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Edited Version
Jojo Ackermann - 10`000 Waves Tattoo Gallery
I love all styles of tattoos when I see them. I appreciate all styles when they are done right. My personal ambition has led me to east meets west style. Artistically I am very influenced by Ed Hardy and Paul Jeffries. However as a Tattooer I appreciate Mike Pike, JR Grove, Cap Sumski and Billy Salmon for their guidance as to what a Tattooer should be.
What’s your name, age and where are you originally from?
Jojo Ackermann I’m 50 something years old and I’m from Southern California
Were you born in California?
Yes I was born and raised in Southern California.
You’ve been tattooing professionally since what year?
1992
When did you actually start?
Professionally October 1992….tattooing my punk rock and cholo friends since the mid 80s (scratcher stuff)
What sort of artistic background do you have, self taught or did you go to school?
I only took art classes in school to at least have a higher grade on my report card to keep the other grades from looking too bad. Hahaha but my mom is a painter and I got a lot of inspiration from her and from a teacher I had in junior college named Rich Sim. He was a huge influence on me.
What did Rich Sim pass on to you that influenced you as an artist?
Rich was into color and design. He was a hippie and into alternative things in the 70s. He was into Annie sprinkle and Timothy Leary kind of culture. He always told me “you like punk , but have you heard of ….and he would tell me about stuff. Before the internet of course. So I would go get any info I could on those things. That kind of rekindled my interest in tattoos because Annie sprinkle was friends with a Tattooer from New York named spider Webb, and then it hit me again!
What was the very first tattoo that you ever saw and on who?
My Uncle Dave who was a green beret paratrooper. He had a skull wearing a beret with a parachute and I always thought that was the coolest.
How old do you think you were then?
I was just a little kid. He was around me my whole life.
What made you want to become a tattooer?
It sorta happened by accident, I wasn’t looking for it. Getting tattooed a lot and being around the shop made me feel comfortable enough to feel like I might be able to do it.
Who were you getting tattooed by and in which shop?
Mike Pike, Ricky Ball and a guy named Danny who worked at tattoo alley in Palmdale, California. That shop was ran by JR grove and his wife Debbie. Those are Mike Pikes parents.
Who was it that you apprenticed under and how did that come to be?
Mike Pike took me in. I worked with him for 16 years. I started as a customer.
You couldn`t have had a better mentor, a veteran tattoo artist and master machine builder. I think any serious apprentice would give their left foot (no arms) for the opportunity to learn this craft from him. Cleaning the toilet, mopping floors, making needles, and everything else that came along with that apprenticeship makes for a well rounded tattoo artist. *How long were you there until Mike put a machine in your hand to tattoo?
I helped Mike put his shop psycho city tattoo together from the day he got the lease on the building. I learned to tattoo by actually building a shop! He let me tattoo someone for money after a while, I don’t really know how long I was there for. But I was there everyday guaranteed.
Who else was working in that shop at the time?
What studio are you working in now and with who?
Robert Atkinson and myself own Ten Thousand Waves Tattoo Gallery in Sherman Oaks, part of Los Angeles,California.
Robert Atkinson and myself own Ten Thousand Waves Tattoo Gallery in Sherman Oaks, part of Los Angeles,California.
How many artists are working at 10 Thousand Waves now?
Full time there’s 5 of us all together and a rotation of guests throughout the year.
You love most tattoo designs… Why is that when there are so many other styles of tattooing?
I love all styles of tattoos when I see them. I appreciate all styles when they are done right. My personal ambition has led me to east meets west style. Artistically I am very influenced by Ed Hardy and Paul Jeffries. However as a Tattooer I appreciate Mike Pike, JR Grove, Cap Sumski and Billy Salmon for their guidance as to what a Tattooer should be.
Talk about American legends in tattooing, you`ve just named 6 artists whom I’ve always respected. I`ve met Bill quite a few times over the years before he passed, my last memory was at FlyRite in Brooklyn. Bill, Elio Espana and myself partied hard until the wee hours of the morning. Bill Salmon was unique not only as a tattooer but also his charachter was more than special. You said “What a Tattooer should be”, in your mind set, in a nutshell describe a real tattooer.
Any one particular design that you always loved to do?
Too many to list. Lots of them.
Of all the tattooists that you’ve met and befriended during your career, which one left the most lasting impression on you and why?
Bill And Junii are always going to be the most impressionable for me. Always kind, generous, honest and welcoming. They were patient with me when I was a little out of my league and helped get me to be better in so many ways. I still go work with Junii at least once a year. I miss Bill so much. He was one of my best friends. I was honored to know him.
Which legend in tattooing comes first to mind when you think of all the great tattooers over the last 100 plus years?
Bob Wicks, Jerry, Lieber, Grimm, Bob Roberts , Ed Hardy. Many many greats.
Which Japanese tattoo artist do you look up to the most?
