Tattoo Budcast

🎉 BONUS EPISODE ALERT! 🎉 Welcome to Part 1 of our ROADBUDS: Road Trip, Prescott or Bust series!   We’re hittin’ the highway and bringing you along for the ride—literally. Hop in the back seat (audio-only, sorry not sorry) as Sanae and Jimmy Jam trade stories, trash talk, and questionable snack choices en route to the Northern Arizona Tattoo Fest.   No guests. No edits. Just raw, unfiltered car c...

On this episode, we’re packing up and saying goodbye to the Northern Arizona Tattoo Fest—but not before one last session with some of the realest to ever do it. First up is long-time convention staple, tattooer, master painter, and certified Rad Dad: Mike Pinto. He takes us back to where it all started and gives his take on where the industry is headed. Then we sit down with the couple behind it a...

RoadBuds Reloaded – Jared Starbard, Samazon & Dalton Elliott This week, the Tattoo Buds are still kicking it mountainside in beautiful Prescott, Arizona for the Northern Arizona Tattoo Fest—because why leave a good time? In this fresh RoadBuds episode, we wrangle three tattoo artists straight from the convention floor and jump right into the chaos. First up is Jared Starbard, a long-time tatto...

The Tattoo Buds are back on the road and barely holding it together—literally. After losing just one hubcap (RIP), we rolled into the Northern Arizona Tattoo Fest with our eyes peeled for tattoo greatness—and maybe a funnel cake. First up in the hot seat: Washington’s own KC Lange! KC is a seasoned tattooer, former graphic designer, and motorcycle maniac who rode all the way from the Pacific North...

Today we’re joined by a fellow podcasting powerhouse and longtime tattooer, Chelsey Wagner Hamilton—cohost of The Blastover! Chelsey’s been in the game for nearly 20 years, and somehow also manages to do the work of 12 people in one day. We’re not saying we’re jealous… but we’re definitely plotting.   We get into Chelsey’s tattoo journey, the mystery of her missing 20k followers, and what it’s lik...

We’ve got a fresh Budcast for ya, and this one’s coming in hot. The Buds are joined by tattooer and master painter Rando Baggins, and after a slight pre-show hiccup (let’s just say someone almost didn’t make it), we kick things off with arguably our most unhinged ice breaker yet.   Then it’s time to dig into the saga of Rando... From getting arrested for graffiti to becoming a full-blown tattoo wi...

The buds blast off into the cosmos with special guest Reyna of Unity Sanctum—Astrologer, Seer, Seeker and professional planet interpreter. She’s here to break down what astrology actually is (and isn’t), answer some listener questions, and read the Tattoo Buds’ birth charts. Will we finally uncover why the Tattoo Buds are such chaotic little goblins? Maybe it’s written in the stars. Tune in and fi...

Today the buds are joined by a very special guest, legendary Los Angeles tattooer Johnny Bones—this man is a master of black and gray, jack-of-all-styles, and has never kicked a fast food mascot out of bed. With 26 years of tattooing under his belt and a major role in shaping Sanae’s own tattoo journey, Bones brings the wisdom and the jokes. We talk about his 2.5 decades-long career, what keeps hi...

Welcome back, Buds! It’s a solo sesh today, and the gang’s fresh off a Disneyland staycation where the real magic might’ve happened in the hotel room (wink wink—definitely not sponsored by mushrooms). We’re catching up on life, breaking down our weirdest reoccurring and lucid dreams, and diving deep into Tattoo Myths You Probably Still Believe. Think tattoo white ink hurts more? Think again. Plus,...

This week on the Tattoo Budcast, the Buds are flushing out the facts—literally—with tattooer, shop owner, and longtime friend Robert Graye! Rob’s a master of neo-traditional tattoos, but don’t put him in a stylistic box—he’ll bust right out of it (with perfect line weight). We cover everything from bidets and bubonic plague to urethral E. coli (yes, you read that right). Then we get serious-ish an...

We’re kicking off PRIDE Month the only way we know how—by handing the mic to someone better suited and wiser than us. This week, veteran tattooer, shop owner, and self-proclaimed “rainbow” Yesi Concepcion joins the Buds to talk about her 15-year journey in the tattoo industry and what it’s like living between “girls’ girl” and “one of the boys” territory. We get real (real dumb) about queer identi...

Live from Arizona! The Buds hit the road and somehow didn’t get kicked out of the Grand Canyon State Tattoo Convention! This is our first-ever on-location episode, recorded straight from the floor of the con. We’re chopping it up with the masterminds behind the madness, Drew Rhinehart and Lloyd Parrack, and vibing with a killer lineup of artists—Sam Avitia, Mikey T, Nestor Gonzalez, and our return...

The Tattoo Buds are reunited and it feels... weird! After over a month apart, Jimmy Jam’s back from tour and Sanae’s back from guest spotting in Hawaii—and they’ve brought travel stories, snacks, and sunburns. This week, they’re asking the real questions, like: Why don’t tattooers take photos with their clients anymore? Is it time to bring back the awkward arm-around-the-client shot? The Buds also...

