As the newest addition to the "Never Fade" lineup, Tin-Tin is the central figure in tattooing in Paris, France, where he has been tattooing for more than 20 years. Tin-Tin's legacy is a special one, his methods and ideas about the art of tattooing have grown out of years of experience and have never been subject to the flippant trends of youth culture.
Tin-Tin, in a lot of ways, has been an integral part of high fashion origins. He has collaborated with the likes of Jean-Paul Gautier, Marc Jacobs, and Stefano Pilati of Yves Saint Laurent, as well as being their personal tattoo artists. Tin-Tin's rough and rowdy upcoming as a biker, on the road and fighting hard to earn the respect he deserves, gives him a 'cool' only a few people have, and fashionistas keep his door swinging as they come to get a piece of that cool.
Tin-Tin is a tattoo artist because he enjoys the craftsmanship and the design that is required to construct and execute a perfect tattoo. His priority is not fashion or style, but rather to be the best at what he does, and to enjoy his life and his family. Leaving behind a legacy, contributing to tattoo culture, and history-making are not so important to Tin-Tin, which makes him all the more cool and all the more inspiring and makes him affect tattoo culture that much more.
Because of these reasons and more, Tin-Tin is honored as our fourth "Never Fade" artist. Tin-Tin is a craftsman above all else, and values the happiness tattooing brings him, which inevitably led to lasting contributions to the industry in spirit and in excellent design. His ability to excel through passion and never get wrapped up in the performance of it all sets him apart from much of popular tattooing. He reminds us all to love what we do, and do it for its own sake, because that is the part of our day-to-day working lives that will have to always make us happy.
It is easy to be tempted to show off or gloat or get flashy when one is successful at something. Remembering Tin-Tin's spirit and passion keeps us all grounded and focused on what really makes us happy. Intenze Products isn't the best ink because it has the coolest bottle or sexy advertising - Intenze Products is the best because the craft is what is most important. Creating excellent products brings excellent artists to our product in the same way that excellent design attracts excellent clientele for Tin-tin.
Tin-Tin is a great and humble man, and he embodies the idea that true passion will Never Fade.
Tattooing is Gill Montie's religion - ask and he will tell you, it is the one thing he knows to be true in this world.
His hands are his instruments of worship and therefore his means of survival. Sometimes survival means a back alley brawl in the streets of some random city in a random part of the world.
Gill is the ultimate nomad tattoo artist. Never looking back, always ready for the next challenge.
At one time, the harsh reality of being a tattoo artist in America was that sometimes things got rough. Sometimes it's money, sometimes the people you tattoo are up to no good, sometimes scores have to be settled.
That being said, Gill Montie is the razor sharp fangs of a rare beast - one that travels light, fights to the death, and won't ever let you see him flinch.
His tattoos, on his skin and on the skin of others, are badges of honor, a coat of arms worn into the battle of life. Tattoos tell his story, and the story of others, and they are an ever-present reminder of who we are.
The Gill Montie skull tattoo is a coveted symbol to wear on one's skin - it seemed for a while that no tattoo artist could get through this life without a Gill skull tattoo.
Gill Montie's gift to us is that he has the courage to be Gill Montie - wholly, unapologetically a "tattoo man" through and through.
Mark Mahoney is one of the most iconic tattoo artists of our time. He is currently the proprietor and premier artist of the Shamrock Social Club, located in the heart of Hollywood on Sunset Boulevard.
His career spans three decades, during which he has been a major influence in each wave of change that tattoo culture has experienced in mainstream America. Mark was there during the underground punk scene of the 70’s, during the black and gray movement of East L.A. in the 80’s, and now during the mainstream popularity of tattoo art in the Hollywood scene.
The theme of Mark’s shop has always been “Where the Elite and the Underworld Meet.” Each of Mark’s designs are commissioned art pieces demonstrating the warrior mentality that Mark himself has known and experienced. From his teenage years in the streets of Boston to his work as a tattoo artist in the heart of L.A., Mark brings a world of experience into each and every facet of the artwork he creates, and it can be seen in the precision, design, and detail he brings to the craft.
It is for these reasons and more that Mark Mahoney is being honored as an INTENZE Never Fade artist. To have such a legend bring our ink into his artistic process is a humbling event. His impact on tattooing will Never Fade, and we are committed to the same spirit and longevity with each bottle of ink we produce.
Bill Salmon is a tattoo artist that lives and works in San Francisco California. Brought into the business under the wing of tattoo great Ed Hardy, Bill has tattooed for more than three decades during some of the most radical waves of tattooing the world has ever seen. He met his wife, Junii, by legendary Horitoshi 1 at the National Tattoo Convention in San Diego in 1987, and they have been tattooing together ever since. Bill and Juni tattoo daily at their studio Diamond Club Tattoo, one of San Francisco's premier private studios.
Understanding Bill Salmon's outlook on life and tattooing shows us that an artist's life must become completely immersed in the work in order to get the most out of it.
The stories and events of Bill Salmon's life will rival the most adventurous of Never Fade artists. He bravely left the east coast at a very early age to head out to California, and found his way through a music career before meeting Ed Hardy and begining his journey as a tattooist. He is the epitome of taking the road less traveled in search of greatness, a hallmark of any legendary figure.
Bill Salmon shows us that to truly succeed at the craft, one must remain positive and love it deeply. He is humble, constructive, and fiercely passionate about tattoos, and has an attitude of constant self-improvement and learning.
His desire to tattoo and constantly perfect his craft has impacted so many young tattooists in the business, which falls directly in line with the level of quality we hope to achieve with every bottle of tattoo ink we produce. No matter how popular INTENZE products become, we will always strive for a brighter, better, easier to use product, and we are inspired daily by Bill Salmon's quest for improvement and ideas.
Every generation will have new artists, and new technologies, and new dreams to chase; but the passion for greatness that sets people like Bill Salmon apart will Never Fade.