Tattoo Shops In Los Angeles Here Comes Mr. Inkwells Classy Tattoos

Tami Martina

Interview with Tyler Martina

Tyler, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always been into tattoos. Tattoos are an amazing form of art that has been around for thousands of years and have been helping people express themselves in a very cool way. Although tattoos have been around forever they have just recently become an accepted part of our cultural identity. Although they are becoming more mainstream one thing has remained the same… the “Tattoo Shop”.

Now don’t get me wrong, there are some great tattoo shops out there, however, there are many that are unfriendly, not upfront with the pricing, you don’t know the quality of the tools or inks, and they seem a little dirty. These tattoo shops are stuck in the past and have not progressed to meet the needs of clients as tattoos have gained popularity and the client base has changed.

So, one day I am in the car on my way to get some new ink. This trip to get more ink is going to take 7 hours round trip… why so long you may ask? Because, I wanted to get my tattoo at a shop I trusted, and it so happened that the only place I knew I could trust was a 7-hour round trip away.

That’s when It clicked, I said to myself “This is ridiculous!” There has to be a better way, a way that you can go to a tattoo parlor and know that it is going be a good experience, upfront pricing, clean place, good quality inks, and of course great artists.

Light bulb moment. That’s when I decided that if a place like that didn’t exist I would create one… And that is when Mr. Inkwells Classy Tattoos and the Mr. Inkwells Guarantee was born.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road isn’t always easy when trying to create something new and different. This was especially true in the case of Mr. Inkwells Classy Tattoos.

“Tattoo shops” have always got a bad rap, and a lot of the tattoo shops out there have been living up to those expectations. This means that cities, shopping malls, and just about everywhere you want a business need a lot of convincing, persuading, and of course money to take a chance on a new kind of tattoo shop.

Next, you need to find great artists that want to be a part of the revolution. Luckily there are amazing artists in southern California who know that creating a place that customers will love will help them share more of their incredible art to the world.

Then just like Field of Dreams, you build it, however unlike the movie they don’t instinctively come. That brings us to the struggle that never ends… Marketing. Let the public know who you are, what you do, where you do it, and most importantly why they should use you.

That is the journey of any creator, the struggles are what make quest worth it, The trials make life fun. You must love the process, if not then you should probably be doing something else.

Mr. Inkwells Classy Tattoos – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Mr. Inkwells Classy Tattoos is designed to be your one-stop shop for Tattoos. We make the normally difficult process of getting a tattoo Easy and Enjoyable.

To help make your decision easy we have the Mr. Inkwells Guarantee which includes:
-Upfront Pricing
-Top Quality All Natural Inks
-Clean and Classy Shops
-World Class Artists

We are known for great tattoos and of course a great experience. And we don’t leave you after you get your tattoo either, no, we help you keep that tattoo looking great by providing with aftercare process products.

The thing that makes me the most proud of Mr. Inkwells is how happy our clients are. I love seeing the smiles and hearing them talk about how great the experience was. Then seeing those clients bring in their friends and family.

I think the main reason why we see this success is our team and the environment we have built. Like in the days of great artists like da Vinci we have created an artists workshop, a place where everyone works together to create great art for our customers. Living art that people can use to truly express themselves. And I think that is something very special.

We also do a lot of fun things, we are kind of the Disneyland of tattoos. We hand out bubble gum to everyone, the shop also always smells like bubblegum, not like other tattoo shops. Our brand is cartoon characters, there is Mr. Inky, Mrs. Inky, and the villain Grumpy Gator. The shop is also themed on the cartoons, so it feels like you are walking into Toontown in the Roger Rabbit movie.

We are also home to a 25 cent tattoo candy machine. That’s right, 25 cents for a real tattoo. It’s a bit like tattoo roulette, you put in a quarter then you get one of our characters. People love it, and you can’t beat the price!

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment is when customers tell me, their friends, and their family how great of an experience it is at Mr. Inkwells. It is great knowing that your vision is really what people are looking for, that people really love and enjoy something that you spend so much time and effort in creating.

I see the tattoo industry continuing to grow, and as the industry grows I see a lot of room for advancement. There is going to be a lot of innovation coming soon, and I am glad to be part of that. To be on the forefront of the revolution.

Tattoos are becoming more and more mainstream, and there needs to be people and shops in place to meet the needs of these “new tattoo consumers”. The shift is happening and we are on the cusp of something new. Tattoos are not just for outlaws any more, they are for everybody. And Mr. Inkwells Classy Tattoos is here to make getting a tattoo easy and enjoyable for everyone.

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