My favorite tattooed, motorcycle riding, animal-rescuing group of guys are getting their own reality television show. Rescue Ink “Unleashed” will premiere on the National Geographic Channel on September 25th.
I first heard of and wrote about Rescue Ink back in January this year and they have been on my radar ever since. Rescue Ink are reformed “bad guys” who love animals and have dedicated their lives to rescuing them from abuse. They also take the time to educate bad pet owners, no matter what it takes.
Rescue Ink "Unleashed" premieres on the Nat Geo Channel Sept. 25th
Last year the NY Times wrote an article (a really great read and I highly recommend viewing the slideshow that accompanies the article) about them and caught the eye of National Geographic, who approached them to chronicle their animal saving adventures.
Tattoos and kittens: a photo from the NY Times slideshow
I am jazzed to see them get the recognition they deserve. You can’t deny that the juxtaposition of scary looking dudes saving cute lil fuzzies, while “educating” the rotten, neglectful pet owners isn’t a great cocktail for good tv!
Coming to an abuser near you!
Rescue Ink is always looking for donations to help their cause. You can donate at their official website and can also find more info on their myspace page.
If you’re an Ami James fan (tattoos, choppers and now jewelry!) then this press release may be of interest to you! The jewelry is pretty cool but you’ll be shelling out some BIG bucks to own some of it!
Ami James Jewelry Company announced the launch of its new Web site, which will make the company’s signature “Love Hate Choppers” jewelry collection available to the public.
A tattoo artist by trade, James’ tattoo art and creative designs exploded to life as he expanded his medium from skin and canvas to precious metals for Ami James Jewelry Company. James teamed up with Larry “Benj” Weymouth, a Boston-based jeweler who has been making custom jewelry for 25 years, to produce the company’s first designs – the “Love Hate Choppers” collection. The collection includes leather belts, hand-finished pewter belt buckles, high-polished or brushed-antique solid silver rings and pendants with diamond insets, and sterling silver fluted or frosted necklaces and bracelets. Each piece of jewelry features details taken from James’ Miami shop logo. Limited edition necklaces, bracelets and belt buckles, as well as several “Rock the Ink” pieces are also available on the site.
“The Love Hate Choppers Jewelry Collection reflects another aspect of my artistic side,” said James. “With Benj’s craftsmanship and my designs, we created a collection of high-quality, unique pieces that, like tattoos, are a form of wearable art.”
In addition to serving as the inspiration for the “Love Hate Choppers” jewelry collection, James’ logo design details have also been incorporated into accent parts on another one of his business ventures – the new “Love-Hate Choppers” production bikes built by the unsurpassed talents of Sucker Punch Sally’s. The production bikes made their debut during Daytona Bike Week and are available for purchase through Sucker Punch Sally’s.
All pieces available from Ami James Jewelry Company can be purchased via the new Web site. To make a purchase, or for more information, product details and pricing, please visit www.amijamesjewelry.com or call the customer service number at (603) 898-0013.
Punk rock legend, Henry Rollins, joins the cast of Sons of Anarchy season 2!
A legend in the punk rock world (and an icon from my misspent youth…I can’t tell you how many shows of his I’ve been to!) is joining the cast of Sons of Anarchy for a six episode arc. That’s right, just when I thought I couldn’t get any more excited I just learned that Mr. Henry Rollins is joining SoA this upcoming season.
If you didn’t grow up listening to punk music in the 80’s then here’s a brief bio on Mr. Rollins. He is a singer-songwriter, spoken word artist, stand-up comedian, author, actor, activist and publisher. He was the front man for punk band Black Flag in the 80’s and has since formed the Rollins Band, written a few books, done a ton of spoken word & stand-up tours, has a lot to say about social and political issues (whether you agree with him or not) and even has his own show on the Independent Film Channel.
He will appear in six upcoming episodes of Sons of Anarchy and will play a new antagonist in the show who poses a deadly threat to SAMCRO. Even Kurt Sutter is excited to have him on the show. From his blog, SutterInk:
“I fucking love Henry Rollins. Been a fan for years. From Black Flag to his one-man shows. He’s a super smart cat with exponential intensity. So excited to have him on the show.
I don’t want to say too much about who his character is right now. As we get closer to air, more information will be revealed. Suffice to say, Henry will fucking chew it up.
