Brandon Twp.- R.J. Munger got his first tattoo 20 years ago, when he was 16-years-old.
The 1997 Brandon High School graduate talked his mom into giving him consent for the court jester that was inked onto his calf, and she accompanied him to the tattoo shop, getting her first tattoo as well? a rendering of Tweety, the cartoon bird.
‘I was worried about it hurting more than anything,? recalls Munger. ‘I wasn’t aware of all the things that could happen by not having it done properly.?
Julie Smith, a public health educator with the Oakland County Health Division, will discuss the potential hazards associated with tattoos and piercings and safety measures to avoid problems during ‘Body Art Smart,? a presentation planned for 7-8 p.m., Oct. 22, at the library, 304 South St., Ortonville.
‘We began offering this (presentation) because unsafe body art procedures can lead to lifelong illnesses such as Hepatitis C,? said Smith. ‘A tattoo or piercing is an open wound. You want to hope whoever is giving you that open wound is practicing procedures to not get you sick.?
Hepatitis C is a blood-borne illness caused by dirty needles or contaminated ink and the disease con be contracted from a facility that doesn’t use clean equipment. Tony Drautz, OCHD public health administrator, notes that those seeking a tattoo or piercing should ask whether an artist is licensed, when they last received training, and if their gloves are clean and needles new.
Smith adds that teenagers especially need to consider the big picture? how will that tattoo or piercing affect job opportunities and acceptance to colleges. There is no law prohibiting discrimination based on body art.
‘I don’t advise them against it, but advise them to make an educated decision,? said Smith. ‘Don’t go on spring break and get weird stuff done to your body.?
She and Drautz also emphasize that tattoos and piercings should only occur in a licensed facility, and never at parties, in hotel rooms, or in basements or garages.
While Munger’s tattoo was done in a legitimate shop, he eventually grew to regret his first tattoo, which he thought fit his personality at the time, but which others later told him resembled the Insane Clown Posse.
‘Even though it didn’t look anything like that, it was enough for me to not like it anymore,? he said. ‘It probably goes to show that you should wait until you’re at least 18 to get a tattoo.?
Munger would have that tattoo covered with another in his 20s, but his misgivings over his first ink did not deter him from getting more. He is unsure how many tattoos he has, but gets about one a year, usually in the winter, because the married father of two children, ages 11 and 2, wants to be able to go swimming with his kids in the summer. Munger’s favorite tattoo is a snake and dagger on the back of his left forearm. He doesn’t have any tattoos on his neck, face or head.
‘If I had to get dressed up and go to church with Grandma, I could,? he laughs. ‘If I wanted to, I could make it look like I don’t have tattoos, not that I’m worried about it, because I plan on doing this forever.?
Munger chose his career path as a tattoo artist when he was 18, by getting an apprenticeship at a licensed tattoo shop.
‘I thought it looked like a cool job,? he said. ‘I was always into art, and it was a way to make a living and not be a starving artist.?
The apprenticeship was hard work? Munger did the clean-up, sterilization of equipment, and even made the tattoo needles. He worked on his art, but didn’t get to do his first tattoo? a tribal sun? until he had been at the shop for a year. Now he estimates he has done thousands, from tiny stars and hearts, to full back pieces, most recently a Tibetan god astride a tiger, surrounded by flames. Tattoos have become increasingly popular over the last several years, although trends in the type and location of tattoos have changed.
When Munger first started tattooing, lower back tattoos were very common, but when they were labeled ‘tramp stamps,? they fell out of favor. Chinese symbols also were really popular for a long time. Now he says tattoos on side rib cages are popular, and he does ‘lots and lots? of lettering, from names, to quotes, prayers, and Bible verses. Munger is a good speller, but still spell checks and double checks, noting, ‘you’re putting it on somebody’s body forever.?
