‘Shopping for shoes, jeans and … tattoos’ poses interesting questions if the idea Tattoo Nation is trying to make real (chains of tattoo stores all over the country to bring customers their ‘very own’ alternative flavor) will actually work and if we’ll like it this new, ‘branded’ way. Personally, I’m kind of glad I live in the Old World where a chance for such chain stores is still lower (although UK’s Blue Banana shows that it might actually happen also in Europe). To paraphrase Naomi Klein, ‘market-driven business doesn’t want diversity; quite the opposite.’

I prefer small local shops even if some of them are also more into profit than real art; ‘small’ more often, however, means a personal touch; here’s two articles about local shops and artists: ‘local piercing, tattoo shops’ in WI and ’pink tattoo…’ in Spain.

An editorial that tried to answer ‘why I have tattoos’ on a final note.

I’m getting tattooed tomorrow, in a shop where there are only two tattoo artists and one piercer, where they know me by name and know what I’m into. Should be enjoyable and pretty unique.