While Henry’s better known for being an angry, little man and not known for being a fantastic actor, it’s sounds like he won’t have to stetch his acting legs too much. He just needs to have a bad disposition and scowl a lot. I think he’s pretty good at both of those things.
And now for your viewing/listening pleasure is “Liar” by the Rollins Band.
Happy 2009 everyone! I trust everyone has made it through the holidays and if you’re like me, you’re glad to get back to regular life. I have some cool things up my sleeve for the near future and a big road trip planned for this summer. While this may be the year of the Ox according to the Chinese calendar, I’m declaring it Year of the Kitten instead!
So, while I recover from the shock of getting back to the daily grind, I’ll leave you with the top 10 viewed posts of 2008!
Steampunk Motorcycles-even though I wrote this post a year ago, it is the most popular post of my site. The Steampunk movement has gained much popularity since then.
BikerorNot.com: bikers and social networking pt. deux-social networking sites are booming. It seems that every subculture has formed their own social community these days. Since this post was published I have received numerous emails informing me of yet another new biker social community and asking me to join or write about their site. I can only keep track of so many accounts these days and it makes me wonder if more is better.
Bikers and tattoos-Two of my favorite subjects! A brief history of tattoos in America and how they touch my world.
Bring Exile Cycles back to TV-the popularity of this post surprises me a little. Prior to this post I had read a myspace bulletin from Russell putting out the call to fans for some help. This year we’ve seen Russell on VH1’s Rock of Love and of course, that silly Comcast commercial that featured Exile Cycles, with an actor playing the part (instead of “hardcore” heavily-tattooed Russell) that confused so many people. Here’s hoping we see a lot more of him in the future.
Anatomy of the Kawasaki Vulcan-in the summer of 2007, Greg White contacted me and hooked me up with Kawasaki to test ride the Vulcan 900 Custom. I spent a few gleeful weeks riding this bike and this is my dissection of various elements of the bike in detail. Thinking back on the experience makes me remember how much I enjoyed riding this bike. And yes, the skinny front wheel felt safe!
Biker Movie Hell Ride in theaters August 8-this movie was all the buzz for us this summer and it came and went in the blink of an eye. It had a very limited release in theaters and when it finally came out on DVD it would be an understatement to say it is a love/hate kind of movie.
Slayer launches a line of helmets-*RAWK!* Rockhard helmets launched a line of motorcycle helmets emblazened with graphics of our favorite thrash metal band. They’ve since increased their lineup of bands that include: Lynard Skynard, KISS, Slip Knot, Motorhead (yes!), AC/DC and The King. These suckers ain’t cheap but if you’re a fan I’m sure they’re well worth the cash!
Garage Girls: a new site for women, or is it?-this was my initial review of Sara Liberte’s new online venture. I was as honest as I could be while reading through the site (maybe too honest?). So much so that I actually received an email and blog comment from Sara letting me and everyone else know that the site was brand-spankin’ new and to cut her some slack. I revisited the site three months later and was pleasantly surprised at the changes that had been made and the fresh content that had been added. Props to Sara.
Video Tuesday: Harley-Davidson Dark Custom-this video accompanied the announcement of HD’s newest and coolest motorcycle. I also went on a bit of a tirade about how out of touch Bruce Rossmeyer is with a younger demographic.
My first motorcycle love-I’m so happy to see this post made it to the top ten! This is a guest post, written by my nearest and dearest, recounting the love of his first motorcycle, the experiences he had while owning it, and then eventually trading it in for a newer Road King. Definitely a good read. Hmm, that reminds me…I think I’ll bug him to guest post more often!
RIP Bettie Mae Page
April 22, 1923-December 11, 2008
Bettie Page died today as a result of a heart attack she sustained over the weekend. She had been hospitalized for pneumonia weeks before and spent the majority of this week in a coma. I had heard the news this past weekend, wanting to write about her then, hoping that the inevitable might not happen. I held my own silent Bettie-vigil, waiting for any kind of news. And today it was news that I didn’t want to hear.
I don’t even know how or where to begin to write about Bettie Page. She was a secretary-turned-model that ended up being an unlikely icon for generations based on bondage photos and Teaserama dances. She inspired many girls to covet and acquire those trademark, fringe bangs. She had an enigmatic sweetness in her smile, despite all the naughty things she might have been doing in those fetish photos of hers! And she had a body to die for. Not like these sticks with tits that grace our magazines these days, but a real woman’s body with curves that Did. Not. Quit.
