Meet Austin Ringo, aka Ringo Tattoos.

If you know me, you know I tend to fall into one of two modes when meeting someone: either the awkward nerd struggling for common ground or the over-excited geek diving straight into the deep end. When I met Ringo back in December, we both cannonballed straight into the latter.

It all started on Fishbone’s Red Hot Holiday Tour, where Ringo was on the road with the guys from Strawberry Fuzz. The first thing he said to me? "Grab your cups so you've got something to catch your face in when Strawberry Fuzz melts it!" From there, we bonded over music, art, and life on the road. Before the night was over, I told him I’d be in Venice soon for a tattoo.

Flash forward to now—Ringo just kicked off my new year with some fresh ink, marking a new chapter with a piece from my favorite series. #IYKYK

But beyond the ink, what really struck me about Ringo is his story. A guy who’s faced tragedy and, instead of retreating, threw himself headfirst into life—exploring the country one shop, one client, one piece of art at a time.

Ringo is like a character from a mid-'90s indie film, the kind of guy who feels as American as it gets—someone who loves the chaos, the culture, the people, and just wants to give something back. Right now, he’s posted up in Venice, CA, but he’ll be hitting the road again soon. If you’ve ever wanted to get a piece that means something, take a break from the noise, and get lost in conversation with a truly great human, do yourself a favor and hit him up.

📍 @ringotattoos | Currently in Venice, CA. Touring soon. Don’t sleep on it.