The one thing that I try to do with this monthly tattoo column is I try to make you aware of tattoo shops, not only in the New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania areas, but just about anywhere that I travel in the U.S. and happen to see a great tattoo shop. We’d be pretty silly to think that there are only tattoo shops in our area. We might have some of the best, but there are some pretty good ones out there. For instance, my fiancée and I recently took a trip to Sedona, AZ for our vacation. We heard that Maynard James Keenan from Tool and A Perfect Circle owned a winery close by in a town called Jerome, so we decided to head to Jerome for a wine tasting. Let me tell you, this town was literally a ghost town. I’m not even kidding! They actually have ghost tours because this little town has so much paranormal activity on a nightly basis and it’s very eerie looking.
After our wine tasting, which we left feeling pretty good because that was some tasty wine, we decided to walk around town. Downstairs below Maynard’s swag store, Pucifer, was a tattoo shop called The Jerome Tattoo Company, so loving to visit tattoo shops the way that I do, we decided to take a look, even though this town gave me the creeps. We walked into a really musty and rustic yet welcome-looking shop. There were tattoo stations to the right, straight ahead, and to the left. It almost had this saloon feeling when you walked in with the artists’ tattoo portfolios on a table right by the front door. At the moment, the shop had no customers, so there were no needles buzzing to entice us to get ink in the desert. So, we took a look around anyway and my fiancée and I really enjoyed the vibe in this place.
We were greeted by one of the artists, some guy named Chip. He was telling us that we happened to be in Arizona in a very low season, so the town of Jerome didn’t have as many people as it usually does visiting it. He did, however, confirm that there were many ghosts in this town. He told us not to be scared and to take a look at their artwork, which we did. As a fan of good tattoo artwork of the East Coast, I have to admit that the skin art in the deserts of the Southwest is really not bad at all. Chip and his crew did some pretty good work. Now, we never got out of Chip who actually owned the place or how many artists were in this shop, but he did tell us that it’s been there for almost 10 years and they pride themselves on its cleanliness. You can actually tell when you walk in that it was immaculate for shop in the Old West. The majority of the establishment’s clientele consisted of tourists who happen to be visiting Jerome for the day.
The other artists that were in the shop that day included Brandon Bryant, Jason Benatz, a dude named Johnny Knuckles, Adam Gilbert and apprentice Krystal Johnson. According to Chip, the shop abides by all laws surrounding the legal age to be tattooed. Obviously, they prefer appointments, but with the way the season seemed to be going, walk-ins were said to always be welcome, and for the most part, that’s what most of their clientele consists of, as they are mainly tourists. As far as prices go, Chip told me that the prices varied with each artist and the size of the piece. He wanted their customers to be happy with the art they leave with on their skin at an affordable rate.
Chip assured me that all of their needles were single-use needles and that all of their machines were autoclave sterilized on a nightly basis. I asked how the hell him and the staff were able to concentrate with the view they have right outside their door of the Canyons. (I would be looking out that door all day.) He said that you get used to it, but agrees that the view is absolutely gorgeous!
I wish there was more to write about this place, but the bottom line is that we were only there for a little while, and if you’re in Arizona, it would be a great idea for you to check it out for yourself. Plus, there is so much to do in this ghost town while you wait to be tattooed. If you are indeed in Jerome, AZ, be sure to stop by. The shop is located at 403 Clark Street in Jerome, right below Maynard’s swag shop, Pucifer. For more info, call (928) 649-2143 or visit them on Facebook, facebook.com/TheJeromeTattooCompany. Have I sent you to a crappy place yet? Trust me on this one!
Well, I’m off to check out my next tattoo spot! Who knows what state it will be in! If you have a tattoo shop that you want to suggest, please e-mail me the name of the place and whom I should ask for at tim@theaquarian.com.
