by Danny Phillips, Independent Writer
I first became aware of Jesse James, the outlaw, as a kid. Growing up in a small Missouri town a couple hours from St. Joe, it’s nearly impossible to escape the massive shadow cast by the legendary gunslinger.
I met Jesse James, the tattoo artist, at Inkslinger Tattoo where he was working as a visiting artist. Now James has ridden back into St. Joe, this time as an owner of his own tattoo shop, named The Candy Shop ( 722 Felix).
I talked to him as he readied his establishment for its grand opening on December 11th, a full fifteen day before he had the original date of opening set.
“I’ve got a lot of clients already lined up with appointments so I decided to open earlier than I planned.” James said.
We discussed, among many topics, his history, what tattooing means to him and what he hopes to bring to the St. Joe business community.
“I started tattooing in Santa Clara, California at a shop while I was going to art school at the same time. I began tattooing my friends when I was real young, around eighteen or so, and that pretty much how it all started.” James explained.
D. P.- Do you have anyone that you would call a mentor?
James- Yeah, actually the guy that’s coming out here on the 11th to help me with the opening, Robbie Rittenhouse. He’s probably the first REAL working tattoo artist that I ever worked with. He’s got a son out here so he’s coming out to work from time to time at the shop. I consider Robbie a mentor as well as a good friend.
D.P.- Why open a shop in St. Joe?
James- My family’s from here plus I think there is a hole that needs filling in St. Joe. There are a lot of tattoo shops in town but none like I want to open. I think the business will be good.
D.P.- Was there any resistance from the city about opening a tattoo shop?
James- No, not really at all. In California, all you need is an independent contractor’s license. In Missouri, you need an independent contractor’s license, a state tattoo artist license, a city tattoo artist license, loads of filing fees and a letter from the health inspector. There’s a lot of red tape. All having that much red tape does is stifle the business instead of helping it grow. I think the city is really stoked about having a new business coming in.
In Santa Cruz, CA, the state did a survey of what regulations they really needed and they found that the shop were already regulating themselves above and beyond what the state was asking so they left us alone. Here, when you have to jump through hoops and breathe fire, it keeps people from opening shops and some just keep tattooing in their garages, which isn’t safe for anyone.
But, the city has been really cool and helpful about getting this shop open.
D.P.- Why are you not just continuing to work at Inkslinger?
James- Umm… I guess I just want to do my own thing, I have a vision of the way I want my shop to be, you know, and you can’t really do that unless you’re running your own shop. I’ve worked for a lot of people over the years so I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on what I want The Candy Shop to be.
D.P.- Do you think there are any “real” tattoo shops in St. Joe?
James- Yeah! I think there’s a huge talent base. There are a lot of great artists in town but I think the small town politics tend to narrow their thinking and what they’re doing. That’s one thing I’d like to see change, I’d like for everyone to know one another and get along. Look, when you get to a certain competition level, you should respect one another.That’s what I would like to see in the community. I’d like to call up the other shops in town and do shows together; combine forces. If you get three or four guys working on something, it’s amazing what you can get accomplished.
D.P.- What makes 722 Felix Street such a good location for your shop?
James - I had my eye on that old candy shop the second I saw it. I like the view, I like the neighbors, there’s a lot of new stuff happening on that street. I like Downtown a lot, there’s a certain charm and history to Downtown that I think the rest of the city doesn’t have. There’s bands and music going on in that area all the time so that’s always good.
D.P.- Is The Candy Shop Tattoo a full-time gig for you?
James- I’ll be there all the time. I will be making some trips back to California every now and again to do guest spots at shops. Robbie and I work a lot of tattoo conventions but for the most part I’ll be here in St. Joe working at my shop.
D.P.- Let’s talk prices. What are your rates going to be?
James- I think if you want the best tattoo for the money, come to see me. That’s for sure.I definitely don’t overcharge anyone. With the speed and experience I have you should come to my shop. You could pay me $200 or someone else $200 and I’ll get it done faster, it’ll look good and it will heal nice. That’s my goal anyway. And I always want to be accessible to regular working folks.
D.P.- What is your style when it comes to tattoos?
James- That’s a tough one… I like to do a lot of different styles. If I’m doing, say, a Japanese dragon I’ll approach in a way so it will really look Japanese. If somebody wants something more traditional American, it will have that look. But when you get to a certain point as an artist, no matter what the tattoo is you can tell by looking at it who did the work. I think that’s the goal of any artist. To stand out and give the client the best tattoo that they can get.
D.P.- Do you have a lot of clients already slated for work?
James- Yeah, the buzz that is already around the shop is incredible. But until we get all the inspections finalized we can’t do any tattooing so it’s starting to pile up.
D.P.- What do you think about the wide popularity of tattoos now?
James- I hope people realize that tattoos age with you. I can’t help but wonder if the same people getting tattooed today will be the same ones causing a stink in the industry twenty years from now. Tattoos aren’t hula-hoops; you can’t store them in the basement when you’re done with them. Everyone has different reasons for getting tattoos.
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