The
History of Bob's Tattoo
How
it all began
25
Years and still going Strong
Well it all
started with
a kid that was getting into a lot of trouble and his friends told him,
“Hey Bob, you’re a artist why don’t you do some
tattoos on us”, of course I laughed and told them they were crazy
and to screw off. But what kind of a story would this be if that was
it. So I thought about it and said what the hell and it started. I was
only 17 years old at this time. I watched and learned first, it was the
needle and thread way of tattooing (jailhouse). That quickly
changed to a cassette played motor and a Bic pen and a guitar string.
Fortunately that went by fast too. Then I talked to Rob who was doing
tattoos out of his house in Derry NH. I saw him working and saw he had
this hot little girlfriend and all this shit he was getting from doing
tattoos (TVs money cars etc) and though DAMN. I hung out with him and
watched some more and saw a lot of new things I didn’t know. So
he asked me to do a tattoo on him for a set of my very first tattoo
machines -REAL MACHINES. I said “Hell Ya!” and started
doing tattoos. I moved up fast, learning fast. After a year or so I
went to a shop in Derry NH and asked bill if he needed any help. He
asked how long I have been doing tattoos and where have I worked.
I told him I had been
doing
tattoos at the house and
never worked at a shop before. He told me that he needed someone with
years of experience working in tattoo shops and that he was sorry. I
was pissed and left, you know how it goes. They say need a person with
experience but wont give us a chance to get any. So I waited for
another few months and went in again. I asked Bill again in front of a
customer, he still said no. The customer said if he could get his
tattoo cheaper then he would let me do it. I looked at Bill and asked
him if I did it at his shop he would get all the cash and if the work
was good enough then he would hire me. He agreed.
I worked for 8 hours
straight on
the tattoo and charged
him $265.00. Bill got the money and I got the job at Bills Tattoo
Palace. I worked there for a year helping Bill build the shop, it was
great. I was doing tattoos and hanging with all the guys making money
doing what I loved. Well some things happened and I moved on. I opened
my own shop in 1990 in Seabrook NH on RT 1. All I had I was $1000.00
and 3 books of flash and like four chairs and a desk, man I wish I had
pictures of those days.
Well times were tough,
rent
needed to be paid so I
thought hey, girls make money, sex sells. I started having oil
wrestling girls there on the weekends. That’s right come in get a
tattoo and watch girls roll around in oil until we are ready for you.
That lasted for a few months until it was getting out of hand, by this
time a lot of the locals new who I was and my work had got a chance to
get out there where they could see it. I have this one customer Mark
who was there every friggin week letting me tattoo him. He did his best
to bring in everyone and anyone he could. I’m telling you without
Mark Boupree, Bob’s Tattoo Paradise would not be here today he
was and is a great customer and a true friend for life, MARK I
OWE YOU EVERYTHING THANK YOU MY FRIEND.
So moving on, after a
fall out
with the landlord I had to
move my shop down the road about a mile or so still in Seabrook NH, and
opened again and have been there ever since it will be 25 years on Jan
3rd, 2015. I am blessed and still feel like a am getting a gift
everyday that someone lets me tattoo them and become a part of there
lives forever.