People talk / Johnny Rotten
People Talk: Johnny Rotten, an artist in ink
People from almost all walks of life visit Johnny Rotten to sit in his dentist chairs, get a tattoo, buy some body art. As an artist in Lockport who specializes in tattoos, Rotten may not remember clients’ names, but he’ll recognize the tattoo.
Rotten knows the reason for each of his 35 tattoos, as well as its location on his body. In fact, he’ll be the first to tell you: It’s all about location.
PT: Location?
JR: You get one on your neck and you might not get that award-winning job. You have to think ahead. Don’t get anything on your face, your hands. We don’t do the face or hands. Don’t get a girl’s name because you’re in love. Bad decision. You don’t want to do something regrettable.
PT: What’s your real name?
JR: I prefer Rotten. Everyone knows me by that name.
PT: Your clients are loyal.
JR: Very. I get people from Dunkirk, Fredonia, Syracuse. I do tattoo conventions.
PT: What do you do at tattoo conventions?
JR: Just tattoo. What else is there to do?
PT: What percentage of your work is artistic?
JR: Every bit of it. I mean if you can’t draw a portrait, you really shouldn’t be trying. That’s the downfall of everyone seeing it on TV and such. I blame the TV shows — “L. A. Ink,” “Miami Ink.” People watch them for five minutes and then they think it’s easy to do. You can order a tattoo kit out of a magazine, but it doesn’t tell you how to be sterile.
PT: As you’re giving a tattoo, what is the most critical step?
JR: The outline. Showing them the needles in the package, so they can see the needles are brand new. They don’t go deep, just a couple of layers.
PT: You take pride in hygiene here.
JR: Yes. If you ain’t clean, you ain’t in the business — for long. I want to see this business carry on the for next hundred years.
PT: Describe the state of the local tattoo industry.
JR: It could be too much, and it could kill the business. Saturation of the system. too many people getting them. I mean bell bottoms were very big at one point. Right now, tattoos are booming. I don’t see it slowing down.
PT: What is the latest innovation?
JR: Portraits. Lot of kids. Animals. I just picked up two yesterday. I pretty much draw it until I see it in my sleep, then I tattoo. I give myself two weeks to get comfortable with the picture. Portraits are very technical.
PT: Were you a child artist?
JR: I was drawing all the time. I was a weird kid. I got a pad and pencil for Christmas. I went through phases — dogs, still life. I was always fascinated with dragons and stuff like that.
PT: How else do you express yourself?
JR: I ride motorcycles, spend time with my wife, my dogs. I own pretty much a zoo — sugar gliders, ferrets. Other than that, I just tattoo.
PT: What distinguishes your tattoo from others?
JR: Detail, shading. Makes it look more realistic.
PT: What’s hot?
JR: Names of children. Tribal had its day. Lower back tattoos for females. Armbands.
PT: There are so many people with so many tattoos. Haven’t they lost their luster?
JR: They’re addicting. You get one — find out it’s not so bad — and you want another. You can’t have one name on your body if you have two kids.
PT: Age and inebriation aside, why else do you turn people away?
JR: If they’re drinking, I don’t touch them at all. If I even smell alcohol, I don’t want them in the building. Alcohol thins the blood and it makes you make a bad decision.
PT: Tell me about a serial client.
JR: I got a guy named Big Bruce whose wife just died. In the middle of his back piece, he has a portrait of his wife. Because he’s 6 foot 9 and weighs almost 400 pounds, it took seven pieces of paper and a year and a half to finish. He’s an addict. I’ve been tattooing him for eight, nine years.
PT: Have you tattooed any priests or nuns?
JR: No. I’ve tattooed lawyers. I don’t know if I tattooed a judge, at least no one who told me. A state legislator. Lots of police officers. I did a couple of reverends. One in plainclothes — a Presbyterian — had a heart with his kids tattooed in it. Cool.
