Certainly the aviation industry isn’t immune to the occasional curse word… hell, I have heard quite a few conversations between pilots and mechanics myself where every other word is a “colorful adjective.”  That said, this colorful caricature of a female aviator (also known as an Aviatrix) buzzing about and dropping the “F-Bomb” certainly is a funny commentary on the skygods of swearing!

(click the image at left for the full post and larger photo)

Other than being a cute theme for a light-hearted flying-related tattoo, this tattoo is a great example of the awesome depth of color that can be achieved by today’s pigments used in tattooing.  A wide variety of colors and hues are now being used by artists… some pigments even being developed by artists themselves!  Some of these colors would have been unheard of 20 years ago… but now, the art is truly going through a renaissance of sorts with the medium!

This awesome tattoo was created by tattoo artist Mikey Sarratt who tattoos with High Noon Tattoo Parlor in Phoenix, AZ.  High Noon Tattoo Parlor is a great collaboration of experienced artists in the Phoenix area and spans a wide spectrum of styles… check them out!

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One of my favorite movies when I was a kid was the Disney film The Rocketeer.  Though I’ve never been a huge fan of Disney flicks, this one had subject matter that I actually could relate to — WWII, air racing, gritty airport bums, and some awesome Art Deco technology!  It’s sheer fantasy as most rocket technology of the 40’s involved rocket fuel that was not only highly toxic, but extremely unstable and capable of catastrophic explosions (see C-Stoff and T-Stoff as used in the Me-163 Komet).

Regardless, the fantasy was great to dream about… for a normal guy to don a rocket pack and a cool helmet and be able to fly faster than just about any plane of the time and kick some Nazzie arse at the same time!

So, as a result, I present this tattoo of the Rocketeer in honor of the dream… the dream of superheroes and flying like a bird… or at least a rather fragile bullet!  Plus, I had to have another comic character to keep Atomic Robo company.

This tattoo was created by Shad Perlich of Traditional Tattoo in San Luis Obispo, CA.

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Decided to put something a bit light and whimsical up today — a good relaxing change for the weekend.  This surreal combination of fighter nose (looks a lot like the P-40 Warhawk but with a two-blade prop) and butterfly wings is certainly an interesting combination.

This tattoo was created by Paul Wren of Old Ghost Tattoo (formerly Th’Inker Tattoo) in Melbourne, FL.

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The use of cartoons and humor goes a long way to lighten a stressful environment in times of war.  With any tough assignment, crew morale is an utmost concern and any opportunity to take some of the edge off the situation is welcomed.  Thus the reason for flight crews adorning the noses of their aircraft with elaborate (and sometime very risque) paintings known as nose art. 

Soldiers, sailors and airmen often doodled and cartooned to take their minds off the war as well.  Perhaps one of the most famous cartoonists of WWII was Bill Mauldin, a soldier with the 45th Infantry Division who became known for his cartoons of common soldiers or GIs.  Mauldin eventually began drawing for the newspaper Stars and Stripes, featuring the characters Willie and Joe.  Mauldin eventually went on to become a Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist after the war.

This colorful tattoo, featuring a cartoon version of the Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was created by John Wayne of Beesting Tattoos in Belle River, Ontario CA

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