This week, we dipped out toes into the waters of extreme Giants fandom. As it turned out, the guy who shaved the Giants logo into his head seemed pretty tame compared to the mysterious "Travis from Queens" who tattooed Eli Manning giving Peyton Manning a noogie on his butt. We've tracked down Travis to ask him all about his giant Giants tattoo, and how he ended up inscribing the Manning brothers on his derriere: "It's about time Easy E gave his big bro some noogies and I wanted my tush to be the forum for this occasion." more ›

Today in scaremongering: the FDA has recently launched a new tattoo study, focused on a chemical in black ink called benzo(a)pyrene, which may give you cancer. Their studies on lab animals have shown that it could lead to skin cancer and malignant melanomas. These concerns have been around for a few months, however, and as of now "doesn't seem to concern tattoo artists or their clients." (For the record, two out of two Gothamist staffers with black ink aren't that concerned, though one declared: "I have enough possible made up ailments to worry about!"). But maybe this Daily News story will? more ›

People get tattoos of the darndest things, but still, this tat that New York Shitty recently spotted in the wild is worth noting! Yes, people, that is R2D2 stylized as the Virgin of Guadalupe being held up by C3PO. And yes, it is awesome. more ›

Parents are not pleased with the latest Barbie to hit shelves, complaining that she's inappropriate for the delicate eyes of children. The tokidoki Barbie sports a neon pink bob, is covered in elaborate tattoos, and walks a spike-covered pet named Bastardino. Which actually sounds like...the coolest Barbie on the market in years! more ›

Visual artist David Shrigley will be in Brooklyn inking locals later this month. According to ArtNet, his fans enjoy getting his "stick-figure designs and one-word mantras" put on their bodies (they really do!), so to celebrate his latest book, he'll be on hand at WORD Bookstore later this month with a Sharpie. more ›

Really, Brooklyn? Citizen Ink Studios in Sheepshead Bay is offering up a "Survived the Quake" tattoo to their customers... and people are getting it! 25-year-old owner Joe Khay says it took him five minutes to sketch the design, which he posted on Facebook and was meant to be a joke. But Jonathan Berg, a 21-year-old regular customer, came in and got the design permanently inked onto his torso for $30. more ›

So while Mike Tannenbaum was off signing Plaxico Burress and keeping Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes, everybody's favorite fan of pretty feet and football alike, Jets coach Rex Ryan, went and got a tattoo. A really ugly tattoo on his right calf that has quickly been mocked up and down the internet. But what does it mean? more ›

Back in 2009 New York Magazine profiled a young man who was more than happy to filch fine fashion to feed his clothing fixation. But apparently 20-year-old Kevahn Thorpe's obsession got the best of him since then. He was recently arrested in a tattoo shop buying a YSL tat for his neck with a stolen credit card. He had previously gotten, also with a stolen card, Fendi's double-F logo below his right ear. more ›

Get the gift that never fades next Sunday, when tattoo artist Adam Suerte celebrates the 128th birthday of the Brooklyn Bridge with a $28 Bridge-themed tattoo deal at his shop, the appropriately-named Brooklyn Tattoo. Wimped out last year, when he pulled a similar stunt, but for a dollar cheaper? Well, kids, the bridge ain't getting any younger, and the price will only go up as it ages. more ›

Is this anonymous woman now the title-holder of the world's most regrettable tattoo? It may look simple enough, with the word "VEGAN" inked discreetly inside of her mouth. However, it turns out that black tattoo ink is more often than not made with burned animal bones. According to Boing Boing, this was pointed out to her on her Facebook page after she proudly posted the photo of her inked-up inner lip. The site writes that the "string of congratulations comes to an abrupt end when one friend points out that black tattoo ink is made from burnt animal bones, and thus the VEGAN in question will forever have an animal product in her mouth." more ›

