BME: Body Modification Ezine

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Celebrating body modification culture since 1994.

Category: ModBlog

  • The death of the life of the party (RIP Billy Eason)

    Written by

    Sean Philips

    This past weekend, I went to the 18th Annual Tattoo Arts Festival in Richmond Virginia, just as I have most every November for the past decade. Out of all the conventions within a few hours from me, this one has always been my favorite. This was the show where I first witnessed true legends of the tattoo world work, where I first had my photos taken for a magazine and where I first met Shawn Porter many moons ago. Not to mention the parties, dear Jeebus, the parties. I have been to a lot of other conventions and a ton of other parties, but never have the two been combined together in such delightful excess as they are every year at the winter Richmond show.

    A few days after returning home, kicking the hangover and returning to work I hear the sad news……….. Billy Eason, the man behind this convention for the last 18 years, as well as many other conventions, has passed on.

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    Billy was an old school American badass, one of the last of a dying breed.

    He left his mark all over Richmond’s tattoo scene by his opening of Red Dragon and Capital Tattoo. He left a much larger mark still on the international tattoo convention scene, not only by the conventions he threw, but by the precedents they set.  He raised the bar for what was to be expected from a tattoo convention and he became a legend because of that.

    So whether you knew Billy, knew of Billy or are just learning who he is take a moment to pay respects to one of the men who helped define the tattoo conventions which are now more popular than ever.

    Also, feel free to check out SoTattooed.com and our friends and NeedlesandSins.com who also  paid tributes to Billy.

    The Funeral Services for Billy will be held on Sunday, November 28 at the Holiday Inn Koger Center (the hotel that host his conventions) from 12-4 pm.

  • The sum of all parts

    Written by

    Jen Savage

    When I first started posting on ModBlog, one of the first things I did, was a short interview with Gregory. Greg and I were not friends way back when. In fact, I think it’s safe to say we disliked each other quite a bit. Life is funny though and it has a way of turning things around and you end up finding out that person you really didn’t like is not so bad after all.

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    Recently, I happened to see the new work that Greg is turning out and I thought it was time to catch up with one of IAM’s more controversial and outspoken members and find out what was new.

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    Click to keep reading…

    Life doesn’t always deal us the hand we’re looking for. Suffering a serious motorcycle accident and then battling cancer might cause another person to fold and give up. Not Greg. But nothing is ever quite as it seems and, opening himself up and showing me a more vulnerable side, Greg confessed to me that for nearly three years after his accident, he was a drug addict, addicted to pain medication, and it wasn’t until he was diagnosed with cancer that he quit the drugs.

    This isn’t a sad story though because, as Greg tells me, “With my melon finally getting its shit together and me moving out of East Van and all of its negative vibe I am once again the Greg of old.” Like any rebirth, beauty rises from the ashes and Greg’s work is just that, beauty.

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    Wondering about his inspiration, I asked Greg to explain how he came up with these new designs:

    The new stuff came about while I was looking at this woman wearing glasses and the frames she had on. They have what is called a torx screw holding most of it all together. Then out of nowhere I said that would be cool looking finger ring. Lucky me who just happens to use Solidworks, I went into my shop the next day and started to fuck around. It took me a few days of looking but I found a company in the great white north that manufactured the torx screws. Once I nailed that down I got started messing around on my lathe and mill. These rings were all just up inside my messed up melon and I just did what I thought I saw. But now that I have had a chance to see them and touch with my one good grubby hand I see what I want to do next. The two finger ring was just for shits and giggles and I of course want to change that up to but this time I will use torx screws and something else which I can not tell you about or I would be forced to kill you…

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    What’s up Greg’s sleeve remains a mystery but he did share some of what he’ll be doing in the future. Next fall Greg will be taking that mighty leap back into the murky waters of education as a full time student at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. There will be no stopping him then! If you want to keep tabs on Greg (or maybe order a ring for someone or for yourself), you can visit his website: http://www.gregorycullum.com

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    One of the reasons I wanted to interview Greg back then and why I’m posting this now is because while we deservedly give a lot of focus to the practitioners of body modification, we often don’t stop to find out about the rest of us. I’m not talking about long dramatized stories about what a tattoo means to you so you can get some air time on TV, but who we really are and what we’re really up to.

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    I did promise you I’d be serious this Friday and I like to keep my word. There is a lot of negative energy thrown out there in the world. I’m a little tired of it personally. So let’s take a minute and focus on the positives of triumph over adversity and creating beauty in the wake of something ugly. Have a happy and safe weekend folks.

  • A Delicate Flower

    Written by

    Rob

    I don’t know how she does it.  Everything Joey Pang touches seems to come out breathtakingly beautiful.  If I didn’t know any better I’d swear that she uses watercolors and brushes for her art, and not tattoo ink and needles.

  • All choked up

    Written by

    Rob

    Zentriratna here puts new meaning to the term “getting choked up”.  Someone who is more familiar with corseting can probably correct me, but it seems that if this type of corseting had a name it would be called a “choker”.  Not in the violent sense mind you, but along the lines of those tight necklaces, which fits in with the visual style of corsets anyway.

    Of course whether it has a name or not isn’t as important as Zentriratna is, who is looking quite stunning in the photo.

  • The Imperial Fish

    Written by

    Rob

    They’re graceful and fluid, serene and tranquil, regal and orange.  Orange?

    Oh the mighty goldfish.  The token first pet to many a young child.  Once regarded as a symbol of majesty and prosperity, now regulated to the fishbowl, only to die a lonely death, and be unceremoniously disposed of down the toilet.  But fret not, as there are many people out there that respect and cherish the goldfish, giving them ponds and aquariums to live out their days in.  This tattoo by Kevin Gordon shows just how dedicated one can be to the incredible goldfish.  You can be sure the owner of this tattoo wouldn’t dispose of their companion by a toilet.

    What was the name of your first goldfish?

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