Our Artists
Mick Metal
Mick began in 2003 as a body piecer at Stiehl’s Body Modification and came to work at Shotsie’s Tattoo?. In 2004 he went through his apprenticeship. Mick was Shotsie Gorman’s last apprentice. He left to buy a tattoo shop in Guttenberg, NJ and then sold it to open Revolution Tattoo Co. in Pearl River, NY. In 2014 he and a few other tattooists fought against unjust ink laws that were put into law with out NY tattoo artists knowledge and ultimately had the laws reacted and rewritten and approved by then Governor Cuomo. As an advocate for tattooing he is, as of 2021, a Board Member of the Alliance of Professional Tattooists (APT) and now the Vice President of the APT. He continues to fight for the rights of tattoo artists everywhere. Mick took over Shotsie’s Tattoo In July of 2022. Mick is available by appointment and can be reached here: *********
Shotsie Gorman
Founder
Shotsie Gorman began tattooing in the 1970s in New York City when tattooing was still illegal in the NYC. Shotsie opened Shotsie’s Tattoo?in Union City, NJ in 1977. Gorman began publishing Tattoo Advocate in 1988, a bi-annual magazine that promoted tattooing, politics, art criticism, history and short fiction. Moved the shop in in the mid 1980’s to Haledon, NJ. During this time, tattooing was illegal in certain jurisdictions in New Jersey. Gorman met with William J. Pascrell, advocating for tattoo artists to require licenses to weed out amateurs and help further legitimize the art form. He continues to advocate for tattoo artist worker rights today. By 1991, Gorman had re-located Shotsie's Tattoo to Wayne, NJ and opened a second shop in West Milford, NJ. Gorman sold his Wayne tattoo shop in March 2006. He moved to Sedona, AZ where he focused on his painting career. Shotsie moved to Sonoma, CA in 2007. He opened tattoo shop in Boyes Hot Springs in 2014. The shop, Tarot Art & Tattoo Gallery, also doubles as an art gallery and tarot salon operated by his wife, Kristine. Shotsie and Kristine have now closed their shop in CA and have relocated back east to New Hope, PA. He continues to be a source of inspiration to tattoo artists everywhere and does Guest Spots and Tattoo Conventions with his old shop once again, now operated by his last apprentice Mick Metal.