We'd like to think that most people wouldn't go this far for a deal, but times are tough if you don't feel like shopping at Old Navy. Marc Ecko is promising 20 percent off for life...if you get one of two tattoos of a Marc Ecko logo. While weird, the offer makes for the best fine print ever: "Tattoo must be permanent, not temporary...Cannot be combined with any other offers." As always, double check to make sure the offer is legit so that you don't suffer this man's fate. more ›

Maybe Charlie Sheen is explaining his odd behavior through his new tattoo: It's a quote from Apocalypse Now (which starred his dad), "Death from Above," with an apple and dripping blood. Sheen said on Alex Jones' radio show, "[It's] the banner from the death card that Kilgore is throwing on his victims, but there's also falling from it, is the apple from The Giving Tree. There's my life. Deal with it. Oh wait, can't process it? Losers. Winning. Buh bye." Because he's totally going Colonel Kurtz by way of Shel Silverstein? Except he's got porn stars (Bree Olson is with him in this picture) by his side, not apples or an army. more ›

The 57-year old son of one of the Big Band era's most famous bandleaders was arrested in Manhattan this morning after movers discovered a huge cache of weapons in a suitcase he was shipping, including "an AK-47 assault rifle, a shotgun, two rifles, 96 knives and more than 2,800 rounds of ammunition," according to ABC News. more ›

A Chicago artist sent Chicagoist a photograph demonstrating his commitment to the Windy City: A new tattoo that says "Chicago Style" amidst a hot dog, slice of pizza, Chicago skycrapers, and former governor Rod Blagojevich. Oh, and there's some payola too. This worries us, because if we see an Eliot Spitzer tattoo with the Statue of Liberty on one side, Ashley Dupre on the other and some thin crust pizza and black socks, we'll know it's the end of days. Or maybe end of days will be the Pedro Espada Jr. tattoo (with images of sushi, Pedro G., etc.) more ›

A 17-year-old Queens teen got the words "Carpe Diem" tattooed onto the inside of his wrists last summer at Village Pop Tattoo in Greenwich Village—pretty sick, right? Problem is, state laws say that you have to be 18 to be inked, and now his mom is suing. Carpe Diem, indeed. more ›

Tattoo artist Adam Suerte, who brought you the Red Hook Sugar Refinery tattoo of aught-nine, is back with a Brooklyn Bridge tattoo in honor of the landmark's 127th anniversary. If you're willing to get the design inked onto your body for eternity, it will only cost you $27 (though you can still get an original manhole tattoo for free). His Brooklyn Tattoo shop will be offering this deal on Sunday May 23rd, the day before the Bridge’s 127th anniversary. more ›

A suspect in a Long Island hate crime got a prison-style Swastika tattoo after watching the HBO series Oz, according to court testimony. “I didn’t ask about it,” said Keith Brunjes, the 18-year-old who administered it with ink, a needle and thread. “He wanted it.” His "best friend" Jeffrey Conroy is the first of seven teens to go on trial for the fatal stabbing of Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero in late 2008. The group is thought to have routinely terrorized Hispanics for sport in a practice dubbed "beaner hopping." more ›

While the NYPD continues to rely on old-fashioned stop-and-frisks, the department is also fighting crime with a high-tech computer database that parses through police records, accident reports and other documents to quickly find the identities of suspects and victims. In a room that reportedly "resembles a Las Vegas sports book" or a set from Judge Dredd, detectives search through databases of tattoos, birthmarks and scars, missing teeth and gold teeth, limps and their severity, and skin blotches. more ›

Former Knicks albatross Stephon Marbury has signed a contract to play professional basketball in China. The 32-year-old Coney Island native will become the highest profile American player to make the jump to Asia when he joins the Chinese Basketball Association's Shanxi Zhongyu team. more ›

