Tattooing has been around almost as long as human beings, seen in many cultures throughout history for many varying reasons, usually for personal, cultural, or spiritual expression or identification.

In the previous century there was a time when tattooing was seen as something only for the hardcore, scary people like bikers and gang members, or sailors who got drunk one night on leave. In Japan it is still generally thought of as a sign that you are part of the yakuza, the native gangsters.

But these days nearly everyone you run across could potentially have at least one tattoo, even if that one is merely a typical ‘tramp stamp’ on the lower back.

The average person might only have something small and simple, like Woodstock on their hip or a flower on their ankle, but even the unexpected person might surprise you with a slew of tattoos hidden beneath their clothing.

Tattoos with a geeky origin are more common these days than you might realize. All three of mine fall under that category.

I got my first tattoo when I was 18. I had held onto the idea of what I wanted for over two years, and seeing as how my mind hadn’t changed, I went ahead and did it. I got the red cross-sword symbol of Seifer Almasy from the video game Final Fantasy VIII on my left shoulder. For me, this tattoo not only represented my faith but also my love of all things fiction and fantasy. A perfect mesh.

Two years later I was ready for my second tattoo. This tattoo, a key with an inverted cross bow, is the same as a necklace worn by one of my original sci fi characters for a screenplay I am still in the process of getting sold. It was actually a friend’s suggestion, but since I always keep my characters close to my heart, I knew it was a great idea, and it remains my favorite tattoo.

Finally, a couple years later again, I decided to get a symbol for one of the most important themes between me and my closest friends: the one-winged angel theory.

No, that does not mean anything about Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII, but is actually a very old saying I first heard while playing the video game Xenogears.

At one point in the game, you enter a church with two angel statues, one male, one female, both with only one wing. It is explained that they represent humanity. We are all one-winged angels; we need each other in order to fly. So, I have one wing on the opposite shoulder as my cross.

FRIENDS

Great minds think alike, and I am certainly not the only one amongst my good friends who have gone the geeky route. Final Fantasy VIII held a lot of significance for me and my friends. Not only did I get Seifer’s cross, but one of my friends has Rinoa’s wings on her back, and another has Zell’s awesome face tattoo on her hip (not on her face like him, because that would be a little extreme, even for geeks like us).

My friend, Alexandria, who has the Zell tattoo, has in recent years taken her geekiness further, just like myself. Her left shoulder has a beautiful depiction of what we call a Man-o-pus, or a Merman but with an octopus body. Her third tattoo is still in progress, but is a beautiful fanart of one awesome angel, Castiel, from the hit CW show, and my favorite show of all time, Supernatural. Isn’t he gorgeous?

Later, yet another friend followed the Final Fantasy route and got the Jecht symbol from Final Fantasy X down her spine. We are often known at Anime conventions as the Final Fantasy tattoo girls.

GAIA ONLINE

While I do not frequent social media sites as often as I maybe should, as someone trying to promote a growing blog, I do pop into ones like Gaia on occasion when I have an ulterior motive. In this case I asked the community for some of their geek tattoo examples, and got quite an impressive response.

The most popular answer was to have the Triforce symbol from Legend of Zelda. Link and his adventures are some of the most popular video games of all time, after all, and the tattoo is very simple and classic, with a lot of room to be further creative.

The more tech geek examples were the USB symbol and the international power symbol, all readily recognizable by anyone these days who uses a computer.

Video games were definitely at the top of the geek tattoo list with more than just Zelda. One responder said her boyfriend had the Halo of the Sun symbol seen as the save point in the popular horror games, Silent Hill. Another admitted wanting to get Kirby, that adorable pink marshmallow character, with his parasol. And another wants the Foxhound symbol from Metal Gear, a favorite series of mine for many years.

Anime had some good recognition, as well, like a Death Note symbol of the character ‘L’, one of the more socially awkward geniuses ever conceived and a wildly favorite character of fangirls worldwide.

Hayao Miyazaki’s popularity did not go unnoticed, one example being a baby Totoro on someone’s wrist.

And my first response was actually an entire sleeve based around the ending of Hell Girl, an anime, manga, live action show, and video game.

Of course, anime, video games, and computer tech are not the only geek options. One girl said she had a golden snitch behind her ear, and I have seen many Harry Potter related tattoos. There are more options for geeks of all kinds out there than I could possibly cover, but one thing that is certain is that many fans have decided to immortalize their geek love with a tattoo.

LIVEJOURNAL

I had less of a response from my LJ crowd, but I was happy to get two very different types of geek tattoos in the answers I did get.

One responder has a tattoo of the band Kane, featuring the talented Christian Kane you might remember from the Angel series, who happens to be friends with Jensen Ackles, the actor who plays Dean on Supernatural. I can admit that while I did watch and love Angel, I found out about Kane because of the Supernatural fandom.

