Corey Miller's 25 Favorite Tattoo Artists

Tattoo artist Corey Miller was in town the other week and stopped by the Complex offices to give us his 25 favorites tattoo artists. If you know tattoos, you know Corey as a guy who has been killing it in the game for years, a master at freehand black and gray work and sought after for his dragon tattoos. If you don’t know tattoos, you might know Corey from his appearance on the TV Show LA Ink. Either way, Corey is a good dude, and chopping it up with him was both a lesson in the history of tattooing and an interesting run through of the different artists who have influenced his work. Click on to read about Corey Miller’s 25 favorite tattoo artists, in the artist’s own words.

Filip Leu

“Filip is from Lausanne, Switzerland, and I would probably say he's
one of the most influential of all the tattoo artists. He's probably
my age but he was tattooing the masters when he was just teenager. His
father is Feliz Leu, they're old hippies from Switzerland, the whole
family was about tattooing. His father sent him off to Japan when he
was a teenager to tattoo with the masters. I think I first met Filip
in the early 90s and immediately went and got tattooed by him. A lot
of dragons and Japanese-influenced style that he has taken to another
level.”

Suzanne Fauser:

“I met Suzanne the first time I went down to New Orleans for my 1st
convention in probably 1988/89. We met each other and she became like
my kindred mom, we just clicked. Once I met her, she was the one to
tell me just to, ‘Shut my mouth and keep my ears open and see how long
you last.’ Those harsh words would intimidate a lot of people but it
turned into a real love. I named my second daughter Suzanne after
Suzanne Fauser.”

Jack Rudy:

“Where I came up in Los Angeles, and in the style of black & grey
tattooing, he was the guy. Back in the day, in the mid-‘80s he was the
only one doing portraits. He was the black & grey master and came from
Goodtime Charlie's Tattooland. And he was just the best of the best
and I was very lucky that was the 2nd shop that I worked in.”

Dave Shore:

“He's a Canadian tattoo artist who I met in Amsterdam around 1994. I
took a trip out there by myself and found myself at Hanky Panky Tattoo
Salon, and there I met Dave Shore. Another one of those relationships.
We just met each other and he was just there for me. Me and Dave
became real tight friends. He has that rich-experience of the old
tattoos, he can do free-hand celtic work, and does unbelievable
cover-ups.”

Jose Lopez:

“I would say he's one of the new-school. He rolls around in a
wheelchair and does some of the most beautiful black & grey work. The
Chicano style, East L.A. style tattoos. His whole crew of people, all
the guys around him, has the whole new wave of black & grey masters.
They like me, and have that long-term respect because I've been around
for so long, but I tell you these guys do work that’s just fucking
phenomenal.”

Carlos Torez:

“The second I saw some of his paintings I was just totally blown away.
And his tattooing is incredible. I don't think he's been tattooing or
painting that long but again one of those phenomenal guys. When you
see his work it just speaks for itself.”

Henry Powell:

“Henry's a kid that's worked next to me for 18 years. I just put him
on the list because I can't think of a more solid tattoo artist that's
been there for me. The guy's always worked with me. He's never tried
to be a rock star. He just comes to work everyday. I can leave my shop
and I've always had my right-hand-man Henry to oversee things. He's
developed his own pure style.”

Guy Atchinson:

“Any tattoo artist knows Guy Atchinson. I met him in '91, the early
90s. You'd hear, ‘Tattoos have to be this way, you have to do this
style, you have to shade this way.’—And Guy Atchinson came on the
scene and broke all the fucking rules. He started doing this amazing
biomechanical work. He came out with a style of his own.”

Hannah Atchinson:

“Guy's sister that I have known for years. I was lucky enough to work
with her on L.A. Ink. Again I think she was one of the most talented
artists on that show. I think she was a little bit too wholesome and
down-to-earth for reality TV, though. I wish Hannah would've let her
guard down & cursed like a sailor. She's brilliant and has a lot of
class. And again, an amazing artist.”

Kim Saigh:

“I think I tattooed Kim 18 years ago. When she was just starting out
and I was just a youngster myself, I got to do a tattoo on Kim. Low &
behold all these years later, she studied under Guy Atchinson. It was
just great to work with her. She's become an amazing painter.”

Juan Puente:

“He used to come in and get tattoo'd at Fat George's, one of the 1st
shops I worked at. He credits me for teaching him a little of the
stuff in the beginning, which was very rare back then. You would give
no trade secrets away. When he finally got an interview, he quoted me
in a magazine. He said I told him: ‘Don't ever tell anybody that I
taught you how to tattoo until you get really good.’ He was the best
man at my wedding. Juan's always been that guy to take down a name
with the number. I always write down the number and forget to write
the fucking name.”

Clae Welch:

“Clae is somebody I recently met in Portland, Oregon. I saw some of
his work and it really embraces the old-school ‘40s tattoo, but he's
got a complete new-age flip on it. I think the guy's got an incredible
future in tattooing.”

Grime:

“I think one of my first memories of Grime, I was in Tokyo, Japan,
going down this aisle-way, in these little dark rooms and I came
around the corner and Grime was in this room with nothing on the walls
and they were tattooing. And this was like the second time I've been
in Japan. He's one of those guys whose work speaks for itself. Real
rich knowledge of the Japanese tattoo art plus with that ultra radical
San Francisco twist on it.”

Horioshi lll:

“This guy is a Japanese master tattoo artist, who I was fortunate
enough to meet on my trips to Japan. I've always admired Japanese
work. I jokingly call myself Coreyoshi. No disrespect, its a
respectful pun.

