MILWAUKEE — For some, Friday the 13th is a spooky day full of superstitions. For others like Jason Voorhees, it's a time to wreak havoc on the unassuming teens at Camp Crystal Lake. For the people who don't have those two categories, it's for those who love tattoos.
Friday the 13th is a tradition in the tattoo world that has been going on since the late 1990s across the country. Shops will offer a variety of pre-drawn discounted tattoos that are fast to draw. They're called flash tattoos.
That's why dozens of people lined up outside Atomic Tattoos on Milwaukee's East Side to get fresh ink. They didn't care that it was raining.
“I’ve gotten 3 or 4 (tattoos) from here," Liz Lamka said.
This is a tradition for Lamka. She has also waited outside during a cold January day to get a flash tattoo.
"It's cheap, and I like getting tattoos," Lamka said.
Atomic Tattoos had a steady flow of people coming in all morning for their Halloween-inspired designs. They expect a few hundred people to come through their doors.
“It’s giving back to young people who are maybe just getting involved in tattoos. And this is a day that you have minimal investment you can get a small tattoo without a large investment," Sam Bielinski, the owner of Atomic Tattoos said.
All the tattoos they offer are $13 with a $7 tip. That is significantly cheaper than a typical tattoo which can cost hundreds of dollars.
"People continually visit our event, and we tend to see a lot of the same people every Friday the 13th," Bielinski said.
Some of the designs include skulls, daggers, and a skeleton hand flipping the bird - which a few people got.
“I don’t know I thought it would be fun to flash at people," Olivia Rasner who got the skeleton hand said.
Friday the 13th is like Black Friday for tattoo fans. It’s meant to be a fun and low-cost tradition that allows people to get new art on their bodies.
“They’re pretty simple. They’re cheaper, and they’re pretty fast to do. So you can get a bunch in on sitting and not break your wallet," Brady Whitton who got a tattoo said.
Many shops around Milwaukee participate in the holiday. Check with your shop to see if they have a flash sheet to select a design from.
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