Welcome back to another chaotic session of the Tattoo Budcast, where Jimmy Jam is mysteriously MIA (no, really—someone check his location). But don’t worry, Honorary Bud Goonies is back in the co-pilot seat with Sanae, and the girls are talking DRAWERS BLOCK, baby. Goonies shares how she clawed her way out of an inspiration slump and back into the tattoo groove. Then things get unhinged with the v...

The Buds are reunited and they’ve brought in a certified Flash Machine! This week we’re joined by our longtime friend and unflappable tattoo wizard, Brandon Servillon—master of many styles, with over 15 years in the game and well over 100 hand-painted flash sheets to prove it. We’re grilling Brandon on what keeps him chill, inspired, and not rage-quitting after sheet #87. Then we tackle one of tat...

Sanae's out this week, so honorary Bud *Goonies* steps up as co-Bud, and together with Jimmy Jam, they welcome the one and only *Pokey*—a personal friend of the pod and officially the Nicest Man in Tattooing™. With 20+ years under his belt, Pokey gives us the lowdown on his career, shares a regrettable (and hilarious) story from the vault, and we all collectively lose our minds reacting to a viral...

Jimmy Jam is back from allegedly starring in an action movie where he definitely did his own stunts and absolutely didn’t just hang around craft services. He and Sanae reunite after a brief separation (no, they’re not mad at each other) to react to the latest so-called "innovations" in tattooing—including people getting full pieces done under general anesthesia. It’s upsetting. They’re upset. Also...

**Welcome back to another session of *Tattoo Budcast*!**   This week, our Honorary Bud **Goonie** is riding shotgun (seriously—has *anyone* seen Jimmy Jam?), helping Sanae wrangle our guest: the *Billy Zane of Hair* herself, alt-hairdresser **Karen Rivera**.  (Btw, who was the real villain of Titanic?) Karen’s booked *and* unbothered—she’s so booked, she doesn’t even take new clients anymore. She’...

Hey buds! We’re back for another session, and Jimmy Jam has *barely* survived his journey to a tattoo convention—turns out travel logistics aren't exactly his strong suit. This week, we spiral into the great beyond with a hot take on aliens: are they just misunderstood? Have Hollywood and the government given them a bad rap? Does Sanae have a reason to be scared ? Or is Jimmy Jam right that they’r...

Today, the Tattoo Buds sit down with a true OG of the tattoo YouTube game—Wayne Fredrickson of the *Unite & Win Podcast*! Despite rolling in on a broken foot, Wayne proves he just can't sit still. From opening multiple shops to traveling the country in his van to tattoo on the road, launching a tattoo supply company, and running his own podcast and YouTube channel, he's got a [broken] foot in...

The Tattoo Buds are back and flying solo—no guests, just chaos. Sanae spills on her star-studded weekend (celeb cameos included), while Jimmy Jam takes us deep into his first ever psychedelic trip. Spoiler: it involves life-altering insights, the Getty Museum, and your favorite lowbrow Buds talking highbrow art in the most undignified way possible. We also pay our respects to tattoo legend Jack Ru...

This week, the Tattoo Buds are hangin’ with none other than Chris de Armas—a 20-year tattoo wizard from Orange County who’s basically done it all. Award-winning tattooer? Check. World traveler? Check. Owner of American Vintage Tattoo, Electric Pagoda Printing, AND Bandit Laser Tattoo Removal? Triple check. He tattoos, he removes tattoos, he probably dreams in tattoos.   We chat about his insane ex...

This week, the Tattoo Buds are back with their honorary third Bud, Goonies, for another episode of tattoo talk, unfiltered rants, and completely unnecessary (but hilarious) poop stories. We’re airing our grievances about the latest crime against tattooing—the rise of “sip and ink” (aka “ink and drink”) events. Bad tattoos and booze? What could possibly go wrong? We also debate whether having a sig...

HUNGRY IN WHITTIER (EP 19) ft. Steph Portugal I Tattoo Budcast w/ Sanae Garcia & Jimmy Jam   Buds, this one’s a **mouthful**—literally! 🍔🤣 Today, we’ve got **Steph Portugal** of *Hungry in Whittier* in the house! She’s a **tattoo collector, food blogger, pro photographer**, and—let’s be real—**one of Jimmy Jam’s longtime enablers [buds]**.     We’re talking how Steph turned a hobby into a 55...

**The Tattoo Buds are back with a solo episode, and 2 out of 2 Buds agree—this might be their favorite one yet!** They’re coming in hyper, ridiculous, and ready to spill all the ink. This week, they’re diving into some of the first tattoos they *almost* got (and are *very* glad they didn’t). Plus, they’re introducing a brand-new segment: answering listener questions straight from Instagram! Tune i...