Inked Ink Slingers

Recently I’ve been finding myself fiending for a new tattoo. While scrolling through countless images of Nordic imagery, Sith symbolism, and medieval woodcuts for inspiration, I began wondering about the ink that other writers may have inscribed upon their flesh. Amazingly, a google search for author’s tattoos brought up little, so I’ve compiled a little collection myself. Big thanks to the folks who were kind enough to share with me!

 Doug Rinaldi
Doug is an author of dark fiction, having published numerous stories in various anthologies. He also has this incredibly cool landscape piece that I’m totally jealous of. You can check out Doug’s Amazon author page here.

David Lund
David is the author of the popular Winchester Undead series of zombie apocalypse novels. I think that’s a mechanical drawing, or an electrical diagram, maybe?  Check out his books!

Christa Faust
Christa Faust is one of the best pulp writers in the world, and she is also heavily inked. Her forearm tattoo depicting a key hole made up of the famous quote, “when in doubt have a man come through the door with a gun in his hand” is of course a shout out to Raymond Chandler.

Here’s what Christa told me about her in-progress Bradbury sleeve-

 …it’s typewriter keys transforming into a wing and the banner says “building my wings on the way down.” Which paraphrases the famous Bradbury quote on how to write a novel, live life and face the future. “Jump off a cliff and build your wings on the way down.”

If you haven’t read any of her stuff, go to christafaust.com now! I recommend Money Shot!

C.L. Hernandez
The author of the Deegie Tibbs series from Winlock Press has some award winning ink with an interesting theme – the many faces of Johnny Depp! I particularly like the Edward Scissor Hands.
Be sure to check out her novel, Jar of Fingers!

Peter N. Dudar
After this Bram Stoker award finalist  adopted his daughter, he chose to commemorate the occasion with this Chinese dragon, symbolic of of fatherhood. Check out Peter’s author page, here!

Monique Happy
While not so much an ink slinger so much as an ink re-modeler, I figured that the veteran editor and head honcho of Winlock Press deserved some space in this list.

Here is what Mo has to say about her ink-
Illusions made my life unmanageable. For example: When I believe in fairy tales to the exclusion of reality, and then my dreams fail to come true, I get angry and bitter and it affects my life negatively. (Waiting for someone to come kiss me awake and take me away to a better life – Sleeping Beauty.) However, when I buckle down and work hard towards my dreams, I make my own destiny. I added the roses later. The thorny brambles that hid Sleeping Beauty’s abode? I need to fight through those myself. 

J. Rudolph
A nurse by trade, the author of the Reanimates series is as passionate about helping people as she is about the written word, going so far as to mark her back with a caduceus. Check out the first book in here series here!

Rhonda Plumhoff
The Author of Literary Chocolate shared her Zombie cupcake tattoo with me. Proof that cupcakes would eat us, if given half the chance!

And finally my own tattoos..

The Cobra one is pretty straight forward. I’m a big G.I. Joe fan and have always been the type to root for the bad guys. Plus, Cobra always had such a flashier sense of fashion!

The word “Heretic” going across my back is a bit more meaningful. It’s a statement of how my own personal belief system is in many ways at odds with how most others see the world. It also ties in with my atheism and my uncomplimentary feelings toward religion and superstition. I’d like my next piece to somehow tie into my novel, The Devoured.

Have any ink that you’d like to show off? Leave a comment or email me!