There are NO Shortcuts Worth Taking 

Interview by Theo Constantinou

Instead of writing an introduction for this piece, we are posting the end of our conversation with Steven that was off record and that was still being recorded, to give you a better idea of our ethos here at Paradigm.

Theo Constantinou: We’re starting out at the same point where you were, which is that, we’re doing something that’s what we like, and what we think other people should know about; people aren’t really living the way that they should. And so, we’re kind of doing it the same way: doing what we enjoy in life. We want people to live life and enjoy it, push the envelope and scope of our daily lives, and the way we conduct ourselves in life and business. There are people who are so deprived of that, that they don’t know where to begin.

Steven Grasse: When we started out, I’d take business from anybody to survive. We can be selective now, but when we started, it was just like, ‘here’s five dollars.’ Yeah I’ll do it, no problem. A lot of the work that we used to do was very much one way; now we’re very much this other way.

Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum: Art On – And In – The Bottle

Tattoos are, to a certain extent, rude. They’ve never completely escaped the connotation of the rough ‘n’ tumble nautical milieu in which they came to their ultimate popularity. But that very rudeness, that in-yo-face attitude, is what has made them so appealing for so many people. I’ve harbored a secret desire to get one for well over 15 years and probably will, someday. I think the wearer must, in some way, feel a bit set apart from the mainstream and, even as much as that may be changing, the lore and the history of the tattoo lives on in millions of skin art devotees. Normal “Sailor Jerry” Collins was arguably the most influential tattoo artist in American history. His themes of pin-up girls, patriotism, ships, birds, and bold simple colors helped shape the American tattoo culture and it seems natural that the signature beverage of his most beloved constituency, sailors, should bear his name.

Saving 'Sailor Jerry'
Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts preserves work of legendary tattoo artist Norman Collins

100 Years of Sailor Jerry

"I guess I knew that tattooing was gonna get real popular," declares the late Mike Malone just minutes into the critically-acclaimed feature-length documentary Hori Smoku Sailor jerry. Many people fortunate enough to have their skin inked by Norman 'Sailor Jerry' Collins may have also predicted his revoluntionary style of tattooing would assist in triggering an expansion within the industry.

Homeward Bound: The Life & Times of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry

This week I received a copy of Homeward Bound: The Life and Times of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry and devoured it instantly. This limited edition hardcover is 128 pages filled with rare photos of the tattoo legend and his work, as well as images of turn-of-the-century newspaper clippings, vintage flash sheets, circus sideshow promos, snapshots of WWII sailors on shore leave and "hula girls," and so much more. It is quite rightfully described as using "the life of Sailor Jerry as the conduit to deliver a visual ethnography of American tattooing."

Homeward Bound: The Life & Times Of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry

Last Friday would have marked the 100th birthday of Norman Keith Collins who is more famously known as Sailor Jerry. Recognized as the father of modern-day tattooing, Sailor Jerry-inspired tattoos are everywhere. In celebration of the 100-year anniversary, a limited-edition 128-page hardbound book was released displaying previously unpublished photos and essays.
Homeward Bound: The Life & Times Of Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry is limited and can only be found on the Sailor Jerry website.