Skull on Fist

Another Skull done on the fist !!

Design Credited to Bob Tyrell. The Legend !!

Check his works here - http://www.bobtyrrell.com/

The Last Laugh/ Los Angeles

UPPER PLAYGROUND TEAMS UP WITH LOS ANGELES ICONS
MISTER CARTOON & ESTEVAN ORIOL TO OPEN FOUR RETAIL EXPERIENCES IN THE HEART
OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

Grand Opening Celebration Features an Open House of the New Storefronts

WHO/WHAT: San Francisco-based apparel and art company Upper Playground,
photographer and director Estevan Oriol and artist Mister Cartoon are
excited to announce the unveiling of a series of four one-of-a-kind retail
establishments in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles. Each storefront
will offer customers a unique fashion and fine art experience. In
celebration of the new properties, the three entities will host an open
house on Saturday, May 31, 2008 that will feature a special art exhibit and
appearances from some of the world's leading designers involved in the
project. Details about the four businesses are included below.


Upper Playground
Upper Playground includes apparel for men and women including their popular
line of hoodies, t-shirts, jackets, shoes, luggage, an innovative line of
home furnishings and more. An exclusive line of Los Angeles-inspired apparel
designs will also be available. The Upper Playground store will have a
separate space for an art gallery similar to many of Upper Playground's
other retail locations. Upper Playground L.A. marks the seventh city in the
world to feature an Upper Playground retail establishment since its
inception in 1999. The company recently opened two other California stores
in Sacramento and Berkeley.



"Upper Playground has a large following in the L.A. market and we're excited
to offer our Southern California friends an outlet to experience rare art
and fashion from some of the world¹s leading designers," said Matt Revelli,
founder and owner of Upper Playground. "As a West Coast brand, Los Angeles
is a natural progression for Upper Playground to have a retail presence and
it's nice to be located in a developing area of the city. Upper Playground
thrives in unique and emerging neighborhoods like Skid Row, and we're
honored to be working with the talented Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon on
such an innovative retail experience."


Upper Playground is the pioneer of combining fashion and fine art. In
celebration of the new store opening, there will be a special art exhibit
featuring the works of Usugrow, Sam Flores, Jeremy Fish, David Choe, Herbert
Baglione, San, Retna, Saber, Alex Pardee, Ron English, Doze Green, Slick,
Armsrock and David Ellis. Many of the featured artists on display also
contribute designs to Upper Playground's apparel line.


In addition to Upper Playground, the new venture includes "The Last Laugh,"
which will house the Mister Cartoon and Estevan Oriol retail experiences.


Mister Cartoon Popular L.A. tattoo and graffiti artist Mister Cartoon's new
store will house signature Mister Cartoon items and artifacts from his
passions and hobbies. "I wanted to create a space that was open to the
public that is an extension of my lifestyle and culture," said Mister
Cartoon. The Mister Cartoon experience will include a special tattoo station
for a select group of tattoo artists to make guest appearances.

Estevan Oriol In 2006, photography legend Estevan Oriol selected Upper
Playground as his official apparel partner. This new retail space will house
Oriol's apparel line with Upper Playground and his iconic photography prints
will also be available for sale to the public. "Upper Playground understands
what I want to convey with my art and they have given me the freedom to
transcend my imagery with my apparel line in the way that I want," comments
Oriol on his experience working with Upper Playground. Oriol is a longtime
resident of L.A. "I wanted to open a store in downtown L.A. because it's
where we've spent a lot of our time for the past thirteen years," said
Oriol.

Bonus Space
The fourth location involved in the new retail project will be a rotating
concept that will house unique fashion and art concepts for short periods of
time. During the open house, it will feature a display of custom motorcycles
from 1998 AMA 250cc Champion-turned motorcycle designer Roland Sands and
limited-edition fashion pieces from designer and model Tony Ward's line, Six
in the Face. From August through September the site will be transformed into
a truly unique promotional experience for the upcoming feature film from
Overture Films called "Righteous Kill" starring Robert De Niro and Al
Pacino. SA Studios Global, the agency of Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon,
was selected to produce the iconic poster for the film. The space will
become the exclusive promotional headquarters for the film and will feature
a shrine to the film's stars.


