November 3rd, 2009
Tattoo
Here’s the comic I drew in 2003 that became my tattoo in 2005
aaaaand
<---- There is a picture of me with my tattoo, in case you were curious. I will be pretty sad if you copy this for yourself.
Two new interviews are up! One is an article about webcartoonists from Campus Progress and the other is a video from my newest retailer Things From Another World.
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:07 am
I messed up this post and had to delete it, here is the single comment that had to go down with the original:
From Megan
“Oh, that is my absolute pet peeve! I have a tattoo on my forearm, and 9 out of 10 times I explain it, I’m greeted by a blank stare and “I don’t get it.. wicked tatt though!” At this point, I tend to just grimace and bear it.”
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:44 am
Those FOOLS, your tat looks nothing like the White Tree of Gondor!
-C
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:00 pm
Awesome.
It reminds me so much of that…. http://www.flickr.com/photos/dwam/2837084978/
(with the text)
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:02 pm
I really appreciate the design and thought that went into your tattoo – it has a fantastic origin story. I can understand it getting a bit trying having it to explain it to those that ask, but its great that you get to share some insight with people once they hear what your tattoo is about and maybe open their own eyes a little.
Thanks for sharing!
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I remember reading this a looong time ago. Seeing you at APE, I had forgotten what it meant. Nice to to be reminded, it does look awesome. Never associated it with LOTR, though.
November 3rd, 2009 at 12:28 pm
People mistake your tattoo for this?!?
As a LOTR fan, I’m sorta disappointed in people. Dunno why though. I dressed in a 1700s-era style of gown for my Halloween costume, with the little gathered cap (I was Mary Wallstonecraft) and people asked me several times if I was “little house on the prairie.” First of all, the dresses look totally different. Secondly, “little house on the prairie” isn’t a costume unless you look like a HOUSE on a PRAIRIE. You mean I look, to your dumb eyes, like Laura Ingalls. You’re still wrong.
WHOA venting sorry there. *ahem*
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:28 pm
What a lovely meaning! Thanks for sharing Erika :D
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:31 pm
Do these people think that Tolkien invented trees ?
November 3rd, 2009 at 3:31 pm
For Hallowe’en, I dressed as a witch: tall pointy hat, dress, and cloak. All 100% black. And somebody thought that I was dressed as Gandalf. (In his partial defence, I did have a beard —natural, not part of the costume. But then, so did some witches. And I was still dressed in a colour that *no* Istar wore.)
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:09 pm
OOO! OOO! QUESTION!
Copy the tattoo, or copy the picture? Because the tattoo is a pretty neat concept :P
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:14 pm
Miss Kara, Neither please.
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:11 pm
That is so irritating. I grew up in the Middle East so I chose to have a tattoo of my name in Arabic. People point and stare with the “Oh my God she’s a terrorist!” look all the time. Makes me want to deck them.
Amazing tattoo design and origin! The amount of thought put into it really makes it special.
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:12 pm
Erika- I love the idea behind your tattoo! I understand you not wanting others to copy your work, but I was wondering if you’d mind if I did something inspired by that idea? A different kind of growing thing to represent life, a different kind of print to represent the mark I make on the world?
Or is that too close to your idea for you? I want to check before I start sketching any ideas.
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:25 pm
Norq, oh go for it! You don’t need my permission to get a tattoo that may have a similar meaning as mine has for me! I only get uncomfortable with the possibility of someone wanting to use my same design.
I know a tree silhouette and hand prints aren’t exactly the most unique emblem ever, I just really would rather people didn’t copy my illustration exactly. People should come up with their own combination and interpretation of those iconic images, rather than tracing the lines and arrangement I put together for myself.
November 3rd, 2009 at 5:26 pm
They always make me think of epaulettes, but not the ones with fringes, the ones that are only on the sides of shoulders.
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I’m not sure why people are seeing it as Lord of the Rings.
I’d noticed it before, and meant to ask about it when I spoke to you at SPX, but knowing the meaning of it now….that is quite cool. :) Those are the kinds of things that make good tats.
As opposed to people having their exes’ names embedded into their butts. Oy.
November 3rd, 2009 at 6:49 pm
But does anyone ever think it’s a tree from Fern Gully?
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:20 pm
huh it doesn’t look like the lord of the rings tree that much. I don’t think I”ll ever get a tattoo but if I did it would be angel wings on my shoulders. one would be slightly disfigured. not the most original idea but there is a reason behind it.
November 3rd, 2009 at 9:29 pm
On the upside, when people call it a LotR tattoo, you can either (1) make fun of them for being such a LotR obsessed pathetic loser, or (2) make fun of them for trying to be knowledgeable about LotR and yet not even knowing what the Tree of Whatever looks like. :)
November 3rd, 2009 at 11:47 pm
OOO! OOO! ‘NOTHER QUESTION! ^_^
So what’s on the other arm? I’ve been trying to figure out forever what your tattoo’s are. I’ve been thinking they were stain glass ^_^ It’s nice to get to see them now.
