Press

Rob: Thanks for taking time to answer some questions for World of Superheroes, Johnathan. I understand you’re very busy at the moment!

Johny: That’s ok. Thank you for coming out here Rob.

R: What got you into tattooing in the first place?

J: It depends how long you’ve got (laughs). I left school at 16 and trained to be an architect but when I qualified and finished my education unfortunately I couldn’t find the work. I got talking to my brother, who was having a tattoo at the time at the local studio, and he explained how the artist (a tattooist called Sosk) had seen my art work and wanted to teach me how to tattoo.
Initially I shrugged it off as I had no idea about tattooing. All the tattoos I had seen up until then were just the old blue smudges on people’s arms from about 50 years ago! But as time went on curiosity got the best of me and thought I’d nip into the studio and say hello, then before I knew it he had drawing up tattoos for customers and I’d began an 18 month apprenticeship in his studio in Sheffield!
Well least to say I finished my apprenticeship and I went out into the big bad world tattooing friends and family from home. It was then my work caught the eye of Phil Harper.
Phil Harper was the local artist in my village at the time. He asked me to come up to the studio and he said he had heard of the work I’d been doing from home and was very impressed. He offered me a job working in the studio with him and I haven’t looked back since.

R: What’s the favourite tattoo you’ve ever done?

J: I’ve done so many tattoos over time but one or two do stick in my mind. One is an uncompleted sleeve with a really cool looking microphone (laughs) and the other is a Frankenstein portrait I did. I just like the iconic image of Boris Karloff and it was an honour that that particular client wanted me to replicate it on them.

R: Is there much call for super hero tattoos at the moment?

J: Yes there is and it’s growing. It was usually in big cities like Sheffield and London. I’ve found that people are starting to travel out of their familiar areas and inner cities and looking for actual good artists rather than just going to the first one they find in their local city or town down an alley.

R: Is it something that’s increasing in popularity at the moment due to super hero’s status in current pop culture or do you always think there’s always been call for super hero tattoos?

J: Yes it’s definitely increasing at the moment and I also do think it’s due to all the movies, media coverage and games that are around at the moment. In the past there were comic and super hero related tattoos but they were just generic tattoos of a “Tax” or a Pit-bull terrier with a superman t-shirt on like something off a bubble gum wrapper (laughs and shakes head) – Thank god those days are over! People are now realising the true artistic capabilities of the good artists out there.

R: Who’s your favourite super hero and why?

J: Wolverine because he is just so cool; cool looking, cool sounding, cool acting, yeah, just cool!!! But most of all I think his character appeals to me because he has a really rich, deep turbulent history that relates to our actual history of conflict. I love the fact that it can be constantly expanding and it keeps expanding and could go in any direction. He has his immortality and sort of bad and good alter egos. He exists as the ultimate hero and the ultimate anti hero!
My first born male child may be called Logan (laughs) just joking, well actually….
Yeah I like Wolverine.

R: I understand you’re into gaming as well. Any particular games you’re looking forward to this year?

J: I am very sorry to say I’m too busy at the moment designing custom sleeve tattoos for clients, loads of other tattoos and paintings. I also have the Tattoo Jam at Doncaster Race Course this year which I’ve been invited to – it is a big thing for me, I’m quite nervous but it should be a good laugh and a fantastic experience. Check out http://www.tattoojam.com/ and feel free to come see me at the show and say hello.
I’ve got some favourite older games, like Pokémon, but way too many to mention. I just can’t get the time to play them till the twilight hours at the moment!

R: Any super hero movies you’re excited about this year? It’s certainly a good year for superheroes at the box office!

J: YES!!! Green Lantern – as I know you are (laughs)! It looks like its really going to show the world a unique look on the Lantern superhero sci-fi genre. I think it’s also going to be good because I think the Lanterns are quite obscure and out of the public eye compared to characters such as Superman and Batman characters who are icons and universally recognisable. So yeah I think the Green Lantern movie is going to really show the world a different take on the superhero as we know it.
I’m absolutely psyched about The Avengers movie which is I hope should be awesome and also the new X-menfeature seems like its going to be an absolute smash. I’ll have to make the time for those as well!
I also can’t wait at the moment to go check out the new Thor movie. People seem to be ranting about it and he seems like a character that’s been underplayed at and has lots of potential. I really do love the way Marvel and DC are fetching their lesser known characters out into the global public eye.

R: Do you have any superhero work lined up at the moment (apart from my arm!)?

J: (Laughs) Sorry Rob I swear ill make the time for you this year I promise! Yes, I have quite a few superhero tattoos ready to go. I’ve got an interesting Marvel Zombies Wolverine portrait to start soon, which is going to be amazing fun as I loved the Marvel Zombie series. There’s also a cool Batman portrait to start as well and a few more, but you will have to keep a look out to see them.

Q: Thanks for your time once again.

J: Yes thank you Rob, it’s been fun!