64, and so on.

    Today there is an entire generation of people who were raised on Mario and Link.  They in turn are now raising their children in a world where owning multiple top of the line gaming systems is almost the norm.

    So it should come as no surprise that when we feel nostalgic, we think back to our favorite NES games.  Personally, River City Ransom will always hold a special place in my heart.  Which probably explains why I’m so fired up to see the Scott Pilgrim film.

    For those not familiar with Mr. Pilgrim.  The premise is simple, boy meets girl, boy falls in love with girl, boy must defeat girl’s seven evil exes to win girl’s heart.  Ok, so maybe a little more complicated.  What really drew me in (aside from the fact that it’s based in Toronto) was the entire series is jam-packed with NES references.

    Now because I’m looking forward to the film, I decided to see what our geek tattoo galleries had in terms of 8 and 16 bit tattoos.  I was not disappointed at all.

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    nes3

    nes2

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    So fess up.  What was your favorite Nintendo game?  I know you all have played with a Nintendo at least once before.

  • Thank your lucky stars

    Written by

    Rachel

    I’m sitting on a pile of tattoo photos that I wanted to post and I figured instead of spreading them out over a couple days, I’d do a nice big fat tattoo post. Hope you guys like it.

    The first piece is by Matt Geiogamah of Club Tattoo in Tempe, AZ.

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    See more photos of different style by different artists simply by clicking through, oh my!

    See more in “Old School (and Old) Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

    Now you know I can’t resist posting yet another Star Wars inspired tattoo. I’ll let you guys guess who this is supposed to be. Credit for the work goes to Leo Rojas Valenzuela out of Real Tattoo in Providencia, Santiago, Chile.

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    See more in “Portrait Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

    This big kitty came all the way from Japan. Naomisa wrote in “my lovi’n lovi’n lovi’n cats!!” and that’s about it!

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    This Dali portrait is brought to us by Mario Pullano of Pain & Pleasure in Sandusky, Ohio.

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    See more in “Portrait Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

    Chris Posey out of Southside Tattoo & Piercing in East Point – Atlanta, Georgia gives us something to toot about.

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    See more in “Fantasy Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

    Our next tattoo submission comes in from Vasteras, Sweden. The artist is Nahui of South of Heaven.

    “this represents my son fly fishing at the best place on earth!”

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    See more in “Wildlife and Nature Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

    Weylin Traugott of Gunslingers in Augusta, Georgia brings us this next piece along with some insider information:

    “Cast iron isn’t forged with a hammer and anvils.”

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    See more in “Old School (and Old) Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

    And finally we’ll go back to who we started with and wrap this post up with another piece by Matt Geiogamah.

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    See more in “Portrait Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

  • Battle of Endor

    Written by

    Rachel

    Evan sent in some photos of his sleeve that’s currently in progress. I figured after last weeks debacle I’d post a Star Wars tattoo that we can all get behind. This lovely battle scene is by Jim Warf of Rouge Elephant in Moreno Valley, California. Can’t wait to see it when it’s finished!

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    Another shot after the jump.

    See more in “Sci-Fi Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

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  • Never Sleep

    Written by

    Jordan Ginsberg


    “I’m a programmer,” says Exciteableboy, he of the above knuckle tattoos, “it’s what I am.” Oh yeah? Well, I LOVE PIES, but you don’t see me bragging about it.

    …Oh, who am I kidding? I brag about it all the time. Go forth, good sir.

    Actually, let’s open it up to the floor: Favorite knuckle tattoos of all time, whether you’ve actually seen them or just had wonderful dreams about them. Let’s hear ‘em in the comments.

    (Tattoos by Slim at Studio City Tattoo in Studio City, California.)

    See more in “Geek Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

  • A Day Long Remembered

    Written by

    Jordan Ginsberg


    You know, I think this sends a good message: Even if you’re a murderous Sith Lord, you still deserve to be remembered and memorialized at your best. This one was tattooed on Matt by Kannonball at F/X Tattoos in Ashtabula, Ohio. They got his good side, no?

    See more in “Sci-Fi Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

  • Vandelay Industries

    Written by

    Jordan Ginsberg


    On a scale of one to 10, this tattoo of the AutoCAD dimensioning toolbar is one hell of a nerdy (and awesome) tattoo. “As you can tell,” says the wearer, “I really love drafting.” We could tell.

    (Tattoo by Derek Noble at Lucky Devil in Seattle, Washington.)

    See more in “Geek Tattoos“ (Tattoos)

  • Pew Pew Pew

    Written by

    Jordan Ginsberg


    Hey, that’s a pretty good self-portrait, HEHNGHH? Oh wait, never mind, Tomasz fills us in:

    The Shrike is designed by Artur Szolc, on the basis of excerpts from the book Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons. It’s not based on any other drawings of the creature, and it’s supposed to be as accurate as possible. The head is only the first part of the tattoo. The upper body of the Shrike will cover my whole arm, and Shrike’s four arms will encircle my arm and go all the way up to the shoulder and down the elbow. Its blades shall seem to pierce the skin. Possibly, a thorn-tree background will be added as well to complete a half-sleeve.

    Thanks, Tomasz! A closer shot of the tattoo, after the jump.

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