I really had high hopes for Spike TV’s Ink Master when I first heard about it. A tattoo reality show centered around competition made me think it would be something akin to Chopped on Food Network. A tattoo version of Chopped would be a good thing, right? Chopped is pretty well-made and fairly clever. As a viewer, I think the most interesting part is the feedback contestants receive from the judges once the challenges are over.

I thought Spike TV had enough experience with reality programming to do this right–they worked with the UFC  to create ‘The Ultimate Fighter‘ show. While Ultimate Fighter gave interpersonal drama way too much airtime, it was still better than the average reality TV trainwreck.

Then I heard Dave Navarro was involved with Ink Masters, and I was suspicious. I get it: they picked a recognizable, douchey ex-rockstar with tattoos to appeal to the average joe. (Personally, I would have gone with Benji Madden–but that’s just me.)

Nevarro aside, they did enlist Chris Nunez and Oliver Peck as judges, and the list of the tattoo artists/contestants was fairly impressive. With that many talented artists involved with the show, I still held onto the hope that this could really be a show the tattoo industry and community would be proud of.

The promo clips are starting to pop up online, and I have to say, I’m a little concerned. Instead of following the Chopped model like I’d hoped, this looks like typical bad reality programming… What an awful feeling. (Watch the clip below to see what I’m talking about.)

Even after seeing clips like these, I hope there’s going to be some good that comes out of this show. Like I mentioned above, there’s a number of really talented artists involved. Maybe it can shine the light on some other artists, as well as shops that really deserve the attention? Better yet, I’ve heard that the artists talk openly about some important tattoo common-sense subjects, like why you should tattooed in a shop instead of someone’s kitchen.

I realize I’m grasping at straws, here. I just don’t want to believe every episode is going to be like the clip below. I can’t say I’m confident Spike TV will air the portions of the show that would actually benefit the general public, but I could be wrong.

At this point, I don’t know what to expect of a full episode… but I guess we’ll find out tonight at 10pm.

Last week we briefly discussed Spike TV’s newest show, Ink Master. Since then a lot has been released about the show, including a full cast list and this trailer below.

I’m interested in hearing what you think about the show, the cast, and the preview.

It’s ridiculous how many tattoo reality television shows we’ve heard about and discussed. People have talked about a tattoo competition based show, but it was always in the works and nothing was concrete. Apparently Spike TV is the first one to move forward with this idea. The show, InkMaster, will be produced by Tim Warren. You’ve probably never heard of his name before, but I’m sure you’re familiar with his work. Tim has produced Deadliest Warrior, Extreme Makeover, and Pros vs. Joes.

Everyone will have their own opinion if this show is a good thing or bad thing (as always, you’re welcome to share your opinion in the comments below) so I’ll refrain from sharing mine. Instead, I’ll share a snippet from the official Spike TV announcement:

The tension and stakes are high in “InkMaster” as the artists not only face the judges, but also the opinions of their ‘human canvases.’ The artists will have a wide variety of clients to deal with, ranging from tattoo virgins to connoisseurs with a full sleeve of body art to those who want to cover-up a prior tattoo misstep. The masterpieces created on these ‘human canvases’ will last a lifetime, but so will the mistakes. Satisfying the individual whose skin now bears the artists’ handiwork will be a major element in determining the victor.

The winner of “InkMaster” will win a $100,000 cash prize and a feature in Inked magazine, the preeminent magazine covering tattoo culture, art, music and fashion.

Next Friday night, the good people at The Austin Tattoo Company are throwing a Halloween bash next Friday night.

On top of the normal Halloween debauchery, the shop will be giving away tattoo gift certificates and Oliver Peck’s Misfits cover band will be playing live. I haven’t even started talking about the art show featuring work from Nate Beavers, Bob Tyrrell, Nick Baxter, Paul Acker, Dan Henk, and others.

Do I still need to continue to convince you to go?

Oliver Peck and the crew over at Elm Street Tattoo are having another one of their legendary parties on Friday, December 18th. Along with the normal debauchery, the party will included live performances by The Architects (KCMO), The Miss Fits, White Punks On Dope, and DJ Hammertimez.

Please note the party is described as a wig party, so you need to start your shopping now! Oh, and you don’t want to show up in the same wig as someone else – so below is a picture of a wig that Oliver has worn in the past.

If you’re in the Dallas area, I highly suggest you check this out. If I was within driving distance, I would be there. From what I’ve heard, these parties are always a blast and tend to get a little wild. Additional details can be found here.

Tickets are currently on sale at the link above, and they’re only $6. A limited number are available, so don’t sleep on this.