Maverick ZINE — Tattoo Culture, Art & Artist Stories

I would come into work and like my inks would be somewhere else or like half open like somebody was using it and I'm like what the [ __ ] So I locked my box when I left and the manager called me up and bitched me out over the phone because I locked my toolbox. So obviously the manager was taking my I was like what the [ __ ] dude? And I grew so fast because I was around a bunch of artists that were way better than me. My artwork's different. It's a different twist on things. And I think people like that because it's refreshing. They're not seeing the same [ __ ] all the [Music] time. What's happening?

This is Austin with support local tattooer. Today is a beautiful day. It's Friday over here. I don't know when we're going to drop this podcast, but we got my man Mike Biggs in the house. He's a tattooer. He's a freaking all-around extremely talented artist, and his work ethic is unparalleled. I'd say you're you're quite the hermit. You uh That's true.

You like you like to work and work only. Yeah, pretty much. You told me that you would like to if your food would come in a pill form, you would you would do that so you didn't have to ever leave your garage. That's true. I wish it was like a three course meal in pill format. Take that and go back to work. Just pull two out of your pocket every day and or every couple hours. So, as as far as tattooing right now, you're you're kind of almost taking a not a break, but you're you're doing guest spots and stuff every once in a while.

I I don't really tattoo as much lately cuz I moved too. So, if I was still in town, I probably would do more tattooing every once in a while, but And you're in Prescat now? Yeah, Prescat, Arizona. And so, uh, yeah, I got to link you up with Alex Hamilton. He's a fantastic tattooer and he lives in Prescuit. No way. Yeah. Yeah.

He's an awesome dude. Incredibly kind dude, too. So, [ __ ] We always like to kind of get a little feedback on I I just like to hear people's stories like how you got into the industry. Yours is kind of fun. You You got into it in Las Vegas. Yeah. Right. Yeah.

I was born and raised here, so I've been here my whole life. But, I don't know. I just always like fall into weird odd jobs cuz I I was a graphic designer out of college. Oh, okay. So, I did that for like I don't know five or six, seven years just doing graphic design, but it was all like dumb Vegas casino type of [ __ ] Yeah. For a firm or anything or just freelance? Um, well, at first it was like a print house that printed like the casino graph like the stuff for slot machines and things like that. Oh, no [ __ ] So, I was set that was like my first job out of college, but it was like N bucks an hour and I was just setting up the plates cuz at the time they were still doing screen printing on glass.

Oh, and you learned Oh, yeah. No [ __ ] Yeah. I did color separation. That was my first job. I would take all the artwork that the artists make for the And then I would separate all the plates and then they would print those and then [ __ ] screen print on glass. That's rad. Super wild job. Okay.

I have a few of those like old school glass out of slot machines and stuff growing up. So, I did that and then I got I worked at Ballet Gaming as an artist there and I just did I didn't like it. I didn't I I don't know the whole like Vegas like casino artwork thing. It's very cheesy to me but and you have to learn Adobe Illustrator which I hate that program but it's very technical. It's not like Photoshop, you know. It's like real technical. So, you went to college and you had a real job. I call it a real job.

It's a real job. Before you started tattooing. Yeah. And you know, I got sick of the semi-professional graphic design thing. And so, I I quit and started doing like kind of like freelance graphic design on the side. But even that was really hard and it wasn't consistent and the money wasn't that great. So I would get these odd jobs like I worked at lids at the airport. Okay.

As a like a nighttime closing manager or something just so you could draw all day long or what? I literally just I was just drawing while at the airport and like people would come buy hat every once in a while. Okay. It was an easy ass job and I would close up and uh I don't know. But it was weird cuz like I wasn't like oh I'm going to be a tattoo artist. Yeah. I was just working that job at Lids and I worked with this girl and her cousin was a tattoo artist and she would see me like drawing all the time while I work. I was just like always sketching always.

And uh she's like, "Mom, my cousin's a tattoo artist. " And I was like, "Yeah, I don't know. Like I guess so. " I had no idea what Who was that again? That was Riz. Oh, okay. So, Riz, he was at uh Where did you start your apprentichip at? Right by UNLV at uh Oh, uh Why can't I think of it now?

Cuz it's gone now. Yeah. Yeah. Well, they the shops change hands and like names like a hundred times in two years. Yeah. Maybe not that much, but but Stanky Dankies was across the street. Okay. Well, we had Diversity over there.

Diversity. That's where I got you. You started at Diversity. I started at Diversity. I was like, which was a head shop. which is a head shop. And then upstairs they had tattooing. Yeah.