WHEN: Grand Opening: Saturday, May 31, 2008 from 1 ­ 8 p.m.


WHERE: Upper Playground & The Last Laugh
125 E. 6th Street (between S. Main St. and S. Los Angeles St.), Los Angeles,
CA 90014

ABOUT UPPER PLAYGROUND:

Based in San Francisco, California, Upper Playground was founded in 1999 and
has become a leader in today¹s progressive fine art movement with its
innovative apparel line and art gallery, FIFTY24SF. Recognized as a catalyst
for the fusion of fashion with art, Upper Playground produces apparel lines
bi-annually and features designs from notable local and international
artists. Upper Playground apparel is sold nationally and internationally in
over 300 boutiques and online. Please visit www.upperplayground.com
for more information.


MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES:
· Interview opportunities with Matt Revelli, founder and owner of Upper
Playground, and artists attending the opening including Mister Cartoon,
Estevan Oriol, Sam Flores, premier Japanese painter Usugrow, and others
· Photos of the new store
· Images of Upper Playground¹s Los Angeles-specific apparel designs

-SAL

Skull Over Scars

I had my friend Naren come in today, wanting to get something to cover up the scars he had on his inner forearm region. What better thing to do over the scars? A skull of course !!

The skull image is used in several religious cultures. The Indian god Kali is pictured with skulls in her wrathful form. Within the Kabbalistic tree of life, the skull symbolizes not death but rebirth, and is a celebration, not mournful time.

In Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico, the skull is a reminder of death, but it reminds people that while death is a misfortune, it can also be seen as “the ultimate liberation.”

Gamblers enjoy using the skull as a “reverse bad luck” charm, hoping it will bring them good fortune. When used by gamblers, it is often accompanied by black cats and dice rolling seven.

Not all meanings are positive, however. The Nazi SS used the death’s head as a symbol, and many neo-Nazis still use the symbol in tattoos to this day.

For more : http://tattoos.lovetoknow.com/Skull_Tattoos

RIGHTEOUS KILL/SA STUDIOS

LA Legends.... Hollywood Legends....


Robert De Niro and Al Pacino... Mister Cartoon and Estevan Oriol... A
collaboration for the History books.

This is it! The iconic "Righteous Kill" movie poster created by Mister
Cartoon and Estevan Oriol before it hits the streets.

Keep an eye out for an SA Studios / Righteous Kill Downtown LA Experience.
Word is out, this is going to be a historical tribute to SA Studios two
favorite actors, De Niro and Pacino. The "Righteous Kill" experience is set
to open up in August 2008 right next door to the "The Last Laugh" Mister
Cartoon's & Estevan Oriol's retail spaces along side the Upper Playground
retail space located on 6th and Los Angeles Streets in Downtown Los Angeles

Also in August 2008, SA Studios and Righteous Kill in collaboration with
Upper Playground will release "Righteous Kill" limited edition merchandise
and lithographs signed by the designers of the "Righteous Kill" iconic
artwork, Mister Cartoon & Estevan Oriol.

The upcoming feature film from Overture Films, "Righteous Kill" starring
Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, will be in theaters 09-12-08
To learn more on the film, check out details and a trailer of Righteous Kill at www.righteouskill-themovie.com.
-Sal

4th Event @ Chillies

Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls of all ages who have helped in contributing to the counter hits by clicking on my site for the past year or so. I thank you all !!

The 4th Event - The Final Event. Immortal Nite @ Chillies !!

Before I start off, I just want to let you guys know, we were all wasted even before the whole tattoo event began for that night. How did we pull it off? Well, what can I say? Feast your eyes on the visuals!!

(*For those who don't know what the term "wasted" is, I don't wish to explain anyway.) Hehe !!

Dave - The Man - The Canvas - Al Pacino's Body Double !!

Yes !! We are the Golden Girls...

Naren - Ma' Boy !! ( The one who got the Dotted Chucky in my very first event )

Feeding Time for Ms.Kim - Oh No !!

No idea what they looking at, but ya...

Area is Reserved? Where did that come from?

