Happy New Year from Berlin

Hi guys!
Sorry it's been so friggin long with no life signs, i swear that wasn't supposed to happen!
But we have been super, insanely busy, first with packing up our entire lives in 12 days, then getting down here, and finally building our new shop and home in Berlin.
It's pretty much taken up all of our time.
Not to mention, we still don't have internet at the shop. Yeah, stuff like that can take a while here, but it's all happening, so we're not worried.

Sooo, what else have we been up to...
Mainly painting, decorating, unpacking, cleaning and going to Bauhaus. A lot.
We haven't had a lot of time to explore the city, but what we've seen, we love.
The shop is coming along nicely, but seeing how we're just two people, it's taking some time.
We also had some plumbing work done in what will eventually be the two main work rooms, so that was a bit of a setback, but we're slowly catching up.

We also went back to Denmark for Christmas, and Allan did a little guest spot at our own shop.
You'd think we'd feel more weird about that, but it's actually all good, and we can't wait to see what that crazy Dino Baby comes up with!
And we're just really happy to see our beloved shop in good hands, with someone who already knows and appreciates it. It's gonna be awesome.
I'm not gonna reveal the name he's picked for his shop just yet, cause i'm sure he'd like to do that himself, but he probably will soon!*

Ok, practical stuff.
-I'm gonna add some hotel info to the faq soon, but until then, just use hotels.com.
We're in Schöneberg, so try to find something in that area if you don't wanna be too far from the shop.

-The shop is gonna be even more of a private studio than we'd originally anticipated, so you must send us an email to book a consultation, even if it's just to check out the place, which you're of course welcome to do.
Email only, as we still don't have a phone!

-The waiting list is gonna open in a few days, i just need a chance to get in there and do some New Years cleaning first.
But expect the usual "how to sign up" post in a few days!

-Uhm.. that's it? Maybe?
I'll update you in a few days, until then, please follow us on instagram (@unclea and @floraamalie) if you wanna see what we're up to at the shop and Berlin in general.

 On our last night in Copenhagen, David finally got tattooed by Allan... what a perfect way to end our trip

Yes, very evil stuff, obviously

I also just wanna say thanks, real quick, to everyone who got tattooed by Allan in 2012, especially those few brave souls who are following us to Berlin and will continue to get tattooed even though we moved.
You all rock and we're lucky to know you.
And to all the Germans who've expressed interest in getting tattooed now that we're closer to them; thanks, we look forward to meeting you all!
And a super special thanks to those who have already gotten tattooed at the new shop; you've had to deal with some seriously messy conditions, and you still never complained. Thank you!




*Apparently some people have been wondering why the name Conspiracy Inc. didn't stay with David in Copenhagen, so let me just clarify: this never even came up.
First of all, David doesn't want our smelly old name for his very first studio, and contrary to what some may think, it's not like he paid a huge chunk of money for the rights to our name and address. He simply took over our lease, simple as that.
Second, the name Conspiracy Inc. was never tied down to any address, after all we took it with us from Nansensgade to Schleppegrellsgade, and that was way before we even worked with David.
So to sum it up; Conspiracy Inc. is me, Allan and Lucifer and whoever works with us, and although i'd sometimes like to change the name (cause it's smelly and old) changing our blog and email addresses would just be too confusing for our clients, so we're keeping it!

What not to write

Winter is on us like a big, heavy, grey blanket and it seems to be suffocating my need to blog.

But we're good, don't worry! The shop is doing great, and since it's not nearly as cold as last year, we're not even freezing our asses off inside like we usually do.

I believe our often partially dressed clients appreciate that too!

Allan is busy working on his art show and his book, Nick is tattooing almost every day as well as working on his new web comic, and Eckel... where is Eckel anyway? I believe he's in Hamburg today, actually. And also tattooing a lot, when he is around. And next weekend he'll be moping around Brighton, mumbling about some vegan burger joint that no longer exists.

So yeah, all is well at the Conspiracy, gloominess aside!

Me and Allan's trip to Japan is moving closer and closer, and just to emphasize how much we friggin miss that place, we've already bought tickets to go back in April, which should be good news for all the people Allan won't have time to tattoo on this coming trip.

Speaking of clients and booking, i do have a bit of practical info, possibly in rant form, that i could squeeze into this post!

You see, i have started to book from the Uncle Allan waiting list, and all in all it's going ok.

Except for a couple of things...

1. Some people still don't seem to understand that you shouldn't write a bunch of questions to the waiting list. I will not email you back, and you will not be added to the list.

If you have any questions, ask them before submitting your ideas to the waiting list, and ask them via our regular mail.

2. You will also not be added to the list if you don't include tattoo ideas and placement.

Also, it's up to you to think of something interesting for Allan to do. Try to make it fun. 

If i'm going through the waiting list and the choice is between someone with an awesome, well thought out tattoo idea, pictures of placement and reference, all wrapped up in a polite email, and a dude who's whole email goes something like this; "hey, i wanna get tattooed, i don't know what i want, so just do whatever, i don't care", well... it's not a super hard choice, is it?

3. Lots of people apparently only read the part of this page that has the email address in it, and so again, those people, who don't read the whole thing (yes, i know it's long) and leave important stuff out, they won't be added to the list.

4. If you get impatient and decide to go get tattooed somewhere else, at least have the courtesy to send us an email, so we can take your name off the list. If you sign up for a service of any kind, anywhere, and decide to back out for whatever reason, you let people know, right? 