And a piercer upstairs. But um I just mopped the floor and I learned how to make needles. Yeah. And uh so I had to make needles every day for him and things like that. Did you have to pay for your apprentichip or what is it kind of I paid for my apprentichip? Oh, you did? I didn't have a lot of money so I was just like giving him money every week or every month or whatever. And he had a max on it or what was it?

Uh yeah. Yeah. He he told me like I can't remember at the time what it was, but it was definitely like probably a lot of money for you. It was probably like two or three grand, four grand or something. " But I don't think he was even suited to teach, you know what I mean? At the time, I just kind of sat there and watched him did the usual stuff. Set up, tear down, make needles when he's tattooing and watch him ask questions and [ __ ] Yeah. Did you have fun by I don't know just that that newness to the world right there where you starting to like introduce yourself to clients and stuff.

Did that help you kind of come out of your shell as an artist in tattooing like No, I mean I always got yelled at and like I think it was I don't know that was like probably 2007. I don't know how old I was but yeah probably 27. No I was younger than that. I was born in 79. Oh, I'm not good at math. I'm not any good at math either. That's why I'm an artist. [ __ ] So, you started there and then I don't know.

How was that experience like in that you're right across from the college there? Yeah. Sketchy kind of neighborhood. It was sketchy. I think it's still sketchy down there, but Yeah. But, you know, it was definitely college students and you know, people coming in to get pierced and it wasn't a whole lot of tattooing going on for some reason. It was a head shot. It was a head shot cuz you walk in and there's no You don't know that there's tattooing there.

I remember going in there when I was like 17 and like sneaking up there to watch a friend get a tattoo with a fake ID and [ __ ] And that place sold like meth pipes like terrible [ __ ] So you get these terrible ass people coming in to buy cheap ass like to smoke. They had a factory supposedly where they just that's all they did was just blow crack pipes and [ __ ] So that's the environment I I learned in. Hi. Yes. You have to meet some some golden humans there. So kind to people. Oh, I I love your artwork. I want to learn how to do this.

It wasn't like that at all. I just was like, um, maybe I'll try this out and see if I like it. Yeah. And I I didn't at first. Really? Yeah. Like I think after a while he he kind of fired me because I've I think I [ __ ] up one of his things to make the uh the needles, you know? I was sitting there like the jigs.

I I probably messed something up and he's like he's like, "Oh, you I'm not going to teach you anymore. " kind of thing. I don't know. Is a wild dude. I don't know. Really? I think now he's like a transvestite call girl or something. I don't know.

I've heard some weird stories about him. That's great. I wish him the best. Yeah, totally. I don't know where he is. Tattooing. Yeah, I've heard stories about him though. So, there's a handful of great local tattooers that went down a definitely not healthy path.

I've seen her like wandering the streets and [ __ ] which is too bad. Stabbed and all kinds of weird stories. So, how did you like reinstate your apprentichip or did you go somewhere else? So, I stopped doing that and I went back to like just uh graphic design on the side and I opened a gallery downtown uh for First Fridays. Yeah. Cuz you you throughout all this you've constantly been creating art, right? Digital and Oh, my entire life. Painting and oil painting.

I've seen you do everything. I feel like I'm just getting jobs and when I have a job I'm just like thinking about how to get out of that job and do my own thing like everything for through my whole life. So yeah, that's pretty much how it's been. And then um I think in like 2008 I was doing First Friday. I was like heavily involved with First Friday and I opened that gallery and I met Nick Bones. Oh, okay. I was actually I was actually for a very short time I I restarted my apprenticeship at this other tattoo shop. It was like a street shop off of like Flamingo in the 95.

The dude's name was Mike. Yeah. I can't remember the name of Mike. No. No. Anyway, he was really nice and he's like, "Oh, you started an apprentichip but you didn't finish it. " because I didn't want to restart my whole apprentichip cuz I could take 8 months. That was like a break.

You took like a year break or something? Maybe like maybe a year break or less than a year break until I found somebody that was like willing to let me go through the apprenticeship again. Yeah. Without being shitty like you know wash my car and do that kind of stuff. He saw me as an artist and he was like I feel bad that you didn't finish your apprenticeship. Like let's just do the paperwork again. So, I did that and then, you know, I wasn't getting any work out of there. It was like a really shitty location and it was a street shop and I was supposed to take walk-ins and I didn't have a lot of clients or anything like that.

So, I couldn't It was like I wasn't getting anywhere. It was an impossible transition. Yeah. And so, I was unhappy again. " So, I was doing First Friday and I was having somewhat of a success, you know, making money and doing good. And then I met Nick Bones at I I was doing a group show. Yeah. And I invited him to the group show and he did a piece for the group show and he came over my house.

