Welcome back. This is episode 17 of books closed.

This episode is sponsored by Feldman Manufacturing, High Quality Handmade Tattoo Machines by

Brandon Feldman, and Split Arrow Prints. Print like you, give a shit.

The last couple of episodes I've been talking about tattoo businesses and how they came

to be and what happened once they were. And this week I wanted to talk to tattooer Russ

Abbott. Over the years, Russ has done seminars and made instructional tattoo DVDs and now

is focused on his company Tattoo Smart that is pushing

out digital tools for drawing and design purposes for tattooers specifically.

Like with anyone who puts themselves out there and is pushing these new ideas, I was curious to

hear what sort of response he's gotten and his overall opinions on the changing

landscape that is tattooing, all while still tattooing full time.

I was able to catch up with him at the Bay Area Tattoo Convention recently, and our conversation

goes a little bit like this.

So we're here in San Francisco at the Bay Area Tattoo Convention.

How's your weekend been?

Man, it's been incredible.

I just tattooed the same guy's torso for two days straight.

And it was his first tattoo.

He outlined all the way from his neck down to his groin and came back again.

Damn.

Yeah, I was, you know, I thought he would do it, but about halfway through the first day,

I thought, he's not going to do it.

...