Rock on !! Lets get the engine started !!

I have no memory of posing for this picture...Trust me!!

So here we go. Rain or shine or being wasted - Show must go on!

So this is what we have in the end..But, the Party doesn't stop here for us !!

I swear its just Lime Juice !! Ask Dave, he will tell you...

Too Much of Magic in the System !!

Rockin On with Kim !!

Dave - Partyin on !!

What can I say? Emo Moments? EMO SUCK !!

Without a doubt, Dave stole the night, going home wasted, getting tattooed and what more can you get?

Hereby, I am signing off again !! See ya'all again real soon !! Thanks for the support and Love ya'all !!

Sun Tattoos

The sun plays in an important role in many cultures. Several prominent early civilizations were involved in worshiping the Sun - such as the Romans, the Egyptians, the Aztecs and the Incas. While other cultures also paid homage to the sun, in these specific areas, the Sun was their highest god.

In Rome, the sun god was Apollo. He was thought to bring the sun each morning in a chariot across the sky. He also was considered to be the god of healing and arts.

In Egypt, the god Ra was in charge of the sun. Ancient Egyptians believed that Ra went through various transformations throughout the day, just as the sun did. He was the most important of all of the Egyptian gods, and pharohs from the fifth dynasty forward took the title "Son of Ra".

In Aztec culture, Huitzilopochtli was the god of sun and war. The patron deity of the Aztecs, it was said that he was supposed to guide the Aztecs to a promised land in the south. Human sacrifices were at one time made to this god in hopes of winning wars.

The rich mythology surrounding the sun means there is a wealth of different tattoo styles that can be found depicting its image. Many choose to get the sun and moon depicted together, as they are complimentary and, in some cultures, symbolize male and female power.

Others choose the blocky, tribal style of Aztec suns. The sun can also be a symbol of rebirth, so some people choose to combine it with other imagery such as Celtic Knots and Stars. The light and dark, good and evil symbolism are also a reason that people are so drawn to these tattoos.

3rd Tattoo Event

Immortal Nite @ Chillies - 3rd Event !! Enjoy it !!

Starting off..

Closer to the End..

Highlights...

Last touchups...

That you see, Ladies and Gentlemen is a work done in 1 hr.

And what happens when you finish your job faster than expected? Well, You will start clowning around !! Welcome to my world !!

Rock on and suck on my boots !! Well, don't we all have "duties"?

This what happens when someone tries to imitate you. Haha !! And STOP looking at his crotch !!

Showing off the tattoo aren't you, Kim? Haha !! ( Thats the girl who got tattooed in my 2nd Event of Immortal Nite )

Well that's right. We are bunch of CamWhores - Representing Immortal Tattoos , Singapore!!

Signing Off - As we all are gettin ready to be wasted !! Or are we really? Hehehe !!

Estevan Oriol, Retna and Mac Collabo

Here is a Collaborative effort of Estevan Oriol, Retna and Mac. Estevan shot the image that inspired the piece. Stay posted on the Blog and look out for any Collabos in the works......
-Sal"The Apprentice"

Mr Cartoon/ Roland Sands Collaboration

Check out the Latest Collab from Mr Cartoon. This is a Bike that Roland Sands (rolandsands.com) Built, Cartoon (mistercartoon.com) Airbrushed the Murals and the DeAlbas (mariosautoworks.com) Layed the Paint. These pictures really dont do this Piece Justice but I had to bring it to you anyway. Keep your eyes open at the next carshow and you just might catch an eye full... -Sal "The Apprentice"

Pink Cat

A friend of mine wanted a cat tattooed on her for a very long time and she wanted something cute with colours. So, what do I do? I give her what she wants...

A Pink Pussy - Who wouldn't love that? Right? Haha !!

2nd Tattoo Event

Immortal Nite @ Chillies- 2nd Event !! Enjoy it !!

Freehanding the base for a collabration piece with Carlston (AcidCrue).

Carlston doing his part in Freehanding.

Carlston starts it off...

And I carry on...

Adding in the colours and finishing it..

The End Result !!

This is also the first collabration piece I did with Carlston (AcidCrue). Turned out pretty sweet I should say..