I recently attended the Pittsburgh Bleed Black and Gold Tattoo Expo the weekend of February 17-19. It was an incredible experience to walk under the same roof as Ink Masters and some of the most respected tattoo artists in the industry. I wrote an original, shorter piece for my university’s newspaper which you can read here, However, I believe that article could not do the experience justice with the lack of pictures and less information, so I decided to expand the article.
Enjoy!
The sound of needles and the smell of disinfectants bombarded guests as they strolled past the 78 artists and vendors inside the ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel.
The Bleed Black and Gold Tattoo Expo hosted by Exposed Temptation’s Greg Piper, Wyld Chyld’s Sarah Miller and Baller Inc. welcomed tattoo artists from all across the globe to showcase their work and tattoo customers. On Feb. 17-19, tickets for the event could be purchased by the public for $25 a day or $55 for a three day pass.
“I want [the public] to see a different side to tattoo conventions,” Miller said. “We’ve got world records going on here, we’ve got live tattoo offs, we’ve got audience participation, we’ve got Ink Masters going head to head, we’ve got side shows, and we’ve got amazing artists where you can come get a tattoo. It’s not just a typical tattoo convention, and I want to push it further every single year and make it really memorable.”
I spotted a fellow Johnstown, PA, native in the first booth as I entered the ballroom that housed the artists. Frank Sandoval and Mike Peruso of Total Commitment Tattoo traveled to Pittsburgh for the convention. Peruso enlightened me on the process of becoming a part of the convention even as a small town tattoo shop.
“You send in your portfolio to show your work and show you’re actually good enough to be here,” Peruso said. “You get out and get to meet different artists from different cities, different states, people from all over the world.”
This hometown artist has a love of drawing his entire life and has been tattooing since he started hanging around tattoo shops after he got out of the military. Peruso is a more black and grey realism type of artist, but he admitted to enjoying colors especially in floral pieces, according to Peruso.
“I’m more into the evil twisted side with skulls, roses, snakes, hearts, anything along those lines,” Peruso said.
Sandusky, Ohio, tattoo artist Robin H.M. broke two Guinness World Records over the weekend. H.M. broke the first record for the longest tattoo session on one client at 53 hours and 15 minutes. She proceeded to tattoo clients consecutively in to the last day of the convention to break the other record for the longest tattoo session on multiple people. After 72 hours and 26 minutes, H.M. laid the needle to rest as the crowd applauded her incredible feat.
“You will watch me own it,” H.M. said. “We didn’t come here to break it, we came here to shatter it. I’m doing this for multiple reasons: to motivate, inspire and drive people. This is a male dominated industry so why the hell not make the toughest tattoo artist a female.”
On Friday night, the expo hosted a live tattoo off featuring artists from Ink Master. Contestants could enter a contest to become a human canvas by proving they were a huge Pittsburgh sports fan and their forearm was a good canvas. Miller designed the tattoo that the artists were to follow, but the Ink Masters could personalize the design to their specific style, according to contestant Erica Wood. After four hours of tattooing, judges decided which Ink Master created the best piece, and Ink Master Jesse Smith won the tattoo off.
The Miss Pittsburgh Pin-Up contest was held Saturday night on the main stage. Women could sport their best pin-up attire for the crowd and judges for a cash prize. The most patriotic and third place contestant received $100 and a trophy, the runner up received $200 and a trophy and the first place contestant took home $500 and a trophy according to an expo event sheet.
The judges voted Dana VonDangerously "Miss Pittsburgh Pin-Up." The lover of Grease expressed her appreciation of the culture and the award.
“Where there’s anything pin-up, I’m there,” VonDangerously said. “Where there’s old cars, I’m there. My first love was Marilyn Monroe and Lucille Ball, Bettie Page of course, Lauren Bacall... It does something to me. I’m an old soul I guess. I do enter a lot of [contests] for fun and I’ve come in second place and third place. It’s not an ego blow, but to win first place here, I’m just flattered. It’s awesome, a good time!”
“America’s Favorite Sideshow Couple” Captain and Maybelle entertained the guests and artists throughout the duration of the convention. The couple has appeared on "America’s Got Talent" and "Ripley’s Believe It or Not." They often express their beliefs that the impossible is possible and everyone should do what they love and be happy.
“I told my mom at 12 years old this is what I was going to do,” Captain said. “I ran around the world chasing this silly dream of running away and joining the circus, getting covered in tattoos and living the life that makes me happy.”
“I like to make people laugh,” Maybelle said. “[Captain] is there for the shock and the awe of it maybe, but I am that balance to try and make it happy and get people to laugh. We’re goofing off, but it’s our job.”
Point Park students took advantage of the event’s short walk from campus and enjoyed the tattoo culture.
“I had never really seen a tattoo actually happen, so to see that side of the it and how much effort and time is spent on one little tattoo was a really cool experience and to see all those artists there in one building was crazy,” freshman Joseph Perez said.
I eventually succumbed to the voice inside my head pressuring me to get another tattoo on the very last day. Of course, I scraped together every penny I had and am now the proud owner of a lovely pen on the back of my right arm. I went to the convention to write a story, what a better way to commemorate the story?
Shout out to my man, Davd Mcrow (@davd_mcrowav) all the way from Albuquerque, New Mexico for the newest addition.
The expo will return around the same time next year, according to multiple artists.