There’s no shortage of information, books, videos, photos, websites, movies and songs dedicated to Bettie. She is the subject of many an artist, most notably Dave Stevens (who also passed away this year at the young age of 52) who rendered the famous illustration of her in his comic The Rocketeer, and Olivia De Berardinis, who probably owes all her fame to recreating Bettie’s visage.
"The Rocketeer"
devilish Bettie by Olivia
recent years: Olivia, Hugh Hefner and Bettie
Bettie’s likeness also inspired many people to get lasting tattoos of her iconic beauty and she also graces plenty of motorcycle tanks!
Painted tank by http://www.grumeretz.com
My post is only one of hundreds that you will find online. I didn’t want to rehash the details of her life, you can go to plenty of articles and pages to learn those facts. I really just wanted to pay my respects and write a small tribute to this icon of a woman who influenced me and so many others.
That was the subject of a contest held over at Crackberry.com recently for those who consider themselves BlackBerry addicts. They were giving away 10 BlackBerry Storms to those who were willing to do whatever it took to win one (and they actually had to follow through on their promise!).
They received 3,000 entries to the contest and “a popular theme of entry that emerged was extreme brand loyalty, or in other words, showing off your love for BlackBerry and/or CrackBerry for the whole world to see.”
The first winner was TJ of Revelation Tattoos in Toledo OH, who had a lifesized BlackBerry tattooed on his leg. Two things of note: 1. TJ didn’t pay for his tattoo. He works at the shop and had it done for free. 2. The tattoo artist, Brian, is a total Mac fanboy and die-hard iPhone lover. It must have killed him to do this tattoo!
While I don’t find the fact that he had the tattoo done to win a phone all that shocking (I hang out with a LOT of tattoo fanatics/artists who get work done for less meaningful things), I find the backlash a little surprising. What makes this guy’s tattoo any different from anyone willing to have a Harley-Davidson tattoo put on their body? It’s essentially showing the same kind of “extreme brand loyalty.”
If you’re interested in reading the war of comments you can read them at Crackberry.com and on Information Week’s blog, which also did a post about this today.
If you’re like me and tired of seeing the same swag vendors are selling at bike rallies (let’s face it: the t-shirt that says “If you can read this the bitch fell off” was funny at first, but got really old, really fast), then I’ve got a site for you to check out.
Trashville USA is an online store with kick-ass clothing, shoes, accessories and lots of other stuff for men and women. Heavily rooted in rockabilly/psychobilly/retro-tattoo style, the site is chock full of cool belt buckles, t-shirts and killer jewelry. I want one of everything. But instead of racking up my credit cards, I’ll just show you some of my favorite items.
So if you like what you see and are looking for something different to wear to your next biker event, go to their MySpace profile at http://www.myspace.com/trashvilleusa, add them as your friend and save 15% on every purchase (there’s a Secret Squirrel code there for you to use).
Looks like Jesse James is getting his tattooed-mug back on tv! Good news for guys who like stunts and great news for ladies who like a little bad-boy eye candy!
New York, NY, August 27, 2008 – Jesse James takes on the role of a modern-day daredevil in “Jesse James Is A Dead Man,” a new, original weekly series on Spike TV premiering in February 2009, it was announced today by Sharon Levy, senior vice president of original series for Spike TV.
“Our goal was to create a new and distinctive series for Jesse that is unlike anything else on television,” said Levy. “In this series, viewers will get to experience one of the most fearless guys on the planet in an entirely new way, taking on death-defying physical challenges each week.”
Each episode will follow James as he readies himself for a different death-defying challenge. Preparing for the risky challenge can often be as dangerous as the challenge itself as he endures a battery of tests to prepare. With CGI effects, viewers get a taste of the enormity of the stunt, revealing the physiological stress James’ body will endure.
Some of the dangerous challenges he’ll be facing include the harrowing, grueling and lawless off-road race, the Baja 500, and hitting over 200 mph on a Nitro bike supercharged by ultra-combustible nitro-methane fuel.
Ten weekly one-hour episodes of “Jesse James Is A Dead Man” will be produced by BASE Productions (“Sports Science,” “Fight Science”) with Jesse James and his production company, Payupsucker Productions, serving as an executive producer. Spike TV signed James to a multi-year talent deal in October 2007, and this project represents his first series with the network.
