Milwaukee has a long list of ink shops on all sides of town. Some have changed hands or come and gone over the years, but a core group has been in business for many years. Although some believed tattoos would become a fad of the '90s, for the most part, they've remained fashionable with a variety of different social groups, from hipsters to bikers to sorority gals.
Recently, the tattoo world's sub-genre of literary tattoos garnered limelight through Web sites like Contrariwise.org and a book called "Literary Tattoos from Bookworms World Wide." Here are numerous Milwaukee people with lit tats along with commentary from a local artist.
I went to Adambomb, 2028 N. Martin Luther King Dr., and owner Adam Werther tattooed the Milwaukee Tool logo on my left forearm. I know I am not the first Milwaukee patriot to pick this, but it has appealed to me for many years.
After more than a decade of owning the tattoo shop Adambomb, Adam Werther is accustomed to drawing for clients. Now that the economy slowed down business a little bit, Werther is able to focus on fine art and drawing for himself.
In preparation for the ink needle, some people might decide to have a drink -- or four – to gain liquid courage, but most tattoo artists don’t recommend it.