MILWAUKEE — So I'll do just about anything for the story. I've dropped in on a 13.5 foot halfpipe. That's taller than most X Games ramps. Well, on Friday, I did it again. I went to a tattoo festival and got my very first tattoo.
Milwaukee hosted the 2nd annual Milwaukee Tattoo Festival at the Baird Center. It brings more than 200 artists and about 3,000 people, including a reporter, to the Baird Center.
Thousands of people come to the festival, many of whom are looking for something big or specific.
"The clientele at tattoo fests tend to be more collector. They are people looking for the artwork of a specific artist, not necessarily something where they just walk in off the street," Kelly Severtson, a tattoo artist based in Chicago, said.
One of those people was Naomi Bock. She specifically wanted a design from Severtson. She liked his style and trusted his work since he was also a contestant on season 13 of the popular reality show Ink Master.
"Found him online, researched him a little further, and just kind of got excited about it and made the appointment," Bock said.
I, however, did not make an appointment. I just knew this was something I wanted to do. I've been contemplating it for a while and figured what better time than on camera for a story.
I think most people, even in the newsroom, thought I wouldn't do it. Now, to be fair, I did do two tattoo-related stories before where I pulled the ol’ bait and switch and got a temporary tattoo. But not this time.
I grinned and bared through a brief sting and got a sweet, smiley face tattoo. I put my money where my mouth is. I'll do just about anything for the story.
Coincidentally, Tate Wortham, who did my tattoo, actually gave a tattoo to another local news reporter on camera.
"It’s wild and back-to-back conventions," Wortham, who is based in Lousville, said.
A lot of these artists at the festival are on the road, traveling from city to city. They get to work on unique designs, and attendees, like Naomi Bock, get their dream tattoo.
"I wouldn’t maybe otherwise be able to get an artist like that if there wasn’t a festival like this," Bock said.
And I may not have gotten a tattoo if it wasn't for a festival like this.
The event is family friendly. However, only those 18 and up can get a tattoo. The festival will last the entire weekend.
Watch the story below to see James Groh get his first tattoo...
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
