 BIG APPLE INK - NYC'S FUN CITY TATTOO
Change today doesn't come in nickel and dimes; it comes in the form of mini-malls. At least that's what happened to Andy Warhol's Electric Circus in the famous St.Marks area of Manhattan where tattooing wasn't formally legalized until 1991. But the Fun City story starts back in 1976 when the shop, owned by iconic artist Jonathan Shaw, first opened it's doors. It helped put the Big Apple on the tattoo charts, but eventually Shaw headed south, way south, to Brazil leaving somewhat of an ink vacuum.
Meanwhile, Daredevil Tattoo was busting out at the seams with an overload of artists and clients. When Draedevils owners, Michelle Myles and Brad Fink, discovered that Fun City was on the market, the idea of taking over the shop's location seemed like a good idea. Bottom line, in 2005 the transformation began, and Brad and Michelle did a complete makeover of the historic site staffing it with a crew of outstanding inkslingers including Fun City veteran, Steve Pedone who is the shop's manager.
When we got Big Steve on the phone he had just finished up a customer's tattoo, a cheerful babble of voices in the background attesting to a busy day at the shop. Steve tattooed at the original Fun City and now at the new version, so he has that perspective to offer as well as an overview of his fellow artists. "it was all very busy in this area even before it was legalized, but I think that now the city is more accepting of it and we can see that in the types of people coming in for tattoos.
It's fairly easy to spot Fun City even in an area of Manhattan know for funky character and color since the building right next door to Fun City appeared on the cover of the Physical Graffiti album. And there's a sign above the shop that reads "Cappuchino and Tattoo" that's been there since 1994. The guy that ran the cappuchino booth outside the shop is gone, but Fun City still holds it's ground if not it's coffee cup.....
Excerpt taken from the article by Paul Garrison.
Photos by Markus Cuff
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Michelle Myles has been getting under people's skin for more than two decades. Her work can be seen on a range of people, like Boy George, Joan Jett, Vincent Gallo, and Whoopi Goldberg. She co-owns two of the hottest tattoo shops in New York City, Daredevil and Funcity and is the only female tattoo artist running a tattoo parlor in this city.
Daredevil Tattoo has been a fixture in the New York Tattoo scene for over a Decade. Specializing in custom tattoos and a diverse crew that can deliver everything from dead on traditional tattooing to stunning Japanese style work.
This issue of Tattoo life features an article on Seth Wood. Unfortunately my issue is in Italian so I can’t offer any insight in to the article. Also the cover is shot by Daredevil’s favorite Photographer Dale May and features model Dina De Sade who sports work from Steve Von Riepen. There is an inside spread that gives us a closer look at Dina’s work from Steve.