Back in July 21-year-old singer Rihanna was spotted inking up some others at East Side Ink tattoo parlor in the East Village. The problem is that's not so legal when you aren't licensed, so now the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has cited the shop for "operating with an unlicensed tattoo artist on site." Her longtime tattoo artist, BangBang, was the first to get marked by the singer, getting an "R" on his leg. Two other resident artists got the same; the owner says, "She hadn't done that before. We had a blast. It was so funny and cute." The fine could go up to around $2,000—but we're guessing that's pocket change for the singer, and maybe she'll help out her friends—though with all this publicity she's probably already done her part. more ›

According to Rihanna Buff (your ultimate online Rihanna news source?), the singer was in the East Village yesterday getting tattoo lessons at East Side Ink. The fan blog reports, "All the black she’s been wearing is getting kind of repetitive, but I can deal with it." So understanding. Anyway, she was allegedly there for a sketching class; could Rihanna be looking for a second career? You know what...Rihanna says, "Just live your life/ay ay ay/Intead of chasing that paper." However, she does have an $18,000 a month rental in SoHo to pay for. UPDATE: TMZ went and ruined the fun, they posted about the illegality of Rihanna touching a needle without a license, and now the NYC Health Dept. are sending someone down to the shop. Meanwhile, the singer could be charged with three misdemeanors. more ›

Last week, an 18-year-old Belgian girl claimed that a Romanian tattoo artist mistakenly put 53 tattoo stars too many on her face. Kimberley Vlaeminck, who said she wanted three stars near her eye, sued the tattoo artist for $14,000 for the cost of removing the tattoos, while Rouslan Toumaniantz maintained Vlaeminck wanted all 56 stars. Now the teen has confessed to her misguided desire: "I asked for 56 stars and initially adored them. But when my father saw them, he was furious. So I said I fell asleep and the that the tattooist made a mistake." As for Toumaniantz, he said the hubbub gave him publicity, but he will require clients to sign consent forms. It's unclear whether Vlaeminck is getting the tattoos removed, but if she does, it could take a while—as local dermatologist Dr. Jonathan Zizmor told us, "If you come in and say take it off in one time, it doesn't make a difference on the size. You have to come in multiple times so it goes away. Sometimes on certain colors it doesn't work well." more ›

Feeling a pang of nostalgia for the former Revere Sugar Dome and factory in Red Hook? The site may have been leveled, but the spirit of it lives on. Gowanus Lounge received a photo (above right) from Adam Suerte of Brooklyn Tattoo, along with the story of a man and his wife who were leaving their home in Red Hook for Puerto Rico. "One of their favorite views down by the water was of the Revere Sugar Refinery. So, being a fan of my style, he asked me to do a drawing of the refinery, then tattoo it on him. And so it was." What demolished building would you have permanently placed on your skin? more ›

A reader pointed out that though the Post and NY Times mentioned that Knicks captain Stephon Marbury had a new tattoo on the left side of his head, neither publication bothered to bless the public with an image of this new addition. more ›

As if the graffiti and anti-hipster sentiments weren't enough to prove that Staten Island may indeed be Williamsburg II, the borough is raising the bar by opening up NYC's first ever tattoo museum! How hip is that? It's set to open this summer in a space above one-named local Dozer's Island Tattoo shop. The SI Advance notes that the plan is "to create three tableaux in the 500-square foot space, with automated mannequins depicting tattooing methods. Video and sound elements will add explanation and atmosphere to each scene." Other relics and photographs of the hundreds of firefighters who came in for their official commemorative WTC tattoos will also be on display. As a nice side note: All money from each of those tattoos has been given to firefighters and their families. Dozer is sure to be the main attraction of the museum, however, along with his 6-year-old son, who the paper claims is "an aspiring gynecologist." more ›

Ashley Alexandra Dupre, also known as "Kristen," the high-class prostitute former governor Eliot Spitzer visited on Valentine's Day eve, strutted her considerable stuff at a New Jersey beach yesterday and there was a photographer on the scene to provide enough photos for the Daily News to give us this gallery. more ›