For years I’ve wanted a tattoo. I’m emotionally and physically prepared for some ink, but I keep dithering about what it should look like – which, of course, is the whole point of a tattoo. Commitment. Nothing says I believe in this like a permanent mark on your skin. 

After throwing out what I don’t want (insects, Chinese characters, stars, naked ladies, etc.), I’m left with four general tattoo categories: 

1. Sloganeering. Personal “can do” mottos and mantras. Everybody carries around phrases that don’t mean much on the surface, but we refer to them when challenged. In my case, it’s either Tough Like Nails or Optimist. 

2. Numbers and dates. In terms of raw aesthetics, numbers look fantastic. Some people mark things like marriage, sobriety, and gunfights on their arms. I can’t think of a single moment that I’m ready to carry with me for life except for my birthday which, after a bit of consideration, I’ve decided would be strange.

3. Fantastic animals. Dragons, screaming eagles, flying panthers, and the like. Sometimes these are combined with sloganeering to great effect, particularly when the text is in Latin.

4. Hardcore military. These are my favorites tattoos: skeletons, flags, bulldogs, and chevrons surrounded by words like God and Country or Freedom is not free. I’m partial to Happiness is a Belt-fed Weapon because the cadence is great. You’ll also find cryptic acronyms for paratrooping, recon units, or sniper teams. For a few weeks, I settled on simply making something up: Black Ops Delta Niner written beneath a flaming skull. And then I imagined explaining this to some grizzled veteran in a bar and immediately ditched the idea.

There are other considerations such as placement: inside the forearm is badass, but what if I want to be a President who rolls up his sleeves? Perhaps it’s better to start with the shoulder and work your way down,

And font choice, of course. Although I love Trade Gothic and Clarendon, I’ll go with something timeless: Helvetica or possibly Sabon. And should it be uppercase, title case, or lowercase? Clearly, I have some more thinking to do, but I hope to have it sorted out by summertime.

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Ink & Needle – Seven
from Seven/Eight. Tattoo Records, 2007 | buy mp3s 

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Ink & Needle – Six
from Five/Six. Tattoo Records, 2007 | buy mp3s

I’ve raved about Ink & Needle several times here and I’m about to do it again: the mysterious and frequently masked Danish outfit delivers menacing full-bodied techno that sounds like nothing else. Ambitious, complex, and action-packed, each track from their numbered Tattoo series of 12″s offers a heavy mixture of grinding basslines, irresistible melodies, and surprising plot twists. Check their label site for some excellent tattoos.