Today's gamer tattoo belongs to my friend Rachel. She got hers in March of 2011 from Silver City Tattoo in Poulsbo, Washington. My group of friends and I are fans of Brandon Stewart's work, and he happens to be a gamer himself, so he especially enjoys our requests.
Here's a little bit of information on Rachel's tattoo from the lady herself!
"Growing up I played outside or I played my Nintendo. I can't remember most of my childhood friend's names, but I can remember playing Mario for hours on end until my mom told me that dinner was ready. For me, those are happy memories, and so I wanted to get this tattoo as a nod to my childhood and what I spent my time doing. Mario wasn't the only game I played, but it was certainly my favorite and I thought this particular illustration was appropriate because I love Mario, I loved getting the raccoon tail, and of course Koopa Troopas are my favorite villain.
Half the people I show my tattoo to are super excited about it and think it's great, and the other half don't understand and they think it's just some stupid tattoo I got of a video game character. But for me it actually has meaning.
I'm a lifelong gamer, but it's always sort of been in the closet until recently. My husband has really brought out the inner geek in me and certain friends who are typing this right now [editors note: I transcribed this as she spoke :)] also inspired me to let out my geek and be proud of this hobby of mine." - Rachel
When she and I met she was so excited when she saw my Blooper tattoo. She told me how she wanted a Mario one but had met with less than favorable responses from a variety of people. My response was that if she wanted a Mario then she should get one, and to ignore the people who told her it was a bad idea. People will undersand it or they won't, and there was no reason to forgo her loves and interests for the sake of someone who would never "get" it.
-MJ
