MAVERICK FAMILY ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Austin Spencer
To end off this year right, we decided to give the Maverick community something special. For the month of December we wanted to showcase the owner of Maverick Supply Co.... (drum roll please!)..... Austin Spencer. We recognize that while you guys get some goofy videos of him here and there, you don’t truly know much about him and how he began his career. In his interview he shares some of his thoughts on building community, how he manages stress and being on Social Media, as well as the inspiration behind the company.
A father/husband before anything else, Austin has two little babies, and an amazingly supportive Wife. As most parents can relate, having children is stressful enough. Add on starting up a business on the heels of a Global Pandemic and you have yourself a recipe for true craziness, but if you ask him, he would not want it any other way. Austin's primary belief remains true just as much now, as it did in the beginning, that if you put People First, you cannot lose.
Austin has had an entrepreneurial mindset his entire life. Starting with scrubbing up old golf balls lost in the woods on a golf course, he would polish them up and package them in old egg cartons to sell to the neighbors. His Parents have always been supportive of his interests, allowing him to explore different hobbies, hustles, and art forms. A Multi Winning Artist in the design of slot car racing, this might have been his first taste of creating Art for Competition, and winning. This experience was unique in that you competed with all ages, Says Austin. It made you realize that when youre an artist, your age, background, etc. didn't really matter. It was about letting your mind and imagination create something you could be proud of. Something that he still focuses on today, with his own art.
With the accumulation of all of these unique experiences, Austin was bound to create a hierarchy of his own one day.
Thank you to our community (all of you), for supporting and collaborating with Maverick on what you want to see in a Tattooer focused business and community. Your words, thoughts, ambitions, dreams, and feedback is what Maverick was built on, and it will set the course for Maverick's future as well.
Without the feedback, constant support, and encouragement from all of you, we would not have made it this far.
To hear some hilariously relatable content from the owner of Maverick, please keep reading. Again, thank you all for helping our Vision become a Reality.
SHOP: STUDIO 21
IG: AUSTINSBRAIN
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MAVERICK?
Building community has always been a passion of mine. I've forever loved meeting new people through tattooing. Working out of my shop Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery of Las Vegas for over 20 yrs has resulted in me learning so much about people in general due to the time sitting, chatting, and going through such a vulnerable experience as getting a tattoo can be. Maverick's given me the experience of meeting new tattooers, younger artists with new fresh perspectives has kept me so stoked on growing the community and trying to bring a new vibe and potentially new home for people to keep coming back to within the industry. I hope to see many more years ahead and meet so many new friends.
WITH HAVING TO PROMOTE YOURSELF ON SOCIAL MEDIA, HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN A POSITIVE MINDSET?
ONLY go there with purpose. Don't fall in the hole. You have to focus. It consumes you. I currently spend more time than ever on social media unfortunately. The bright side is that I can talk to and tell the whole world about Maverick Supply Co. from my living room in my underwear lol! I'm obsessed with making new friends and learning about new tattooers, tools, and the industry's bright future.
WHO IS THE MOST UNIQUE TATTOOER YOU HAVE EVER MET?
Lars Uwe "Lu's Lips" He tattoos in Berlin as far as I know at Luxedrom Tattoo. Wildest most passionate human I've ever met. He lives his life like a Tiger he says. I have stories for days! Spent a week with him in the early 2000's. Met him through Myspace haha.
DO YOU HAVE A MOMENT THAT CHANGED YOUR LIFE? DO YOU MIND SHARING?
The day I tattooed for the first time. I fell in love.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH STRESS?
Sobriety + Yoga. I don't really get stressed anymore although having young children is a new kind of stress ish. Currently learning to find my moment of silence. I don't like letting myself get stressed though. In through the nose out through the mouth. It will all work out.
WHAT IS SOMETHING WEIRD YOU DO BEFORE BEDTIME?
Brainstorming constantly. I wish I slept better. I need the wine to wind down.
WHICH STATE ARE YOU LOCATED? WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT WHERE YOU LIVE AND WHY?
Nevada. I love the Desert! The sunsets, the cactus and plants that somehow survive in the most barren of settings makes me happy. It's a different kind of beauty. Las Vegas itself is a whole different experience. It's amazing. People from all over the world showing up every day to party, be someone that they might not be at home and try to go as nuts as they possibly can. It's the best haha.
WHAT BOOK OR MOVIE WOULD YOU SAY EVERYONE SHOULD READ OR WATCH? WHY WOULD YOU RECOMMEND THAT SPECIFIC ONE?
My wife gifted me a book called the "Outwitting the devil" by Napoleon Hill when we first started dating. It's pretty wild. Ted Lasso show rules too haha.
ANY PERSON THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO TRADE PLACES WITH FOR THE DAY?
