Honest Tattooer Podcast
Episodes
184 episodes
Neo-Pre-Eckelism with Russ Abbott
Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano welcome guest Russ Abbott back to the Honest Tattooer podcast and discuss his major fitness changes, how improved health impacts tattooing, and the ergonomic setup he uses to stand while tattooing. Russ explains his...
Heads Up! with Michael L.
Jon Mesa, Matt Truiano, Gabe (“G Money”), and guests Michael L. and Matt Buck play Heads Up Tattoo artist edition hosted by Vega to identify tattoo-related “personalities” taped to their foreheads—some real tattooers and some decoys. They debat...
Shop Managing with Bunnie Lebowski
Jon Mesa and Matt Truiano talk with special guest Bunny about her path through tattoo culture from the early 1990s to New York City. Bunny recalls getting a first hand tattoo at 14 in Milan, then finding a safe community working around a Milan ...
What Keeps A Tattooer Going For Hours with David Martinez and Dat
The Honest Tattooer podcast welcomes guests David and Dat discussing their backgrounds, preferred styles, and the realities of long back-to-back tattoo sessions, including managing skin trauma and the mental side of sitting. They talk abo...
West Coast Tats In Jersey with Ses
The hosts interview Ses about how tattooing was harder to enter in the early ’90s without the internet, leading him to start underground as a “scratcher,” build a mail-order tattoo supply/flash hustle, and eventually learn by hanging around Fat...
Solving Your Problems with Pony Lawson
On the Honest Tattooer podcast, Jon, Matt, Ermes, and Pony read listener letters about common tattoo shop problems: shops favoring artists with big social followings, two artists dating and bringing relationship tension into the workplace, and ...
Tooling Around with Joshua Bowers
We back guest Joshua Bowers about a year after his last appearance, this time with show-and-tell including the Steel Driver rotary that emulates a coil stroke, the Heavy Hand weighted pencil grip (plus an Apple Pencil prototype), and a battery ...
Painting With Blood with Vincent Castiglia
In this podcast episode, tattooer and fine artist Vincent Castiglia explains how he began using blood as a medium, describing its unique kinetic energy and personal connection. He details the technical process—collecting blood (initially via di...
A Couple Of Funny Guys with Phil Luck and Stevie Wells
This week we welcome guests Stevie “Crazy Stevie” Wells and Phil Luck. They discuss the overhead of large shops, a global slowdown in tattooing, and how social media has changed community and communication. The conversation contrasts street sho...
Everything Happens for a Reason with Jeremy Schad
On the Honest Tattooer Podcast, we talk with special guest Jeremy Schad from Syracuse, New York, who started tattooing in 2019 during COVID through an informal mentorship that drilled clean linework and helped him become known for fine, crisp l...
Talking About Art with Matt Buck
The hosts celebrate Matt Buck’s birthday and apprenticeship “graduation day,” reflecting on his years tattooing and how his perspective changed after realizing the medium’s limitations and longevity needs. Buck discusses his fine art training, ...
Being A Lifelong Creative with Roman Abrego
This week we talk with realism and biomechanical pioneer Roman Abrego, who has tattooed for about 25 years, including in prison and on the streets. Roman shares his early life as a standout baseball athlete, his roots in San Bernardino an...
Starting With An Ebay Kit with Nico Negron
This week we talk with realism tattooer Nico Negron from Northport, New York, about starting tattooing with an eBay kit in 2006, how tattoo culture has changed, and the opening of his new shop, Icon Tattoo.The group reacts to viral...
Tattooing Is Too Accessible with Nick Bones
The hosts welcome Las Vegas tattooer Nick Bones, who has tattooed for 20 years in a traditional-ish pop culture style and plans to spend the next two years traveling in a self-built camper van doing guest spots, promoting stops like a band on t...
Is Tattoo Culture Shifting? with Missi Blue
The hosts discuss a shift back to Instagram from TikTok for tattoo discovery, debating new Instagram features like trial reels and follower-only early release posts. They critique content-first tattoo marketing, low engagement on strong t...
Tattoo Hoedown with Joe Capobianco
Joe Capobianco returns to discuss how business has been slow and how social media algorithms, influencer culture, and corporate consolidation are warping tattooing, client expectations, and pricing. The conversation critiques low-quality “conte...
Philadelphia Tattoo Convention 2026 And Reactions To INSANE Videos with Maggie Serpica
The Honest Tattoo Podcast recaps this year’s Philadelphia Tattoo Convention with returning guest Maggie, comparing it to last year’s poorly reviewed event. Maggie reports the convention was moved into a smaller, more manageable room with fewer ...
Mastering Social Media With Vicky Stoner
In this episode of the Honest Tattooer Podcast, we dive deep into the world of social media with Vicky Stoner as she shares her journey from managing a tattoo shop to becoming a proficient tattoo artist, emphasizing the importance o...
How To Succeed In Tattooing In 2026
In this episode, we discuss why talent alone doesn't build a successful tattooing career. The conversation explores the importance of handling business basics, such as communication, timeliness, and follow-up, and how these simple practices can...