He had like a curly mustache and dreadlocks. Like totally w Yeah. Totally wild dude. Super nice. And that was when I first met Nick Bones. And he's like he's like so what do you what do you do like and I'm like well you know I'm I'm trying to get into tattooing and he's like well I'm a tattoo artist. Like I I work at Three Lions, which is was in the Sahara at the time or Riviera. Riviera, that's right.

They had one at Sahara and the Riviera, but yeah, he was at the Riviera. " And I'm like, "Nah, really kind of sucks. " He's like, "Well, come I'll I'll put in a good word for you. " And I mean, from the get-go, Nick Bones was like super He's awesome, super cool dude. And I liked him from the beginning. And um and that's how I feel like that was really when I I got started. Yeah. Were and did you take a full-time gig there?

I did take a full-time gig there at uh the Riviera. Yeah. Which was a I mean a wild place to tattoo is in a casino. A shitty hotel casino from the ' 70s or something. So it's leveled now, but they had the brass sculptures of all the naked girls that you could like everybody touch their butts. Their butts all the butts are all polished. The rest of the brass sculptures. So disgusting.

Like people bums peeing on it and [ __ ] So gross. So you got to meet some great people through that shot though, right? Cuz like I did. Didn't Tyson come through there? Worked there. Like um I love Tyson to death. He worked there when I was about to leave. Yeah.

So I got to I got to meet him. And there's there's a two shitty people that worked there that would like steal people's supplies or like do dumb [ __ ] Yeah, snake tattoos or whatever, that kind of thing. But um but that was a really good experience for me despite the weird shop being inside a casino. You know, there's constant traffic and getting to exercise. Yeah. You had to cuz I mean it was there was only two booths and like if you're tattooing there's nobody up front. Yeah. So if you're tattooing and the phone rings, you have to like take your gloves off, answer the phone, make an appointment, that kind of thing.

Yes. Multiple [ __ ] But, you know, no locals went in there, so I couldn't get any like big sleeve con, you know, like big jobs to where you're constantly doing like work on somebody. But I learned a lot and I learned really fast and I I got to work with artists that I liked. Yeah. Well, were talented, too. But you got to basically like sharpen your tools and get in there and like exercise the hell out of your illustration skills and do it right on the fly which I not too many people can do with these kind of well that was before like iPads and internet like people just like Yeah. You had to draw and they weren't even bringing [ __ ] off their phones too much. Yeah.

No, no, not at all. That was like Yeah. I had to draw and I I was used to that anyway cuz I was always drawing. But yeah, it was nice. " You guys had some good stories though. Like do you remember any [ __ ] up clients cuz that I don't know. I didn't have any bad experiences there other than just dealing with some of the people that worked there that wanted to like the managers there were terrible and one like would call me up and like uh because I would come into work and like my inks would be somewhere else or like half open like somebody was using it and I'm like what the [ __ ] So, I locked my box when I left and the manager called me up and bitched me out over the phone because I locked my toolbox. Toolbox.

" So, uh, that was the only bad experience. I know Nick Bones had tons of stories. He always had like terrible like people throwing up in his booth and like falling out of the chair, like passing out and that kind of thing. But yeah, I think overall I had a pretty good experience there. They had like a hackers convention that came through there. So you guys got Yeah, hackers. Like that was the good thing about that place is the it had a small like convention center or banquet hall or something. So, tons of these like really cool like billiards convention or like dards convention or like these weird like they had like these old west guns quick draw but they would shoot like wax bullets or something inside like targets.

So, those people were super cool cuz they wanted like gun tattoos and [ __ ] like that. So, it was fun doing stuff like That's one great thing about growing up tattooing in Vegas is due to the constant flow of people and these weird weird [ __ ] groups and cultures that come through for all their, you know, gatherings and trade shows or whatever you want to call them. Um, you just meet all different kinds of people and it's fun. And like in your environment, you got to do a lot of small tattoos which taught you a lot. It keeps you on your toes and then you're always doing stuff that you didn't do the day before. Like I don't know. It just keeps it fresh. Like you're and the conversations are fresh cuz you're like, "Oh [ __ ] Okay, you you're a professional gunslinger.

" It's pretty weird. So I enjoyed that big time about tattooing growing up here. But you were there for a couple years or what? I was there for a couple years and I would go to like tattoo conventions and I would see like you and um I even went to I would like hang out at your guys' first shop by the Orleans. Yeah. Yeah, cuz I just wanted to like, you know, I heard your uh Studio 21 was like a really good shop, a really good local shop and it's familyowned. " And I try to like I more buddy buddy with like your mom cuz she was a graphic designer and she was always upfront talking to everybody and stuff too. Yeah.

