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Beneath The Skin

A podcast about the history of everything told through the history of tattooing.
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Episodes

’Why Aren’t We Licking Bricks?’: Tattooing and Evolution

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we're joined by Dr. Kat Ford to talk about the cross section of Evolutionary Psychology and Tattooing, and we debunk some junk science. If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Sep 06, 20231 hr 20 minEp. 66

*PREVIEW* Life in Cartoon Motion: Tex Avery and Max Fleischer

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon On this episode of Beneath the Skin we discuss how early 20th century cartoonists Tex Avery and Max Fleischer influenced culture and tattooing through their work on Merrie Melodies, Looney Toons, Popeye, and so many more If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpo...

Aug 23, 202313 minEp. 65

The Room Above Neptune: The Life of Pinky Yun

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we cover the life of influential Hong Kong tattooist Pinky Yun. Fundraiser for Finn If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Aug 15, 202356 minEp. 64

Calling Mr. Cool Ice

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we talk about the weird 2000s trend of tattoo advertising. If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Aug 02, 202353 minEp. 63

*PREVIEW* Long Legs, Small Heads: the History of Pin Ups

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon On this episode of Beneath the Skin we start our new series on the the different artists and movements that have influenced modern tattooing. Tattooing as a medium owes a lot to other forms. From painting to sculpture, from art high low and in between, its all influenced tattooing in some form We'll be covering artists like Ralph Bakshi and HR. Giger, and movements like expressionism, post modernism and others. On this first episode we're cove...

Jul 25, 202311 minEp. 62

Honour Etched In Ink: Tattooing in China

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we give a brief intro into the history of tattooing in China If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Jul 18, 202358 minEp. 61

*PREVIEW* Searching the Sacred Debris with Shawn Porter

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon On this episode of Beneath the Skin we talk to Body Art archivist, documentarian, and contextualizer, Shawn Porter. Many of you will know Shawn from his archive projects Occult Vibrations and Sacred Debris where Shawn collects and preserves artefacts from body modifications, tattooing and more. You may also know Shawn from his time as one of the founders of Body Modification E-Zine (or BME for short). We cover a lot in this episode, like Shawn...

Jul 05, 202312 minEp. 60

Merch!

New Merch available here Just a quick note for anyone who doesn't follow us on social media, we now have some cool new merch available for preorder which you can check out at the link above BONUS EPISODES + SUPPORT THE SHOW If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Jun 20, 20231 minEp. 59

*PREVIEW* ”Came out Queer”: The Life of Joe Carstairs

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon On this episode of Beneath the Skin we talk about the life of early queer icon Joe Castairs New Merch available here If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Jun 14, 20238 minEp. 58

The Frog That Jumped Off The Lilly Pad

On this episode of Beneath the Skin Matt talks about how a simple Hokusai design of a frog travelled all around the world and became one of the first influential flash designs, transcending tattooing and coming to adorn everything from fine china to textiles. New Merch available here BONUS EPISODES + SUPPORT THE SHOW If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in tou...

Jun 06, 202350 minEp. 57

*UNLOCKED* Mummies and More

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we spoke to Egyptologist Dr. Anne Austin about her work discovering tattooed bodies in the Egypt and debunking what we previously thought about tattooing in the region. New Merch available here Follow Anne Read Anne's work If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

May 31, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 56

Russian Criminal Tattoos

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we speak to Damon Murray and Mark Vincent about the Russian Criminal Tattoo encyclopaedias and their new book The Russian Criminal Tattoo Archive New Merch available here Follow Fuel Design If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

May 23, 20231 hr 11 minEp. 55

”There’s More To Tattooing Than Just Tattooing” by Adam McDade

This is a recording of Adam's presentation from the recent Inked Up Marked Out Conference on the interdisciplinary study of tattooing. Adam is a tattooist currently working in Manchester at Flesh Tattoo , and independent researcher. He completed his practice-based PhD in design in 2021 at The University of Sunderland in partnership with Triplesix Studios , where he began his tattoo apprenticeship in May 2017. This was the world's first to utilise tattoo practice as a research methodology and was...

May 19, 202316 minEp. 54

Rudi Can’t Fail Pt. 1 feat. Paul King

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we spoke to Master Piercer, Researcher, and Historian Paul King about the life piercing and tattoo collector, enthusiast, and so much more, Rudi Inhelder. During his life Rudi was a living document of the growth of tattooing over the 20th century and is the nexus through which so much mid century and later tattoo history flowed. This is Part 1 of a 2 part series on the life of Rudi Inhelder so please stay tuned to hear the rest. New Merch available here Follow...

May 16, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 53

Born Freaky: A History of Sideshows with Kim Kelly

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we spoke to author, journalist, and ocaasional sideshow performer Kim Kelly about the history of Sideshow performers, the labour relations of the sideshow industry, and her personal experience as a so called "freak" Buy Kim's book 'Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labour' Follow Kim New Merch available here If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Da...

May 09, 202357 minEp. 52

*PREVIEW* A Conversation with Mr. Don Ed Hardy

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon New Merch available here On this episode of Beneath the Skin we are delighted to share a conversation Matt had with the one and only, the legendary tattooist, Mr. Don Ed Hardy. The audio on this one isn't the best due to the technical limits at the time, but the conversation is a delight so we've included a transcript of the hour long interview below for anyone who is keen to dig into it more. If you want to follow us online for more updates C...

