Let me begin by saying that I am a twenty-something, Neo-Hippie purist. I believe in communing with the Earth, avoiding antibacterial wipes, and am completely fooled by bath product labels which assure me of the healing properties of bamboo charcoal or igneous flakes. I have no tattoos (although I have been debating this point for years) and the last time I received a piercing I was still collecting Pokemon cards. Needless to say, when faced with the daunting task of uncovering the mysterious subculture that is Hoboken body art, I didn’t quite know where to begin. Should I grab men and women sporting ink off the streets and beg them to spill their secrets? Infiltrate DC’s and seduce a biker? Get a tat of President Hoover on my forehead and experience the process firsthand? Thankfully, I was spared the trouble when pointed in the direction of Hoboken’s own tattoo parlor, Hoboken Body Art (107 10th St.).

The shop, which from the outside appears to be a simple one-room getup, is quickly revealed to have more in common with its premier art form than seen at first glance. A tattoo’s quiet ink may hold an entire family history, tragic event, or the tell-tale signs of too many beers, while Hoboken Body Art, well…let’s just say if you can get past the Sweeney-Todd barber chair in the foyer, the shop leads to an underground labyrinth with the friendliest of dungeon masters.Posters of Marvel superheroes mix with an eclectic collection of pin-up girls and Civil War era portraits to provide the perfect backdrop for choosing that perfect tattoo, while those working the desk sport colorful examples of the shop’s handiwork, providing a type of reassurance for those uncertain whether or not a permanent masterpiece is quite what they need.

The Artists
I’m not sure what I expected from the owner of such an establishment, but it certainly wasn’t what I found in Hoboken native Frank Altomare, involved in Hoboken Body Art since his father opened up shop in ’97. With most of his body covered in tattoos ranging from pro-American patterns to historical images with a comic book twist, Frank’s easy-going nature is evident in everything he has to say about what it’s like to be involved in such an off-kilter career. Unsure of where to begin, I blurt out, “What is it like to be the owner of such a place?” Laughing, Frank leans forward on his knees; “Well…not as easy as you’d think!”

Frank got his first tattoo at age twenty-three, the result of his father needing a fresh body on which to practice his art. Although once-upon-a-time tattoos were needed to distinguish gangs or fit into a specific urban sub-culture, Mr. Altomare insists that as of the past couple of years, ink is for everyone. Hoboken Body Art has certainly had its spread of customers, including nervous teens and grandmothers desperate for a cat on their forearm.

“What kinds of tattoos are common in Hoboken? Praying hands, rosary beads…stars, butterflies…some people come in with an idea and then end up picking one from [the pictures] on the wall!” Frank goes on to tell me about the many reasons customers come in looking for a way to decorate their bodies, including remembering the death of a loved one, feeling the need to plaster their boyfriend’s name across their chest, covering scars, or having children, but not before he stresses that the main reason folks come in for a healthy dose of needles and ink is simply because “they think it’s cool.” Well Frank, after spending two days poking my head around the shop and spending time with the colorful characters therein… I’m inclined to agree.

“People get hooked…there’s nothing like the first day after you get a new tattoo.” According to Mr. Altomare, waking up and seeing a colorful design where a pale square of skin used to be is the drug of choice for those who return again and again to the shop. But who are the faces behind these images? Who are the artists that dwell in this underground labyrinth piled with books depicting dangerous animals, geishas, tribal art, and Picasso sketches? Two tattoo artists, known simply as Mano and Jay, provide the core of Hoboken Body Art.

“Training?” Mano, an ex-graffiti artist, and Jay, a talented sketch artist, both laugh and shake their heads when I ask how they became involved in tattooing. According to them, neither tattoo master underwent any formal training in transferring paper and ink images to skin- they simply figured it out after years of practice. Mano explains, “Some people now, they might go to school for this…but then it’s not your own vision anymore, it’s someone else’s.” And vision they have- both Mano and Jay are covered from head to toe with tattoos of their own design, each with a history or story. Jay’s body is a testament to his life’s travels and experiences (he even has a giant, antique lettered “Hoboken”), while Mano sports an image that pays homage to the death of a close friend, his first practice body, with a simple “Thanks.”

While receiving as many tattoos as those employed at Hoboken Body Art may not be everybody’s cup of tea (Jay’s ears are covered while Frank’s father had his eyelids tattooed), both Mano and Jay work with customers over the course of several weeks to ensure that they provide the exact image their clients were searching for. After numerous preliminary sketches, the image is transferred from ordinary paper to stencil paper which can be placed on the skin, providing the artist with guidelines for the perfect tattoo. With the amount of time it takes to siphon an image from the client’s mind on to paper, Mano can vouch, “Working as a tattoo artist is very personal…I do it for the passion, but I meet people along the way, you know…we sometimes end up hanging out.”

Finding my courage bolstered by both the incredible atmosphere and personable artists, I decide it’s time to start asking some questions of my own. Why would it be on your minds as well? Case in point; it involves being sexy.

“Hmm….where is the sexiest place for a woman to get a tattoo?” Frank thinks for a moment and then, “Below the waist, on her thigh--or maybe on the back of the shoulder. Although I almost prefer a woman without many tattoos.” Gasp! My plan is thrown out of the window until Mano and Jay step in, informing me that a woman can be sexy with a tattoo on her lower stomach as well.

And for you men? I turn to the lone female employee and ask her opinion on a man’s sexiest tattoo location; unsure, she simply warns, “No tramp stamps.” Finally, Frank offers a word of advice for those looking to get their first tattoos: for women, he suggests trying the back of the shoulder--not too obvious, not too hidden. For men, try getting a tattoo on the upper arm or back, both places Mr. Altomare assures me look great. However, Hoboken Body Art is no stranger to crazy requests (ask Jay about the elephant), so regardless of whether you’re dying to place a zombie Sinatra on your pelvis or rock a Carrot Top tattoo on the side of your neck, this is the place. In fact, Hoboken Body Art seems to be the place for just about anything—including spending time with three amazing guys with a passion for life, color, and creating a look you can only imagine.
For more information, check out www.hobokenbodyart.com.

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