Being A Lifelong Creative with Roman Abrego

Send us Fan MailOn 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 lines. Jeremy shares his background in digital art and music, how a blown-off tattoo appointment led him to meet his mentor Michael Conklin (now his shop co-owner), and how he transitioned from working at Apple’s Genius Bar to full-time tattooing with support from his now-wife while facing skepticism from a previous marriage. The group discusses learning methods (fake skin vs real people, watching tattoo livestreams), critiques viral social media takes like “coil machines are obsolete,” reacts to ultra-fine single-needle work and a botched tiger coverup to highlight why coverups are difficult, and talks about what drives engagement in tattoo content. Jeremy plugs upcoming convention work in Baltimore and shares how he tattooed the band Holding Absence after “shooting his shot.”Support the show

Send us Fan MailThe 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, the value of academic realism fundamentals, and why tattooing often requires breaking painting “rules” (like avoiding outlines) to embrace tattoo rules that age well. The conversation explores how illustration and visual storytelling translate into tattooing, plus a bar story where Matt draws a “meaningful, risky, sexual tiger.” The episode shifts to mental health and accountability in tattooing, reacting to a public social media meltdown by a well-known artist, then broadens into how online outrage, reviews, and public venting spiral, emphasizing professionalism and not being a creep.Support the show

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Send us Fan MailThis 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 and time in Wisconsin, and how meeting artists like Mike Cole, Carson Hill, Nick Baxter, shaped his path into hyperrealism and biomech. He reflects on building and running multiple shops (including in Yucaipa, Melrose, and Brazil), nonstop travel, long tattoo sessions, burnout, and the sacrifices tattooing can demand from family life. Roman discusses stepping back to reset, creating beyond tattooing, staying grounded, upcoming TV project plans, and offers advice to draw or create every day and keep pushing.Support the show

Send us Fan MailThis 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 tattoo “hot takes,” arguing that “bold will hold” still matters, fine line can last when tattooed correctly, and different styles often attract different clients. They criticize content that glamorizes poor technique, discuss spiritual “energy” claims about tattooing, and debate artist loyalty when working between multiple shopsSupport the show

Send us Fan MailThe 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 tour, and starting a van-recorded podcast, “Between Appointments,” about what tattooers do outside tattooing and their favorite local spots. The conversation covers rock climbing and hand/grip training, convention seminars and networking, and the economics and quality issues of $10 tattoo shops. They debate tattoo “literacy,” how clients perceive good vs bad work, trends making tattoos feel disposable, and the difficulty of laser removal. The group reacts to a badly blown-out neck tattoo, AI-generated convention banners and posters, and a bizarre toy-like tattoo machine design, and ends with a comedian’s joke about blackout tattoos.Support the show

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Send us Fan MailThe 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 tattoo work versus casual videos, and the use of shirtless “hooks.” Conversation turns to cultural and economic forces behind minimalist/fine-line trends, tattoo pricing inflation, and how reduced disposable income affects demand, with historical parallels to past tattoo cycles. They criticize poor fine-line technique tutorials and “expert” posturing, debate tattoo permanence and removal, and react to videos of tiny micro tattoos, street tattooing in India, and a veteran artist warning about health risks and longevity. Guest Missy (Bluebird Tattoo, Hanover, PA) shares shop ownership lessons, keeping teams manageable, an adjacent tattoo-themed Airbnb project, her Etsy merch sales, and plugs her podcast Bound by Art focused on business and mindset.Support the show

Send us Fan MailJoe 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 “content” tattoos, oversharing trade knowledge for likes, and companies using AI imagery for tattoo conventions and product ads, while noting AI can be a useful tool when used responsibly. They debate originality being punished, clients driving copycat demand and lower budgets, and how rising costs are colliding with downward pressure on tattoo prices. The hosts react to viral posts about extreme tattoo pricing and videos showing questionable technique, then pivot to promoting the free “Tattoo Hoedown,” a hands-on gathering focused on camaraderie, art-making, and education (coils, needles, sign painting) in Lenoir, North Carolina on March 29–30.Support the show

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