James Paudick is a self-proclaimed geek who loves movies, music, and TV shows. You may know him best as the creator of Tattoo Watch, the go-to website for all things related to tattoos and pop culture. But James has also been a featured artist on TV shows such as The Walking Dead, The Shopping Channel, and Abducted, and has lent his talents to the Marvel Comics series The Avengers. James has also designed sets and props for the playwright Lyle Kessler, and provided concept art for several video games. In this article, we’ll tell you more about his fascinating life as a tattoo artist and how he became such a well-known figure in the geek community.
Early Life, Family, And Education
James Paudick was born October 31, 1976 in North Bergen, New Jersey. He grew up with his mom, dad, and older sister in a small house with a dirt-poor backyard. In high school, he began taking art classes and eventually found his way into digital art after discovering Adobe Photoshop. He later went on to study at the College of New Jersey (now called Ramapo College of New Jersey) and earned a B.A. in Psychology in 2000. It was there that he began designing tattoos in college. He would later claim that he got the idea from a friend who had made their own comic book to “decorate with skulls and zombies”. He also added that he wanted to design something completely original, and not just a derivative of existing styles.
The Start Of Tattoo Watch
Not content with just designing tattoos, James decided to turn his hobby into a business. In 2003, he launched Tattoo Watch as a blog to document his designs and collect subscribers. He initially wrote about the design process and then, as he gained popularity, began writing more frequently about popular culture and the topics that interested him most. From there, the blog grew to include interviews with notable celebrities, such as Megan Fox and Gabrielle Anwar, as well as photos of naked women (which is legal in New Jersey). It wasn’t long before James was getting contacted by Hollywood studios and brands about being featured in upcoming movies and TV shows. The success of Tattoo Watch led to James becoming a regular contributor to Creative Media, a magazine published by the Academy of Art & Design, as well as The Walking Dead, The Shopping Channel, and Red Velvet Cake, a channel focused on baking and cooking. In early 2019, James closed down his blog (though many of his designs were later released in a book) and started TWC News, a blog focused on the latest news and updates from Tattoo Watch.
Why Design Anime Tattoos?
While it’s amazing that James’ designs have appeared in some of the biggest movies and TV shows of all time, his true passion is designing anime tattoos. The popularity of anime (Japanese cartoons) is on the rise, with fans around the world showing their love for all things anime by getting matching henna tattoos, designing their own anime character, or taking a classic anime pose. To this day, anime remains one of the most popular genres among millennial audiences. With new anime hitting the airwaves every year, it’s an ideal time to indulge in your love for Japanese animation.
The Art Of James Paudick
With over 450 unique designs, James Paudick has proven himself to be a talented artist. Here are some of his most popular designs.
Ironman
When it comes to making a lasting impression, few superheroes can match the impact of Ironman on the tattooing world. It wasn’t long before fans started incorporating the popular Marvel hero into their ink. Whether traditional or modern art lovers, it’s clear that James Paudick is the master of the Ironman tattoo.
The classic Ironman design features Tony Stark’s chest armor decorated with dots and dashes, as well as the traditional mainlining on the arm. However, this year (and next year), fans may want to try something different as James has stated that he’s retiring the Ironman moniker.
More information about James Paudick and his artwork can be found on his website, as well as his ironman archive page.
Deadpool
The Merc With A Mouth has never been an unmemorable character, but he was never really that popular either. Thanks to Marvel’s blockbuster cinematic reboot of the character, the fans are now more aware of Deadpool’s existence than ever before. And it’s not just about Hollywood either, as there are many European and American fans who were not originally introduced to the comic book character through film adaptations.
The popularity of Deadpool is apparent in the design world as well, with many artists incorporating the movie’s most memorable scenes into their tattoos. The most iconic of these is probably the “bandana shot” from Deadpool, where the titular character wears a bandana around his head with a picture of a bison on it. For those who want to add a little more oomph to their ink, they can get a tattoo of a skull wearing a bandana with the same bison on it as well.
In addition to the bandana shot, fans may also want to get the classic pose from the first movie, where Deadpool leans against a car with a cigarillo in hand. This pose has been tattooed on multiple bodies, including its star Ryan Reynolds. Interestingly, despite being such a famous character, the one thing that Deadpool is lacking is a unique tattoo to call his own.
Further information about James Paudick and his artwork can be found on his website, as well as his Deadpool archive page.
Hulk
It might not be the most conventional decision, but the Incredible Hulk is one of the most popular characters among tattoo fans. The rage monster was initially created as a tool to bring levity to the grimmer aspects of comics. But it wasn’t long before fans started seeing the green goliath as a sympathetic character, whose anger problems were more akin to those of a human being than an animal.
Similar to Deadpool, Hulk is often featured on TV shows and movies, but many fans feel like they missed out on the fun, being limited to what was shown in the screen time. This might be why Hulk is among the most popular characters among fans, as they get to live their favorite moments from the show and film in a way that comics never could.
Incorporating the “barking chair” from the popular TV show, one of James’ most legendary tattoos features the Hulk in a seated position, straddling a chair with a dog collar around his neck and a leash attached to it. Naturally, this caused some trouble for the artist when he was apprehended by the police for committing an act of animal cruelty.