May 03, 20239 minEp. 51

Finding Madeline

On this episode of Beneath the Skin Matt talks about his journey to uncover what happened to early 20th century tattooed runaway Madeline Altman. If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Apr 26, 202342 minEp. 50

*UNLOCKED* No Face No Case

Since the Nicholas Rossi/Arthur Knight story is back in the news we decided to unlock this episode so people know about one of the many insane details of the case. On this episode of Beneath the Skin we discuss the crossover between tattooing and the law. We cover the current Nicholas Rossi/Arthur Knight case, the famous Tichborne trial, the FBI's incomprehensible tattoo database, and lots more. If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by ...

Apr 25, 202351 minEp. 49

*PREVIEW* Mummies and More

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon On this episode of Beneath the Skin we spoke to Egyptologist Dr. Anne Austin about her work discovering tattooed bodies in the Egypt and debunking what we previously thought about tattooing in the region. Follow Anne Read Anne's work If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on ben...

Apr 19, 202310 minEp. 48

Spanish Tattoo History

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we spoke with PhD researcher Julia Amigo about the history of tattooing in Spain, and in particular her research on the unique and important role women played in the growth of tattooing in the Post-Franco era. Follow Julia If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Apr 11, 20231 hr 8 minEp. 47

*PREVIEW* Coptic Crosses and Holy Land Heirlooms

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon On this episode of Beneath the Skin for Easter we talk about the history of pilgrim tattooing in the Holy Land and the history of Coptic tattooing. If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Apr 05, 202310 minEp. 46

*UNLOCKED* Remembering Lyle Tuttle

On this episode of Beneath the Skin, we remember the life and career of legendary tattooist, collector, and quote machine, Lyle Tuttle. We speak to Danielle Boyarde about what it was like knowing Lyle and their friendship, Lyle's world class collection of tattoo ephemera and memorabilia, and how Lyle's legacy is helping uncover the tattoo secrets of the 20th century. New Merch available here Check out: The Tattoo Art of Mystery Legend R. Johnson from the Lyle Tuttle collection If you want to fol...

Mar 28, 20231 hr 12 minEp. 45

*PREVIEW* How to Disappear Completely?

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon On this episode of Beneath the Skin we talk about the ongoing Ephemeral Tattoo debacle, the company who claims to have developed the worlds first (?) ink that will have your tattoos disappear in a little over a year If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gma...

Mar 22, 202310 minEp. 44

The Tattoo History of Japan Pt. 4

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we conclude our series on the tattoo history of Japan In this final part we discuss Matt looking like Joel Madden, Tom's new shoes, and the birth of the Yakuza and the role they played in keeping Japanese tattooing alive during the 20th century. A special thank you to everyone who joined us for this series and if there's anything you'd like to hear us cover in future make sure to let us know on our social media BONUS EPISODES + SUPPORT THE SHOW Follow us on In...

Mar 17, 202356 minEp. 43

*PREVIEW* Long Sleeve Legalities

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon On this episode of Beneath the Skin Matt takes the reins and talks at length about the history of the legal status of tattooing in Japan. If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Mar 09, 202310 minEp. 42

The Tattoo Writer feat. Pascal Bagot

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we spoke to tattoo journalist and writer Pascal Bagot about the life of crime novelist, photographer, and tattoo enthusiast Akimitsu Takagi and his seminal 1948 novel The Tattoo Murder, as well as Pascals own book on Mr. Takagi's life and his photography. Follow Pascal Buy 'The Tattoo Writer If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to ...

Mar 08, 20231 hr 1 minEp. 41

The Tattoo History of Japan Pt. 3

On this episode of Beneath the Skin we're continuing our series on the tattoo history of Japan In this part we discuss Japan's transition from the Edo Period and the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, into the Meiji Restoration and the beginning of the 20th Century. BONUS EPISODES + SUPPORT THE SHOW Follow us on Instagram Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Mar 01, 20231 hr 3 minEp. 40

Bonus Interview: Fflur Morse Senior Curator for Cultural Life National Museum of Wales

Hey everyone, here is another interview we conducted on our trip to Wales with Fflur Morse who is the Senior Curator for Cultural Life at the National Museum of Wales If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Feb 24, 202318 minEp. 39

*PREVIEW* Kuniyoshi Cabbages with Benoît Robitaille

Hear the rest of this episode exclusively on Patreon On this episode of Beneath the Skin, we're talking Ukiyo-e prints, how to buy the perfect cabbage, and whether or not Hokusai had a sick left hook. Follow Benoît Read Benoît's research If you want to follow us online for more updates CLICK HERE Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Feb 22, 202310 minEp. 38

Bonus Interview: Senior Archive and Photographic Conservator Lisa Childs

Here's a short conversation Matt had Senior Archive and Photographic Conservator Lisa Childs who has been responsible for the painstaking conservation and restoration of the Jessie Knight collection that we recently saw on our trip to Wales. BONUS EPISODES + SUPPORT THE SHOW Follow Us Production by Thomas O'Mahony Artwork by Joe Painter (jcp_art) Intro Music by Dan McKenna If you would like to get in touch you can email the show on beneaththeskinpod@gmail.com...

Feb 17, 202327 minEp. 37
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