Gunnar’s innovative "Creepy Kids" style was born out of his intense fascination with the duality of childhood. He's inspired by children's “mixture of pure innocence and their devilish spirit." After opening a tattoo shop in 2001 with his business partner, Gunnar began studying the art of acrylic painting, and the rest is history.
]]>Delia Dzen is an internationally recognized artist who is based in Krasnodar, Russia. Best known for his bold new school style, Delai is a perfect addition to our growing list of talented collaborators!
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The Mean Green Interleukin is a symbiotic species that live around the Shinokey Mountains and feeds on small wildlife in the area. Through cooperation, they have adapted to their environment and can thrive in the high altitude of the mountains. These buoyant creatures are also mischievous and will steal food from other animals in the area for fun. In his journal, Jesse writes, "It might not be readily apparent, but The Mean Green Interleukin is actually a symbiotic bundle of three separate species. From what we know, by themselves, each creature has traits that greatly inhibit their chances of survival. For example, the buoyant creature that makes up the base of the Mean Green will float away without the canopy creature on its head. On the flip side, the canopy creature’s strange anatomy makes movement very difficult without the help of the buoyant creature. Finally, the tadpole cleans the Mean Green in exchange for protection from predators. After merging, the creatures become inseparable and move freely throughout Carkayous without any concern of when their next meal will come from." -Jesse Smith
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After a perilous journey through the Durken Forest, Jesse and his friends naturally drifted north towards a giant mountain range that loomed in the distance. Like most of the early expeditions to Carkayous, the path was long and full of danger. But, the beauty and grandeur of the Shinokey Mountains were hard to ignore and fueled the group's adventurous spirit. They tirelessly ventured through the Ticken Plains with an impressive display of determination and will. After days of travel, the mountains in the distance inched closer and closer, slowly engulfing the sky until they no longer seemed so far away. Finally, they had reached the base of the Shinokey Mountains.
The group was divided on what to do next. Cutting through a forest is one thing, but climbing through the mountains is an entirely different beast. Jesse glanced up at the mountain range, and its colossal presence made their problems seem almost insignificant. They had already made it this far, so why not keep going? With a little bit of convincing, the rest of the group agreed to go on, and they slowly began their hike up the mountain pass. The farther up they climbed, Jesse and his friends could feel the air around them getting cooler. They noticed several ominous-looking caves dotted around the terrain and strange plants that looked like nothing they had ever seen before. The mountains were a far cry from the sunny, tropical climate of Killick Falls Lagoon.
The crew continued to trudge along at a cautious pace, trying to conserve their energy and avoid any hazards along the way. At some point, during one of their many rests, they stumbled across a bush covered in strange-looking, acorn-like berries. Jesse stopped, picked a couple, and carefully inspected them, wondering if they were safe to eat. At that second, out of seemingly nowhere, a beautiful-looking bat with butterfly-like wings swooped down and landed on his shoulder. He looked at the creature and offered up a berry. The hungry Butterfly Bat happily snatched the Acornberry out of his hand and flew back into a tree. Jesse, charmed by the creature, pulled out his notebook and began to draw. Everywhere they looked, there was something new to discover, and the Shinokey Mountains were no exception.
The Tadpole Interleukin is an awkward creature that is constantly worried about being attacked. While it does have some known predators in the area, the Tadpole is naturally hard to catch. This, on top of their overly cautious nature, gives them relatively long lifespans compared to other species in the forest. In Jesse's research notes he writes, "While exploring Durken forest I noticed an anxious little critter emerge from the murky waters of a small pond. It seemed to find interest in the Octa-Fruit dangling from the nearest tree. I thought to myself, is it looking for a meal or a friend? It was at that moment that it discovered my presence and scurried back into the pond. I'll have to be a little quieter next time."
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When Jesse and his friends first stepped foot on Carkayous, they couldn’t believe it was real. How could there be an entire undiscovered continent just sitting in the Pacific Ocean, virtually untouched by humanity? It felt like they were entering into an alien world, filled with secrets and creatures beyond imagination. After exploring Killick Falls Lagoon and documenting wildlife in the area, the crew was eager to see more. They asked their pilot, Ricardo, where they should go next. It turns out, while Ricardo knew where to find Carkayous, he had never actually stepped foot on it. While growing up in Ecuador, locals whispered about the mysterious land. Their ancestors, who had survived trips to Carkayous, refused to speak of what they saw and warned others against traveling there themselves.
So, without direction, the group followed the coast to the east and stumbled upon a massive, ancient forest that sprawled out endlessly before them. Durken Forest, as it’s now known, was densely packed with trees and stunning blue foliage that covered every inch of the ground before them. Jesse and his crew were understandably reluctant to enter. But in the name of adventure, they pulled out their machetes and pressed onward. They slowly trekked through the woodlands, hacking away at the undergrowth, hoping to find some relief from their oppressive surroundings. The further they ventured, the more uneasy they became. They heard chilling, animalistic cries echoing from the darkness and rustling leaves that seemed to follow them as they trudged silently into the neverending blue void of the Durken Forest.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the group entered into a large clearing where a small stream flowed from one end to the other. Relieved, they let out a collective sigh and decided to rest before heading back into the claustrophobic grip of the forest. As the crew set up camp, Jesse sauntered towards the stream and noticed a group of small, tadpole-like creatures gathered around an acorn. He crept forward, trying to get a closer look, but only got so far before the tadpoles noticed him and scurried away in a frenzy. “What did I get myself into?” Jesse thought to himself as he washed his face with water from the stream.