Junii Shimada, Horitoshi 1 and family Horizakura
Which European tattoo artist do you look up to the most?
Mick from Switzerland and Henning Jorgensen
Both are world class tattoo artists, did you ever meet Doc Forest?
No but I wish I knew him. I respect his legacy. Bill had one of his machines that looked like a Cadillac tail fin. Super cool.
You are known for your colorful, bold tattoos, which brand of colors are you using now and why?
I’ll never tell
True gatekeeping
You do a lot of black work, what inks are you using and why?
NUNYA …NUNYA is the best
Well NUNYA I imagine is none of your business?
Haha I’m being a smart ass, but yeah. I’m not big on info bragging.
What`s your take on finger tattoos?
I don’t have time for that
I notice a lot of facial tattoos on young people lately, 18-21 years old and many of them have less than 25% coverage. I`ve only tattooed about a dozen faces in my career and each customer either already had tattoos on their face, were fully covered or at an age that they knew exactly where life was leading them. What are your thoughts and do you tattoo the face?
I don’t care. I’m sure it’s personal and none of my business. I don’t partake in it, it’s just not my thing. No judgment. Many friends have face tattoos.
Morals, do you have them in tattooing? Are there some tattoos that you refuse to do like political, religious related designs or something else that you don`t feel comfortable doing?
I screen people most of the time or make a short conversation about them. But I’ll do most of them depending on.
What do you mean by screening? Depending on what?
Things I think will cause a situation. I had a guy ask for a teardrop tattoo many years ago but never went to prison. That’s a big time prison tattoo and I refused it. I was taught not to do “store bought gangster “ tattoos on anyone. If the tattoo related to their affiliation with anything , they usually have their own people to do those types of tattoos. They don’t need me.
What`s your favorite reference book in your collection for tattooing?
Anything from Hardy Marks
Do you own all of Ed’s books? Have you ever been tattooed by him?
I own may many of them. Sore subject for me was that I never took up the chance to get tattooed by him when he was still actively tattooing. Meeting him and speaking with him on numerous occasions has always been a great experience and I’m always grateful for those memories.
You`ve traveled a lot as a tattoo artist, which tattoo convention is your favorite and why?
Salt Lake City is one. I’ve done it for many years, since it started.
Why Salt Lake? something really special about it? The atmosphere, friends, the organizer?
Yes all of those. It’s just one that I’ve done since it started. Nate throws a hell of a convention. It’s all about tattooing.
You have also done a lot of guest spots all over, which studios have you been to and why did you go there?
I go for the food and the fun. Tattoos fund it hahahha and also to learn and share and to expand my community of peers who I respect.
Food and fun is great when you’re traveling to foreign countries. What’s your favorite country for food?
So many. Brazil, Japan, France, Mexico. I lobe foooood!! Hahah
What do you like to do besides tattooing when you’re there for fun?
It’s mostly tattooing related visits so the fun is whatever they take me to do. I’m easy. I go with the flow. Do as they do!
Is there a country that you want to go to as a guest tattoo artist and haven’t been to yet and what attracts you ?
I’d like to go to the city Prague, and China someday.
What type of tattoo artists don’t you respect?
It’s tough to answer that but I’d say maybe have a dislike for those who have no interest in understanding the hard work that so many did before them to elevate tattooing so that they could also partake in it. I really feel like their resistance to knowing those things is intentional. Most fans of art, music and even sports have favorites and know some of their history.
Do you collect tattoo memorabilia? What’s in your collection?
I have a lot. I have been collecting for 30 years. Pike got me collecting. Tell my wife it’s his fault haha
Do you collect tattoo flash, tattoo machines, or old equipment? Something more or less of?
I do have some pretty cool stuff! They seem a source of magic and inspiration for me.
What are 5 of your prized possessions in your collection?
I have a 100 year old hanuman Thai tattoo apparatus, old cabinet rheostat power supply, bob Shaw swing gate machine. I have a lot of fun stuff. Tattoo historian booklets. Queen Mary booklet from the first queen mary show 81
You recently published a book of Bert Grimm acetates, titled “Seaside Acetates”. How long did it take you to put that book together?
I had all that stuff for almost 20 years. The book was a thought I had to keep me busy since I had lost inspiration to paint or draw. My Father was dying all year and I couldn’t muster up any ideas to create and the book struck me as a way to keep me busy and give something back to tattooing. Those who know will know. I made it to be used as a tool in the shop , and for fans of tattooing it’s a lot of fun to have as a coffee table book.
The new generation of tattoo artists are not doing apprenticeships today. Do you think learning from online courses, tattoo schools or from YouTube videos can be a replacement for a real apprenticeship?
Nope. But I’m a gatekeeper and I’ll never let them know unless they come correct and wanna learn. Intent and attitude go a long way in this situation as far as I’m concerned. I don’t think anything for free has any respected value.