So, I I was just trying to get in with that and I saw your dad and you at a convention and I didn't mention anything or whatever, but I remember your sister called me out of the blue and was like, "Hey, summer's coming up. We're looking for artists. " And I actually said no at first. Really? I don't know why I said no. Panicked or something. I think I was like, "Well, I'm the where I'm at. " And I started at Three Lions and I'm like, I got a good thing going here.

Like I don't want to like just leave all of a sudden cuz I was just there for I just started there. Yeah. And and I liked the dudes that were I was working with. So Yeah. But she called me again and insisted I come in and I I was like, "Okay, I'll come in and just show my portfolio and check out the shop and Yeah. things like that. " Yep. Okay.

No [ __ ] And then Yeah. So that you were with us for 10 years. I was with you guys for 10 years and I was super comfortable and I hadn't I just I loved it. Yeah, that was that was the best experience in my life. I can tell you right now. A that's awesome. 10 years. It didn't even seem like 10 years.

Oh, it was prime time too. Like later on a lot of the guys like like Nick Bones ended up coming over and Tyson ended up coming over. So all the people that you liked ended up coming and working at the shop and we had like a such a great run there for like 10 years of just like close. We were all super [ __ ] busy. Like the busiest I've ever been busy as hell tattooing and some like no joke some of my best friends that still to this day like crazy. And I grew so fast because I was around a bunch of artists that were way better than me. Yeah. And I didn't I didn't really have that at some of the other shops.

I was kind of like on par or like I was still kind of like learning but but Studio 21 pushed me like super hard, super fast. Dude, we had such a good crew and everybody there was like their work ethics were strong which obviously showed like in their illustrations. So we were constantly like there was no moment that was like pre Tik Tok and [ __ ] too. So we're never like sitting around watching TV. Remember I had no TVs in the shop. No no TV. So we weren't tattooing. We were drawing or painting.

Yeah. It was like it was such a great golden time, you know. It was really cool. Yeah. And the energy was there. And then the pandmic hit. Yeah. And then bum bum bum.

Yeah. Shop. Yeah. Shop gets shut down and we all kind of [ __ ] our pants and then um Yeah. So then we we got everybody everything shifted like the team just had to leave or panicked, you know. And then I was in a good position. I was already doing side hustle [ __ ] I was already selling my artwork and started doing ceramics. Yeah, ceramics.

You had your own website for a really long time with all of your art available. I was doing conventions. Constantly doing trade shows outside of tattoo conventions, too. Obviously, you're doing designer. Yeah, I was doing all kinds of comic cons and whatever I can really just whatever art things I can do to sell my stuff. Yeah. You were always so good at that. And I still to this day are I mean you're currently here right now cuz you're here for Designer Con.

Um but that's kind of one thing I like to talk about is like I feel like there's just something awesome about having a little bit of a side hustle even if that's you're a tattooer and then you paint at night and sell your prints. And I just feel like it's incredibly important to diversify in case not not in case, but like when things like the pandemic hit, you were all of a sudden it was there was no like panic. You were like, "Okay, well, if I can't tattoo, then I'm just going to do this full time. I'm going to go hard like on my personal [ __ ] We were forced to, but it was a great time. " But you had already been doing um ceramics um which is why all these mugs are here. These are all rad amazing tiki mugs now that you you like you and I always like dabbled and interested in the tiki culture and stuff.

But yeah, just go to Frankie and like Yeah. collecting small trinkets, but you know, maybe not like full on into it, but then you just went full on into it. Learn how to I don't know. I just had the opportunity. I had the time. I was lucky enough to where I had money saved. Yeah. And during the pandemic, it was it was kind of lucky.

That's that's you making good decisions. It was I had money saved and I wasn't like one of those tattoo artists that like blew all their money all the time. Um but I think I just I was excited to just do my own thing and I mean it was scary at first. Yeah. But I You're forced to but I was forced to and I'm like okay I'm just going to go really hard on this and build my company up and do the big sticky thing and uh so it was it was really exciting time. It was scary and also exciting at the same time. Yeah, cuz I didn't know what I didn't know what it was. Everything was just like Yeah.

All of us were just thrown into our homes and like you know fed a bunch of negativity and stuff and and kids in the house. Yeah. Challenging. Yeah. I love what you've done with this stuff. So like tell us a little more about this. Like so what I see from an outsers's perspective is you're doing kind of disruptive but you're doing things different than what like the tiki culture has kind of been has seen in the past, right? You're using technology.

You're using all the threedimensional program. What do you call those programs? Yeah, just like 3D sculpting instead of I mean I did sculpt by hand at first. Yeah. Um cuz I wasn't super confident in my 3D sculpting skills. I was like learning at the time. I love learning like new tools and like I'm always learning new [ __ ] It's I don't know what it is. I just I like that.