November 4th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Erika, it’s beautiful! I always wondered what exactly it was. And now I know – thanks!
November 4th, 2009 at 7:53 am
I love you.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:14 am
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by galendara, Barbara Arruda, JokerTattoo, Benny G., FrenzyTattoo and others. FrenzyTattoo said: http://ow.ly/frAg – DAR: A Super Girly Top Secret Comic Diary » Archive » Tattoo http://bit.ly/Z7APo [...]
November 4th, 2009 at 11:23 am
If I ever gathered the courage to get a tattoo, I would get a complex fractal tattooed onto my back. It would hurt like hell though.
November 4th, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I just read the entire archive today. I loved it!!!! You and I seem to have the same kind of sense of humor. I was going to send you an email to attempt to make your head big but I couldn’t find an email address. Anyway I just loved the comic. Hope all is well with you!
November 4th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
nice, heartfelt and meaningful but can we have some fart jokes next week?
November 4th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
@ aeridus
A friend of mine has a huge tattoo across his left arm, but he created it piece by piece, a little at a time over the years. With a fractal (well, some fractals) you could do something similar, adding more and more details over the years. But never very much at any one time.
November 4th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Those are bloody hand prints right? The blood of your victims?? MU-HAHAHahahahaha… That will surely control the path your life is going to take.
*snicker* Sorry. I couldn’t pass that joke up.
November 4th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
I hate that people give me crap for mine ’cause it’s a unicorn. Like “Ew, EVERYONE gets a unicorn, it’s so giiirly”.
It was drawn and designed by one of my best friends and symbolizes my mother, unicorn bust framed by oak leaves and acorns. My whole family has unicorn tattoos now. Mom said, before she died, that when we saw a unicorn we’d know it was her. I’m stil surprized by mine every so often, since its on my back and I rarely see it except in a mirror. Funny, seeing as how I sometimes see my mom in the mirror looking at me.
*sigh* I miss my mom. 2005, colon cancer.
GET CHECKED! (That was my mom’s last wish, tell everyone)
November 5th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Actually i think people confuse it for something from lord of the rings because the outline is the same shape as the Door of Durin, and that is a fairly iconic symbol from the movies. They don’t actually have a clear idea of what it looks like and your (awesome) tattoo has just enough similar elements from the door to confuse the two. http://www.tuckborough.net/images/doorsdurin.jpg
November 5th, 2009 at 1:27 pm
@ Miss Kara – I think it’s of a lightbulb shining! She mentioned that tattoo in another comic somewhere, but I forget when.
*looks around, bouncing* Did I get it right? DidIdidI? ^_^
November 6th, 2009 at 9:39 am
http://www.darcomic.org/2007/09/04/bulb/
November 6th, 2009 at 1:01 pm
Absolutely gorgeous tattoo. I don’t know how people could mistake it for Lord of the Rings.
Funny thing – people always mistake my LOTR tattoo (which is not a tree) for a Chinese character, or something along those lines.
At any rate, yours is just beautiful.
November 7th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
I found this comic about 4 hours ago. I’ve just read the whole thing, and I have to applaud your bravery, to put your life on display is such a way, to be honest about your flaws and quirks. I am glad you found a person to love, no matter if it’s with a guy or a girl, and I think life’s little insanities are what makes it worth living.
I love the tat, and i’m constantly forced to explain mine to ppl. It’s my skin splitting and pulling away in several patches to reveal snake scales underneath. There are several convoluted reasons I got this particular image, but no-one seems to get it. Every time my mom sees them, she asks when I’m gonna get them revoved.
November 8th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Erika, are you really stopping DAR? Please say that was a lie in the article! Don’t go!
November 9th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
I’m actually reminded more of the human tree from Frank Miller’s 300…but that could just be because I’m gruesome.
November 10th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
as far as i can see that scene is only in the movie – not the book
November 11th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I don’t even see HOW someone could mistake that as something from LoTR.
(Though honestly, it reminds me of Ferngully… XD) It’s a pretty tattoo.
December 15th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
I kind of love Claire for saying that. She’s right. Your tattoo looks nothing like the White Tree of Gondor. Fo’ sho.
January 1st, 2010 at 11:30 am
http://ugliesttattoos.com/2009/11/20/funny-tattoos-he%E2%80%99s-going-to-have-to-cancel-his-tour-with-lady-gagargoyle-after-this/
Tongue-in-cheek for the ones that think unicorns aren’t manly. ;p
March 13th, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Your tattoo is wonderful! And what a great story behind it. LOTR? I don’t see how anyone could think that — who was paying attention.
March 17th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
I hear ya, I designed my tattoo myself and would be a bit sad if someone else had the same one.
May 16th, 2010 at 6:11 am
Megan: how horrible it must be to have a unique perspective.
July 8th, 2010 at 4:29 pm
@tamfang
nice slowpoke