So in 2006 I was probably one of the first people to get a Baby Firefly tattoo. I remember sharing it with Sheri Moon Zombie on Myspace and she was in awe that someone would get her movie character as a tattoo and she featured it on her page. She even eventually featured it on the Total Skull website when it launched as well. Then before you knew it House of 1000 Corpses and Devil’s Rejects tattoos were everywhere.
The thing about my tattoo was it wasn’t suppose to be a portrait version of her. It was suppose to be an representation of the character but in a traditional pin up girl style and pose. My tattoo artist at the time came up with the drawing and so it began. It didn’t really turn out as traditional as I had wanted it to but it worked. The downfall is that over the years the tattoo didn’t stick well and some of the features even bled out. I take overly good care of my ink with sunblock and such so it was just time and possibly just the way the ink was originally done.
So it’s 10 years later and I have been putting off getting something done with this tattoo. I went to Dave Togtman at Black Devil Tattoo who happens to be a long time friend of my husband and opened his own shop last year (we actually had Frankenhearse on display at their opening party). My goal was to see if we could transform what I had into a neo traditional style tattoo and hopefully magically bring it back to life some how. The reason I thought neo traditional would work is because it can incorporate the traditional old school colors and pin up style my tattoo already had but could also have cartoonish like qualities if needed and thick lines that could hopefully fix the bleed out.
I have to say I am really happy with what he has done so far! He started working on it yesterday. His goal being lets get her cleaned up first and then go from there to add to it etc. As you will see from the collage below (and mind you this is a large tattoo on my leg so perspective is a little off on each photo) it goes from 2006 when the tattoo was first done, to the 2016 photo I sent to Dave of it sadly needing to be fixed and then the new neo traditional style work he did last night.
Living Dead Girl Nicole’s Baby Firefly Tattoo Transformation Part 1
He wants to see how it heals and then we are going to do another session that will incorporate background that will make it look even more neo traditional and other elements I want to add to it. One of them he actually already designed for me and showed me last night. Needless to say I am stoked to get it added! I will wait until he does it to share what it is. Now to take care of this swollen leg and prepare for the kankle that comes with it ha ha.
Stay Spooky!
LDG Nicole
Living Dead Girl Nicole 