Interview with Hell City organizer Durb Morrison
Hell City Tattoo Festival is a favorite convention amongst many tattoo artists since 2002 the first year of Hell City. How did the idea come about?
The idea for Hell City came from me attending conventions for many years and seeing some of the shortcomings and lack of focus on the artist and visual presentation of the actual conventions. I developed some of my own unique ideas with conventions 24 years ago when I started Hell City and they have come to make the Hell City Tattoo Fest one of the most unique tattoo conventions over the last 24 years.
24 years later have you seen a decrease in attendance or an increase?
We’ve actually seen a steady increase in attendance over the years of the Hell City Tattoo Fest, it seems like the interest in the festival has grown because we continue to present new Artists and live acts at the festival every year as well as other special events that are unique to Hell City.
How many tattoo artists did you have at the first show and how many people were involved in production?
At the first Hell City Tattoo Fest I believe we had nearly 200 Tattoo Artists tattooing which has grown to nearly 300 nowadays and on the production team there are about 15 to 20 people that make the festival happen and keep it running smoothly for all of the attendees.
Organizing an event can’t be just done by one person. How many people do you have in your production crew today?
There are five of us that intently organize the Hell City Tattoo Festival year round and then I have about five other people that work on Design, promotions, Signs and more for the festival.
What are all the jobs that have to be done over the course of a year, you’re doing two shows in 2026 right?
There are many jobs that need to be done over the year including reviewing artist portfolios and solidifying booths for them, developing the live acts that will be on the main stage, designing the artwork for the year as well as the promotional materials, preparing and designing the trophies and tons more that goes on behind the scenes including merchandise, promotions and more!
The logistics of doing a show outside of your hometown can be overwhelming, do you have a partner in Phoenix?
No, we do not have a partner in Phoenix, we do everything ourselves including loading our own trucks that take the festival across the country to Phoenix all the way from Columbus Ohio. The logistics are definitely one of the more difficult things with the Phoenix convention but we have been doing it in Phoenix since 2008 so it’s a pretty well oiled machine.
What’s the criteria for getting a stand at Hell City surely you just don’t accept anybody?
It’s actually a little difficult to get into the festival because we review each artist portfolio intently as well as any of the artists in any of the booths. We look at Hell City as a heavy hitter show with an aspect of showcasing talented up-and-coming Tattoo Artists that will become the next big thing. Hell City has always been a stepping stone for Artists to hit that next level with their Tattoo careers.
Besides tattooing you have a lot of entertainment going on, scheduled seminars, etc… What sort of things can we expect in 2026?
In 2026 we return with both our Ohio and our Phoenix festivals and you can expect the same great quality shows with new live acts at the main stage. The Tattoo competitions have always grown and the entries have expanded over the years. This year we look to do some new live art performances, fine art gallery shows, new Tattoo competitions and more.
How many foreign artists outside of the USA will attend Hell City in 2026 and who?
Well, we are currently organizing our 2026 Artists so we will not know of any foreign artists outside of the US that will be attending in 2026 currently but we usually have a handful of artists from overseas that join us every year.
It’s rumoured that you might have something in the works for Las Vegas?
Well, I have already organized the Punk Rock Tattoo expo that happened in Las Vegas at the world famous Punk Rock Tattoo Museum. In Vegas we are doing Boutique Tattoo Convention‘s on a smaller scale. We are definitely in the talks for doing a show in Vegas in the near future with some partners I have in Vegas currently. We will be releasing info on that late 2026 most likely.
Could you provide TAM for people attending HCTE a list of things to bring with and what not to bring.
When you’re coming to Hell City definitely bring whatever money you want to invest in a new tattoo, merchandise, fine Art or any of the Amazing items from the unique vendors we have each year. For the Phoenix convention make sure you bring your swimsuits because it’s the world‘s largest tattoo Pool Party!
What are your suggestions for someone visiting a tattoo convention for the first time?
If you’re visiting a Tattoo convention for the first time, make sure you take your time and step up to the booths to actually check out the Tattoo portfolios and say hello to the Artists. Make sure you check out all of the vendors selling merchandise as well because they are also there trying to sell their artwork just in another way. take the time to look at other attendees’ tattoos and appreciate the art of tattooing in general. Make sure to support the conventions you attend by purchasing a T-shirt, sticker or more to show your appreciation and to collect something from that year. Overall just make sure you have a good attitude and have a great time!
