The Teardown

This week Vegas is joined by tattooer Jalen Frizzell aka fuzzywuzzums. They chat about how apprenticeships have traditionally been violent and predatory. Exploring the benefits of a traditional apprenticeship, the process of obtaining an apprenticeship, as well as personal experiences with apprenticeships as Black tattooers. Relevant links: Fuzzywuzzums The Teardown is an editaudio

This week, Vegas is joined by tattooer, friend and studio mate Krys to chat all things tattoo trends. From Rihanna-inspired sternum tattoos to their most embarrassing trendy tattoos, they break down trends over the years and look at where the industry is going. Relevant links: Krys Ink The Teardown is an editaudio Original podcast. This episode was produced by Vegas Ink and Ali Sir

This week Vegas is joined by Tā Moko artist, painter and organizer Julie Paama-Pengelly to talk about the revitalization of the Maori art of tattooing. They talk about how the history of colonization has impacted the art and how the practice and Maori identity is being reclaimed. Relevant links: Julie Paama Pengelly Art Body Creative Studio The Teardown is an editaudio Original po

Tattoo culture has largely centered itself with substances but could things be changing? This week Vegas sits down with Faith Alexandra Marie aka Needle Imprints to discuss navigating the tattoo industry as a sober person. They chat about building community in ways that don’t center around substances and talk about how building a spiritual practice can help you stay grounded. Rel

In this episode, Vegas sets intentions for the second season of The Teardown.

This episode Vegas sits down with interdisciplinary artist, oral historian and tattooer Tamara Santibañez. They discuss how the tattoo industry has been largely unsafe for women, non-men and racialized folks and explore how to integrate trauma-informed practices within tattooing. They also unpack the ways in which the idea of "safe spaces" have been largely commodified and how to

In the final episode of this season, I sit down with Tiff Lee, owner of Heartstrong Tattoo shop in Toronto. We chat about what made us want to open our own shops and talk about ways we’re creating a new, more inclusive tattoo community. Content Warning: This episode contains talk of anti-black racism, police brutality, and drug use. Feel free to skip this episode if these topics

This week I’m joined by Joey Ramona, a queer Jewish tattooer out of Toronto’s Corner Pocket. In this episode they talk about how they incorporate religion into their tattooing practice and share their experience of starting out as one of the few Jewish tattooers in the city. Content Warning: This episode contains examples of anti-semitism and mentions of the Holocaust. Feel fre

This episode I chat with Asheville tattooer, multidisciplinary artist, DJ and herbalist Obsidian. We discuss how black artists are far too often pigeonholed into one art form and break down how white supremacy has distanced us from our traditional art forms. Links: Obsidian @maybeheaven Linnea (Obsidian’s mentor) Imani k brown @ipukekawaii Flesh and Fluid @flesh_and_fluid Jalen @

This episode I sit down with Michigan-based artist Carrie Metz Caporusso. Carrie is well known for their ‘roll flowers’, intricate floral designs that are placed in and around the creases of body rolls. In this episode they explain how they came up with the concept ‘roll flowers’ and we discuss the lack of representation of fat bodies in the tattoo industry. Content warning