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15 Awesome ‘Great Gatsby’ Tattoos

By Emily Temple on

You may think you’re a fan of The Great Gatsby, but how committed are you really? Lots of folks have proven their love of Fitzgerald’s masterpiece by inking its words and images on their bodies — the floating face of the classic cover and the final lines are perennial favorites in this regard. After the jump, check out some of the greatest Gatsby tattoos from around the web. … Read More

Pop Culture

The Most Amazing ‘Game of Thrones’ Tattoos

By Alison Nastasi on

We’re always on the lookout for impressive tattoo art, as you probably noticed. When we spotted this wonderful fantasy-inspired ink that combines imagery and text from Lord of the Rings, Doctor Who, and The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we couldn’t help but feel like something was missing: Game of Thrones. The third season is upon us, and we’re ridiculously excited to see what happens next. With dragons and other mythical madness on the brain, we went searching for the most stunning Game of Thrones-inspired tattoos we could find. See what George R. R. Martin nerds and fans of the HBO series are inking their bodies with, and feel free to brag about your own Game of Thrones tattoo in the comments. … Read More

Music

The Most Beautiful Song Lyric Tattoos We’ve Ever Seen

By Tom Hawking on

Song lyrics are clearly a popular choice for tattoos, but the vast majority of lyrical quotes are pretty much plain old script tattoos. We have nothing against this, but it’s interesting to see tattoos where lyrics are combined with an artistic flourish, so we’ve gathered some examples of truly beautiful work that we thought we’d share with… Read More

Art

The Mysterious, Enviable Lives of Cool, Tattooed Girls Illustrated

By Alison Nastasi on

Kirsten Rothbart’s illustrations, which we first spotted on Supersonic Electronic, have a comix-inspired style and reveal the mysterious lives of cool, tattooed girls. Smoky rooms, tiger guardians, and other enviable scenarios draw us in — but the German-born artist also shows there are vulnerabilities and a longing for something more. Music has been a big inspiration on Rothbart: “I just love portraying musicians and their way of life. Or what I think is their way of life.” Take a closer look in our gallery. … Read More

Photography

From Kat Von D to Lena Dunham: An Amazing History of Women and Tattoos

By Leigh Patterson on

As of 2012, tattooed women outnumber men for the first time in American history, making the third edition of Margot Mifflin’s Bodies of Subversion more relevant than ever. Initially published in 1997, the book was the first history of women’s tattoo art and remains the primary source on the subject. The newest revision updates stories from earlier editions while expanding to include over 100 new images, as well as offering a modern take on how the public’s opinion of tattoos has… Read More

Photography

Badass Photos of 19th-Century Tattooed Japanese Mail Runners

By Alison Nastasi on

Who runs around wearing a loincloth, covered in tattoos, and delivers mail on a stick while managing not to look like an absolute fool? Japanese mail runners during the 19th century, that’s who — and they put modern bike messengers to shame. During the Edo period, tattoos became a popular form of art, and these guys are sporting some fantastic ink. Some historians debate that skin art was mainly a phenomenon amongst the lower class, but Okinawa Soba — the culture purveyor who published these wonderful hand colored photos that we found on Retronaut — points out, “the tattoo showed up everywhere in Japan — from the Ainu in the North, to the Okinawans in the South.” Check out more mail runners in our gallery, and feel sad that you’ll never look this badass in your life. … Read More

Pop Culture

30 Amazing Tattoos Inspired by Quentin Tarantino Films

By Alison Nastasi on

It’s been three years since we’ve been graced with a film from hyper director, Quentin Tarantino, but western throwback tale Django Unchained hits theaters on Christmas, and fans are brimming with anticipation. QT has only directed about 10 films (unless you don’t count the scene he shot in Sin City), but his filmography is loaded with graphic and stylish imagery that makes a lasting impression. The intensity and loyalty of Quentin Tarantino fandom ranks just about as high as Star Wars, which is why we’re not surprised to see his films etched across the flesh of adoring fans everywhere. We scouted high and low for amazing tattoos that were inspired by Tarantino’s movies — the ones he’s directed, written, and starred in. If you have your own QT-inspired tattoo, leave us a link so we can check it out! … Read More

Pop Culture

20 Amazing J.R.R. Tolkien-Inspired Tattoos

By Caroline Stanley on

If tried to sweet talk your way into a sold-out screening of The Hobbit over the weekend, then you might not be surprised to hear that there are a ton of hardcore J.R.R. Tolkien fans out there. What we imagine might surprise you is how many of those fans, secretly tucked away under all of those layers of winter clothing, have inked permanent tributes to the beloved author on their skin. We’ve scoured the Internet for some of the the most impressive Tolkien-inspired tattoos we could find — not counting the scores of designs that are people’s names or favorite sayings written in Elvish — and picked out 20 of our favorite tributes to Middle Earth for you to peruse after the jump. What do you think Gandalf the White would make of all this? … Read More

Books

The Best Literary Quotes Ever Tattooed

By Emily Temple on

We’ve all had great lines from literature stuck in our heads before. Some people choose to make the situation more permanent. Here, our favorite literary quote… Read More

Books

Amazing Tattoos Inspired by Children’s Books

By Alison Nastasi on

Since we love a good story, we couldn’t tear our eyes away from this amazing ink inspired by Richard Adams’ Watership Down, featured on Neatorama. The emotional, allegorical tale has truly touched many readers. We’ve explored tattoos honoring the best of children’s cinema before, and the time seemed ripe to seek out body art that gives a nod to the world of children’s literature. Books for young readers are filled with incredible illustrations and memorable lines, and these devotees have celebrated some of the most famous titles in clever, nerdy, intimate, and permanent ways. Click through our gallery of amazing tattoos that reference the wondrous stories and characters you’ve loved since you were a kid. If you have a children’s book-inspired tattoo, let us know in the comments. … Read More