Jesse James is a custom bike and car builder, producer, publisher, television host and restaurateur. In 2000, James started his TV career with Discovery Channel’s “Motorcycle Mania,” and in 2002 produced and starred in the international television hit, “Monster Garage.” Before his TV gigs, James started West Coast Choppers by doing what he loved, building motorcycles in his mom’s garage. As an expert welder, Jesse produces only 12-14 bikes a year, making a very long wait list for his coveted custom machines.
More recently, Jesse established his own production company, Payupsucker Productions, and in 2004, he became publisher of Garage Magazine and launched Payupsucker Publications. In 2006 he opened an eco-friendly burger joint, Cisco Burger in Long Beach, CA.
Spike TV is available in 96.1 million homes and is a division of MTV Networks.
Bikers and tattoos go together like peanut butter and jelly. The two cultures are intertwined in a never ending love affair. Tattoos became utilized by biker gangs to signify their allegiance to specific gangs and to convey an image of rebellion that would set them apart from the rest of society.
“The Tattoo Artist” by Norman Rockwell, Saturday Evening Post, March 4, 1944
A brief history of post WWII motorcycles & tattoos
After World War II tattoos became further stigmatized by their associations with bikers and juvenile delinquents. Tattooing had very little respect in the American culture. In 1961 there was an outbreak of hepatitis, which caused an even bigger backlash against tattoos and sent the tattoo world into a tailspin.
tattoo flash by Sailor Jerry
Here in Massachusetts, there was a ban on tattooing in effect since 1967, until local underground artists lobbied to legalize it in the late 90’s, partly because of health and safety reasons. Tattooing was finally legalized in this state in 2001 and shops began to spring up everywhere–the first legal shops being Fat Ram’s Pumpkin Tattoo and Darkwave Tattoos (which then spawned Lightwave Tattoo Studio and Witch City Ink). Natan Lin, owner of Darkwave, Lightwave and Witch City Ink, was a large supporter of legalizing tattooing in MA and has been running the wildly successful annual Boston Tattoo Convention ever since.
Here are three of my favorite, tattooed bike-builders (can you guess why?) Billy Lane, Jesse James and Russell Mitchell
Current perception of tattoos in the biking culture
These days bikers use tattoos as a means of expression. Common designs for biker tattoos contain skulls, spiderwebs, pin-up girls, flames, eagles, scorpions and of course the die-hard Harley-Davidson logo.
photos by Forrest Frazier (see more motorcycle pics at ffphoto.com)
Tattoos today are more acceptable and popular than ever before. And it’s getting even more mainstream with TLC hitching its programming trailer to tattoo shows like LA Ink, Miami Ink, and London Ink. Acceptability and high demand for the best artwork have put some artists on the map. Certainly that can partly be contributed to the quality of inks and needles that just weren’t around forty or fifty years ago. People now revel in the highly artistic nature of tattoos and artists are now truly fine artists.
Russell Mitchell, tattooed-bad-boy bike builder of Exile Cycles (and formerly of “Build or Bust” on Speed TV) wants us to help him get back on television.
From the Exile website:
“As many of you may know I love doing the bike shows and it seems I’m at a different one in a different State every weekend. I get so many people asking me when I’m shooting the next Build or Bust series and sadly I don’t know whether we will because we don’t actually have control over that. That set me thinking recently as we have so many good ideas for our own TV show. So here’s where you guys can help me out. I’m pitching some great new ideas to the networks right now and would really appreciate the Exile fans out there helping me out. Your comments about how you wanna see the Exile crew back on TV causing trouble would show the massive support we receive from you all. So why don’t you write a quick e mail to say just that and send it to media@exilecycles.com and with any luck you’ll see me and the crew back on TV, hopefully with our own show.
Cheers.
Russ”
It definitely seems that motorcycle programming has been phased out to almost extinction and the new trend is tattoo shows like LA Ink, Miami Ink and Tattoo Wars. With Jesse James without a show and Billy Lane trying to dig out of heaps of legal problems, Russell does seem like the next in the natural selection.
left to right: Russell Mitchell (the man himself), Mad Max (one of his creations) and one of the times I met Russell at the 2005 Myrtle Beach spring rally.