I like starting all over as a noob and just I think that's how my whole life has been. Yeah. And well, just being in love with whatever you're doing is always like a a positive. And if you force yourself to constantly be working, then you'll see progression. And you've obviously seen that. So you like I don't know, go back to this like you you obviously an illustrator first and then you do you go in, you sketch these rough ideas out on paper and then bring them into the 3D programs. Yeah. Like I'll I'll sketch on the iPad or whatever and then Yeah.

Yeah. I don't do like a front, side, and back view or anything. I just do a cool sketch like a tattoo design. Yeah. And then I in my head already know it's going to be so fun to sculpt in 3D. Yeah. So, I just start doing it, you know. What are the programs you're using again?

Uh ZBrush. And you can use that on your iPad too or No, no, they do now, I think, have um stuff on the iPad. I have my workflow is on the regular computer, so I just keep doing that same thing. Yeah. your I always call your house like the mad scientist lab cuz you go over there and like the whole your monitors and everything are all set up. Super dope. 3D printer. I'm I always like like I said new tools and stuff to make my I always reinvest into my company like um I'm always looking at like 3D printers or like nice tablets and computers and things like that.

Yeah. So after you 3D sculpt them, are you 3D printing these out? Yeah. Like I'll 3D print the original like a prototype. Yeah. And then I just have to make molds from there. And I think I remember you saying like the 3D printers weren't that great back in the day. So now you can you come in, you clean them up and like fill or sand and stuff.

Yeah. I don't have to really do that now. Like now they come out pretty good. Like I don't have to really sand them down or anything much. Okay. That's it. Yeah. It's I mean it's come a long way in the past like 5 years even.

And you've literally taught yourself everything just via YouTube or whatever. Yeah, mostly YouTube. Asking friends and Yeah. Nobody really in the tiki mug making community. There's not too many people doing the 3D stuff. Yeah. No, I know. I've never seen I think you're the only one I've ever seen do it.

Even like the subject matter. I don't I don't do like traditional tiki stuff. I I respect it and I love that whole culture and stuff. It's really fun and kitschy and stuff, but um I don't want to pretend like I know about that whole culture and I don't want to try to I just do my own thing. I love like you bring a lot horror pop kind of horror pop weird oddity type of stuff. You bring in all sorts of stuff like titties. Skull titties. Skull titties.

And uh but this guy's fun. I think it's cool, man. Like it's the first time in my life where I'm not I'm trying not to like think too much about like what other people want. I just want to do my own thing and I've never been able to do that as a graphic designer or a tattoo artist or whatever else. I'm constantly thinking about what other people what can I do to sell it because I want to make people happy and this is where I'm making myself happy. So it's good wild. you're doing and you're also doing like bubblers and [ __ ] bongs, right? Bongs and stuff and that's not something that any I have never seen any tiki guy like go into that.

It's I kind of I'm like scared about the whole bong thing so I have to call it a bubble maker but it's it's the same thing. Yeah. When you say scared, like it just um Well, the first time I I got into like importing stuff from like China or like overseas, I I I just started doing that maybe like a couple years ago. Um I was getting mugs made because I was selling out of all my personal stuff. I would make like a batch of 50 and then they would sell out like really quick. All handmade, hand painted. Yeah. So my website would be like kind of empty or like it would just have one or two items and it say sold out.

So I I was talking to people trying to get stuff made overseas and I started making a I did a couple mugs like this is an import one. I didn't make that one. Oh, okay. I designed it and made them myself at first but then I remade them to be imported from China. Yeah. Like your logo on the bottom and everything. But I after I did this one, I did a I did a bong and the company that the middleman that helped me get the order through to the factories, like on the paperwork, they listed it as bong and it came to Vegas and they just destroyed all of them because on the boxes and everything, it said like bong on it and that's illegal. " It was a shitty thing.

So hard lesson learned. So now I call them vases or bubble makers. Yeah. Yeah. So, I got to kind of go around it a little. Wonder if I Yeah, probably not good to say that, but No, it's all right. It's all right. Uh, so other than that, like how how's the tiki kind of community or they seem to embrace you?

Great. Right. Yeah, I think I think because I am so different than the I think that's how it's been with my art. Anytime I do like a Comic Con or like a convention even, I go I like kind of get into these little niche markets, but I'm like to my artwork's different. It's a different twist on things. And I think people like that cuz it's refreshing. They're not seeing the same [ __ ] all the time. Yeah.

