Welcome to the Shamrock Tattoo Newsletter, Issue #1. Expect to see this in your mailbox roughly every three months (and occasionally at other times when we need to reach friends of the shop with a bit of information, invitations, thanks, etc.). Our reasoning behind the newsletter is two-fold: It’s practical; we can update you to any events that might be shop-related, show you photos of work in progress, and add photos of more finished work to the web-site portfolios at the same time the newsletter comes out. The other reason for putting this together is just to have some fun. It’s inevitable that while we tattoo our customers—and many or you repeatedly—bonds are formed. There’s work on both ends, no doubt: To get tattooed is to endure pain, some of it plenty intense (and though we’ve got it easier on our end, a degree of concentration is involved) but it’s under such conditions that jokes are made or transgressions confessed and friendships formed. Then again, sometimes it’s just the hum of the tattoo machines, a little shop banter, and usually Dropkick or The Ramones or The Bouncing Souls in the background—and that too is a wonderful thing. Regardless, we want you to know what a great place you’ve created. Thus the newsletter: A reminder that none of this—our jobs, the shop, its vibe—would be possible without you. So here’s some Shamrock Tattoo for you to enjoy outside the shop. And we’d love to hear from you—if there’s something you’d like us to discuss, someone you’d like us to interview, whatever, let us know and we’ll do what we can.

Patrick finished our first T-shirt design and we’ve got someone lined up for the printing job. Shirts should be ready by mid-November. Assuming we’re satisfied with the way Patrick’s design transfers, Buck will have a different design for girly-cut shirts before Christmas. We’ll keep you posted. The shop’s one year anniversary was September 19. Cheers. Below, Patrick reflects on the past year in what will be his regular column, Another Beautiful Day in Paradise. And looking ahead . . . Patrick has been in touch with Bouncing Soul’s lead singer Gregory Attonito who has, along with his girlfriend Shanti Wintergate, written a children’s book. They should be coming through town on a book tour in January and may do a reading for Patrick’s daughter’s fourth grade Garfield Elementary class. They may also do an event at the shop. More on that as details firm up. When the winter begins to drag on, as it has a tendency to do, or the holiday bullshit starts getting to you, think Paddy’s Day (Spokane’s harbinger of spring). We’ll have what we hope is an annual St. Patrick’s Day get-together at the shop (Patrick’s wife has also suggested we put a float in the parade--jury’s still out on that one). Again, we’ll send you details as the date grows nearer. We also plan to break ground on the parking lot south of the shop come spring. It should make the place look more professional and a little easier for those unfamiliar with the area to locate.

With each issue we’d like to include an interview and/or customer profile. This time around we talk at length with local tattooer Duffy Moon. Duffy was very kind to sit down with us after Kat Von D failed to respond to an interview request (seriously). Perhaps she’s too busy to accommodate a small outfit such as ours. Perhaps I shouldn’t have closed the email with “Smell ya later.” Regardless, we never got a response, but we’re not done trying. We’ll ask Kat’s co-worker Hannah Atchison next. If she’s not game, we’ll try the shop “manager”—the one with the big rack and forked tongue (literally). But we’ll interview Duffy again before we have to talk to the other cast members (got to draw the line somewhere). In a shorter segment you get to meet shop regular and all around cool chick Tania. Thanks to both for being such good sports.

Another Beautiful Day in Paradise

On September 19, 2006, Shamrock Tattoo took its first breath, and just over a year later, it’s only getting better. The addition of Buck Holland on May 9 has been the most significant change since opening. With Buck came the much improved floor plan. We lost a few things along the way: the stove, the dishwasher, the jerk who screwed up the sign. Buck and I are getting along great and the shop vibe is everything we could want. I know the next year will bring many changes and I can’t wait. Hopefully the parking lot will go in and with it a new sign. Assuming we add another tattooer, I will move upstairs, leaving Buck in charge of the first floor. Everybody asks about our slogan, "True Believer". It comes from The Bouncing Souls song of the same name. We believe in ourselves and what we are doing and not forgetting about our friends. We believe we treat our customers fairly and with respect and that will never change. Along with all the good things happening this year we had some sadness. My old friend Erno Szabady died in March. Erno was a great friend and the person who started me tattooing. I knew him more than twenty years and miss him very much. The tattoo world also lost Sailor Jerry’s successor, Mike Malone. He was an important tattooer and was responsible for preserving all of Sailor Jerry’s flash (staples of traditional American tattoo). Both gave all they had to tattooing and will be missed. Patrick Thank You Tyler, for the mini-fridges; Katie at City Yoga for putting a Shamrock link on the blog; Lilac City Rollergirls for the tickets; Ron, for all your work on our amazing website and this here newsletter; Dale Ethington for so much but especially grounds keeping/tending the plants; Nate for the help tearing up the carpet, etc.; all of you who make the trip from outside town; the Jens for their love and support; Budweiser and Guinness and those of you who brought us Budweiser and Guinness . . . . The list could go on and on, and next issue it will. But for now I’ll close with a nod to all our customers: Thanks for your support; there’d be no Shamrock Tattoo without you. Here we go, Spokane!