Just call us Aronson Advertising, INK.March 2017 marks the eighth annual Chicago Tattoo Arts Convention, and it’s got some of Aronson Advertising’s employees pretty excited. Held every year in Chicago at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, IL, the convention invites some of the most talented artists in the industry to showcase their skills on human-canvases from the Chicagoland area.
Whether it’s, “because I like the way it looks,” or “it means the world to me,” each and every tattoo has a unique story to tell. To celebrate tattoo culture and this year’s convention, we’ve asked some of our coworkers to share their stories with us.
Mark Villaloboz: PPC Assistant Manager
Derived from Salvador Dali’s “The Temptation of St. Anthony,” with a few modifications to make it work as a tattoo, the black and white horse on Mark’s shoulder pays homage to his love for the surrealist movement. “Seeing the divinity, mysticism and otherworldliness of everyday objects,” Mark said, “[is] what surrealism means to me, and this tattoo is a visual reminder for myself to maintain that level of perception throughout my life.”
Heidi Carpenter: Social Media Strategist
The recipient of about 50 hours of work, Heidi is no stranger to the tattoo needle. Designed and implemented by Ben Wahhh at Chicago’s own Deluxe Tattoo near Wrigleyville, you would expect Heidi’s biomech horse tattoo to gallop right off of her arm. “Ben specializes in his own biomech style,” Heidi told me. “So I asked him to do a biomech horse for me and he took it as a challenge and did a great job.”
Heidi also has a post tattoo ritual (mine is watching cartoons and taking a nap). After every tattoo session, Heidi treats herself to a sweet treat from the INCREDIBLE Margie’s Candies on Western Avenue and North Milwaukee (if you want to give your taste buds a present they’ll never forget, trust me, try the hot fudge, you WILL thank me later).
Alex Castro: Social Media Manager
Based on his favorite flower, the black and white sunflower tattoo on Alex’s inner arm is but a small piece in a larger, “full sleeve” picture. Alex’s sunflower tattoo is his favorite for many reasons. “Sunflowers remind me of my hometown (Dubuque, Iowa), they are my favorite flower, they were the first bouquet of flowers I had ever received, they look like the sun… and I LOVE Vitamin D! PLUS they are the first [of my tattoos] to become a part of a greater project, a full sleeve!”
George Landes: Digital Department Manager
It’s not a secret that, other than “The Ditch”, the ribs are classically one of the most painful areas to get tattoos (it’s true, ribs are no joke). That was no issue for the fearless George Landes. George’s favorite tattoo is of his favorite quote, the Bible’s Psalm 23:4. For George, “it is a forever reminder to myself to never give up and to never give in – no matter the challenge, no matter how afraid I might become because giving up is not an option.”
Jeremy Handel: Content Specialist
Last but not least, we have Jeremy “The Ink Guy” Handel, content specialist and tattoo connoisseur. Also the recipient of something like 50 hours under the gun, Jeremy too had difficulty deciding which one to showcase. With that in mind, he determined that the one with the most obvious (and totally corny) message behind it was the phoenix on the back of his arm (it isn’t specifically from Harry Potter, but he calls it Fawkes anyway, because he already has two HP tattoos). “They can burn me all they want,” Jeremy told his Facebook friends, “I WILL rise regardless!”
Like most of his work, Jeremy got his phoenix from Crazy Mike at the Tattoo Factory in Uptown Chicago (tell him you know Jeremy and he’ll probably give you a…hard time).
If you would like to talk tattoos with Jeremy “The Ink Guy” Handel, Alex, Mark, or Heidi, or, more likely, want to discuss how we can manage your next digital advertising campaign, contact Aronson Advertising by calling (847) 297-1700.
