BBI stopped by the 2012 Body Art Expo at the Pomona Fairplex to visit some old friends and family. The expo is a three day event that brings some of the best black and grey artists out there and is also the springboard for a lot of new up and coming artists. Here are the few snaps. Enjoy!

Saturday night’s toast to the one-year anniversary of The Honorable Society took place in West Hollywood, California, and it certainly did not disappoint. The sterling guest list of movers and shakers, accomplished artists, and some special celebrity attendees spent a good part of the evening rubbing elbows, socializing, and talking tattoos, as well as Bound By Ink. To help lift spirits, patrons were treated to energy drinks supplied by Dr. V’s and spirits supplied by Tequila Avion and St. Germain. All of the artists at the event were congenial and never apprehensive, especially Marco Cerritelli, the host of the event and owner of The Honorable Society. If you have never been to The Honorable Society, you owe it to yourself to visit or just stop by. The place is no joke.

Mark Mahoney kicked off St. Patrick’s Day in the grandest of fashion by releasing a new ink collaboration he developed with Intenze. The new ink, appropriately called Shamrock Green, was limited to only 50 hand-crafted sets and even better was the packaging from which they came in. The Irish whiskey–inspired bottles were packaged in handcrafted wooden boxes and if that weren’t enough to impress, then the list of tastemakers and industry elite would have. Guests at the event were treated with nothing but genuine hospitality and care; once the meet and greet came to an end, the party carried on over at The Whisky in West Hollywood, California. In all, it was a kick ass get together that lived up to the name and reputation built by the legendary Mark Mahoney and the rest of the crew at the Shamrock Social Club.

The 8th Annual Ink-N-Iron festival was nothing short of spectacular. People from all over the globe congregated and celebrated their love of custom hot rods and tattoo culture; once you stepped foot onto the playground, you were instantly taken back in time to when gorgeous pinup models, cool cats rockin’ Pompadours, and the sickest hot rods on earth reigned supreme. The Queen Mary played host to 280 of the world’s best and iconic tattoo artists from 30 states and 25 countries spread over three machine-buzzing levels inside the legendary ship. In short, Ink-N-Iron is the show to attend if you want to see amazing artists and killer hot rods. The entire event itself was a task to take in all at once yet absolutely breathtaking. We can’t wait for next year!

A combination of strengths brings to life what is considered to be one of the greatest tattoo festivals the world has yet to see and Bound By Ink was there to cover every square foot. The show has been considered by many to be a portal where art is united with the artists, while doubling as a meeting point that brings with it the most creative international minds. It’s a lesson to the novice as well as the experienced, and for the heavily seasoned industry vets, it’s a networking affair alive with good spirits, great art, and a good sign of things to come. The festival, which is backed by the beautiful backdrop of Milan, Italy, continues to display the best body art from just about every discipline and style. If you haven’t been, be sure to mark it in your calendars as a “must attend.” Enjoy the pictures and we’ll see you next year!

Jack Rudy, Charlie Cartwright, and the crew at Goodtime Charlie’s Tattooland celebrated their 35th anniversary, and the turnout was stellar and a clear indication of their history in the tattoo industry. Supported in conjunction with Sullen Clothing and H20 Ocean Tattoo aftercare, the get together celebrated decades of not only changing up the game but also giving it the foundation by which they’ve built a reputation of excellence and nobility.

Goodtime Charlie’s is the mecca of tattoo parlors, and its figureheads, Jack Rudy and Goodtime Charlie Cartwright, are part of tattoo’s Mount Rushmore. All things considered, those who turned out for this event realize this wholeheartedly, and it was good to see these greats celebrating a monumental occasion not reached by many tattoo artists. Goodtime Charlie’s has seen its fair share of noteworthy artists and apprentices, while the two mainstays have willingly passed on their teachings to that deserved few.

Tattoo legend and entrepreneur Mario Barth has built a huge empire based on one common denominator: tattoos. As an artist he’s highly respected, and as a businessman he’s adored and envied, but when it comes to his tattoo expo he’s setting the benchmark for a three-day show which brings out all the bells and whistles. With more than 1,000 artists from all over the world, his show is a frenzy of creativity and art, showcasing talent all the way from Japan, Ireland, Italy, and the list goes on. With celebrities like Sylvester Stallone, Evan Seinfeld, Guns N’ Roses, and Jack Osbourne attending events both past and present, Mario Barth’s show is a must-see for anyone into skin and ink.

Held in Mexico City at Expo Reforma, this captivating tattoo expo was put together by Tony Serrano, from Tatuajes Mexico, and two other founders, Indio Reyes (Tatuajes De Reyes), and Danny Yerna (Wakantanka). The usual suspects were in attendance with guns in hand and cases in tow; and with more than 100 selected artists from all around the globe, enthusiasts were sure to see the artist of their choice in attendance. Be on the lookout for even bigger plans for this show, as it’s set to expand and go to the next level.

Once a year, casino bugavilias plays home to the Guadalajara Tattoo Expo, an event that is adored and visited by many from all around the world. Already the recipient of international acclaim and historical fame, this three-day event is regarded by many as the best tattoo expo in Mexico. Created by Sammy Ramirez and located in the heart of Guadalajara, Jalisco, artists such as Indio, Julio, Sergio, El Chocky, and Paco brought their best to the table, and these were just a few of the big-time names who were in attendance. If you missed out on this year’s event, make sure to mark your calendar and stay up to date by visiting them at: WWW.SAMMYTATTOO.COM

Attracting in excess of 20,000 spectators, the London Tattoo Convention is a three-day affair that makes its mark in history as one of the heavyweight events in the European tattoo circuit. Last year, they celebrated their fifth anniversary, and the results were both stunning and spectacular in terms of attendance, venue location, art, and artists. The London Tattoo Convention was covered by newspapers and TV news programs globally and was billed as one of the most important events of the entire cultural season in London.

After the first three years, the enormous flow of visitors forced the organizers to reconsider the space, and the first new element of last year’s edition was the new location. After three years at the Old Truman Brewery in Brick Lane, the convention was moved to Tobacco Dock, a beautiful, totally renovated Victorian building located in the heart of London a few minutes from the Tower Bridge.