Ink-N-Iron 2015: The Great Art Show Returns June 12, 13, 14 in Long Beach, CA | In the Land of Cash & Elvis August 7, 8, 9 in Nashville, TN

People are here for the love of Hot Rods-Kustoms, live music, burlesque, art shows, 50’s fashion, and of course the tattoo show covering three floors inside the ship. Over 200 of the best tattoo artists in the world will be on hand from over 30 States and 25 Countries representing all the tattoo styles; where a car show and music become an integral part of the event, mingling with the artistic expressions of the artists at work. Pinups clad in corsets, Classic Cats with Pompadours, Mohawks, fashion Mullets, full sleeves and back pieces. Not only is the breathtaking view of the gigantic Queen Mary, the beautiful water, and the amazing Long Beach skyline quite a task to take in all at once, but all the fashion statements and lavishly adorned people are quite a spectacle as well.

With the success of the 2003 Long Beach Tattoo Convention - the second to be held aboard the Queen Mary - it propelled Long Beach to a central position in the tattoo world. 

The 60,000 visitors that have come aboard the Queen Mary since then, sends a very clear message on the extent of the event which will be even better and more enthralling this year. It couldn't be otherwise, considering that Long Beach was the tattoo cultural engine of the West Coast, the center around which technique and trends evolved. 

Long Beach was the home of Bert Grimms World Famous Tattoo, the longest operating tattoo shop in America 1927-2003. From this tiny shop on the Nu Pike in Long Beach Bert Grimm fostered a culture that influenced today's godfathers of the American Tattoo industry; names like Ed Hardy, Bob Roberts, Lyle Tuttle, Col. Todd, Bob Shaw, and Phil Simms to name a few. Bert Grimms was a place where, if you knew the right guy you could obtain the most sacred of tools; the tattoo machine, these pieces of equipment where not available to just anyone.

In marrying the city's tattoo history with a 1930's luxury ship the Queen Mary, with her WWII service history, there couldn't be a more perfect setting to perform this sacred art form. The idea of organizing a tattoo convention in Long Beach stems from the desire to pay a tribute to the great tattoo art tradition. This tradition contributed to spread this art all over the world, pulling it out of the Middle Ages.

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