Tattoo artist opens own shop in Newville after pandemic

Gary Kamin

Business Name: Awkward Illustrations Tattooing

Years in business: 1 1/2 years

Location: 21 S. High St., Newville

Contact: Awkward Illustrations Tattoo on Facebook or 717-776-1575

Q: Why did you want to start this kind of business?

A: After the [COVID] lockdown I met my better half. She saw how much I wanted to get back to tattooing and did everything she could to make sure I opened my own place. I picked Newville because it’s positioned between Shippensburg and Carlisle, both college towns with limited access to quality tattooing outside of appointment-only studios and kitchen magicians with limited skills. I never tell someone I’m all booked up. If I have time, you get tattooed. Walk-ins welcome.

Q: How did you get your start?

A: I got my start traveling the East Coast around 1990. By ‘92, I had found someone to teach me how to do it the right way. I worked for my mentor, Bill Hannong, for 13 years before moving to Seattle in 2005 and worked at Super Genius Tattoo and the Chrome Ohm for the next 4.5 years. I returned to Central PA in 2010 and worked at Machine Heads and Permanent Impressions in Lemoyne for several years before moving to Tucson to help a friend run his shop while he fought ALS and cancer. He eventually lost his battle, and I returned to PA. I worked at Permanent Impressions right up till the COVID lockdown. During lockdown I worked in a mill customizing doors.

Q: What does your business sell or provide?

A: Traditional to custom [tattoos], I have been professionally trained to make my customers happy. There are very few tattooers in the area with as much time tattooing professionally as I have. I’m born and raised central Pennsylvanian and look forward to making everyone look better naked. I also hand make, rebuild, retune tattoo machines since 1998. I also can cover up just about any old bad tattoos folks might have.

Q: What is the biggest challenge you are facing right now?

A: We are doing pretty well so far and already have return customers regularly, we just need folks to know I am out here offering all types of tattooing from mild to wild, custom drawn to commercial flash sheets.