This especially goes out to the people who couldn't wait for Allan and decided to get tattooed by Eckel instead. It's fine if you don't have the patience to wait, but for christs sake, let us know so i don't waste time writing emails offering you dates to get tattooed!

5. You don't get to chose the date you get tattooed, another thing that's explained on this page, so if you write an email saying "i'd like to get tattooed in June 2012", that's probably not gonna happen. Once we book you, we'll do whatever we can to find a date that works for everyone, but until then, you shouldn't assume you can get tattooed whenever you feel like it.

Whoa, with the angry teacher-type ranting, sorry about that, but seriously, a good third of the mails i get for the waiting list are either missing information or missing the point.

But the rest of them, those who get it right, we're so grateful that they take the time to read all the rules, come up with fun projects and wait patiently for Allan to have time to tattoo them!

If you read Allan's blog, you already know that he has claimed the month of March for his book project, but as soon as that's done, it's back to regular booking!

Ok, if you've read this far, you deserve some friggin tattoo pictures.

And even if you've only skimmed this... whatever, you still came by to read the blog, so you deserve some pretty pictures too!

Here's a couple of newer Eckel tattoos, one from 2011 and one from 2012. Enjoy!

Tattoo by Eckel

Tattoo by Eckel

 

Tattoo by Eckel

 

 Ps. Sorry for the obvious iPhone pictures... ahem...

The FAQ

Who are you people?

We are (from left to right) Amalie, Uncle Allan, Lucifer, Electric Pick and Eckel

What are your opening hours?
We are open by appointment only, but we are usually at the shop from 1 pm and we close when we're done working.
We are closed on weekends.

How do I book an appointment?
If you're in Denmark, the best way is to call/email and make an appointment to come by the shop and talk to us in person.

If you can't come by, write to conspiracyinctattoo@gmail.com and please include this information in your mail:
Your full name
Phone number
Ideas
Placement

We sometimes take booking breaks, so check our myspace, or the panel on the right of this blog, to see if we're currently taking new clients.

Do you take a deposit?
Yes, we take deposit for booking, they vary in price, depending on the project, so just ask.
If you're not from Denmark, you can pay the deposit via paypal.

If I want to cancel my appointment will I get my deposit back?
No. The deposit will be taken from the last session of your tattoo, but if you decide not to get tattooed for whatever reason, it will not be refunded.
If you need to move an appointment, you need to do so two days before the appointment, or you will lose the deposit, and a new one will have to be paid to make a new appointment.

How do i book an appointment at a convention?
We'll let you know when we start booking for conventions, it'll be on the myspace calendar.
We can't guarantee you an appointment though.

Allan doesn't do hands, necks, ribs, stomachs, or insides of upper arms at conventions, so think practical spots, please.
He also doesn't start bigger pieces, for those you have to come to Denmark.

Electric Pick doesn't do conventions at all, so try and catch him at a guest spot instead.

Do you ever have guest artists at your shop?
Yes, but not very often.
We'll do a post here whenever we have confirmed guests.

Can anyone come work there?
No, at the moment we only invite people we know.

I noticed that you have a dog at the shop and I'm allergic to dogs, does he have to be there?
He won't actually be in the room with you, but if you're still worried he might affect you, just let us know and he'll take the day off.

How old do I have to be to get tattooed in Denmark?
18 and there are absolutely no exceptions to that rule, so please don't even ask.

Are there any tattoos you won't do?
Obviously we won't do non-custom tattoos.
You can bring your own drawings or reference if you want, but the end result will be completely different.

Also, it's against danish law to tattoo on the neck, face and hands, so we don't do those either.

We reserve the right to say no to any projects or clients, for any reason.

And Allan will absolutely not do clown tattoos, evil or friendly!

Can you make me a drawing, so I can give it to my local tattoo artist and get him to tattoo it on me?
No!
If you can't/won't come here to get tattooed, you should find a good artist in your area whose style you really like, and have them draw something for you.

I really wanna be a tattoo artist, can I apprentice at your shop?
No, sorry, we are not really looking for apprentices. Ever.

We're also not the Tattoo Wikipedia, so any comments or mails about who uses what ink, machines etc. probably won't be answered.
Come get a tattoo and maybe you'll learn something that way.

If I like one of the tattoos you did, can I get exactly the same?
No.
We never do the same tattoo twice. And wouldn't you rather have your very own design anyway?

Can I bring my own drawing and get you to do that?
You can bring your drawings for inspiration, but we only do custom work.
That means we only tattoo stuff that we've drawn ourselves.

If I come to Denmark to get tattooed by you, can you help me find a place to stay?
You bet!
Here are some cheap places near the shop:
Hotel Nora (hotel, close to the shop)
CabInnScandinavia (hostel)
Sleep-Inn Heaven (hostel)
City Public Hostel (hostel)
Hotel Jørgensen (cheap hotel)
If you're looking for other options, check hotels.com.

How do I get from the airport to your shop?
Take the train or metro from inside the terminal and get off at Nørreport Station.
It takes approximately 15 minutes and cost way less than a cab.
From there it's just a 10 minute walk, or a short bus ride with bus number 5A.


Do you take credit cards?
Nope.

How long have you guys been tattooing?
Approximately 10 years

How long is the waitinglist?
That depends on who you want to get tattooed by, what kind of tattoo you want to get and what our travel plans look like and...
Fuck it, it's long.

Is there a cancellation list?
No, the date we give you is pretty much the date you should expect to get tattooed.

When is Uncle Allan/Electric Pick/Eckel coming to my city/country and when can i find you at the shop?
Check the calendar on our myspace profile and for our immediate whereabouts, this regularly updated blog.