After his run-in with the local wildlife, Jesse made his way back to camp. He sat down next to the fire and looked around at the ragtag group of tattoo artists and their pilot companion. He was exploring an uninhabited continent, and if anything went wrong, he’d never be heard from again. But at least he was with his friends. And hey, Ricardo wasn’t so bad either. Before going to bed, Jesse pulled out his notebook and started drawing the little tadpole creatures he saw earlier, then drifted off into sleep, wondering what the next day would bring.
The Pumpkin Pufferfish's relationship with the Quadra-Handed Squirrel Squid has been of great interest to scientists. In some of his earliest expeditions to Carkyous, Jesse Smith frequently observed the creature in its natural habitat and wrote extensive notes documenting its behaviors. In an excerpt from his diary, he writes, "The Pumpkin Puffer Fish makes for a great protective suit when the Quadra-Handed Squirrel Squid goes into battle. Not such a great deal for the Pumpkin Puffer Fish, but in the end, he has a new friend."
]]>In 2009, while Jesse Smith was visiting Ecuador, he met a mysterious man named Ricardo, who claimed to know where the hidden continent of Carkayous was. In exchange for one of Jesse’s iconic tattoos, the man offered to take him and his friends to the uncharted land. Naturally, Jesse agreed, and the crew of misfits beamed with nervous excitement. Was this place even real, or was Ricardo pulling a prank on them? Too invested to back out, the group of friends boarded a beat-up old cargo plane and took off with Ricardo as their pilot. One hour turned to two, two to three, and then, all of a sudden, Ricardo began to shout. Jesse looked out the window, and at that moment, realized the rumors were true. Carkayous was real.
Killick Falls Lagoon was the first place the group stumbled upon after arriving in Carkayous. The lagoon is a mixture of ocean water and freshwater runoff from the Shinokey mountains. Because of this, the body of water has a lower salinity than that of the ocean, which allows some very unique creatures to thrive there. Most notable are the Zombie Jellyfish and the Schitzo Serpent, which can swim freely between the two bodies of water. Of course, they’re not the only critters that live in Killick Falls. The Turtlefish and Duhfish also call the lagoon home, but they’re much less dangerous than the predators that lurk in the depths.
Entry Date 2/17/2021: Bunny Bird: The Butterfly Eater was first discovered in a 2013 expedition to the Durken Forest of Carkayous. Jesse stumbled across the erratic species while they were in the middle of a butterfly feeding frenzy. He quickly documented the experience in his journal and wrote, "With an obsession for Butterfly guts, the Bunny Bird spends every hour of every day in search of its next fix. It's typically not until they run across a Butterfly Bat that they realize how dangerous their obsession really is."
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Entry Date 2/17/2021: Since the early 1900s, there were rumors of a hidden continent that was cut off from the rest of the world. This uncharted land, known as Carkayous, was said to reside off the coast of the Galapagos Islands. At the time, indigenous explorers told tales of strange, never before seen creatures that could only survive in the continent’s delicate ecosystems. They spoke of blue fauna, burning forests, and mountain ranges that stretched across the horizon. As the years passed, knowledge of Carkayous was lost to time. Sounds crazy, right? But, stranger things have happened. In 2009, artist Jesse Smith and his friends traveled to Ecuador for a tattoo convention. In their travels, they met a man who claimed that Carkayous really did exist and that he knew how to get there. In exchange for one of Jesse's iconic tattoos, the man offered to take the crew. Skeptical but intrigued, Jesse agreed, and the rest is history.
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Entry Date 2/8/2021: The Eye Infested Interleukin was discovered in 2013 while Jesse was exploring Carkayous's largest mountain range. In an excerpt from Jesse’s diary, he writes, "The Eye Infested Interleukin spends most of its day floating around the Shinokey Mountains waiting for Tweaker Ticks to fly by so that he can fill his tummy. The Canopy creature of the interleukin generates eyes so fast that it eventually engulfs the Buoyant creature which inevitably suffocates it until it can no longer float, leaving the Canopy destined to end up on the ground as a pile of eyeballs."
]]>Entry Date 2/8/2021: In 2009, world-renown artist and explorer Jesse Smith discovered a new continent just past the Galapagos Islands! We're here to update you on all of the exciting discoveries coming from this strange, uncharted land. Keep scrolling to learn more about the beautifully weird world of Carkayous and the creatures that live there.
]]>Halo is most commissioned for his portrait style tattoo work and experiments with various mediums ranging from auto work, digital, airbrush, and oil creations. He is also the owner of Black Lotus Tattoo Studio and Art Gallery, the largest tattoo studio in the state of Maryland at just over 8,000 square feet!
]]>Born in Colombia, Lalo has brought his unique style to New York City making a name for himself as one of the top artists in the country. Getting his start with a home made tattoo machine and entirely self taught he continues to master what he calls "magical realism," a style of tattooing that blends realism and the magic of fantasy in beautifully colorful work.
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Dan Hazelton is fully custom tattoo artist and airbrush artist from the Milwaukee area of WI. He has been tattooing since 1994 and airbrushing since 2003. Hazelton is primarily a tattoo artist that just likes to try other mediums for recreation and a great contributor to many fortified and endangered collection tee shirt designs.
]]>Octa-Fruit mimic Stigarian fruit located on the southern leg of the Durken Forest. They typically feed on small insects but will every once in awhile treat themselves to a Butterfly Bumble Bat.
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