Many people memorialize loved ones with a tattoo, or get tattoos with their children’s names, but tattoos of a current significant other’s name is taboo, he said, calling it ‘the kiss of death, bad juju.? He doesn’t generally advise clients on their tattoos unless they ask for his advice. He does often redraw art that they bring in, however, noting that just because it looks great on paper doesn’t mean it will make a great tattoo on skin.
‘I might try to curve their idea into a better tattoo,? he said. ‘If they are a friend, I will tell them, ‘that’s not cool,? or if they are young, I will tell them if it’s a bad idea. If you are going to get your favorite band tattooed on you when you are 18, it’s a horrible idea. They won’t be your favorite band when you’re 25.?
He has had unusual requests, such as the woman who had him tattoo ‘Lady Di? on her butt because all of her friends told her she looked like Princess Diana. Munger said her friends were ‘being nice.?
One of the funnier moments in his career came when he was working at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. A biker requested his first tattoo, a skull with wings on his upper arm, but as Munger inked the tattoo, the man fainted, as well as peed his pants and puked.
‘He wasn’t intoxicated, I think he thought about it too much,? said Munger, who said other people have gotten sick while getting their tattoos as well. ‘The best part was when he stood up and said, ‘What am I going to do?? He had to walk out on the main street a mess and hundreds of bikers were going to heckle him. I was like, ‘Pull your T-shirt out and good luck.? That was his first tattoo and I doubt he’ll be a candidate to get another.?
Munger is always asked if it will hurt when he inks a tattoo, and he tells them it will. He has a book of drawings that he would like to tattoo, but more often, people come in with an idea, and he works with them to develop something that he can create.
Cost of tattoos depends on the amount of time it takes to apply. Munger has spent more than 80 hours on a tattoo, working in 3-4 hour sessions.
‘I’ve had a lot of challenging tattoos over the years,? he said. ‘Big, long, laborous ones, there is so much artwork involved to do a full backpiece, it ties up a lot of time. I want every tattoo to be the best tattoo I can do.?
Women make up slightly more of his clientele than men, and those seeking his tattoo skills come from a wide range of professions, from GM shop workers to lawyers and those in the medical field. While people typically get tattoos between the ages of 20 and 40, he does get some people in their 60s. Munger doesn’t bring up skin changes, but sometimes clients do, and he notes that if a woman plans to become pregnant, a tattoo is a chance they are taking, depending on placement.
‘If you’re old and your tattoo is sagging, it marks a time period in your life and you can say, ‘Yep, I got it when I was young,?? he said. ‘I feel like most people have tattoos, now more than ever before. It has grown in popularity from television to being more socially acceptable. Each tattoo is a measuring stick in your life? you remember how old you were and what you were doing at that time, it’s like a timepiece.?
He acknowledges there is a stigma still with certain people, but it doesn’t bother him when strangers are ‘mean mugging? him.
‘They may be judging me, but I don’t really care,? he said. ‘Maybe they think we aren’t good people and they are ignorant for thinking that.?
Munger works from noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday at Royalty Tattoo Parlour in Durand, doing between five and 15 tattoos a week, depending on the tattoos.
Tattoos will last according to how they are cared for. Sunblock is necessary to keep them from fading. Scabs can form if the proper care is not taken, or if a person goes swimming too soon after receiving a tattoo. He recommends that those seeking a tattoo really check out the facility where they plan to get their tattoo, and request portfolios from the artist. If the tattooist doesn’t have several examples of his or her art, do not get a tattoo from them.
People are often surprised when Munger tells them his job is not easy. It is difficult coming up with designs for a canvas that is not flat, but he does enjoy it.
‘I get to go to work with people who are my friends everyday and it’s a good time and I get to do art on a daily basis,? he said. ‘Everytime I finish a tattoo, people are ecstatic, you make their day almost everyday, so that is really cool, too. Sometimes you see people cry and sometimes you see them smile from ear to ear, depending on what the tattoo was for.?
For more information on’Body Art Smart,? call the library at 248-627-1460.