Young blood.

PAUL ACKER
Ink of the dead
For the past couple of years Philly-based artist Paul Acker has started to make a big name for himself in the small world of tattooing. Showcasing his unique realistic gore artwork at convention after convention, the young artist has now become one of the horror-fan community’s new icons. Proud owner of a studio (Deep Six Laboratory) in the northeast suburbs of Philadelphia, as well as a gnarly clothing line, Paul Acker’s scary visions are just about to take over. Welcome to the American nightmare.

Could you please introduce yourself, where are you from, who were you as a kid, etc.?
I was born and raised in Philadelphia. I’ve been drawing since I can remember so most of my childhood was consumed with art. I also started getting tattooed when I was very young so I had an interest in tattoos pretty early on.

Where does your interest for Horror come from?
Horror has been a big influence in my life since I can remember. I was pretty much obsessed with horror movies since I was a kid and it just started to reflect in my art. Now it’s just grown into more of a way of life. Horror is more of a subculture now and it’s expanding further than ever before.

How did you come to tattoo, and how did you get your apprenticeship?
I pretty much started tattooing right out of high school. When I graduated I knew I wanted to tattoo and with my art background and portfolio it was pretty easy to get an apprenticeship. My apprentice however didn’t consist of much and I basically just had to learn on my own, tattooing friends.

How did you first manage to develop your style? I imagine that in the beginning all the clients didn’t come to you asking specifically for realistic horror tattoos…
No they didn’t, I pretty much had to push the horror thing for a while. Now Horror tattoos are a lot more popular, so I get a lot of die hard horror fans.

Now that your style is established, where do you keep finding your inspiration?
Inspiration is something you find in everyday life, not just tattoos and movies. I’ve been doing a lot more painting and drawing lately, trying to push more original art. A lot of portrait guys tend to be strictly copy machines, so I want to show I can do a lot more.

You do a lot of conventions, so what are the differences between working there and working in your studio?
The studio allows me to spend a lot of time with the clients before hand, talking with them about the project a few times before the actual tattoo appointment. Conventions keep you on your toes a little more, which I love. You never quite know what you’re getting into. Conventions are like a second home to me now though. I get to see a lot of friends I wouldn’t normally see if it wasn’t for these shows.

Could you tell us a bit more about the tattoo scene in Philadelphia?
Tattooing in Philly is great. There is a lot of real tattoo history here and I feel like I’m a part of it now.

What are your projects for the future?
Hopefully a lot more painting and tattooing. We’re also planning on doing a book this year as well as continuing our Fixed Clothing line that me and Past do together. I’m also planning on some mass murder to top it all off.