What about a Dolphin!? That would be pretty badass. Just tearin' ass across the ocean occasionally jumping up and out of the water sounds tight. A person..not really sure. It might be cool to trade places with a musician to feel how wild it would be to sing to an arena full of people. That energy would be pretty wild I can only imagine. Maybe an astronaut. I dunno I've always enjoyed being me.
WHAT IS YOUR KRYPTONITE?
My wife. A good bottle of red wine...and some good food. I can't say NO to any of those.
SECRET HIDDEN TALENT? WHAT IS IT?
Ahhh shit. I don't know. Maybe being the best Dad I can. I love being a Dad. It's the coolest. I'm incredibly fortunate.
IF YOU WERE TO WIN BEST TATTOOER IN THE WORLD WHO WOULD YOU THANK AND WHY?
Best tattooer in the world...haha. I'm Not even close. Tattooers wear so many hats. but in all honesty, we as tattooers don't recognize or appreciate ourselves enough (if ever) so I would probably take my own advice, and thank myself honestly.
Please know, I do not want to sound like a butthole, but I'm the one that stuck it out. I was hated on, embraced, supported and shunned. I didn't let it faze me. I worked through the hardest of times as lonely as it can be. I'm thankful for the great clients and even the tough clients for pushing me at times to places I didn't wanna go. The long days and nights drawing and sometimes not, only to be forced to draw faster and on the fly for big work and walk-ins.
Somehow I fumbled through learning to work with and manage other tattooers/artists along the way keeping most of them as friends. This was the hardest challenge I've ever faced. I don't really have a mentor as far as running a business. I just read as many books and never gave up. I teamed up with great people and trusted them to do their thang. I think we all owe ourselves a little credit. I personally never gave it to myself in the past. I've now learned that it's ok.
IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE A BAND TO BEST DESCRIBE YOUR ARTWORK, WHICH BAND WOULD YOU CHOOSE AND WHY?
Blink 182 I guess haha Bubbly, Playful and fun. I've never takin' myself too seriously. I like to keep it light.
WHAT ARE SOME FUNNY TATTOO MOMENTS YOU HAVE?
Good Laward! I've had a few.
My lil' sister nicknamed Corndog (Courtney) used to run the front counter at my shop and was always getting hit on by all the guys. Not sure how it started but they would ask her if she tattooed and I finally told her to tell the annoying ones that she did. We drew her up a flash sheet of corndogs with ketchup or mustard mohawks. She easily tattooed a dozen or more randos with absolutely no experience (we let them know that lol) but dudes can be so dumb lol.
TOP 3 ARTISTS YOU ADMIRE. CAN YOU GIVE US A BRIEF DESCRIPTION?
Always been Influenced and admired Aaron Dellavedova at Guru Tattoo in San Diego for his approach to tattooing, business and his impeccable execution at whatever he puts his mind to. He's the man. I got a full sleeve by him in the early 2000's...02-03 ish.
I also LOVE me some Adam Hathorn at Big Trouble Tattoo in San Diego too! He's from the same lineage/area of Tatt Gods! I love how he's always stuck to his style and vision as an artist. His tattooing is technically as simple and bold as it gets providing a finished tattoo that will look amazing forever but has such a distinct unique style that's incredibly HIS.
I love it. Lu's Lips (Lars Lou) not really sure what he goes by these days. He's by far the wildest human I've EVER met. Got tattooed by him in Berlin years ago and he honestly is the most influential tattooer I've ever seen. I'm not sure if the younger Neo Traditional community even knows that their essentially flowing the work that he's laid out back in the day. He's an animal.
CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FIRST TATTOO EXPERIENCE ? HOW OLD WERE YOU? WHAT WAS IT OF AND WHO WAS THE ARTIST ?
First female tattooer in Las Vegas to open a shop..the 2nd shop EVER in Las Vegas. Dante. She was a badass for sure. "Studio Tattoo" on Boulder highway. 15 years ish later called us up when we opened our shop "Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery" and yelled at us for having a similar name. OOPS! I watched her tattoo my dad in the early 90's and was hooked. I wanted to do what she did bad. She was cool enough to tattoo my drawing that I did for my dad on him..pretty rad. She said she could "make it real nice if we paid more" in the middle of the tattoo haha. So random.
THE PENGUIN IS THE MAVERICK FOUNDER'S SPIRIT ANIMAL. WHAT’S YOUR SPIRIT ANIMAL?
That's me, the Penguin! The best. Community driven, loyal, and empathetic along with that bold black n white suite. Who doesn't like penguins!?
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE GROUPINGS TO USE FOR YOUR TATTOOS?
I love our tight 3's, loose 9's and a 15 Curved Open Mag ALL DAY!
