books closed podcast

Andrew heads to Savannah, Georgia to sit down with tattooer Zack Spurlock to discuss how he ruined his life for tattooing, which bands your favorite tattoos sound like, and why he strives for individuality in his work. Andrew also shares the story about his close encounter with his dream guest, Fred Durst.

Watch THIS EPISODE on YouTube

• Find Zack at Kudzu Tattoo in Savannah, GA
• Find Andrew at Worship Tattoo in Portsmouth, NH

BOOKS CLOSED is hosted by Andrew Stortz (@andrewstortz)
Music by  Epidemic Sound

***This episode is sponsored by:***

EQUAL VISION RECORDS
Quality records since 1990

• Use code BOOKSCLOSED for 20% off you order (excluding pre-order items)

TATTOO DREAM
Procreate stamp brushes, digital flash, downloadable books and online seminars for tattooers by some of the world's leading tattooers.

BLACK DAGGER BOOKS
A collection of art books from some of the hardest working tattooers in the game, released monthly. Sign up today for a subscription so you don't miss a single edition!

DOS-M
Digital Optimizations For Tattoo Artists
Head to digitaltattooers.com to get your FREE consultation setup today!

Thank you for tuning again after an extended hiatus! This episode is somewhat of a "drawing room discussion" that happens often at my shop. I thought it would be fun to record it and make it into an episode after being radio silent for a while. Lots of room for discussion on this one since we are mostly just spinning our wheels from one topic into another.

Recorded at Worship Tattoo in Portsmouth, NH

Follow me on IG @andrewstortz 

Follow Billy on IG @billychop 

www.booksclosedpodcast.com for more info about past episodes, or just subscribe to this show!

Steve Byrne joins the show again to talk about the legal battle between Sailor Jerry’s widow and a big liquor company, art ownership, intellectual property, and why he wants bootleggers to eat their copies of his work.

Steve works at Rock Of Ages Tattoo in Austin, TX.

Buy his book Non Stop Tattooing from Atonement Books

BOOKS CLOSED is hosted by Andrew Stortz (@andrewstortz)

Music by SAKURA @sakura.beatz

Books Closed Voicemail Line: (857)444-0662

This episode's sponsors:

ETERNAL INK

Use coupon code BOOKSCLOSED to get 20% off your order of Eternal Inks! eternaltattoosupply.com
@eternaltattoosupply

MACHINE MACHINE CO

Use code: BOOKSCLOSED
for $50 off enrollment to Seth Ciferri's Machine Mechanics & Tuning Workshop
machinemachine.co
@machinemachine.co

Professionally crafted video courses made by professional tattooers. Get an exclusive look at what's behind some of the best work in the tattoo community.

I talked to Alex Kass and Zac Scheinbaum, a couple tattooers who pursue tattoo related projects in addition to their day to day work. 

Alex runs the instagram page @tattoogear4sale, which has become the top place to buy, sell and trade (yes, you guessed it) tattoo gear. We talked about how he started the page, and some of the challenges that come with keeping it running. 

Zac created Afterlife Press, an independent publishing company that has put out two amazing books focusing on some of the greatest and most prolific tattooers of our time. We talked about his approach and why he is so interested in presenting a closer look at these tattooers.

 Alex Kass tattoos at Electric Panther Tattoo in San Antonio, TX.
@alexkass_ep 
@tattoogear4sale 

Zac Scheinbaum tattoos at Seventh Son Tattoo in San Francisco, CA.
@zacscheinbaum 
@afterlifepress

BOOKS CLOSED is hosted by Andrew Stortz

Music by SAKURA @sakura.beatz

Books Closed Voicemail Line: (857)444-0662

booksclosedpodcast.com

THIS EPISODE'S SPONSORS:

ETERNAL INK 
(eternaltattoosupply.com)
@eternalink

• Use coupon code BOOKSCLOSED to get 20% off your order of Eternal Inks!

TATTOO SMART
@tattoosmart

Digital design tools and tutorials for tattooers!

• Check out the Digital Stamp Flash Sets to arm yourself with an arsenal of functional reference material
• Use coupon code BOOKSCLOSED to get 15% off your order!

What's up with tattooing in Oregon? Portland tattooer, Olivia Britz-Wheat, gives us the lowdown on the state mandated tattoo schools, and talks about the work she does with the group, Reform Oregon Tattooing.

After the interview, Andrew shares an email from a tattooer who attended an Oregon tattoo school.

Let's talk about apprenticeships with Tim Hendricks. We respond to an article about a tattooer from Dallas, TX who is developing a program to teach arts high school students about tattooing as a part of their school curriculum.

Then we hear from Olivia Britz-Wheat, a tattooer from Portland, OR, and a part of the organization, "Reform Oregon Tattooing," about what a real-world example of structured tattoo school looks like.

