We hate to break the news, but legendary tattoo artist Sailor Jerry-who created many of the tattoo designs in Rock Band and likely influenced the rest-- didn't like rock'n'roll music very much. And he liked rock'n'roll people even less. Jerry created many of his designs in the 1930's and 40's, and wasn't pleased when the hippies started wearing them a couple decades later. If you're a pale-skinned goth type and you went looking for a tattoo from Jerry today, he'd personally beat you up.

So why did Sailor Jerry wind up connected with Rock Band? Because sometimes the original is still the greatest. And there are real-life, tattooed rockers on the Harmonix staff who wouldn't dream of getting inked with anybody else's designs. When you think about old-school tattooing-the tough-guy imagery of anchors and skulls, inscribed hearts, tigers and dragons, and well-proportioned women-you're thinking Sailor Jerry. Though Jerry himself (real name, Norman Collins) died in 1973, his designs are still worn around the world. And despite Jerry's personal tastes, his images have become an essential part of rock'n'roll culture.

We hate to break the news, but legendary tattoo artist Sailor Jerry - who created many of the tattoo designs in Rock Band and likely influenced the rest - didn't like rock'n'roll music very much. And he liked rock'n'roll people even less. Jerry created many of his designs in the 1930s and '40s, and wasn't pleased when the hippies started wearing them a couple decades later. If you're a pale-skinned goth type and you went looking for a tattoo from Jerry today, he'd personally beat you up.

So why did Sailor Jerry wind up connected with Rock Band? Because sometimes the original is still the greatest. And there are real-life, tattooed rockers on the Harmonix staff who wouldn't dream of getting inked with anybody else's designs. When you think about old-school tattooing-the tough-guy imagery of anchors and skulls, inscribed hearts, tigers and dragons, and well-proportioned women-you're thinking Sailor Jerry. Though Jerry himself (real name, Norman Collins) died in 1973, his designs are still worn around the world. And despite Jerry's personal tastes, his images have become an essential part of rock'n'roll culture.

As the resident tattooed freak at CG, I feel inclined to inform those of you with Rock Band that you've got some great Americana included besides those classic rock tracks you've been jamming to the last few months. Being able to tattoo your band members in the game isn't anything new, but do you know any of the history behind some of the tattoo flash that's available? Have you ever heard of Sailor Jerry?

The holiday season is when all the action takes place in the video game business, and this year has already pitted Microsoft's Xbox 360 against Sony's PlayStation 3, and sleek new software against sequels like Halo 3.

Alex Lerner of Riverdale, N.J., ending his winning performance using Activision's Guitar Hero II in a contest in Los Angeles. The game controller is guitar-shaped.

Tattoo U: Hands-On Rock Band's Tattoo Creator

Rock's always associated with two things: fornication and illicit substances. MTV's music-based game Rock Band skips those two familiar vices in favor of another one big with the music scene - tattoos.

The rhythm-and-rock game that lets four players groove along to recognizable songs using virtual guitars, a drum set and a microphone, also includes a robust "Rocker Creator" that lets wannabes create a male or female character, then customize their face, hair, skin color, physique, attitude, clothes, makeup, face paint ... and tattoos.

The biggest -- and loudest -- battle in the videogame business this holiday season could turn on a simple question: Who can rock the hardest?

The battle will be fought with controllers shaped like guitars, drum kits and microphones in a category that has become a gold mine thanks to the huge success of Guitar Hero, a game that makes players who can't play a lick feel like virtual rock stars. WSJ's Nick Wingfield reports on a new game from Harmonix that aims to beat the established and popular game by Activision, Guitar Hero, in the holiday sales season.