Geeky indeed.

The other response gave me probably the most heartfelt reasoning behind a tattoo that also has some geek origins. It is a sparrow that her grandfather had something very similar to from his days in the army. After he passed away, she wanted the tattoo in part to commemorate him.

The final push to get the tattoo, however, was seeing it on the character Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise. Geeky, sure, but also very sweet.

There is actually quite the geek movement in the Supernatural fandom, where most of my LJ friends come from, to get the tattoo that brothers Dean and Sam have over their hearts as protection from possession. I have considered getting the tattoo myself, but would have to choose a different location as my key is already in that spot.

Writer and Producer for the show, Sera Gamble, said in an interview after the tattoos were first revealed:

I’ll be convinced we’re truly a cult hit when a fan gets the same tattoo.

She definitely got her wish on that one.

PRECAUTIONS

Obviously, there are many other examples of geek tattoos out there, but before deciding to get ANY tattoo, there are several steps to follow to make sure you get something safely that is also well done.

As far as the pain goes, it really wasn’t as bad as I initially thought it would be. There was never any crying involved, or screams, or passing out, just a basic discomfort that I think anyone can easily talk their way through to help distract them. It is different for everyone, but for me it always hurt more on fleshier parts than bonier ones. Granted, I never got one directly down my spine, but I hear that hurts quite a bit too.

Getting tattoos can be different for men versus women, as well, but not always. I saw for myself in one instance where a woman was just fine, chatting away, and a man almost broke into tears and finally passed out.

But this isn’t any more typical than the studies that say women have a higher pain tolerance than men, or vice versa.

Despite what you may have heard there is no conclusive evidence either way. It really depends on the person and many other outlying factors.

More important than the pain, because it probably won’t be as bad as you think, is knowing for sure what you want beforehand, knowing you can live with it forever, and then choosing the right design and the right artist to give you the tattoo. Without going through a ton of more pain and scarring, you are not getting that patch of skin back the way you came in. Ever.

Research like crazy the tattoo parlors in your area, and maybe even in nearby cities, to find the best artists with the most reasonable prices. Many places have their own websites these days with examples for each artist, so you can see something before you even go in.

I admit that I watch “What Not to Wear” on TLC, and I have, occasionally, gotten sucked into “LA Ink” as well. It’s a little too soap opera for me most of the time, like any reality TV show, but it does give some great examples of awesome tattoos and what good artistry should look like. LA Ink is pricey though, pricier than you need to be to get something equally good.

There are great artists everywhere, you just need to look for them and take your time finding the right place for you that fits into your budget. Keep in mind though that a lot of detail or larger tattoos are going to cost more and take a lot of time.

In some cases you may need to return for more than one sitting, as the really large ones take more hours than anyone could handle under the needle in just one day.

There are horror stories and some plain stupid people who have gotten terrible tattoos, that’s true, but be smart about what you want and where you go and you won’t be the next person on a list like “20 Tattoos You Don’t Want To Get”.

CONCLUSION

Tattoos are addictive. If you make it through your first, you will almost certainly want another one and start thinking up ideas. I have been craving getting a new one for years.

My next plan for tattoos is based around the four elements, which probably came about from my love for “The Fifth Element” with Bruce Willis, one of my top five movies of all time.

I think the ‘Love’ part represented by Milla Jovovich is covered in my other geek related tats, since they are all about my love for what they represent.

The other four – fire, water, air, and earth – will be on the top of my shoulders and along my hips. It will be expensive in the long run and ongoing, but I look forward to getting started on it.

And yeah, I’m sure “Captain Planet” had something to do with my love of the elements too.

The possibilities for geek tattoos are endless, folks, so why not express yourself with something that means a lot to you, even if someone else might think that it is silly or way too ‘geeky’ to have on your body forever. I do not regret a single one of my tattoos. If I sag one day in that area, so be it.

As for those of you honestly considering getting a tattoo in the near future, if you can handle needles and a long time sitting in one position as still as possible, don’t be afraid to give it a try. It isn’t as bad as you think. I promise.

To be a light of hope after my daunting “Geeks Pay More” blog, on Friday I will be covering “Geek Jobs for the Rest of Us” because the dream should not have to die. I’ll discuss the jobs all geeks wish they could get, and the ones that are a little easier to break into. Please check it out.

Thanks for tuning in.

Images taken from:
http://hongkongphooey.wordpress.com/2006/10/11/triforce-tattoo/triforce-tattoo/
http://geek-shot.geeksugar.com/1537324
http://www.tv.com/supernatural/is-sams-pentagram-tattoo-upside-down/topic/13786-1258703/msgs.html
http://fortsanders.net/node/96
http://www.particleadventure.org/fundamental.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/06/technology/06game.html
http://www.topnews.in/think-twice-getting-tattoo-2138744

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