Your Comic Book Tattoos!

I am no stranger to the idea of permanently embellishing oneself with a tattoo based on a comic book. It's an extreme step yes, and one fraught with the possibility of changed opinions years or decades down the road. Yet, art is art, and there is something to freezing in time your tastes and experiences, creating a lasting memory, and sometimes that's done in ink, and sometimes, it's painfully etched on one's skin.

I asked people to send me in some of their comic book tattoos, because I wanted to see exactly how far people took them, and what they would choose. Here's what I got.
 


 

I am a huge fan of the classic Batman logo, and this one came out very well.
 


 

2 things are interesting about this. For one thing, that is a rather silly dancing Captain America, and for the other, it is apparently on the leg of a lady. Your expectations have been shattered, world.
 


 

He's happy to defend and represent freedom.
 


 

I believe that this is what is known as a "chestpiece". It's sort of the unlikely crossroads of prison tats and nerds.
 


 

Endless, insane love. On an arm.
 


 

Early on, Bruce Wayne flirted with the idea of using tattoo symbols, but everyone saw him coming in the dark. He started wearing a shirt after that. It went better with the cape.
 


 

Classic. Ankley.
 


 

This one's for Ackbar.
 


 

I don't think it's Bizarro, but rather what happens when you take a photo with a Mac webcam. Also, that is the chin of a dude who could kick my ass.
 


 

Despite years and years of talking about it, this is NOT Ron Richards' arm.
 


 

London, France, etc.
 


 

This is but one side of a massive amount of JLA themed leggery. Massive commitment here, and set at exactly the right level for delighting small children.
 


 

Thingleg.
 


 

This one's pretty punk rock, and goes well with Black.
 


 

Hey, it's Darwyn Cooke's ex-girlfriend!
 


 

Biggest damned Rocketeer tattoo you ever saw!

Please feel free to share your comic tattoos in the comments, and identify yourself. Thanks to everyone for sending them in. Live with no regrets!

Comments

  1. That one of Death from Sandman is amazing!

    I’m in the final stages of booking up my tattoo sessions actually. Getting Spiderman costume running a few inches up the arm and then Avengers inspired running up the rest (with Chris Samnee inspired Thor finishing the top). Going to cost quite a bit of money, but will totally be worth it!

    At the end of the day when I’m 60 I’m probably going to have bigger things to worry about in my life then a bloody comic book sleeve!

  2. I have a batman logo on left shoulder, and a few weeks ago i got a GL logo on right shoulder!!!

  3. The Thingleg is blowing my mind!

  4. Avatar photo Paul Montgomery (@fuzzytypewriter) says:

    Classic Bat logo looks great. Thing leg requires a level of commitment usually relegated to circus performers. Good on ya, man!

  5. I have wolverine and storm on my right arm going to get x23 this weekend

  6. i was going to get a batman tattoo but then i thought about if i really wanted something that’s ultimately used to sell kid’s underpants, plastic cups and soft drink and i decided against it

  7. @ActualButt  That is fantastic.

  8. is the Darwyn Cooke tattoo from Gordon the Intern? I remember seeing him have one when ifanboy interviewed him and he asked to get it autographed then he would get the sig tattooed.

    did that ever happen?

  9. Some of these make me feel totally lame with my standard Spidey-spider tat. I’ll have to get my whole body webbed…it’s really the only way to feel adequate, now.

  10. Those are some great tattoos.  My mom once told me that if I ever got a tattoo she would end my life.  I know that sometimes, parents say things like that, but you guys didn’t see her eyes.  They haunt me in my nightmares…

  11. I have a Cap shield on my back, right shoulder. Got it when I was 18 and never regretted it. A friend got the Superman logo beneath shredded skin, it was pretty neat.

  12. @wangman31888  I’ll say this, Darwyn signed it REALLY big, and I don’t see it in that photo.

  13. Both of comic tattoos are all just black ink. The first is Superman’s logo from Kingdom Come, my only regret with this one is I should have just fuck it and gotten it at least twice as large. The other is the gear logo from Warren Ellis’ Doktor Sleepless which I got about 6 months back.

  14. Thing leg is great. I’ve been wanting a X logo for years but never got it. Actually have 3 tattoos that I want just can’t bring myself to do it. So worried it will come out bad.

  15. Dancing Cap is from this: 
    http://www.ifanboy.com/content/articles/Top_5__Unforgettable_Comic_Book_Ads

    which is why it was the one that made me go, “Really? Really. Forever,” when I saw it. 

  16. Having gotten two tattoos inside the confines of a comic book convention, this thread is near and dear to my heart. Unfortunately, in spite of being inked in front of thousands of fellow comic geeks, my tats are not, in fact, comic related. Alas.
     

  17. @Josh interesting, your tattoo is missing from this article.

  18. That Thing leg Rocks! I’ve had that palnned for my shoulder for years but never had the time or extra bit of cash to do it. and here I thought i was being original!

  19. I’ve never really understood tattoos (or piercings).  What’s the draw?

  20. @stuclach personal expression mainly, a chance to augment yourself to better reflect something you value and/or feel visually represents who you are as an individual. 

