Tattoo Culture in Full Bloom
The Surge of Inked Artistry
and the Parlor Boom
By Maria Perez
Dirk Vermin tattooing his daughter, Tiger Lily, who is also an artist at PussyKat Tattoo.
Getting my first tattoo was loud — not from the machine, and not from me screaming, but from the TV blaring Selena’s “Como La Flor,” and a baby crying in the other room. Needless to say, I was surprised when my brother took me to an apartment complex instead of a parlor to gift me a tattoo for my birthday. I got the four elements from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Such a 17-year-old decision, but one I don’t regret.
My love for my tattoo remained constant, and so did my intrigue in body art and the culture. Vegas is the world's tattoo hotspot. It has the second most parlors per capita, with over 300 shops — which is a big boom from the first parlor that opened in the 70s, called Las Vegas Tattoo Company opened by “Doc Dog” according to an article from the Tampa Bay Times.
Doc Dog was pursuing more refined clientele by moving his operation from the San Fernando Valley to Vegas. But when he arrived in the city to set up shop, the Clark County Health Department refused to approve his business license.
“They thought it was bad for the image of Las Vegas,” he said. “They were fine with drinking and gambling all night, but a tattoo shop was bad for their image?”
After that, he claimed that he had his friends pretend to be attorneys and threatened to sue the state of Nevada, Clark County and the health department. Shortly after, he was licensed and opened the city’s first tattoo parlor in July 1977.
In 1999, as the tattoo industry in Las Vegas was beginning to establish itself, it faced significant resistance from former City Councilman Michael McDonald. He introduced a bill designed to impose stricter zoning regulations and push shops to Commercial-Industrial and Industrial zoning districts. Councilman McDonald and a segment of the community rallied in support of his efforts.
"Citizens in my community are parents and have children. Tattoo parlors are not harmonious in a neighborhood." James Nunn claimed in a 1999 Las Vegas Sun’s article.
I sat down with two local veterans of the tattoo scene — Dirk Vermin, owner of Pussykat Tattoos, and Jesse James, owner of the oldest shop in Vegas, Pair-a-Dice Tattoos — to discuss the challenging journey that brought tattoo culture to where it stands today.
Jesse has hung around Pair-a-Dice since he was 10 and last October marked his 20th anniversary at the shop. Dirk has been a prominent figure in both the tattoo and art scenes, even gaining widespread recognition as the host of his own TV show, Bad Ink. The show ran for two seasons, with Dirk and his partner Ruckus transforming cringe-worthy tattoos into works of art. Beyond the spotlight, Dirk’s influence extended to the city council, where he became a pivotal figure in shifting opinions on tattoo parlors.
A councilwoman reportedly told Dirk that they’d prefer to have no parlors in general. Tattoo shops were scarce, and getting a license was still a challenging process.
Dirk, for instance, had to refile for zone variances every year until 2000 just to keep his business running. You’d think with the obstacles to legally operating body art shops that illegal tattooing would take over the scene. But according to Jesse, it was
the opposite.
“At the time, if you were tattooing outside of a license, you were getting in trouble. It just wasn’t happening.” Jesse says. The penalties for operating without a license were strict, reasonably so since it overlapped with breaking health and safety laws. You risked fines, misdemeanors, or even jail time if you were a repeat offender.
“Not every tattoo shop has angel wings,” Dirk comments, acknowledging that there are unethical parlors out there. The stigma against tattoo shops was rooted in links to biker gangs and drug use. Smoke shops in the area adding tattoo parlors blurred the lines even more, the first smoke shop to do so being Diversity. Jesse comments, “It was more of a smoke shop problem than a tattoo problem; it went hand in hand.”
Dirk had to appear before the city council and inform them that he wasn’t just a tattoo parlor owner, but an artist and community figure. Facing resistance from the city council, he referenced Gallery Au Gogo, an art gallery he had built to showcase local talent.
“I had to remind her that I built an art gallery," he recalls “and I was bringing artists from all over the city to show here.” His approach helped soften the council's stance on tattooing.
“I felt like I was an asset," Dirk remarks. He made an impact by presenting himself as creative. He distanced his community from biker and gang stereotypes. Going as far as to have a councilman state, “Can we just let this man do his job?”
After that win for the community, the boom was fast and unpredictable. "Anyone could open a tattoo parlor here. There's one there, and there, and there," Dirk motions to the neighboring shop. He now finds the market "oversaturated."
At the start, it was a very tight-knit community. Jesse comments, “Tattoo machines came from tattoo artists, so if you had machines it was because someone came into your shop.” Becoming a tattoo artist has become less and less of a challenge as the years go on. Jesse adds, “I’d say probably around 2011-2012 was when it really started becoming the norm.”
As the market grew and artists came from all over the country to do apprenticeships, a clash of views emerged and continues to this day. Jesse comments “They learn things but then they walk away from tattooing. And these are things that are passed down from people we learned from.” If you search the internet you will find hundreds of tattoo apprenticeship horror stories — stories that surround misogyny, racism, and abuse.
On the other hand, you will also find countless controversies surrounding “inexperienced” artists. One key factor fueling the tension seems to be a lack of patience — both from those looking to teach and those wanting to learn. Jesse adds, “There's been a big change as far as respect in the industry because it's being given to them instead of earned like we had to.”
But that's not so much a detriment as it is a reflection of evolution — easier access to equipment has democratized the market. Dirk sums it up best: “I really admire people that do it well. I don’t mind innovation.” His words encapsulate the balance between tradition and experimentation that defines the industry today.
Here in Vegas, tattoos have cemented their place in the cultural fabric, with artists constantly innovating, embracing styles like cyber sigilism and micro tattoos, and immortalizing pop culture through ink.
Whether it’s a tribute to a favorite TV show, book, or band, or a bold new style that challenges convention, the tattoo scene thrives on diversity. While traditionalists may demand respect and newcomers push boundaries, one thing remains clear: progress is inevitable, and the art of tattooing continues to evolve in exciting and unexpected ways.
You can visit Dirk at PussyKat Tattoos located at 4972 S Maryland Pkwy Suite #12 and follow on Instagram @pusssykattattooparlor. Get stabbed by Jesse at his shop, Pair-a-Dice at 304 E Sahara Ave, and follow at @pairadicetattoolv.
Maria Perez is writer/filmmaker based in Las Vegas. She is very excited to plant her creative roots in the city.
