Ten minutes with tattoo artist Mike Turner
By Gina Vasselli
Edited by Jennifer Silverman
Feb. 25, 2009
Mike Turner, the general manager of six S.C. tattoo shops, got his first tattoo when he was 12 and started working at a tattoo shop at 14. Turner currently tattoos at 5 Points Custom Tattoo and Piercing in Columbia and 5 Aces Tattoo and Piercing in Sumter. Turner has also served in the Army, earned an education degree from Texas A&M University and raised four daughters. Turner sat down with the Carolina Reporter and answered questions about tattooing and his life. His answers have been edited for space and clarity.
Q: What was your first tattoo?
A: I grew up in Pensacola, Fla., and hung out with older kids. When I was 12 years old they told me to use Indian ink, a needle and thread [to do a homemade tattoo]. So I went home and threaded a needle, dipped it in Indian ink and sewed a cross into my arm. It hurt. Then when they made fun of me, and told me I did it wrong, they showed me how to do it the right way.
Q: When did you get your first job tattooing?
A: I did a whole bunch of homemade tattoos, and when I was 14 I decided I wanted to get a real tattoo, and get them all covered up. I went and got thrown out of all the tattoo parlors in Pensacola. Until I went to the one, the guy's name was Lucky and he was this old biker. I was scared to death to go up to him because he was just so big and mean. He asked me what I wanted and I told him I wanted a job, and he told me he was going to kick my ass. I told him OK, but I was still going to want that job. So he started out making me clean his shop, and then he ended up teaching me how to tattoo.
Q: What are your least favorite kinds of tattoos to do?
A: Words, names. Your body is for art, not for words.
Q: What are your most favorite kinds of tattoos to do?
A: My favorite stuff to do is the really dark, evil stuff, but I also love to do flowers, like tropical flowers. It's kind of weird.
Q: Where is the most painful place to get tattooed?
A: General body, rib cage is probably the most painful area to get a tattoo. I've got about six to six and a half hours on my rib cage. It hurt, I mean, it really hurt.
Q: Have you had jobs besides tattooing?
A: I've done everything. I taught high school for five years, sold cars while I was finishing up college. Lots of different stuff, but I've always tattooed.
Q: Do you have a specialty?
A: Cover-ups. When I do a cover-up, you don't see the old tattoo. It's a challenge. People think that when you have a cover-up, you have to cover it with black, and you don't.
Q: How did you get to South Carolina?
A: I lived here when I was a little kid. I lived in West Columbia. I live one street over from the street I grew up on. I've always wanted to come back here. I've always loved Columbia; it's my favorite place in the world.
Q: Do you think people with tattoos are judged unfairly?
A: Everybody gets tattoos. It's personal expression. It keeps shallow people away from me, and if you're a shallow person who wants to judge me on my appearance, I got no use for you. I'm an educated guy, I'm nice, father of four daughters. It's just how I chose to express myself.