  21. @josh  Why thank you Josh. I’ve been asked why I have a symbol of repression and censorship tattooed on my leg, and the best I could come up with is that I’m “taking it back”. I think I just wanted something that would be instantly recognizable by any comic book reader, but only by comic book readers. Plus as a graphic designer, something about the logo has always appealed to me.

  22. I’ll be getting my Pixie wings this weekend. They’ll compliment the Phoenix logo on my chest quite nicely.

  23. Just as impressive as that Batman logo tattoo in the first image is the J.R.R. Tolkien symbol peeking in from the top.

  24. Awesome article. I actually emailed about comic book tattoos a while ago, glad to see an entire article about it. Had I known I would of send a picture of my Kingdom Come Superman logo wrist tattoo.

    Thing leg is sick!

  25. I can’t tell what part of the body the imperial symbol is on.

  26. Here you go:

    http://i52.tinypic.com/2igzzpz.jpg

    It’s not finished (needs colouring obviously) and it will eventually form what will be a Ditko-themed half sleeve.  

  27. I also can’t link properly apparently:

    http://i52.tinypic.com/2igzzpz.jpg 

  28. My left arm from wrist to elbow is dedicated to Batman, the Joker, and their origins.  Anyone know where I can go to upload the pics?

  29. @ActualButt  Damn you, that is such a brilliant idea. 

  30. The Cap Dancing is a friend of mines wife. I took the pic. She has a Green Lantern tattoo also. Her husband has a Green Lantern ring tat on his ring finger.

  31. I’m the one with the yellow and black Bat symbol and the X-Men logo. Batman is on the left shoulder, and X-Men is on the right. I’ve been thinking about expanding on those for a while now, and I figured since I already have DC on one side, and Marvel on the other, I’ll probably just stick with that theme. Connect the two across the top of my back, maybe partial arm. We’ll see. Plus my wife thinks they are hot!

  32. http://www.flickr.com/photos/derfla3101980/2402565026/

    Here is a link to my Spider Jerusalem/ Hunter S Thompson tattoo i had done a few years ago.

  33. I love the Thing leg!

    I’ve got Jesse Custer on my back, a Star Sapphire symbol on my shoulder, and an Eye of Horus (for Death) on my arm.

    Next up, Nightwing! 

  34. That JLA one is crazy!

    My roommate said he saw a girl on the subway with a photoreal I WANT TO BELIEVE X-Files Mulder Poster tattoo on her leg! I wish he took a photo.

  35. I have a portrait of Jack nicholson joker on my left forearm, batman half sleeve on the top of my right arm, silhouette of batman from dark knight returns on the back of my right leg and Jack Kirby’s robot head on my right forearm.

  36. I am the one with the captain america shield on my arm with the clarion suites shirt!! names Ray Shearer

  37. That’s my Rebel alliance tattoo! And my coffee table! Thanks for the awesome quote to go with mine, much appreciated.

  38. I always imagined Ron as a X-Men symbol tramp stamp kind of guy. Also, it’s not too hard to figure out who the Wonder Woman symbol belongs to.

  39. Here is the MODOK tatto that Brian String did for me at C2E2 this year.

    [img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/196866_1881913055666_1476529922_2063738_7209529_n.jpg[/img]

    Bean

  40. Guess you can’t post pics in the comments.  Here is the link by itself.

    https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/196866_1881913055666_1476529922_2063738_7209529_n.jpg

  41. A bit buggered by the ‘speak’ but bob’s your uncle I’ll try not to be too brassed off about it 
    and come off as a bit of a dag.

    Don’t pack a wobbly. 

  42. Here are my tattoos of Batman and Joker.

    <a href=”http://s1179.photobucket.com/albums/x388/lifesend1/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_0017.jpg” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x388/lifesend1/IMG_0017.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Photobucket”></a>

    <a href=”http://s1179.photobucket.com/albums/x388/lifesend1/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_0017.jpg” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x388/lifesend1/IMG_0017.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Photobucket”></a>

    <a href=”http://s1179.photobucket.com/albums/x388/lifesend1/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_0014.jpg” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x388/lifesend1/IMG_0014.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Photobucket”></a>

    <a href=”http://s1179.photobucket.com/albums/x388/lifesend1/?action=view&amp;current=IMG_0013.jpg” target=”_blank”><img src=”http://i1179.photobucket.com/albums/x388/lifesend1/IMG_0013.jpg” border=”0″ alt=”Photobucket”></a>

  43. These tattoos are great love the Joker @lifesend and @Mykey

  44. Avatar photo PymSlap (@alaska_nebraska) says:

    Cool amazing spider-man tattoo Danhill

  45. OK, I am not a tattoo person. I have none and have no plans of ever getting any. But if I did, it would probably be comic related. Or the Van Halen “VH” symbol, that would exude class.

  46. @Jediaxle Thanks, man!

  47. @Wood  Interesting.  That’s probably the best justification possible.

  48. Huh, that’s my Joker and Harley Quinn tattoo.