Tattooed ladies and community

Photo by Jan Tik http://www.flickr.com/photos/jantik/477005319/

I was recently reading Rue Morgue magazine (one of my favourites) and was struck by the dedicated community that surrounds the rabid group of horror fans that follow the genre. The magazine has a great thing going for it and knows fully that its success depends on the participation of its readers.

By following their Twitter feed and listening to their podcast, I’m engaged with their magazine (and the wild cast of writers, artists and fans) long after I’ve stopped flipping though the glossy print pages chock full of gore and creepiness.

A few weeks ago,I watched a program on the Space Network called ‘Pretty Bloody‘ about women in the horror industry. The editor of Rue Morgue, tattooed hell-goddess  Jovanka Vuckovic spoke quite a bit about the close-knit community of hardcore female fans that, although are small in number, are active and supportive of one another.

Over the weekend I finished reading tattoo artist Kat Von D’s book “High Voltage Tattoo” where, rather than write an entire book on herself, she shared the spotlight with others within the tattoo, art and music realm and gave them mention for helping to inspire her along the way. The book is gorgeous and features photos of the tattoos she worked on from those on her friends, family and rock stars to those of her clients.

What I appreciate so much about these two ladies is their commitment to bringing a sense of community and respect for others as well as their desire to inspire others. By sharing the spotlight with others has helped them to shine even brighter in my eyes.