The same tiki character carving, which I still I mean that's fine if that's what you want to do and you're into that whole classic traditional thing. But I'm coming in and I'm trying to like do my own thing. Everybody seems to be cool though. Good. I feel weird like calling it a tiki mug, but that's just the style of the mug and I'm not trying to I don't know culturally appropriate the whole thing. Like I'm not trying to take that whole culture and twist it in in a way. But I'm really happy that the the people do like my stuff and they buy it. And I see all like the biggest tiki guys in the industry that I'm aware of like on your Instagram and you know I've seen your following grow.

Great. People are super nice. So there's nobody that's shitty in that whole culture thing. I'm sure they are. But so far I I I've been accepted and everybody's super stoked on my stuff. Awesome. It's cool, man. I'm stoked about it for you.

This is a really fun project and I I don't know. Do you do you does this any of this help you sell tattoos or do you get back into like I think so. You've been doing guest spots and stuff, right? Every once in a while, but I think Yeah. I don't know. I want a tattoo, but I want to tattoo like my own stuff. So, I I feel like people kind of like they'll hit once they know you tattoo artist, it all comes out like, "Oh, I got this shitty tattoo. " That kind of thing.

Like, are you doing any flash sheets, right? you're kind of I did a while ago, but I I mean I have a lot of designs just on paper on my iPad designed, but I I haven't really I haven't really like gotten back into tattooing in a little bit. So, I want to I do miss it. I miss it if if it's at the right place and the right design. Yeah. So, that kind of thing. It's like I would treat it as a commission. " Like I would like it as a tattoo.

Then I'd be stoked. " Yeah. But it have to be like a little banger or something. I'm not going to sit here and do a full sleeve on anybody or like It's a lot of commitment these days. Yeah. With how much you've got going on. You got a lot of projects. So, you got like a soft good line now kind of, right?

Like some shirts and like umbrellas or all different kinds of tiki drinks. I've been trying all these different products now that I'm doing like import stuff. The mugs are where it's at. I feel like I'm going to focus more on that. But at first I was trying all these different products and some stuff I have like a whole bunch of boxes in my garage that are just sitting there cuz nobody's buying it like the parasols and things like that. But it was fun designing them, dude. Just doing like box designs now is so [ __ ] fun, I'm like way into it now. So, all my products are going to have all my newer products, my import mugs and things have a box that I design and it has like a, you know, a tiki drink recipe on it.

And um so I'm learning a lot. Yeah, I'm learning what works and what doesn't. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, I I'm learning those same lessons and sometimes they can be expensive, but Yeah. I mean, it's money. This is all my own money that I'm putting into this.

And then it, you know, if it doesn't sell, it definitely bums me out. " Like people want the mugs more than this parasol or this we give that stuff away for free at shows or use it for like promo items and stuff. You just got to learn how to be creative with the dead [ __ ] you know? Yeah. Cuz if they buy like a bunch of stuff like a couple mugs and like I have like cool cocktail glasses with my art on it. Yeah. And then I'll just throw in like one of those products that's not selling cuz I'm just like here you go here's a free and people get stoked on that stuff you know. So No, it's awesome.

Yeah. So, you've been doing commissions too for other tiki bars like and now sculpting for tiki bars across the country or Yeah, in New York. I've probably done maybe five or six so far. That's cool. But I'm still doing I just did one for a company called Dynasty and they're more of a import. They just have a website. Um, but it was it's fun doing those commissions. I love sculpting.

So, just to be able to sculpt and not have to deal with the manufacturing of it. Yeah. Yeah. You're just getting to producing it. That's it. I'm like I'm just getting paid to sculpt it and I can sculpt stuff pretty fast. So, it's it's fun for me. Yeah.

Yeah, that's fun. You got any advice for like tattooers that maybe are hesitant on on side hustles? You know, like I don't Man, you know, I don't feel Oh, I wouldn't be hesitant on side side hustling is like you got your job like your day job as a tattoo artist. Like why not spend a a little extra time and just put a website together and and have like what's your passion? You want to make [ __ ] blankets or like sewing or whatever you want to do. Incorporate more of your tattoo styles into it, you know? Uh, I'm a huge advocate for promoting yourself as an artist and yeah, and not just depending on Instagram as the only platform, you know, you got to like diversify and I mean, you're a local artist and yet you're you're getting clients and stuff like that, but there's like a whole other world out there on the internet of people just like getting high at night buying dumb [ __ ] on the internet.

Like, you could totally break into that market, no problem, man. You know what I mean? Everything's so niche now, too. So, you just figure it out, like find your little space. And I feel like there's always someone willing to buy your [ __ ] It's like ingrained into me. I don't know how to give people advice because it just comes second nature to me. I'm like always doing extra stuff, you know? I don't know.

It's just Yeah. It's fun to me. I love I'm obsessed with just doing I work seven days a week. I know you do. I've watched you. Yeah. That's That's what I do. Yeah.

