Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry: A Film on a Tattoo Legend

Before tramp stamps, barbwire armbands, and tribal whatevers, tattoos were actually a subculture–a relatively low-profile underground phenomenon that only gained steam several decades ago. One guy in particular helped advance the art of the tattoo (both literally and figuratively) onto a higher plane. Sailor Jerry, a salt of the earth son of a bitch who actually was a sailor, was a legendary tattoo artist who inked some of the most iconic pieces of artwork in the genre. As colorful a character as his tattoos, Sailor Jerry went far and wide to hone his craft and pick up influences from different cultures. Some of the people interviewed look like the craziest motherfuckers alive too.