Do you believe it`s important to live, dream, eat and shit about tattooing for the first 5 years?
Of it isn’t an obsession and you don’t “live “ tattooing then sadly I can’t see any longevity in the information I would be willing to share or any conversation I would want to have. I can talk tattoo all day everyday day. I love it so much. I feel It is my religion.
We all have the one special story about tattooing a customer during our career that is told and told time after time, which is yours?
Haha I’m from Lancaster, California. There’s a crazy story every day. Our tattoo shop was right next to the gay bar right across the street from the fancy bar where they cook steaks and all the aerospace management would go after work, and then the other side of us was a pool hall where all the construction workers and blue-collar people would go on Friday nights. So weekends in our little corner of town was pretty exciting and an eclectic mix of people. You can only imagine with the mixture of alcohol, those crowds and the tattooing that there’s a story waiting to happen…. probably something happening right now while we’re having this conversation.
What’s a tattoo you secretly judge people for getting?
I generally try not to judge , I’m sure I’ve been judged plenty for my tattoos. They are for the bold.
Besides tattooing, what other types of art are you interested in?
Recently I’m getting into sculpture and mask making.
What type of sculpture? Metal, clay?
Attempting clay. Haha. It’s harder than I thought.
What kind of material are you creating masks from? Where are the mask ideas originating from?
I’m making monster , creeps and just wacky stuff. Think yokai, ghosts and rat fink.
What kind of atmosphere do you personally like to tattoo in, loud music, conversation with the client or peace and quiet?
I love music and talking. No phones, no video watching, no gum chewing.
Worse type of customer?
Drunks
I myself don’t tattoo drunks do you?
No, but I worked a street shop for years and I still do when I guest at places and it kinda comes with the territory.
Best type of customer?
Driven / enthusiastic
It helps when they have money in their pocket right? Do you charge by the session or by the hour?
Session rates for large pieces that require numerous visits. I usually quote a single session tattoo on the spot. I’ve never done the hourly thing. It always seems to get misunderstood.
Ever regret picking this as a profession?
hahah no! Was there something else you wanted to do? I thought so, I was wrong.
What was that other thing that you thought you might have wanted to do?
Be a writer.
2014 was the last time TAM talked with you, what monumental thing has changed for you 12 years later?
Of course it would be that I am now a grandpa
What do you recommend for aftercare now?
It’s a case by case situation
Do you keep your calendar of appointments written down in a book or do you depend on your phone and the internet?
Paper book always now. My phone crashed and I lost all my appointment schedule for 2 months it was a day to day guessing game on what I was doing til it sorted out.
What’s your average daily schedule like? What time do you wake up in the morning? What time do you go to bed?
Wake up 6:30am, excercise, shower, coffee and off to the shop. Try to get there 30-45 minutes early to get ready…work, home, draw , sleep-10~10:30pm
The most painful spot where you’ve been tattooed? The most painful spot you think it is for your customers?
For me was the palm of my hand and the ribs
Is there a tattoo artist that you know that deserves more attention?
So many. There’s more tattooers who are making amazing stuff these days , I can’t keep up. The people we work with at ten thousand waves tattoo are ones I would ask for people to look at. They are killing it these days
Anything else we should know about you?
JoJo, you’re married, do you have kids? If you have kids, do you want them following in your footsteps?
I have kids and grandkids. All express creativity and creative interest, but none have wanted to tattoo. They have tattoos! But no desire to learn.
JoJo, do you cook at home and if you do, what’s your favorite dish to cook?
I make sandwiches, steam rice and eat tuna from a can. I’m always too busy to cook. I like to grill food on a bbq when I’m actually relaxing.
You are familiar with Tattoo Artist Magazine, what did you like best about it?
I wrote for TAM in the past. I wrote articles on various topics. And when it was still a magazine in physical form, I was in the final issue as a featured artist.
Well, I couldn’t think of someone better to interview right now, it wasn’t a final issue because we’re coming back from a 12 year hiatus. Unfortunately, back in the day, TAM didn’t have enough annual subscribers to continue with publishing hard copy magazines. Crash still has loads of magazines in storage. You yourself hold a lot of knowledge about tattooing and surely have lots of stories to share, would you consider contributing to TAM again?
Sure would. I love writing.
The new digital version of TAM gives us an opportunity to reach a much larger, international audience with
With a low subscription price, we hope to build a community and attract tattoo artists from all over the world. The annual TAM subscription cost is $75 which makes the monthly price $6.25 right now if you join early, the price is only $60 offered valid until 31 January.
Do you think that’s a fair monthly price for 12-15 hours of reading with exclusive indepth interviews, sub niche articles and viewing hundreds of images?
More than fair
Thanks so much for your time and energy Jo Jo, we look forward to your future contributions at TAM.
Dave DaSkin