I would I would definitely like to see you do a little tattooing if you ever want to come back and do a little guest spot or something or and I you know lately I've been wanting to do is some little collabs too. So like if you could find like an you know we work on an illustration together or something like that that way I'll give me tattooing again too cuz I'm not tattooing as much right now and I'm missing it. But I'm the same way. I I really just I don't have enough time to like get in there and take on these full sleeves and stuff anymore. I used to or other, you know, fix other people's work or Yeah, that if I could do like a softball size tattoo and it's done in, you know, two hours and I'm good. That would be awesome. So, we'll have to line something up like that.

I would love that. But, and if anybody wants to see um Maverick Supply Co. have a tiki mug, let us know in the comments below because we we really want to make one. And if you guys have any ideas, we got some ideas for some penguins. Some party and penguin party penguins tiki mug. That'd be amazing. Yeah, we'll get there. We'll get there.

So, what do you got going on this weekend? You're going to be working the designer convention, which will be long gone by the time this episode comes out. But yeah, I'm here. First year in Vegas, right? First year in Vegas. I've been doing the show since maybe like six years or maybe more than that. But, uh, it was in California. Yeah.

Yeah. And then like right when I move, it comes to Vegas. It's [ __ ] hilarious. But I I was like all excited that it was coming here and then I just decided to get out of Vegas. There's there's a lot of tattooers, a lot of other tattooers out right in this that come do this. I know like Tom Hobbs. Yeah, Hobbs and um Honky Kong. Adam, they're not coming out this year, but Honky Kong's a great side hustle dude, man.

Yeah, I I love that guy. If I can sit down and talk with him one day, too. Like he's somebody that has got such a unique style stuck to his guns and talk about side hustles. Like the dude just produces and produces and produces. He's making now all the jumpsuits and jackets shirts. Dude, he's he's like hands down one of my favorite illustrators. Like Yeah, for sure. Yeah.

But yeah, it's nice seeing people that I know there or that even that I just follow on Instagram or something. And I can go like I I I really feel like Designer Con is like an artist's uh convention, like an art nerd show. Like I love to go there and nerd out on every little artist and their products that they're making. Yeah. So cool. How they represent themselves in the booths and all that [ __ ] It's not easy, dude. And it takes a lot of work. They've got to first of all, you know, take off of their whatever their gig they're doing and load all their [ __ ] up, drive across the country, set all that stuff up, set up your merch services, and and then stand there and talk to people.

You can't be lazy. You can't just sit there and [ __ ] be on your phone. Like, no. I don't have Yeah. I like I like the whole experience of like people coming and you know either a people are lining up because they follow you and they're like stoked to get this product from you and meet you and then people that don't know you and you're getting your your [ __ ] out there and and people like walk by your booth and like stop all of a sudden you're like oh [ __ ] what's this? Have you seen tattooing like live tattooing come into any of those other type of shows? I mean, I feel like I've met a few people that are say they're trying to not just do a tattoo convention. They're kind of trying to go do these other types of conventions and then tattoo there.

Yeah. There's like expose themselves to like their niche or their, you know, the people that they want to talk to. And I haven't seen too much of it. Like the Oddities and Curiosity show, I think, has a little tattoo thing that they do. Viva Las Vegas. Yeah. They've always had like a tattoo room. Yep.

Yeah. So those kinds of conventions I I can see it happening and being accepted. I don't know kind of I like to see that stuff. I I I think it should be involved part of the experience. If anything, it shakes it up for their trade shows, too. Oh, for sure. And people would line up for that [ __ ] if they I don't know what kind of health crap you got to go through to get the licensing to do at a show, but it's a good idea. Yeah.

Well, [ __ ] What else you got going on? You've been just working your butt off and Yeah. I don't I don't really have any I'm just taking in one day at a time and uh I'm just going to keep doing mugs until I get sick of that and then do like something else. Oh yeah. Yeah. I'm trying to build my brand. Yeah. Um I'm trying to think of myself like as a brand instead of like I'm an artist Mike Bigs.

So um I'm not really sure if the Bigs Tiki thing if it's going to stay Bigs Tiki, but that will be one branch of my brand. But I might open up a whole another brand and just do I don't know. I don't even know what's like endless. All my ideas are like Yeah, it's crazy. Yeah. Yeah. No, there's a lot more to go that you can do in the tiki world. That's damn sure.

Yeah. I like the whole ceramic. I like the ceramic mugs and I like the doing the bongs. I'm hoping the bongs really take off and I can kind of do more um stuff like that cuz I think drinking and smoking is go hand in hand. You know what I mean? Like some some tiki people like to smoke. Yeah, that's true. I mean, and and maybe they just don't have the products out there for them to get into that.

