In this instalment of ‘Inkfected’ the Zombieking makes his way to Ottawa, Ontario Canada to Freeworld Tattoo and Piercing at 139 Preston Street to get inked by Scott McCauley. So to clear all the confusion, YES this is a shop in the Zombieking’s hometown. Finally a shop has all the right components in place in Ottawa, it’s almost like a tattoo collective holding such a variety of styles under one roof. Freeworld has been open just over a year and features several artists, some of which apprenticed in the shop in it’s infancy, some with several years of experience under their belts… but what impressed me was how everyone interacts with each other and their clientele. There is an immediate connection, shop elitism that is so prevalent in other shops in Ottawa just doesn’t exist here. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great artists in Ottawa, but this shop just has… ‘it’. That undefinable thing that made me settle right in with the staff and chatter. There is almost an equal number of women artists as men, the piercing facilities are fabulous, and the shop is easily one of the cleanest I’ve seen!
But let’s get to the meat of the matter- The tattoo that was designed for me by Scott! As you know, the artists are given free reign to design the piece that they wish to have featured here and Scott did a doozy- taking influence from the movie ‘The Dead’. His palate was a rainbow of colours that I did not expect… check it out:
We settled in for the session, sharing stories of our increasingly alike obsessions in his eclectic work space filled with several toys, figures, statues and collectibles. I asked him about his experience, 7 years of tattooing, a passion for drawing even as a child. All the while the rotary machine worked, the time just flew by.
Scott’s easy going nature along with fellow tattoo artist Gretta Alva’s blues music I almost didn’t cry like a child that much! The really telling thing for me was when I asked Scott if he was just guesting here and he said, “No, man…this is home!” There were a couple other people getting work done and since I did my piece, I have dropped in a few more times- the shop is always abuzz with people getting inked .
Here is the piece after healing:
Final Thoughts- If the article isn’t clear enough, let me be frank, I cannot recommend Freeworld Tattoo and piercing enough… in fact, I would go so far to say that this is my new ‘home’ shop. Don’t take my word for it though, try them yourself!
Hi all, just a quick reminder to check out our FACEBOOK PAGE for content that does not appear here, all our updates from the various conventions and trips!
We are really proud of this new section of the site- it’s called ‘Inkfected’ (with thanks to Lydia from the OH crew for the name) and it’s all about Tattoos and Tattoo artists! In the first installment we are REALLY stoked to have a bona fide Tattooing superstar as we feature Shaun Kama!
Shaun Kama has been tattooing for over 11 years and has found his niche in the tattoo world. His personal tastes as a tattoo artist lead him to the dark and macabre, which led to his reputation as the king of Halloween Tattoos. Shauns work is dark and edgy, with incredible detail and vibrant color. He is also skilled in single needle black and grey work, through working alongside Mark Mahoney and Bob Vessels. His artistic influences include Normal Rockwell, Salvador Dali, Boris Vallejo, Bernie Wrightson, Ralph Steadman and Frank Frazetta. He describes himself as a Jack of All Trades with personalization to the tastes of his clients. Shaun also regularly paints, working in acrylics, oils and watercolors. He can often be found doing a variety of commissioned artworks for his clients, and his paintings can be seen at a variety of art events throughout the year.
In addition to permanent tattoos, Shaun has become one of the leading temporary tattoo artists in the industry, working as a primary artist on commercials, print campaigns and music videos. Many celebrity A-listers have worked with or been tattooed by Shaun, including Rihanna, Jamie King, Janet Jackson, Missy Elliot, Nelly, Jada Pinket, Sinbad, and Bob Hailey. The list continues to grow as Shaun establishes himself as a tattoo artist to the stars.
Did I mention that this guy is a fucking rock star?
Yeah, his talent doesn’t stop on just art…and now a little part of me hates him for it… I wonder if he can juggle? Maybe I’ll ask him next time I see him…
This year we got to meet up at the Rue Morgue Festival of Fear where he put ink on yours truly to begin the sleeve of Zombies that will be featured over time as we add artists here, here are some pictures and important facts to know about Shaun:
He is sponsored by: Eternal Ink, Welker Machines, Critical Power Supply, Inkeeze, Dead Man’s Hand, Mithra Tattoo Supplies, Torino Tattoo Supplies, Brian Campbell Machines, Electric Soul Machines, Glove 4 the Artist, Coffin Case, Red Monkey Leather
Shaun’s shops that he works or has worked at include:
Vintage Tattoo L.A. (His home base)
Pussykat Tattoo Las Vegas
Shamrock Social Club L.A.
All Hallows Ink Orange County
Moms Tattoo San Francisco
Big City Tattoo San Diego
On top of touring to various conventions around the world… HIS FACEBOOK PAGE IS HERE (CLICK)
This picture was featured in the 2012 Halloween issue of Rue Morgue, it is Shaun, Tony Moore (co-creator of the Walking Dead) and the Zombieking of Zombieinfo.com…
We had a blast hanging out with Shaun at the show, He’s a really cool cat and I HIGHLY advise you seek him out to get a tattoo.
I’m the Zombieking…and this topic is now DEAD to me!
-ZK
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