BOOKS CLOSED is hosted by Andrew Stortz

Music by SAKURA @sakura.beatz

Books Closed Voicemail Line: (857)444-0662

booksclosedpodcast.com

THIS EPISODE'S SPONSORS:

TATTOO SMART
@tattoosmart

Digital design tools and tutorials for tattooers!

• Check out the Spit Shading Toolkit to give your digital art the look of classic traditional hand-painted flash!
• Use coupon code BOOKSCLOSED to get 15% off your order!

RIVER VALLEY PRINTING CO 
@rivervalleyprintingco

A fine selection of high quality prints, stickers, and pins. Also offering custom printing services to tattooers and artists alike!

• Use coupon code BOOKSCLOSED for 15% off your first order!

Andrew digs into the offerings of tattoo business guru, Dax McClellan. Does tattooing need online courses about how to post on Instagram? This investigative report tells a story of self-discovery.

Dax McClellan - Social Media Savage
TJ Forte
Justin Brown

BOOKS CLOSED is hosted by Andrew Stortz (@andrewstortz)

All music by SAKURA @sakura.beatz

Books Closed Voicemail Line: (857)444-0662

www.booksclosedpodcast.com

The full VIDEO version of this episode can be viewed on YOUTUBE


THIS EPISODE'S SPONSORS:

MACHINE MACHINE CO.
@machinemachine.co

Online Video Workshops that teach you how to be smarter than your tattoo machine

Use code: BOOKSCLOSED for $50 off your enrollment!


TATTOOING ÜBER ALLES
@tattooinguberalles
Documentary films focused on the craft of tattooing. No drama, no bullshit.

Watch free clips: Tattooing Uber Alles on YouTube
Full Documentaries: TattooingUberAlles.com or Amazon

This episode features a group panel of tattooers Shawn Barber, Matthew Knopp, Beau Brady and Robert Ryan discussing, tattoo TV shows, internet fundraisers, maintaining positive outlooks, and more!

BOOKS CLOSED is hosted by Andrew Stortz (@andrewstortz)

All music by SAKURA @sakura.beatz

Books Closed Voicemail Line: (857)444-0662

www.booksclosedpodcast.com

The full VIDEO version of this episode can be viewed on YOUTUBE

THIS EPISODE'S SPONSORS:

TATTOO SMART

Use discount code: BOOKSCLOSED for 15% off any tools on the site (one use per customer)
www.tattoosmart.com

Tattoo Smart is a marketplace for forward-thinking tools to tattooers, artists, and designers, empowering them to learn new digital skills and improve their design workflows. They collaborate with tattooers to create brush sets for Procreate and Clip Studio Paint, reference eBooks, digital color tools like the Abbott Color Wheel, and design and software tutorials.

THE ORIGINAL TATTOO PILLOW

Create a more sanitary work space by replacing cloth pillows with a pillow designed with the needs of tattooers and their customers in mind. Each 10.5 x 20 Inch pillow is covered in a soft yet durable antibacterial vinyl with polyfill stuffing to provide firm yet cushioned support.

From now until March 31st, use promo code “booksclosed” on torchtattoo.com to get 20% off a pillow of your own!

Tattoo artist Tim Lehi (@timlehi) talks about why he is moving from the west coast to a small town in Vermont, then tattooer Cheyenne Sawyer (@cheyennesawyer) sits down to discuss motivation from coworkers, keeping up with the younger generation, and if any of it really matters.

Follow Tim: @timlehi

Follow Cheyenne: @cheyennesawyer

This episode was recorded in Portland, Oregon.

BOOKS CLOSED is hosted by Andrew Stortz (@andrewstortz)

www.booksclosedpodcast.com

Books Closed Voicemail Line: (857)444-0662

The full VIDEO version of this episode can be viewed on YOUTUBE

THIS EPISODE'S SPONSORS:

LITTLE BLACK BOOK CO

Go straight to the source with a selection of vintage illustrated used books. Scrolling down their instagram page @little_black_book_co will show you why their motto is “books before google.” You won’t find books of tattoo flash here, but you will find the FUEL for your own art. Pretend you are more clever than you actually are, with the right reference materials.

MINDZAI CREATIVE

The tattoo industry’s go-to print shop for over ten years.
Specializing in t-shirts, stickers, art prints, patches and pins, Mindzai Creative can help you market and merchandise your art or business.
Now is the time to make sure your shop and convention booths are fully stocked.

Use promo code: BOOKSCLOSED for 10% off your next order!

PLEASE support our sponsors, and let them know you heard about them on BOOKS CLOSED

Theme music is "Harp" and Ad music is "Bedroom Mist" by SAKURA @fazekas.dani