So, that's where I'm coming in. I'm like, have you hit any of those trade shows or like any of like the smoke? I think I watch smoking ones, but the but I show my stuff at the tiki ones and and it's pretty accepted. " Like, I'm into that. They're looking around like this one. Yeah. You know what I mean? Yeah.

So, I'm hoping to branch out u not just the drinking line stuff, like the at home bar line stuff, but I'm going to do like more smoking stuff, too. You're a big smoker. Always been. Yeah. I like it. You don't You don't drink too much though, right? You just have occasional tinky drink every once in a while. Yeah.

I'll have like a mocktail every once in a while. Yeah. I'm not really into the drinking. I hate the way it makes you feel. Especially the next day. Yeah. Yeah. The next day.

I'm just not I have like a terrible stomach too for that kind of stuff. I think we've made fun of your your guts for your whole life. It's true. And it only gets worse, man, as you get older. Like the whole drinking thing cuz I used to, you know, college and stuff. You I think I went way too hard in college and high school and like partying and then I think just now I'm cool with just not drinking at all. Yeah. Smoke and and build your brand.

You just got to have the you got to at least create the mocktails so you're you're you're feeling it and you're living it. Totally. It is weird that I make mugs and I don't drink alcohol much, but that's okay. And you put some seltzer water in there and some fresh fruit and all sorts of Nobody will know. Yeah. Well, [ __ ] man. I think that's about it. We want to keep it short and sweet, man.

I really appreciate you taking the time to come out and I'm looking forward to seeing some more tattooing out of you. Hopefully, we can do some stuff together. Um, and then we'll work on um hopefully getting a mug made by you one day. That's my goal. Save your money. Yeah, exactly. So, where do we find you guys? You Well, I say you guys, but you and your wife are your wife is an phenomenal artist, too.

She's an awesome artist. Um, we just right now I just do everything on the website. com. Um, that's my main company is Big Studio because I kind of want to branch out and do other Yeah. keep it open. But, uh, you know, Instagram is always nice. Same thing. Big Studio.

I think that's where you would see the most updated stuff cuz I'm constantly posting things on there. So, if you want to see like what's going on in the studio, that's that's where you would go. But the website is where I'm trying to draw people to in case Instagram Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Are you messing with Tik Tok at all or any of the other platforms or And that's the thing is I just I hate having to be I'm a allin-one. I don't It's just me, man. Yeah, you need to get your stuff on.

It sounds weird. Tattooers hate Pinterest, but like for you, I think putting these just the pictures up like just uploading them constantly like we upload pictures of our shop and what's going on around our shop and then all those directly link back to your website and everything. So, these are things that that I'm learning right now cuz I just not I'm not good at marketing. Uh the whole business side of thing kind of sucks, but I have to do it. And I and I'm doing all this by myself. So, one day I I might have, you know, I put my kids to work when it's time to pack a bunch of orders. So, that's kind of nice to have some minions going on. But, yeah, I love helping you, too, though.

So, I always I'm, you know, I love our lunches and yeah, brainstorming ideas and stuff and working on things together. So, cool. We'll find you at Big Tiki Big Studio. Mhm. Anything else? What do you What shows are you doing this year coming up? Um do Tiki Oasis? I'm going to do Tiki Oasis in Arizona for the first time cuz I moved to Arizona.

Okay. I moved like right as they were I always did the one in San Diego. Yeah. And it bummed me out cuz I love San Diego. I love going to San Diego. And um I I was like in the middle of a move. So I was like, "Hey, uh I was wondering if I can transfer my booth prize thing over to Arizona cuz I'm moving there and they were totally cool with it. So I'm going to do Arizona and um keep doing Designer Con and the Oddities shows are all over the place.

I'm just trying to find little shows that I maybe even that I don't even belong in, but I can just break into Well, and can you stand out at stand out into it? So, uh, so yeah, that's what I have planned so far. So, you plan on doing a lot more shows, like ramping up this next year? Yeah, I'm hoping to get a new van. Yeah, I I love the van that I have, my Creeper van. But, uh, if I can get a new van, I'm going to I'm going to travel more for sure. Put a little bunk in the back of that [ __ ] Yeah, man. Do some traveling, do some shows, and promote all my stuff.

Yeah. Well, dude, I'm looking forward to seeing what you do. Thank you so much, babe. I love you with all my heart. Much respect. Yeah, man. You my best bet. So, all right guys.

Well, thank you so much for listening. I am really really in in love with what Mike does. So, if you get a moment, check him out, support him, pick up a mug for your your little mini bar at home or whatever you got. So, thank you guys. Have a great one. Peace. Bye.