Tattoo artist and entrepreneur Max Marco is opening a new shop in the Stapleton Town Center, Toddler Tatts, where parents can bring their children for permanent body art.
The editor of Tattoo News says tattooing children is a growth industry. “It’s an untouched demographic. Our client pool has been growing richer and trendier for years. Now they’re getting younger. People want to set their kids apart from the crowd, and so business has exploded in communities that are family-oriented and socially-competitive like La Jolla, Martha’s Vineyard, and Waco. Stapleton’s a prime market for this. And you’re lucky to get Marco. He’s quite an artist.”
Indeed, Marco’s work has been featured on television programs Ink Masters and Tatt My Baby. His new shop will be located next to Cold Stone Creamery where he expects to get great visibility in the youth market. Marco was born in Liverpool, England and is self-taught as an artist. Peers call him the “Mick Jagger” of the tattoo world given his think English accent, lanky limbs and bold style. Marco recalls the first time a mother brought in her 5-year old son for a tattoo.
“So Mumsy wants somefink powerful that catches the boy’s real character, right? She’s talking about play groups and school lotteries and all of it. How cut-throat it is. Says a tatt might give him an edge, right? Alright then. So I comes to find this kiddo loves the beach. Put him in the hot sand on a sunny day. Does he cry? No, he loves it. Just rolls around in his nappies as happy as a clam. So I does up the kid’s back with a classic nautical theme: an anchor. Brilliant piece of work it was. His Mum loved it. Didn’t take too long neither seeing as the boy’s back was so small. And that’s the beauty. The tattoo will grow as the kid grows up. Full back tatts on an adult are pricey, but not on the kiddos. Great value, see?”
When asked about tattoo needles and pain management for toddlers, Marco shrugs. “Not as bad as circumcision, is it?”]]>