When I pick up a reference for Japanese work,
I'll usually look to his free-hand drawing. I read something in one of
his books that freed up my mind. He said: "For years I never wanted to
copy anything. I always wanted to be able to draw everything my own
way, developing my own style was the best thing for me. But these days
I don't really think that. I think once you copy something you can
make it your own and change it." I read that, and to hear a Japanese
master say the same thing that all of this stuff came from something
and its okay to copy it, was interesting. If what you do is you copy
it but bring your own twist...He's still a master tattoo artist, he's
still the essence of where it came from.”

Tim Hendrix:

“Little Timmy Hendrix, he's the golden boy. Tim said that when he was
growing up, instead of having pictures of his favorite skateboarders
and rockstars on the walls, he said that he had a picture of me on his
wall from a tattoo magazine. Tim's been tattooing for years, and is a
great tattoo artist. He's a nice guy, he's humble. Just an all-around
talented tattoo artist.”

Tattoo Mick, from Zurich:

“I've gotten tattooed by him quite a bit. He's another tattoo artist
from Switzerland. He came around Filip Leu, and he has mastered the
art of dragons. I'm known for doing dragons as well, so I just liked
his tattoos. He did quite a bit of work on me, he did some of my
sleeve-work. Very knowledgeable about painting, artwork. His machine
has been his vehicle to get around the world, just like me.”

Goodtime Charlie Cartwright:
“A visit from Charlie is like a visit from the Pope. Everybody's
around and just wants to listen to what he has to say. Goodtime
Charlie was Jack Rudy's teacher. He sold his shop to Ed Hardy back in
the day. This is the old blood of East L.A. He's just old school. He's
one of those guys that doesn't do tattoo shows. When he's talking you
should listen, you should absorb it.”

Leo Zulueta:

“He worked for Bob Roberts in the early ‘80s, and he's one of the guys
that introduced the first tribal tattoos. We used to go out to Bob
Roberts in Hollywood when I was about 16, I remember Leo as this
Polynesian looking dude. Leo would have this old '83 Harley. I just
remember thinking, ‘Wow, this guy's got it made.’ He was that
influence, the tribal band-style tattoo, which so many people have
copied and emulated these days. He's one of those guys who influenced
me whether he knew it or not.”

Greg Irons:

“Greg Irons was a huge influence. He like an art-chrome artist. He did
a lot of comic book work but he became a really good tattoo artist. He
died really early. I would definitely say my style has been influenced
by Greg Irons because Jack Rudy's style has definitely been influenced
by Greg Irons. I've always looked at his work. Filip Leu compared me
to him one time, said that my artwork reminded him of Greg Irons. To
me, that was one of the hugest compliments I could have ever gotten.”

Bob Roberts:

“Bob was one of the only tattoo guys around in 1983. He was in
Hollywood and he was tattooing all the punk rock stars & stray cats.
We'd go out there, me and my friends, we would go out there before the
punk rock shows. My buddies would get tattoo'd. I think Bob's was the
first time I embraced colored tattoos. Bob's shop, to this day, is
just covered in hand-painted tattoos. He's drawn every design on the
wall. He's hand-watercolored them. I think because I was so young when
I walked into his shop I really saw the beauty of what a tattoo could
be.

Korey Flatmo:

“Another tattooer from my generation. We've probably been tattooing
for the same amount of time. I remember when Korey came onto the
scene, "I was like Korey, who the fuck is this dude? Can't be another
Corey tattooing!" I remember when I first seen Korey Flatmo's work I
was relieved. Someone says Korey did it and they think I did it, its
okay because he does beautiful work. He's a tattoo artist out of Ohio.
Another one that’s work speaks for itself. Kind of introverted and
mellow but again, he’s done a lot for the business.”

Bob Tyrell:

“He's a Michigan artist. One of the guys that came onto the scene that
was influenced by Jack as well. Black & grey portrait master. I think
I like Bob so much because every time I see him, he's got a big smile.
I tattooed Bob years ago and he's turned out to be such a good artist
and he's humble.”

Chris Garver:

“Chris made his big debut on Miami Ink. And I just really respected
him from the way he carried himself. He could tattoo circles around
anybody. He really keeps it in perspective, he knows it’s not a big
deal. He knows he's dealing with luxury items. I just like his vibe. I
think we're different in many, many ways but similar in being good
artists, wanting to do good tattoo art and always trying to be
creative.”

Freddy Negrete:

“He's one of the old-school Goodtime Charlie, early Jack Rudy guys.
Freddy is one of those guys that could come in with his feet on
backwards or his hand busted...He had that whole East LA gangster
thing but even in tattooland he was a legend. When he rolled in, like
Chicano, in the early ‘70s, he’d always have a couple hot chicks on
his side. He's the same thing to this day, he'll have a couple of
young girls on his side. And he’ll just bust out these beautiful
hand-drawn tattoos. He's definitely the underbelly of it. He's like
the gangster tattoo artist.”

Sailor Jerry:

“I never met the guy but was lucky enough to acquire a few of his
machines over the years. As far as tattoos, Jerry was one of the old
guys that new just how much black to put into a tattoo to make it
prominent. Sailor Jerry is probably one of the most-recognizable names
in commercial art of tattooing, but he's been dead for years. Ed Hardy
worked with Sailor Jerry. Just the essence of traditional tattoo work,
which is more popular now than it was in the ‘40s. He was one of those
real old-school guys that I think we shouldn't forget.”